Hehe, right? My perception of spiders (and least SOME spiders) changed after getting close to these.
Equipment...uhhhh.....good question. You see, I was (probably) using a reversed lens, and so that info isn't recorded in the exif. I can only say for certain that I was using the Pentax K-5 at the time, but that matters little. I've often reversed both a 28mm and 50mm lens, and sometimes reversed the 28mm and stuck the 50mm onto the front of it (not reversed). I think that's what I did for these. Later I played around with extension tubes+50mm lens, and had better results.
Okay, cool, thanks! I know that there are several ways of taking macro shots and I haven't tried all of them. I've only used macro filters and reverse rings, no extension tubes yet and no great macro lens. I am curious how people achieve good macro shots. I tired to photograph a snowflake with the 24 + ring and I couldn't get anywhere as close as you did. Maybe that was +the 50? I would have never thought of staking lenses - will have to look into that. Thanks again! :)
I think the 28 reversed would get you closer than the 50 reversed...it just becomes difficult to focus at all when you're so close. Extension tubes performed a little better - I couldn't tell you why just now, it's been a while since I played. A macro lens on extension tubes is a little better still, but a macro lens on its own will only get you so far if we're talking about this kind of extreme magnification. And to my knowledge there's only one lens (Canon MP-E 65mm) that will get you super close without tubes, and even so you'll probably still use tubes (I think?), because whatever lens you have you ALWAYS want to get closer. Except to a spider, maybe.
And congrats on winning the North America contest!!
Hey, you've piqued my interest about spiders, too! That one is actually really cute. Maybe getting closer will minimize the fear - not a bad thing. Wouldn't that be interesting, if photography proved able to cure phobias, haha! I'll look into extension tubes. I really love macro and experimenting with random subjects/textures.
Well, in all seriousness it's made my fear of heights easier to bear - some of the time! Spiders is the other big one. The disconcerting thing about the jumping spiders, though, is that while they're all cute and everything, they do jump.
well then you would get a really MACRO shot hahaha! Hmm...maybe photography will help cure my fear of heights, who knows. I've done some pretty daring things to capture good shots. Come to think of it, I once stood in a pretty dangerous place in order to snap photos of Houston at night. So much so that the hotel guard came up to me and asked me to get down lol.. Yeah, I don't know..never thought of it. I suppose it could go both ways: get over fear, or become too fearless/foolish?
I have a significant buffer between fear and unsafety, but you do have to be careful not to let the photos become so important in your mind that you take any real risks. It's not worth it, and in many cases it's REALLY not worth, but when you're at a place and just need to get closer to the edge to change the angle a bit, it can seem worthwhile.
Yeah, good point. I'll see how my own experience with this unfolds in the near future, as I plan to travel for photography (which will be a first for me). I'll have to remember your wise words! ;)