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Pensive Dolly


Pensive Dolly
Photo Information
Copyright: Paul Prince (PDP) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2964 W: 366 N: 3848] (11755)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-09-24
Categories: Spiders
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Sigma 50 mm 2.8 EX Macro, Digital ISO 200, Kenko 2x MC7 Teleconverter
Exposure: f/11, 1/160 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Pisauridaes (Nurseryweb spiders). [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-01-03 15:02
Viewed: 1197
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I haven't posted a spider in a long while and this is one of my favourites, a Raft Spider Dolomedes fimbriatus this one is a very healthy female which I took in late September. She sat perched away from the water and I took a few shots. I like this close up as it shots some nice details in the eyes and there is some nice colours on the hairs from the sunlight.

Dolomedes fimbriatus

Although this species is widely known as the ‘raft spider’ in Britain, it does not make rafts. It is more appropriately called the fishing spider in Europe, as it hunts by sitting on vegetation next to pools of water, characteristically with the first two pairs of legs held together at an angle and resting on the surface of the water. This allows it to sense the presence of tadpoles, insects and even small fish, which it hauls out of the water. This species also hunts on land amongst vegetation, and on moss. The raft spider is able to crawl down water plants if threatened, and can remain below water for around an hour.

During courtship, males signal to females by making regular surface waves on the water by jerking their abdomen up and down, and waving their legs in the air in a characteristic fashion. Females are very aggressive towards males, and in some cases they eat prospective mates. Female spiders belonging to this family make very large egg sacs, which they carry around beneath their body. When the time for the spiderlings to emerge approaches, the female deposits the egg sac on a leaf and spins a protective silk ‘nursery web’ around it. She then opens the egg sac slightly, and stands guard over it until the spiderlings emerge.

Adults sit on the surface of the water waiting to prey on insects sometimes as large as Hawker Dragonflies and can even take small fish which the spider attracts by vibrating the surface of the water with it's front legs, they have also been known to prey on tadpoles and frogs.

The notes were mainly from this site LINK.

I hope you like her :-)
Rossignol, liquidsunshine, thistle, scottevers7, cedryk, marhowie, Janice, dew77, gerhardt, Runnerduck, red45, Dave has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To gerhardt: HelloPDP 2 01-04 08:14
To Pesky_Polecat: I was very close :-)PDP 2 01-04 07:57
To manyee: Hi ManyeePDP 1 01-04 05:38
To Rossignol: ThanksPDP 2 01-04 05:34
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Critiques [Translate]

This is a fascinating shot, Paul. Despite mild arachnophobia I am strangely drawn to spiders and there is a lot of detail in your photo. The notes are useful too. I understand these spiders are very rare here in the UK - though there is a site in Suffolk where they are found too.
cheers
Peter

Hi Paul,
It's great to see a spider from you again. As usual, a perfect capture.
I hope you had a good xmas and New Year.
Thanks for posting, have a good week.

Hello Paul,
Really good to see photo of this beauty. It's one of my favourite spiders too.
Details on the body are perfect, well done on exposure as well. I like the framing a lot and, of course, I love the colours and the warm light :)
VERY WELL DONE!

Errr...Sigma 50 2.8 EX Macro? Much too close for comfort...maybe the 150mm or the 180mm and I'd just about manage... but a 50...no way...

LOL... excellent detail Paul

Hi Paul,
Excellent macro on this spider. There is indeed some very sharp detail in the main body arear of the spider. The fill flash exposure looks to be spot on here. Great job on a very interesting subject.
Scott

  • Great 
  • chiliu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1552 W: 0 N: 1165] (6442)
  • [2006-01-03 18:38]

Hi Paul,
great macro and the detail is very sharp,
even catchlight in eye(s), very good framing.
TFS!

  • Great 
  • cedryk Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 968 W: 57 N: 1638] (5022)
  • [2006-01-03 20:05]

Hello Paul,
A very nice colse-up of this scary species :-) Good details and exposure. Excellent note!
Best greetings,
Michal

Cool close up macro of this we detailed spider, from the thumbnail it could almost past for a skunk. :)

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3452 W: 144 N: 5902] (17486)
  • [2006-01-03 21:51]

So this is an aggressive female - that's strange for any female to be aggressive!! Surely not??
I'm not a spider fan, but you show this one off well Paul. The white hairy part of its body looks good, and you show the light in her eyes too. Well done.
Janice - I'm not aggressive! :)

This is a most amazing spider, Paul. She looks so "hairy". Same family as the tarantula by any chance?
Also rather unusual colors and markings for a spider. The details on the body and the eyes are wonderful. Well done and TFS. : )

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2006-01-04 4:47]

Hello Paul!
Excellent close up.I liked POV,cross framing,clear details,simple BG and lighting a lot.TFS...:-)

Wonderful photo, composition and technically wise! Thanks for sharing - Xplorator Radu

YES!!! It's been a while since you posted a spider. :) I think I should hunt them this afternoon as well. Lovely shot Paul. Nice close-up with great use of light. Composition is very good but I would prefer a different POV but then the light use would not be as efficient??

Very well done.

Now this is a really nice shot, incredibly warm and autumnal. Excellent dof, her eyes are great and she looks as though she has fangs!
Perfect composotion. Thanks for posting.

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2830 W: 75 N: 8025] (26863)
  • [2006-01-04 5:19]

Hi Paul!

Fat lady here ;-) Lovely mood made by warm colours and light. Details are impressive. I like white stripe on her body and wise, black eyes. Great note as always. Superb work Paul!

Probably one of your best spider shots IMO Paul. The POV and composition is fantastic.
Everything is about as good as it gets, Very Well Done.

Hello,
Great macro, colours and POV.
Well Done!
Ana:)

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2306 W: 324 N: 4306] (16856)
  • [2006-01-04 10:21]

Paul, great to see you bring us another spider. After all, I know you enjoy shooting them.

Excellent composition and colors.

Great bg and eye contact. I think you did a great job with exposure too.

  • Great 
  • Dave Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 523 W: 47 N: 669] (2157)
  • [2006-01-04 20:03]

Hi Paul,
Quite an interesting note! What a hunter this spider is!!
Your macro shot looks really good. Puts us right there in the spider's world!
Excellent!
Thanks,
Dave

HI Paul,
very good macro, this is close.
The colours are very nice, Well exposed and good details.
Great work.

  • Great 
  • DOBIS Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 126 W: 16 N: 170] (632)
  • [2006-08-09 18:15]

Hi Paul,
Wonderfull picture, great detail, PoV, colours, sharpness... Thanks for sharing!
Really perfect!
Tomas

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