The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
The movement of this little spider caught my eye as I was walking the trail by the river (that’s the bg here) and when I got close it stuck around so I put the macro on and got right in there. After a few seconds it did this - ballooning behavior!! I love it when they do this, but I don’t know that I’ve ever caught it in a photo. IRL it’s the size of a mosquito.
Ok, so I have a new camera. Only the 8th I’ve ever had and it’s the FIRST digital that I’ve actually liked SOOC jpgs. I attached that version of the shot so you can see. I’m staggered by how good it is. Not that I’ll only shoot that way, but damn it’s tempting.
Another thing that’s interesting is that my relatively ancient lenses are still the bomb on this new rig. The Panasonic/Leica 45mm f/2.8 macro I used here was released around 2011 I think and has never been updated although it is still in the line up. Goes to show that marrying your lenses and dating your camera still applies.
Specific Feedback
OK, so I know the bg is bright, but I like it for the airy, big world feeling and clearly that’s where the spider wants to go. Thoughts?
Technical Details
Handheld while braced against the tree this little critter was on.
Lr for a bit of a crop w/rotation and some brightening overall and with a mask in the spider itself. Also ran denoise AI and added some sharpening as well as texture. Slightly changed wb, too.
Wow, Kris, I have never seen one ballooning before (of course it being the size of a mosquito is probably the reason my old eyes would have missed it. I’m good with the BG as it is in his natural habitat and I think he stands out nicely with it. Congratulations on your new camera. Looking forward to seeing lots of images. Yes, marry the lenses and date the cameras is a great way to put it.
Thanks @Shirley_Freeman - ballooning is something I think a lot of them do, especially as tiny spiderlings leaving home for the first time. The bigger they get, the harder it is as you might imagine, but I have seen fairly large ones while paddling sometimes.
There was some speculation when this new camera was announced, that the new hybrid phase detect autofocus system wouldn’t work with old lenses, or at least work well and I think it does having tried all of mine. The limitation is with the old type of motor in some of them - they aren’t linear and aren’t as fast as their updated versions, but they work just fine. Glad my 100-400 is much newer and has linear motors so is more responsive, but the others are just fine. Phew.
Spider Woman is back!! This one works for me, with an in-the-field authenticity. I would never have noticed this, but glad you did and reminded me about it. I’ve occasionally seen something like these mysterious threads floating in the breeze but never saw anyone attached to one.
Looks like a good outing for the new camera! I’ll bet you have new leeway for high ISOs and small apertures!
Thanks @Diane_Miller - the spiders are out and about a lot actually since it’s our non-winter winter. Today it’s barely 30 though and windy, so feels much colder. So strange. But I was so happy to find this little one. I think their threads are used for so much of their locomotion/transportation that it’s not unusual to see silk flying around randomly. Or the spider is so teeny you can’t see it.
Anyway, I’m pretty jazzed about the new rig. Haven’t played with the wicked fancy stuff yet, but will get to it. Like handheld high resolution and some of the variations in pre-capture burst mode. Before it was only .4 seconds worth, but now you can go more with higher burst modes, but I can’t see using that too much since you fill a card pretty fast and then you have to deal with reviewing/trashing those.
Yep, I really like the JPEG too, and actually prefer that the lower BG looks less bright there than in the other 2 shots. I love how the spider is sharp and everything else blurred. Wow, your new camera will lead you farther still into the wonderful world of macro.
Thanks @Mike_Friel - you could be right about the jpg since it is a little less contrasty SOOC. I could have just used it and done nothing in post at all.
