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Maya mask: I keep or I throw away???


Maya mask: I keep or I throw away???
Photo Information
Copyright: Michel Pilon (pilonm) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 547 W: 90 N: 869] (2909)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-02-21
Categories: Insects
Camera: Panasonic DMC FZ - 20 LUMIX
Exposure: f/8, 1/125 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Letters and digits [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-06-28 8:01
Viewed: 1338
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello, I found this spider (Silver argiope) within a dense bush around my hotel in Venezuela (Margarita Island)... The way it was standing, I was unable to have it in a perpendicular plan... In fact a first web was protecting it to come closer and my camera not being able to have a smaller aperture than f/8.0 I was not able to have the whole spider in focus...

But I like the way the abdomen is presented to us... Don't you find it look like a maya mask? 2 eyes, one nose, the mouth and 2 dimples :-)

So, what do you think? I keep or I throw away this picture?

Thank you in advance,

Michel


Description

The total length of the female Silver Argiope measures up to 12mm. It has a silver carapace. The abdomen is silver with a pair of darker longitudinal bands and is ornamented with two pair of projections along the posterior margins. This spider's legs are silver with dark bands on tibia, metatarsi, and tarsi. The male is smaller and measures up to 4mm. In contrast to the female, the male's carapace is yellowish-white with two longitudinal, dorsal indistinct brownish bands. Legs have brown bands, and the abdomen is whitish with two longitudinal dark bands; the abdomen does not have paired projections.

Range and Habitat

The Silver Argiope occurs in southern California south to Baja California, as well as southern Florida, southern Texas, and southern Arizona ranging south to central Argentina. It is found in the coastal areas of San Diego.

This species is found on shrubs, in gardens, and in the wild. Several may be found on a single clump of prickly pear, Opuntia.

Natural History

Argiope are known for the construction of dense zigzag-shaped webbing called stabilimenta. There may be as many as four stabilimenta in a web. It is not uncommon to find the kleptoparasitic spider Argyroides in Argiope webs. In San Diego County these spiders are most often noticeable in late summer and fall.
Matt-Bird, Aaltjie, jaycee, JoseMiguel, gracious, delic, Runnerduck, keanhoon, Necipp, Alex99, eruyanik has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To eruyanik: Photographying spiders is a therapy...pilonm 1 07-15 06:39
To saguzar: Aztec and maya maskpilonm 1 06-29 07:18
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Michel,
Very nice details captured on the body, its very sharp and clear. Interesting shades of brown and cream colours on this spider,
well seen,
regards
Matt.

Hi Michel,
Wonderful sharpness and details
well done
regards

Hallo Michel
No, please don’t juck it away. I like it. I must admit that this is not one of your best, but I found it very interesting to look at. Here where I live, we don’t often have the opportunity to see big spiders like this one. We just know the small black spider, that jumps all over and then the one they call the “ daddy long legs” I enjoyed reading about this particular spider and found your notes very useful. Thanks for the note you send me on photography at my age. I do not argue about the fact that I might be able to take photographs, but when it comes to the post possessing and everything involved with that, I decline the offer. I’ll leave it to you more experienced guys, and just appreciated your handwork.
Thanks for visiting the photo of the Clown Trigger Fish on loot’s portfolio. It is much appreciated, and although I do not know him personally I think he is a special person.
Kind regards.
Aaltjie.

Bonjour Michel,
Although I would preferred to see this with a little more DOF, the result got is very good.
I like so much the colours at the background, so smooth and nice ones.
Very impressive the view of the head with its eyes and mouth and dimples.
You really look so carefully around the Hotel, got great pictures!!!
Well done and thanks for share it.
My best regards,
JM

Hello Michel,
perfect sharpness on the spider with the outstanding clarity on the web!
very good colour and details
very well done
greeting
Tony

  • Great 
  • delic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 449 W: 6 N: 310] (898)
  • [2007-06-28 14:22]

Hello Michel,
What are you talking about? This is an excellent image. Love that selective focus with just the right amount of depth of field. Sure, you could use flash or tripod to stop down more, but I find this rendition more artsy. It does look like a mask, by the way. Great work! Regards,
Hakan

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 526 W: 87 N: 697] (6099)
  • [2007-06-28 15:44]

bonjour Michel,
voici un hommage a spiderman !
l'image est esthétique, ce qui est difficile avec ce genre d'insect, habituellement assez repoussant. Vous avez trouvé un ov idéal et utiliser à bon escient le rose du BG.

BRAVO
GL

Hello Michel,
A long time without visit in your gallery. This is a superb image: colours, spider resting, BG, details...and the mask in the abdomen. I´ve posted some pics about this genus, and in one of my oldest I´ve titled Aztec mask. You can compare if you want.
Best wishes
Hernán

Your image is very pleasing to the eye, lovely colours, and the dof works incredibly well.
Nicely composed, thanks for sharing.

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2007-06-29 8:13]

Hi Michel,

Keep it! A very unusual and interesting shot of the spider. Wonderful colors and details and fantastic pov. I love the background with the web visible

Jane

Great shot. Nice focus on the front and slightly blur at the abdomen. The pinky BG is good, adding some romance to the Silver argiope.
TFS

Hello Michel a lovely shot you got here the sharpness is fine and nicey composed with great background tfs rgds Necip.

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3551 W: 143 N: 5621] (18399)
  • [2007-06-30 11:50]

Hi Michel.
I like your wonderful picture so much. It is really true masterpiece. BG is terrific, its colour palette I simply fantastic as well as the crisp sharpness of perfectly detailed spider. So impressive art work. Bravo and TFS.
Alexei.

Wow! Michel this one is a fantastic species! Spiders are my favourite and here is the one which i wish to meet! But i can say as very optimistically that there is a very weak chance i have here in Turkey to see it :-) The species is great but even the photo is wonderful too! i like the sharpness and texture on the spider. That big pink point surrounding the spider on the background became the photo more impressive! Centered composition works wonderful here! Superb post!
Thank you for sharing this beauty!
Ersin

Ps: That question (keep or I throw) does not make sense to me! This one is a favourite mine:-)

  • Great 
  • alby65 (143)
  • [2007-08-18 12:08]

Favolosa,fuoco selettivo e stupendo sfondo!!
Ciao,Alberto!

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