This was actually shot a while back at Kirstenbosch Gardens with my photographer friend David Rowley. We were walking back after our mission to shoot some macro of the proteas when I spotted this spider in a tree on the path back.
Now I must tell you I am terrified of spiders, and the bigger, the more hysterical I get. Due to this I have an acute sense and eagle eye for a web or anything resembling a spider, hence this caught my eye from a distance!
Upon taking a closer look, it’s colours and form were actually quite fascinating and we took turns photographing it.
Now the difficulty with Macro photography is firstly you have to get REALLY CLOSE!! and secondly without a tripod as we were, you have to hold the camera extremely still as the focus is so fine that just breathing moves the object out of focus. Not an easy feat when you’re arachnophobic, you’re shooting with a very short len’s and you’re about 1 or 2cm away from it trying to be very still. David had his hand on the back of my head gently pushing me forward urging “get closer!” as I tried to swallow down the panic.
The Golden Orb spider spins a gold web, this is a female which are large and the male is very tiny and brown which was also in the web. Notice in these images how you can see the web being spun, exiting the spider’s “rear-end” and coming from its mouth.
If you enjoy Macro, have a look at my earlier blog post on the protea’s we shot that day HERE, and see David’s blog for even more awesome shots HERE
Here are a few cropped close up’s to show you the fine detail like the texture on the abdomen and facial features which you wouldn’t be able to see with the naked eye.
