Still Summer Day

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000
Shutter speed: 1/79th second
F Number: F/2.8
Focal Length: 6 mm
ISO Speed: 80
Taken on July 21st, 2008 at 4:13 pm




I have entered this piece in the "Detail in Macro" contest [link]
---Technique---
I found this spider on the table on our deck. Unfortunately, he had been poisoned by another spider and left for dead. Being sure to not miss such an opportunity, I set up a little photo shoot with him. I carefully brushed him onto a leaf and carried him to the deck railing.
I placed him on the close edge of the railing to diminish the blur created by the wood at my low (eye-to-eye) perspective. I also placed him on the railing in front of a tree to create some soft green bokeh.
I used regular macro mode instead of digital macro mode, which allows you to zoom in while in macro mode, often producing a more precise focus. I did this because I wanted to have a decent amount of background behind him, instead of a tightly cropped photo.
He was lit by the afternoon sunlight, diffused by an overcast sky.
I adjusted the brightness/contrast a bit to reduce the bright "washed out" effect created by the wood.
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Please tell me what you think!