Who here is afraid of spiders? Personally I don’t have an out right fear of them but I do have a particular way I deal with them when I come across them. If I find a spider and it doesn’t startle me I will capture it and release it outside where it (depending if I have my camera handy) will become my next photography subject. If the spider does startles and scares the crap out of me I will go about killing it as quickly as possible.
I do like spiders and I can be fascinated with them but I don’t go around squishing every one I see. They like to keep the insects in check (like those pesky mosquitoes) and can make some incredibly beautiful webs. People tend to find them a tad freaky, after all they are hairy with multiple black eyes. Don’t you find them a bit scary with those beady black eyes and sharp poisonous fangs? Though I do like watching the movie Arachnophobia.
Where am I taking all of this? Today was the first day that I have seen a decent sized wolf spider at my place. Now when I mean decent he is about he size of a dime. He was just running along the baseboard minding his own business when I decided to capture him and release him into the garden outside. The largest wolf spider I have seen to date was about the size of my fist, he was massive and a can of Spider Raid would not kill him! Anyway I digress.
When I placed the spider into the garden I kept the container over top of him so that he wouldn’t disappear as I went into the house to get my Canon SD750. Came back out, switched the camera to Macro and set up for a couple of quick shots. The spider was pretty calm and just kind of posed for me. I got a couple of decent shots and then he scurried off into the flowers never to be seen again (or so I hope).
Here are the two photos that turned out the best.
Granted the shots aren’t perfect (a bit out of focus) but the macro feature on my Canon SD750 did a pretty decent job and I am happy with the results for a quick point and shoot setup. Remember this guy is about the size of a dime, not very big. I have taken macro shots of various other spiders in my time and I do enjoy them as a photography subject. For the most part they do stay relatively still. Some people find me a bit odd taking pictures of spiders, but spiders tend to fascinate me because I still have a slight fear of them.
Sean HagenApr 25, 2008 at 14:37:31
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I remember this one time that I came home from school, and sat down on my bed. This was when my bedroom was in the basement of our old house. So I sit down on my bed and from out between my feet runs this big ( okay 2 inches ) wolf spider. I basically grab one of my school books and drop it on the spider.
Yeah, it spooked me, and I probably could have left it alone.
I left the books there for about two weeks =D
RubyJul 23, 2008 at 14:24:57
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Your wolf spider photos are great! Really good job for a point and shoot. I am just starting to get into macro photography. I hope to get results that good.
Tyler Ingram July 24th, 2008 at 08:10:20[Link]
I’m sure you will do a wonderful job. The photos above were taken with a point and shoot digicam with an object that wasn’t skittish. Looking over your photography website I am sure you’ll do well with macros too!