Wolf Spider - Macro Portrait!
This lovely wolf spider stopped for a portrait!
Thanks to some advice and encouragement from other photographers on Steemit, such as @condra, I've taken to carrying an off camera flash when out looking for subjects for macro photography. These pictures (CLICK to ENLARGE BTW) would not have been possible without additional light as it was just starting to rain and near dusk, very low light; but with a portable sun in hand, I was able to get a sharp picture of this beautiful wolf spider!
Maybe my best yet of this species!
A wider crop of the same photo as the first. I like the intensity of the first picture more but wanted to show how much more depth of field is possible when using additional light. When focusing on something very close to the camera, the DOF is usually quite narrow, in low light you need to open the lens aperture wider, further reducing the DOF, literally less than 1mm. With the flash, I can close down the aperture and get more DOF, still only 1.5mm or so here, but the face and a good amount of the legs are nice and crisp!
Bonus: Ichneumon wasp! (Ammophila sabulosa solowiyofkae)
Jewel like black eyes, slender waist, instinctual drive to paralyse caterpillars and lay eggs on their inert, still living, bodies for their young to eat after hatching.
It was having trouble flying after getting wet in the rain.
Hang in there!
Nature is rather metal.
Previous posts with additional pictures:
Little Monsters Part 1- Wolf Spider
Little Monsters Part 26 - Ammophila
Written with StackEdit.
This is the stuff of nightmares. Alternatively - part of the lovely dreams of insectologists :D
Haha, you're not wrong. That wasp does nasty things to caterpillars!
Oh, I was talking about the spider - although spiders are not strictly insects.
No worries, it's harmless to humans though the spider certainly does look frightening, even better in B&W!
I actually like the color version better, although the black and white reminds me of old horror movies :)
I know spiders are generally harmless, but it's hard not to discuss their visual appeal :)
Excellent shots of the spider and wasp.
Thank you very much @mostly.nature!
ewh, gives me the creeps! Love the photos though :)
Thank you for your support @eoincurran!
This weeks theme for #bwphotocontest is MACRO. ;-)
Details here:
https://steemit.com/bwphotocontest/@daveks/b-and-w-photo-contest-new-theme-announcement-macro
Thanks for the reminder! I'll be entering! :D
You're welcome
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I love wolf spiders!!! They're one of my favorite arachnids. I'm glad you had the extra light on hand too.
Thank you very much @mushroomseeds!
That is a cool looking spider, unless it is crawling on you!
Ehh, it probably won't bite. :P
Increíble animal, muy buen post amigo.
Thank you very much @sergio215!
awesome macro
Thank you very much @digitalis :)
Insects are so diverse and fascinating. And strange too, just look at how weird is the eyes of this spider.
Everything gets weird when you get really close to it! :)
That is true. For instance, the quantum realm.
Yeah, quantum physics is very very odd!