Found lurking in the garden

I spotted a butterfly on one of my flowering plants but by the time I got there with the camera, it had moved on. Then I noticed this:-




I think it's a crab spider but I've not seen such a colourful one before. They're usually white, yellow, or green. I'll hopefully be able to grab a full body shot soon.

K20D, Sigma 180mm EX DG Macro, AF160FC flash (output biased to right), ISO 100, f22, 1/180 sec.

EDIT: 180 degree rotation. How do you think it looks compared to the original?

Excellent colours and lighting.
Funky looking spider as well.

Cracking shot of an ugly bug, camo colouring!
No wonder Mike wants that lens.

Great detail and colour nice shot Peter,

and he grabbed a bite to eat soon after. Images to follow . . .

Nice shot Pete, It is a crab spider and very colourful also.

I would rotate it 180 degrees

I haven't tried it with this shot but others I have and they always looked odd because of the lighting. I'll see what this one looks like rotated but it'll look as if it's lit from below instead of above.

I know what you mean Pete, but I dont think it would be as noticable with this shot.

How are you finding the 160 ring flash compared to the 140 :

Heres a spider you can play with, without getting bitten
Playfull Spider

The AF160FC has a number of advantages over the AF140C.

1: It is P-TTL and TTL compatible.
2: It has more manual output settings, full, 1/4, 1/16, +0.5 Auto, -0.5, & -1.0.
3:The LED modelling lights are much better than the tungsten ones in the AF140C
4: You have more control over the lighting to produce better modelling in the actual exposure. Apart from being able to switch the tubes from left only, both, right only, you also have 1/3 output right or left. As I used in the spider pic above.
5: An extra adapter ring for 67mm lenses and a bayonet adapter to fit the D-FA macro lenses.

Criticisms:-

1: The battery compartment cover fixing seems flimsy.
2: Wireless capability would have been good for studio work. Not as a remote of course, but as a master or controller.
3: The cable between head and flash is fixed, unlike the AF140C which you can unplug from the head. This makes it a tad difficult to pack into a bag, but not impossible.

I'm happy with it, but like most of my gear, I've not yet had much time to get to know it.

The spider shot was taken with it mounted to the Sigma 180mm using the 58mm adapter and a 72mm-58mm step down ring. I thought this arrangement might cause vignetting but it doesn't. My wife's in UK at the moment and she'll bring me back a 72mm-67mm ring which should be even better.

I've added a 180 degree rotated image to the original post. See what you think. Personally, I think the lighting looks 'wrong' and the spider is hanging, rather than standing. I don't like it.

And here's an unusual view of the same spider as he was having his lunch.




You don't often see images of a spider's spinerets. Look carefully and you can see some silk too.

They produce seven different types of silk from individual glands. See this for more details about spider silk.

I am tempted to get the new 160 flash but not tempted enough to fork out 500quid for it over here. I still use and like the AF080C, and will live with it for a while longer.

As for your spider I actually like it in the upright position, Your eyes are drawn to its face and I think it looks perfectly natural and well lit. My vote is for this one

Interesting shot of the silk gland, I have never tried to get a shot of one yet but will keep it in mind for next time. How close were you getting with the 180mm, my guess would be about 300-400mm : cheers

You'll not be disappointed by the AF160FC, it's streets ahead of the AF080C. I had one for a while but soon sold at and bought McBrian's AF140C. That's now gone to a forum member in Canada.

The 160 is a lot easier to use than my twin AF240FT flash rig, if you remember it. I still have it but haven't used it for a while.

I was only a couple of centimetres further away than the lens's minimum focus distance so around 350-400mm I guess.

I haven't tried this lens on extension tubes yet. If the beast hangs around today I'll try and take some more of it with the EX180mm on tubes, and the FA100mm Macro too.

These spiders often sit on top of the flower and wait for their prey. I might even get lucky and get some of it's whole body. It's certainly an unusual colour, and as far as I know, there isn't any nuclear activity around here and it doesn't glow in the dark.

If time permits I'll have a go with some of the DA*'s as well. I think the 60-250 and 300mm's on tubes/bellows could produce some excellent results.

PS: I still like the original spider shot better than the rotated one. I guess it makes a difference if you've taken the shot. Thanks for your comments.