‹ Previous Macro & Close-up Gallery Next ›

Orb Weaver

Gallery: Macro & Close-upPosted June 29, 2011256 views10 comments

Because of Caroline's post of that spectacular orb weaver a couple of weeks ago, when I saw a small spider in my yard, I put on my reading glasses and took a closer look. It had these amazing translucent green legs, so I hauled out the macro gear and started shooting. Image my surprise after processing when I started a search to ID the spider and then realized that it was the same species as Caroline's. I'm no spider expert, but I think this is the Orchard orb weaver (Leucauge venusta) rather than the Basicilica orb weaver (Mecynogea lemniscat), but I'm also likely to be wrong. Regardless of the ID, these are very neat looking spiders. (Thank you Caroline.) (5D, 100mm macro + 36 mm extension, 1/60s, f/7.1, iso 400, tripod, cable release, 80% of ff)

Comments

10 comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on June 29, 2011 at 8:11 PM

Beautiful detail, colors and symmetry in this image.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Yeoh on June 29, 2011 at 8:26 PM

Mark:
Like you I also require reading glass to see things clearly nowadays... most annoying when trying to do live view focus without one.

This spider image is really neat. Love the colors of the abdomen and the legs. The web is fine as well. I struggle a lot with spider shots because slight breeze will cause the web to move. Well done.

Registered on September 1, 2009, 588 Posts, 8184 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie Baugh on June 29, 2011 at 8:52 PM

Add me to the others who like this images. The colors especially the legs on this one are more brilliant than any I have been able to photograph. You have a winner as far as I'm concerned.

Registered on April 18, 2011, 329 Posts, 1985 Comments

Comment posted by David Chauvin on June 29, 2011 at 9:57 PM

Very nice! The green legs are very different from the species we have down here.

Registered on August 5, 2004, 1007 Posts, 5595 Comments

Comment posted by Carolyn Derstine on June 29, 2011 at 10:08 PM

I, too, didn't realize how beautiful these spiders were until I got out my macro gear. And you are right; it is an Orchard Orbweaver. Howard Cheek had given me the right ID after my posting. Great capture, Mark. I really like the web your spider is on. He did a better construction job than my spider!

Registered on February 16, 2011, 610 Posts, 3684 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on June 30, 2011 at 7:01 AM

I like the way this web stands out against the green BG Mark, good detail/focus at the thorax & chelicerae.
Just wish for a bit more DOF to bring that beautifully colored abdomen in a bit better..

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Grabski on June 30, 2011 at 7:36 AM

Mark, I can only admire this shot. Fantastic. I discovered how beautiful spiders can be years ago when I looked at them very closely. Exciting creatures.

Registered on April 29, 2011, 122 Posts, 431 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on July 1, 2011 at 2:42 PM

The comp here is particularly attractive, Mark: the spider is posed perfectly in the web, heading in our direction; the web appears quite complete within the frame and very well defined; the bg contrasts with the subjects beautifully. Lovely image of this little beastie.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Bertl Menegoni on July 2, 2011 at 1:42 PM

Congratulations Mark,
superb shot.

Registered on November 19, 2007, 24 Posts, 265 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on July 3, 2011 at 3:14 AM

Beautiful!
Love the translucent green legs and the irridescence of the web. Amazing colours on the body.
The BG sets this off perfectly.
Just excellent!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments