Colorado Blue Columbine - Day 116 #CY365

Our Colorado Blue Columbine has a night visitor. The little spiders are everywhere tonight. Almost every bloom I looked at across the yard had the busy little spiders working away. Canon 5D Mark II 1/160 sec @ f/11, ISO 1600, two LED light panels.

Repairing the Web

I've been keeping an eye on this beautiful garden spider I spotted among the daylilies back in June. When I first saw her she was only about a half an inch long now she's easily approaching and inch and half. She was busy rebuilding the "sewing machine" zig-zag part of the web. I had never seen one actually doing this, so I thought I would share. Canon EOS 300D, 1/500 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens.

Canon 7D, 1/160 sec @ f/11.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro.

Arachnid

This was one big arachnid. The body was about an inch and half long. Beautiful but scary at the same time. Canon 7D, 1/100 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 100, 400mm focal length with image stablization.

Fear Factor

- I know a lot of people have arachnophobia and fear spiders of any kind. I hope this photo doesn't creep anybody out or cause a panic attack. When I got into macro photography I began to see the beauty in spider webs and appreciate the spiders themselves. Spiders are good subjects for macro work because they generally remain very still as long at the web is not disturbed. This large spider builds its web just outside of our back door. One must remember at night to look for her and the web before taking too many steps outside. Canon40D, 1/15 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 400 converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro 2.

Brave Little Guy

- This little guy was not happy to have his picture made. He's only about an eighth of inch long and was sitting on a daylily leaf. He actually jumped on the LED Litepanel right after I took this picture. I managed to get him back on the leaf and about his way. Portrait photographers always want to get the "catch light" in the subject's eyes, I managed to get catch light in all four forward facing eyes. Canon 40D, 1/125 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro.

Night Spider

- A few weeks back I mentioned that our big sewing machine spider had disappeared after finishing her egg sac. She had spent most of the summer under the Bloodgood Japanese maple. Last night when I watering the planters on the deck I walked into her new large web. I'm not sure who was more scared me or her - well I'm pretty sure it was me. After a while she ventured back out and I took this closeup photo. Canon 7D, 1/50 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 1600, 100mm macro lens.

Argiope Spider

- The female argiope spider are also known as sewing machine or garden spiders. She is quite an impressive site. This very large spider is found in flower gardens. Mine has been in her web for a couple of months now and has one large egg sack complete. The much smaller male spider disappeared two weeks ago, after fulfilling his role - he met his fate. The male spider is definitely a "fully committed" partner. Canon 7D, 1/160 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 100mm macro.

Tangled Web

From 2010 Blog

Oh what a tangled web she weaves! Saw this large tangled web during my evening walk through the nature trail yesterday. This is only about a third of the total web. A beam of late day sun really lights it up nicely. Never did see the spider though. Canon 7D,1/50 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 400, 100mm focal length.

Down Came the Rain

From 2010 Blog

- but it didn't wash this little spider out. We had some nasty thunderstorms this evening but this little guy was back building his web among the hosta blooms. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 800, 100mm macro, Litepanel LED.

308 - Oh, What a Tangled Web She Weaves

From 365 Project

I know spiders creep out some of my loyal followers but this will probably be the last one as the spiders are getting scarce now. For some weeks now she has been building her orbweb just outside the side door at the house. Tonight's web was pretty spectacular and so it ends up as today's photo. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/25 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800, 50mm macro lens.

280 - Spider-in-a-Seashell

From 365 Project

I know that I've really been creeping out some of my regular followers with close-up spider pictures. But I just had to do this one. This is the Spined Micrathena orb-weaver spider. I've noticed two in my yard this fall for the first time, although I understand they are very common in Virginia. The females build large elaborate webs in forested areas about five feet off the ground. So if you're in the woods and walk into a web, most likely its the work of a Spined Micrathena. Fortunately they are harmless to humans but I'm sure that's no comfort to the arachnophobic among you. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/100 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800, 50mm compact macro lens and micro LED litepanel.

271 - Storm Spider

From 365 Project

I've only changed the picture once before after posting it to the blog but I'm going to do it again tonight. A series of thunderstorms just swept through dumping about an inch of rain in a little over an hour. This big spider has been building a web each night just out side my side door. After the storm I stuck my head outside to see if all of the wind and water had messed up the web, but to my surprise she was wet but still hanging in there. Canon G10, 1/250 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400, in manual mode with manual macro focus (auto focus doesn't work in the dark). The lighting was provided by a Canon 430EX Speedlite also in manual mode at 1/32 power with a wireless controller.

237 - Orb-weaver Spider

From 365 Project

I think this is a Garden Orb-weaver Spider. The main body is more than an inch long. She has been building this spectacular web each evening in my backyard and then takes it all down and retreats to a safe spot under a garden lantern until the next night. @Pleyades - I think this looks closer to your spider from last week rather than the wolf spider. Canon G10, 1/60sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400.

188 - Will you walk into my parlor?

From 365 Project

said the Spider to the Fly,
'Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy;
This pretty little parlor caught my eye.
What to do,
but take a picture or two.
OK, poetry is not my thing but the unusual spider web is pretty and cool. Read the real poetry, The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt. Canon 40D, 1.3 seconds @ f/16.0, 65mm Canon MP-E Macro on a tripod.

171 - Night Spider

From 365 Project

No it's not creepy crawlie week nor is is "David's Bug Period". I have photographed this little spider several times since first seeing him among the daylilies about a month ago with no luck in getting a good picture. He has more than doubled in size since then, so I tried again tonight with the tripod, remote control and the micro litepanel. Success! Canon 40D, 1/15 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 800, Canon 85mm lens on the life-size macro adapter. No bugs tomorrow, I promise.