Dale.
Bo Derek
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- Dale.
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Something I'd been meaning to try for a while.
I'd been waiting my chance to catch one and a few weeks ago, there was one on the outside of my workshop. Catching it was tricky though as they are tiny............ and very fast.
I managed though, kept him in plastic pot for a few minutes while I made up his temporary home. I used a 400g Nescafe jar, washed thoroughly, put some sand that we use for our hamster on the bottom and an upright piece of wood from a pallet that I have lying around. I let him settle in for a day or 2. I caught a fly for him, put it in the jar and he pounced on it almost straightaway.
When I thought he had settled enough, I tried photgraphing him out of the jar. It wasn't easy as he just wouldn't stay still. I put him on a microfibre cloth and he seemed to settle on that. With hindsight though, I think a smoother material would be better as I don't think he was entirely comfortable on it. I don't believe in exploiting wildlife for an image, so it played on my mind a little.
I went with it for a few minutes though, set up my camera (R7 with a 100mm f2.8L) and attempted an in camera focus stack. I made a rookie error though, I usually use this lens in manual focus and it needs to be in AF for the stacking to work. I forgot to switch it for the stack.
Anyway, I got a (unstacked) shot, despite this creature being tiny (just as well, as I don't do spiders), I was quite pleased with it. I learned quite a bit in the process as above and all noted for next time. It's still a work in progress and I will try again at some point.
I put him back in his jar, then released him the next day, where he still puts in the odd appearance on the outside of my workshop.
I hadn't realised there is a whole pet trade around Jumping Spiders and our local rep shop sells them, they are bigger than native UK ones too, so should be easier to photograph. The one I caught was big enough for me though.
Obviously, improvements to be made, particularly with DOF but yeah, quite happy with this for a first go.
I'd been waiting my chance to catch one and a few weeks ago, there was one on the outside of my workshop. Catching it was tricky though as they are tiny............ and very fast.
I managed though, kept him in plastic pot for a few minutes while I made up his temporary home. I used a 400g Nescafe jar, washed thoroughly, put some sand that we use for our hamster on the bottom and an upright piece of wood from a pallet that I have lying around. I let him settle in for a day or 2. I caught a fly for him, put it in the jar and he pounced on it almost straightaway.
When I thought he had settled enough, I tried photgraphing him out of the jar. It wasn't easy as he just wouldn't stay still. I put him on a microfibre cloth and he seemed to settle on that. With hindsight though, I think a smoother material would be better as I don't think he was entirely comfortable on it. I don't believe in exploiting wildlife for an image, so it played on my mind a little.
I went with it for a few minutes though, set up my camera (R7 with a 100mm f2.8L) and attempted an in camera focus stack. I made a rookie error though, I usually use this lens in manual focus and it needs to be in AF for the stacking to work. I forgot to switch it for the stack.
Anyway, I got a (unstacked) shot, despite this creature being tiny (just as well, as I don't do spiders), I was quite pleased with it. I learned quite a bit in the process as above and all noted for next time. It's still a work in progress and I will try again at some point.
I put him back in his jar, then released him the next day, where he still puts in the odd appearance on the outside of my workshop.
I hadn't realised there is a whole pet trade around Jumping Spiders and our local rep shop sells them, they are bigger than native UK ones too, so should be easier to photograph. The one I caught was big enough for me though.
Obviously, improvements to be made, particularly with DOF but yeah, quite happy with this for a first go.
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