Spidey spidey....

My first time trying macro on a live organism that might move voluntarily. These are all shot hand held and I was standing on a spinning chair so I'm aware about safety as well when I shot it, as the creature was also half way up the wall!!
I tried to focus on its eyes but can't seem to do it, I've tried lighting it up with the table lamps near me (strong led bulbs)
It's shot with the K5 and a Vivitar 55mm f2.8 macro.
Either way, C&C welcome!

You need to get over your arachnophobia and use a tripod...

Adrian, you need two things:
1). patience
&
2). a cut-down, 1 litre plastic milk bottle!

Take one milk bottle, plastic, other ranks, for the use of.
Cut off the top, down including the moulded handle arrangement, leaving a square-section tube, open at one end.
In one side, near the open end, cut a hole big enough to allow the camera pop-up flash to sit into the tube. At the end of this hole leave a small tag, about 18mm x 18mm "protruding" into the hole. This should be dimensioned to be a slide fit into the camera hot-shoe.
Secure the tube, or Diffuser as I like to call it, to the body of the lens / camera with a fine rubber band, with the tag in the hotshoe.

I have found this arrangement works v. well with my K7 & 100 macro., see all my macro images here & in the Gallery.

The plastic softens the light, but still allows the use of, at least, f11 at 1:1.

Manually focus to fill the frame, then fine tune by moving v. slightly back & forth to maintain accurate focus.

I would show a pic., but with only one camera & one (built-in) flash, it's a bit difficult! I'll try & snap the arrangement in daylight, in a mirror, tomorrow.

This may sound a bit cranky but, be assured, it really is effective &, what's more, it's free!!!


Roger.