# Black Widow - Oooo  Boogie Woogie



## NateS (Jun 10, 2010)

Sorry for posting 8 different shots, I just couldn't decide which of them to post...so posting all 8 "keepers".


1. This was when I flipped over the rock.  I figured there would be a BW in this rock pile but wasn't sure where.  This is the only shot before she took off.






2.  The rest are from her as she re-established the portion of her web that got messed up when I flipped the rock.





3.





4.





5.





6. Bum Shot





7.





8.  ...and finally, she ended with a small snack


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## Czar (Jun 10, 2010)

Nice find. Though i love macro, my arachnophobia is probably going to keep me away from spider shots, so it falls on brave folks like you to give the spidey's some attention. lol

I personally like 1 and 7 the best.


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## GregR (Jun 10, 2010)

Seriosly, I think you need to move Nate, LOL.


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## ghache (Jun 10, 2010)

i hate spyders.


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## myfotoguy (Jun 10, 2010)

Black Widow (or a Brown Recluse) - no way I'm sticking around for more than a couple shots from a distance. I'm a  spider wimp, particularly the poisonous ones.

Nice work, as usual! I'll show these to my son later, he'll love them.


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## NateS (Jun 10, 2010)

Czar said:


> Nice find. Though i love macro, my arachnophobia is probably going to keep me away from spider shots, so it falls on brave folks like you to give the spidey's some attention. lol
> 
> I personally like 1 and 7 the best.



Thanks.  2 and 7 are among my favs.




GregR said:


> Seriosly, I think you need to move Nate, LOL.



Move?  What on earth would I photograph if I moved?....unless you mean move somewhere with more and cooler bugs.:mrgreen:



ghache said:


> i hate spyders.



Okay 



myfotoguy said:


> Black Widow (or a Brown Recluse) - no way I'm sticking around for more than a couple shots from a distance. I'm a  spider wimp, particularly the poisonous ones.
> 
> Nice work, as usual! I'll show these to my son later, he'll love them.



Thanks.  It was unnerving to say the least.  It took me a good 20 minutes of shooting before I was willing to get anywhere close to 1:1...never did get any good shots that close as I was a little shaky.  She moved around A LOT which is what made me most nervous.


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## mwcfarms (Jun 10, 2010)

Nate your shots always inspire me to go for a macro lens as my next purchase. Great shots. Im 95% convinced.


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## atrox (Jun 10, 2010)

Wow. I like Spiders, but we don´t have any seriously toxic spiders in Germany. hink I would have lots of respect for this kind of spider o-o
But what a wonderful beauty it is with its colours.


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## NateS (Jun 10, 2010)

mwcfarms said:


> Nate your shots always inspire me to go for a macro lens as my next purchase. Great shots. Im 95% convinced.



Thank you.  Pick up a macro...you won't regret it (except you might get addicted as I have).



atrox said:


> Wow. I like Spiders, but we don´t have any seriously toxic spiders in Germany. hink I would have lots of respect for this kind of spider o-o
> But what a wonderful beauty it is with its colours.



Thanks for commenting...no doubt that this girl deserves respect.


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## Micah (Jun 10, 2010)

Love 'em. I was just thinking the other day I would like to find one to shoot. It's got to be hard not to blow out some spots as shiny as they are.


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## NateS (Jun 11, 2010)

Micah said:


> Love 'em. I was just thinking the other day I would like to find one to shoot. It's got to be hard not to blow out some spots as shiny as they are.


 
Thanks. I was happy to finally get this set of shots under my belt...as a insect lover I felt this was one critter I should have some good shots of.

For me it was impossible...I have a pretty good lighting setup and even if I underexposed them badly I'd get hotspots on her back. I actually cloned out the hotspots on her back in post on most of these (a few had angels that didn't get hotspots though).


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## mwcfarms (Jun 11, 2010)

So what lens did you shoot these with. I have been toying with the Nikkon 85mm macro but wouldnt rule out an different brand. I would love to be able to buy a macro lens and a sb-600 at the same time.


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## NateS (Jun 11, 2010)

mwcfarms said:


> So what lens did you shoot these with. I have been toying with the Nikkon 85mm macro but wouldnt rule out an different brand. I would love to be able to buy a macro lens and a sb-600 at the same time.


 
I used the Tamron 180mm f3.5.  Nikon 85mm would be great and I've heard excellent reviews on it, but no way would I ever attempt to get as close of shots as these with only 85mm.  This one being so active....I was sweating with the 180mm.

That said, there are times when I wish I had a shorter macro lens and have been thinking of picking up a Tamron 90mm f2.8 as well (and double it for portraits).


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## mwcfarms (Jun 11, 2010)

We dont have many freakishly poisonous bugs here. Much to cold in the winter. Closest poisonous creepy crawlers are the rattlers about 45 min south. And no freaking way I am every going to shoot them with a camera. I have looked at that Tamron and I think will be whatever better deal I can get. I have about a 800$ budget but I want a SB-600, a macro lens that would dble for portraits and a CPF.  Only thing that I wonder is would I be better with the Nikon for resale if I get bored of the lens.


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## NateS (Jun 11, 2010)

mwcfarms said:


> We dont have many freakishly poisonous bugs here. Much to cold in the winter. Closest poisonous creepy crawlers are the rattlers about 45 min south. And no freaking way I am every going to shoot them with a camera. I have looked at that Tamron and I think will be whatever better deal I can get. I have about a 800$ budget but I want a SB-600, a macro lens that would dble for portraits and a CPF. Only thing that I wonder is would I be better with the Nikon for resale if I get bored of the lens.


 
Buy used and you get rid of the resale drop and you can afford more.  I saw a Sigma 150mm f2.8 for sale on another forum not long ago for something like $525....Great deal and would be cheap enough to allow you to grab an SB-600 as well.....of course, I've seen some incredible shots with the T90 as well, so either way you'd be set for sharp images.  I'd just keep your eyes open on the used market for awhile unless you're in a big hurry.

...even without venemous (not poisonous...just fyi) bugs, the longer length makes it easier to keep from scaring them away.  Very helpful when shooting skittish bugs in my opinion.


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## supraman215 (Jun 11, 2010)

I love the off camera strobe in number 1. Very interesting shadows. I can't wait to get mine next week!


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## mwcfarms (Jun 11, 2010)

NateS said:


> mwcfarms said:
> 
> 
> > We dont have many freakishly poisonous bugs here. Much to cold in the winter. Closest poisonous creepy crawlers are the rattlers about 45 min south. And no freaking way I am every going to shoot them with a camera. I have looked at that Tamron and I think will be whatever better deal I can get. I have about a 800$ budget but I want a SB-600, a macro lens that would dble for portraits and a CPF. Only thing that I wonder is would I be better with the Nikon for resale if I get bored of the lens.
> ...


 
Thanks for the tip Nate. I have been sort of keeping my eye on used. Havent found exactly what Im looking for yet if you see it in your travels let me know please. Im not looking to buy until end of July. Tax rebate and all lol. Im new to photography so I still havent found great used sources other than ebay and a couple forums I frequent. Closer to the date I will post a WTB.


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## magkelly (Jun 11, 2010)

She's awesome, but you're far braver than I am on that score. I'd have taken her in a tank maybe, but out in the wild, getting THAT close, no f-way!


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## Markw (Jun 11, 2010)

Wonderful as always!
As for exposure, do you use bare flash, or use a diffuser on the flash?  I, too, have gotten addicted to macro since picking up my 105 2.8 and will be getting an SB-600 soon.  Wondering how others as good as yourself are doing things with external flash + macro.

Thanks,
Mark


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## NateS (Jun 11, 2010)

Markw said:


> Wonderful as always!
> As for exposure, do you use bare flash, or use a diffuser on the flash?  I, too, have gotten addicted to macro since picking up my 105 2.8 and will be getting an SB-600 soon.  Wondering how others as good as yourself are doing things with external flash + macro.
> 
> Thanks,
> Mark




Thank you Mark.  On mine, I use a lumiquest mini-softbox...however being as my lens is longer, this makes my flash not as close to the subject...which makes my light source smaller in comparison to the subject than if it was closer (i.e. using a Tamron 90mm).  For this reason, I wish I had gotten the Lumiquest LQ-107 softbox instead (2 inches bigger each direction).  I will probably eventually get the LQ-107 but for now I'm making do with the mini.  I'd recommend LQ107 for 150mm and beyond and mini-softbox in the 105 range and below.


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## Markw (Jun 11, 2010)

Thanks for the response!  
If the problem with the flash is that its on-camer and too far away, why not take it off camera and move it closer?

Mark


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## NateS (Jun 11, 2010)

Markw said:


> Thanks for the response!
> If the problem with the flash is that its on-camer and too far away, why not take it off camera and move it closer?
> 
> Mark


 
It's on a bracket mounted to the tripod collar of the lens...tilted toward the subject. The end of my mini-softbox is already about 2-4" past the end of my lens the way it's mounted. If I move it any closer then I lose all of the advantage I get of having a longer (180mm) lens. My only other option is to get a larger softbox.

...this setup is the way that I manage to get my shots to have side/angled lighting while still having the whole setup being handheld.  I could use my 33" umbrella like I used to and fire with CLS...this give much softer light, but is nowhere near as portable to be hauling a lightstand around my yard.


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## Hardrock (Jun 12, 2010)

Great job ! Got to love macro who in there right mind would ever think about getting that close  to one of those other than macro nuts!


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## rallysman (Jun 12, 2010)

Add Missouri to my places to stay away from. Thanks for the nightmares. I hate spiders. 

Nice shots. 

/shudder


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