Dinner Buddies

[aadam_21]

OK, first pic posted here. I know the DOF is too shallow, but I wanted to see if you all had any more input. This is cropped, but otherwise untouched - the framing in the original wasn't real good. I was holding my camera at the minimal focal length for my kit lens (about 5 - 6 inches), but wasn't quite brave enough to look through the view finder at the same time - just a little too close to one of these.



There were 9 - 10 Widows living in a stack of landscape timbers I had in the driveway. I found them when moving the timbers to the back yard. We (3 little kids too) used said timbers as a dinner table the night before

[xxpinballxx]

I think its a fine enough shot but like the inverted plcing better....take a look at it flipped upside down....I think it seems a bit disorienting the way it is with the spider upside down....
sems like it would be a great place to shoot though if you knew before disturbing the pile.

[Saralonde]

OMG, dinner buddies for sure! I'd have only shot them with a Super Zoom! That telltale hourglass is visible and, as far as I'm concerned, that's enough for this image.

[Sime]

Yes, I opened this one and Michelle looked away and let out a weird noise!.. don't think she likes spiders!!... I quite like the DOF and the flare on the spidro web in the background... cool shot...(ha, I just showed her the shot again!!..same response!!..amusing)

[dloumakis]

I think it is a really nice shot, Its a keeper. The photo, not the spider :-)

[aadam_21]

OK, so I tried the flip as suggested and I do think I like it better. If nothing else, it makes me look more brave by taking a close pic of a black widow overhead instead of below Does look kind of like she could drop on the viewer at any moment.

[clockdoc]

Nice capture! I am interested in knowing more about your light source for this one. My voye goes for the inverted second photo as well. Thanks for shaing it with us.

[texotic]

cool shot man, but it looks like the wall is the one in focus rather then the spider?

[PLouie]

I'd have to say the original photo you posted was better.

Spiders are known to hang on their webs upside down. Plus, the fact that the light shining on the spider is from the sky makes it more natural and pleasing to the eyes when the spider was upside down. With the spider flipped and light shining from below it just looks very awkward to me.

Usually when light is used in noncomforming ways they are used with extra emphasize and dramatized to a degree that it appears intentional. So in this case, I'd say leave it with the spider upside down.

As for other things, the composition works fine. Nothing to worry about really. I'd say an increase in contrast would be help the image a bit but it's very much fine the way you originally posted it.

[matthewchj]

Well actually I like the perspective of the second shot better.

OMG!!! Black Widow!!! You were really lucky you weren't bitten by it...