First tarantula stacks at 10X

papilio · Post by **papilio** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 6:44 am

I decided that it was about time to get out of my comfort zone and try the 10X setup on one of my tarantula spiderlings. The fact that the most cooperative sling was a baby P. ornata was quite a surprise, they're usually bouncing off the walls. But it stayed still often and long enough to get about 15 fairly deep stacks (before I got tired).

All stacks are PMax, average ~100 images, and all but the last are close to FF.

Poecilotheria ornata, 1-inch sling

JH · Post by JH » Fri Mar 14, 2014 6:55 am

I really like number four!
Regards Jörgen

papilio · Post by **papilio** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:47 am

Thanks a lot Jörgen!

TimmyG · Post by **TimmyG** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 4:42 pm

Fascinating stuff. It's amazing you can do such deep stacks with live subjects. Nice work!

papilio · Post by **papilio** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 4:23 pm

TimmyG wrote:Fascinating stuff. It's amazing you can do such deep stacks with live subjects. Nice work!

Thanks a lot Timmy!
I admit it can be a challenge ...

Here's the rig I use. I had to mount the StackShot and bellows sideways so that I can get down to the spider's eye level without the equipment getting in the way.

There was an unexpected improvement in mounting things this way. With all of the connection points preloaded it's actually much more stable than when everything is piled up vertically. Vibrations from the mirror and rail now damp out in about two seconds rather than five as it does when I've had the camera mounted on top. Very important since I need to shoot the stack as fast as I possibly can before the subject decides to move.

I'd certainly not recommend such a setup over the far more stable tabletop horizontal or vertical rigs such as most use, but I require this in order to position and frame the camera quickly in place wherever the spider decides to come to rest on the set.

Here's one more tarantula stack which I shot yesterday, not taken with the 10X rig but the much easier MP-E @ 5X

Euathlus pulcherrimaklaasi

papilio · Post by **papilio** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:23 pm

Hmmm ... I thought that there was a post here asking about the lighting which I use. Well anyway, here's the answer.

I use an AlienBees studio strobe with a sixteen-inch beauty dish. The dish provides the most wonderful, soft light I've ever worked with and does very well on everything from full body shots of adult tarantulas to 10X macros.

Just to keep this gallery post a little more on-topic, here's another stack from a few days ago ... 5X with an MP-E

Euathlus pulcherrimaklaasi

marco bizziocchi · Post by **marco bizziocchi** » Mon May 19, 2014 11:37 am

very interesting details...especially the fourth photo!!

papilio · Post by **papilio** » Tue May 20, 2014 12:21 pm

marco bizziocchi wrote:very interesting details...especially the fourth photo!!

Thanks marco! Foot shots are always fun, and this one taken at 10X is one of my faves.

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Tue May 20, 2014 12:39 pm

That foot shot is amazing!

papilio · Post by **papilio** » Tue May 20, 2014 12:46 pm

lauriek wrote:That foot shot is amazing!

Thanks very much laurie!

Sling (spiderling) feet show the most interesting details, but until I was able to work at 10X they were always too small to show themselves off like this one. This was shot with the Nikon CFI 10X ... I need to try again now that I have the astounding Mitty!

marceppy · Post by **marceppy** » Tue May 20, 2014 8:07 pm

Very nice collar rendition and contrast.

papilio · Post by **papilio** » Tue May 20, 2014 9:56 pm

marceppy wrote:Very nice collar rendition and contrast.

Thanks a lot marc!