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Pregnant Salticid?

This is part one of a series I’ll be sharing from my weekend at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. I had some amazing luck getting some wonderful photos. See the other shots from that great day here.

I am not sure about the species of this spider (Phidippus clarus?) but I do believe she is pregnant. She was very lethargic, didn’t respond very much to my movements or any of the bugs flying around her. I saw her at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, and I can honestly say that this set contains the best photos I’ve ever taken. All photos shot with my Canon 5dII, Canon Mpe-25, and Canon mt-24 ex flash, heavily diffused.

Tags: 5d mark II, great botanical day, jumping spider, macro, mp-e 65, mt-24 ex, norfolk botanical gardens, Phidippus, Phidippus clarus, salticid, spider

A Pile of Peppercorns

I’ve seen a lot of excellent studio stacks of very small objects so I decided to try my hand at it. This photo is of a pile of peppercorns. This was taken on my kitchen table, with natural light (on a cloudy day) and a piece of white poster board camera left to reflect some light. The camera was pointed directly down and I used my focusing rail to move the camera away between each shot. 14 shots, f/3.1, ISO 100, 1/13s. Stacked with Zerene Stacker.

See more studio stacks here.

Tags: 5d mark II, focus stack, macro, pepper, peppercorn, studio stack

A Little habronattus coecatus

One of my favorite jumping spiders was bouncing around a wood chip pile this weekend. This is a habronattus coecatus. This one looks smaller than most of the ones I’ve seen. All photos taken at the Chesapeake Arboretum with my Canon 5dII, Mp-e65, and Mt-24 EX.

And here is the smallest Salticid I’ve never seen. That is on a flower petal inside a flower. Maybe 2mm at most in length.

Tags: 5d mark II, Chesapeake, Habronattus coecatus, jumping spider, macro, mp-e 65, mt-24 ex, spider

Female Paraphidippus aurantius

This beautiful Paraphidippus aurantius was seen at the Chesapeake Arboretum. Very friendly, very photogenic. This action is very typical of Salticids, they hide on one side of a leaf, I wait patiently (10 minutes or more some times) for them to come around, they look around while I photograph them, then they go back to the other side. I do have a tendency to poke the leaf with a twig to get their attention. Sometimes it works.

All photos taken with a Canon 5dII, Canon mp-e 65, and Canon mt-24 ex.

I love this photo!

Tags: 5d mark II, Chesapeake, jumping spider, macro, mp-e 65, mt-24 ex, Paraphidippus aurantius, spider

Folded Spider

Saw this little spider all folded up on a leaf at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens in Virginia. All photos taken with a Canon 5dII, Canon mp-e 65, and Canon mt-24 ex.