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"Jena"


Photo Information
Copyright: Jim White (jmirah) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 436 W: 5 N: 901] (3574)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-09-09
Categories: Spiders
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Our world at night., SPIDERS OF AMERICA, Spiders of the World [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-09-21 0:08
Viewed: 535
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Black-and-Yellow Garden Spider-female
Argiope aurantia

Black-and-Yellow Garden Spider

I've taken a lot of photos of this Garden Spider over the past few weeks but haven't been satisfied with any of them, thinking I would get a better shot tomorrow. Too late, she's gone along with Qampu(a Golden-silk orb-weaver). Qampu disappeared over a week ago. I guess it's that time of year in the Northern Hemisphere. I've never really paid much attention to the phases of insects or spiders lives but since picking up a camera that has changed. It'll be interesting to see what Autumn/Winter has to offer. Strange, I miss Qampu. The one thing that I have noticed is the total absence of June Bugs this year. Usually there are hundreds, no, thousands of the pesky little critters flying and crawling around any light after the Sun sets. Not this year...Nada...Zero...Zilch...Maybe the grubs drowned because the ground has been saturated from the abnormal amount of rainfall that we've had this year.

Another View

I know, the exposure settings didn't work very well. Any suggestions? :-)

Exposure Setting: Manual
Lighting Conditions: Night/Dark
f/stop: 4.8
Shutter Speed: 1/1000
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 503mm[35mm]-equivilent
Auto Focus: Macro/Center-Zone/Continuous
Compression: Standard
White Balance: Daylight
Color: Natural
Sharpness: Normal
Tripod: No
Flash: On/Fired
Megapixels: 6.0
Dimensions: 800 x 617
Size: 123 KB
Date: September 9, 2007
Time 4:54 AM

Cropped, color adjusted, sharpened, 50% Neat Image noise reduction and resized for posting

I named her "Jena" in honor of Jenaeni, mother of Ansuya and the pioneer of Bellydance in America. Note the Ruby in her belly-button.
pierrefonds, eqshannon, marhowie, go2stones, Kathleen, angybone has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Jim,
Nice capture of this spider, well framed with good colors and many details
TFS
Jean-Michel

Hi Jim,

A good POV of the spider, the photo has a good composition, sharpness and nice colors. thanks for sharing.

Pierre

This is a nice shot Jim. Another addition to your ongoing lesson. Joey is also giving lessons in wasps. I feel as though my first college classes are now really starting. Great information and presentation.
Bob

Hi Jim,
You have some nice details, great DOF and BG here. You asked for suggestions.
When you control the light, you will control the shot. Realize that if you're using an in-camera flash head?, you will always get over-flash up close. Two things you can do. Reduce the exposure bias to counter it..And/Or diffuse it with either tissue paper, or what I used to use, a very small opaq plastic lotion bottle (hotel size) slit on one slide, and placed over the flash head...
TFS!
Howard

Hi good shot
lights could be better but the sharpness is good
well focused
Toba

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1718 W: 24 N: 5002] (16380)
  • [2007-09-21 8:33]

Hi Jim,
Another one of your exquisite spiders and she has a superb name to go by. Very sharp details and a fine pose captured. Though the flash light is a bit harsh the RUBY glows and it looks beautiful to say the least. The BG is great as is your POV to portray it. Very nicely composed. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

I love the PoV and colours. The composition is super too. And I must say that your notes are a delight again.
I thought it might be just a little OE in spots from the flash so I tried a small WS.
TFS
silke

I think I may like the other image better with the vivid green background. I know we usually prefer a quiet BG, but in that image, the spider is sort of involved with the BG and it becomes a part of the image. I think they're all fine images with the spider in very active poses in all of them.

TFS!
Reid

Hi Jim, wonderful spider with splendid colors and great details, very well done, have a nice week end, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 5 N: 5602] (21160)
  • [2007-09-21 13:23]

Hi Jim. as you say you start to think about nature in a different way when you have a camera in your hands. you have captured this one with fine etail and rich colours.well done TFS. good notes too.
Nick..

Have a good weekend.

Hi Jim.
Love your notes and that you enjoyed your time she was there.
I have an orb-web at the moment I am watching, but she has been to quick for me dropping down in the web, wrapping the prey and gone again. She comes back at night to eat her dinner. Today I watched her drop down and wrap a honey-bee, but it was all over and she was gone by the time I got the camera.
I am not opening the window because she has built her web across it to catch the moths etc that fly to the light of the window at night, smart thinking spider and a very fat one.
Well done to get this a night, and great tip from Howard when using flash, it does help alot against the harsh light a flash can give.

Kathleen

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 935 W: 4 N: 2335] (10900)
  • [2007-09-22 4:53]

Jim, Amazing POV and excellent composition. The shot is superb with focus. Excellent lighting. TFS Ganesh

I'll have to post Charlotte...she's alive and well and unbelievably huge! You might be right - she could be eating the hummingbirds.

I think this is a great spider shot - excellent details. Wonderful how you got her actually weaving her web. Very cool!

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