A couple of this type of spider (Araneus family, I think?) have been camped out around our house the past few weeks and have given me many photographic opportunities.
I took this one right as the sun was peaking over the horizon, therefore got a bit of orange tint. I realize normally these spiders are black and beige color, but left it this color just for fun.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
I noticed with my many attempts to photograph these spiders, I had a terrible time getting a clear shot of the web. The winds were only 1 to 2 mph. Finally put my camera on auto ISO, the result being a 6400 reading (and way too light for my taste). My question is; do those of you who photograph animals/wildlife typically use auto ISO? Couldnāt believe the camera wanted 6400, so I compromised and used iso 800. Other thoughts and comments welcome.
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
I also purposely focused on the spider, leave the web more abstract to add to the feeling of the image. Does this work for you? Other thoughts and comments welcome.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
Nikon D7200, f/8, 1 sec., ISO 800, 70-300mm @300, tripod, cropped 1:1 - post processing; luminosity mask to lighten spider a bit and added curve adjustment layer to bright the entire image.
Very cool lighting in this image, Linda. It really makes the āhairsā on the legs pop. As to your auto-iso question, I know people who use it a lot, but Iāve never turned it on. The main reason for that is that I started shooting pretty much full manual about the time auto-iso was getting popular and with auto-iso, youāre back to using exposure compensation and having to figure out what the camera is trying to do so you can compensate for it. In something like this spider picture, the camera was probably metering on that dark background (or if you had an averaging mode selected, it would still be pretty dark). Using manual, I get pretty used to the lighting in my area after a while and itās fairly easy to figure out what I have to do and get close, then adjust if needed.
Linda: I have to confess that I never use auto ISO. I know that most newer model sensors can handle the high ISO without a lot of noise but itās always the last thing I consider adjusting if I canāt get enough SS at the aperture I want. Aperture priority drives most of my shooting, especially at macro distances. I like how this turned out and think your decision to get the spider sharp was the right call. Very nicely done. >=))>
Linda, I really like the orange on black theme. The spider is nicely sharp and youāve got enough web to complete the story well. I do use auto iso when Iām shooting fast moving things like birds and dragonflies. I have found that some extra noise reduction in raw processing removes much of the noise with only a small loss of detail (at small display sizes, that loss in not visible). With my Canon, ISO 6400 is the max that auto ISO will give me, so Iāve thrown away quite a number of shots where ISO 6400 was still 2 stops to dark given the 1/2500, f/9 settings.
Thanks @Dennis_Plank, @Bill_Fach and @Mark_Seaver for the great feedback. Sounds like more experimenting on my part for various situation is definitely in order. But now Iāve got some guidelines to work with, thanks again.
Linda,
Congratulations on the āEditors Pickā for this excellent image.
Shooting in auto ISO to me is an indicator of available light for a particular shot so that adjustments can be made with your other settings. This of course does not apply to action situations with a moving subject as there is generally no time for a second chance. Different cameras handle the noise at higher ISOās better than others therefore, you have to find your sweet spot and work within those parameters. For me an ISO of 400 to 1200 makes me smile.
Linda, congratulations on Editorās Pick on this one. I seem to be coming in way late on this. I do use auto ISO a lot, just personal preference, as it keeps me on the shutter speed and f-stop I prefer. But, as Mike pointed out, that is when the lighting is such and action going on, that I can just not worry about my settings for the most part, and get the action shot. In a setting like this, I would most likely set my ISO to what my camera will tolerate without too much noise.
Thanks @Mike_Ramy and @Shirley_Freeman for your great input. Iām honored to be included in the Editorās Picks this weekā¦ so thanks @pixeldave for the encouragement
