# Spiders



## Johann Schutte (Apr 5, 2020)

Stacks.


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## Sanjeev Nanda (Apr 6, 2020)

Johann, your pictures made my skin crawl out of glee - very provocative photography! I loved the symmetry going on in the first picture; the second one is just hypnotic, plain and simple! I would hold off on the post-processing if i was you, the natural "ickyness" of the spiders would've only enhanced the image furthermore. Good job on the pics, nevertheless!
~Sanjeev Nanda


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## Space Face (Apr 6, 2020)

Great macros.  The stack really gives that layers of detail.

How do you manage to get them to stay still while you take all the frames?


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## Jeff G (Apr 6, 2020)

Always a pleasure to see your work!


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## LightSpeed666 (Apr 6, 2020)

Outstanding.
Great focus stack.


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## tirediron (Apr 6, 2020)

Fantastic work; you've really moved out of macro and into photo-microscopy.  I would love to see some info on your gear and process that produces these results.


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## ~Ocho1~ (Apr 6, 2020)

WOW!

Great shots !!


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## K9Kirk (Apr 6, 2020)

Nothing short of amazing. Just keep them away from my bed.


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## Photo Lady (Apr 7, 2020)

wow


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## Soocom1 (Apr 7, 2020)

Oh I love it! 

They purdy little arachnids....


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## Johann Schutte (Apr 7, 2020)

Space Face said:


> Great macros.  The stack really gives that layers of detail.
> 
> How do you manage to get them to stay still while you take all the frames?





tirediron said:


> Fantastic work; you've really moved out of macro and into photo-microscopy.  I would love to see some info on your gear and process that produces these results.



Thanks for viewing/commenting everybody. The subjects are all dead. I try and use old or dying insects as far as possible. I spend a lot of time getting them into life-like poses, which can be quite challenging, particularly with high mag of small subjects. I will post something on my process/gear on here soon. The most important element as far as technique is concerned is light diffusion, which is fundamental to good colour saturation, contrast , and perceived sharpness. Best regards everybody, and here's hoping confined to quarters will soon be lifted. Johann Schutte, Gisborne, NZ.


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## Space Face (Apr 7, 2020)

Johann Schutte said:


> Space Face said:
> 
> 
> > Great macros.  The stack really gives that layers of detail.
> ...



Ah ok, understood.  The reason I asked was (and I've mentioned this before)  I've heard of folk killing or chilling insects and spiders in the fridge or freezer to incapacitate them in order to take photographs.  Something I personally quite abhorrent.


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## Johann Schutte (Apr 7, 2020)

I have strong sentiments on the topic myself. There are ethical frames of reference on the matter of which I remain mindful. I euthanize with acetone, which knocks them out in seconds. I suppose the question is a philosophical one. Are we to be sympathetic to all life, including viruses, tsetse flies and locusts swarms? Are animal rights equivalent to ours, e.g. do we really have a case if a coyote takes a few first graders? For me the moral problem is largely resolved from an evolutionary point of view, particularly on observation of the presence of phyletic memory in the subject (ethology), which of course is always a highly subjective estimate given the absence of tools with which to objectively measure its presence. What I completely detest is live posing of clearly sentient animals. You see pics of frogs etc. superglued to wires and filaments in unnatural poses, only to be callously discarded to a slow and painful death once the fkwit with the camera is done with it. Or berries glued to ants who in turn are glue- suspended from twigs and then rotated to make it look as if it's lifting a weight.

If you have a problem with use of animals at any/all levels, to be behaviourally consistent with the declared ethic you would have be a vegan and not have pets (among other things).


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## Space Face (Apr 7, 2020)

I have no issue with hunting (as a means to live or for sport) nor pest control but I'm not a hunter or pest controller.  I do however fish and have had several pet dogs, a cat, snakes, hamsters, mice, tropical fish, Love Birds over the years.  So, have no issue with any of these as long as cruelty is not involved and don't take any moral high ground.

I just cannot understand folk killing or mistreating animals as you've detailed above (some of which I didn't even know went on to be honest), for the sake of photographing them.  It just don't sit right with me.  

All the wildlife macro I do is just that, wildlife and in their natural habitat.  It just seems a bit of a cheat to me for someone for example (and this was one I did come across on another Forum) where the guy took a wasp, stuck it in his fridge to 'slow it down' so he could take pictures of it.  Needless to say it died.  A wasp is a wasp and I've killed plenty but not to photograph.  I just thought this tactic in the name of photography to be unsavoury and my thoughts were if you don't have the skills to go out and get a decent picture of an insect in it's natural environment then go and learn these skill instead of doing what he did.  Hey ho, I may seem a bit hypocritical but that's just the way I see things.


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## Space Face (Apr 7, 2020)

..............................................and oh, I certainly ain't no vegan.  Hippy nonsense


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## LightSpeed666 (Apr 7, 2020)

Thanks for viewing/commenting everybody. The subjects are all dead. I try and use old or dying insects as far as possible. I spend a lot of time getting them into life-like poses, which can be quite challenging, particularly with high mag of small subjects. I will post something on my process/gear on here soon. The most important element as far as technique is concerned is light diffusion, which is fundamental to good colour saturation, contrast , and perceived sharpness. Best regards everybody, and here's hoping confined to quarters will soon be lifted. Johann Schutte, Gisborne, NZ.[/QUOTE]


I knew this from the beginning. There's no way something like a mosquito or some spiders, will say put long enough for a series of images for a stack.
You're not the only one who does this. I've seen it before many times. Though I've never done it myself.
John James Audubon killed every bird he painted and propped them up with wires.
What he did was a travesty in my opinion, but he is heralded as great painter and his work sells for huge money.
Your images are stunning and I will be nominating the top image for photo of the month when the time comes.
Be well.


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## Sanjeev Nanda (Apr 8, 2020)

Johann Schutte said:


> Space Face said:
> 
> 
> > Great macros.  The stack really gives that layers of detail.
> ...


Really could've gone the entire day without reading this piece of disturbing information. Yes, I agree, it is indeed an abhorrent practice. Really unsettling.
~Sanjeev Nanda


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