Hey Ken - I found a buddy

salden · Post by **salden** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:55 pm

Out here in the Mojave Desert. Yep, I am back out here again for a week.

Not the best, but I had to hold my Canon 1D Mark II N with one hand and this guy with the other, so it was a bit tricky

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:32 pm

Very cool! I don't consider myself arachnophobic, but I don't think I'd be bold enough to pick up a wild one, regardless of what they say about them not biting without provocation!

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:31 pm

A striking shot! Really well done, Sue!

--Rik

Planapo · Post by **Planapo** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:05 am

A really halloweenish shot, Sue! I like the brownish-greyish colours of this pic, they remind of old b&w photographs. Spiders of that enormous size can only be found in terraria over here, except one of them manages to escape...

Cheers,
Betty

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:03 am

I would say that this is a great Halloween shot too!

Probably one of the few spiders that I have grown acustomed to but still would not be so bold as to pick one up. My home in Arkansas, when I lived out that away, was in the migratory path of these arachinids and for a while it took some getting used to, as they would crawl across my front porch on occasion. You should have seen my reaction the first time I walked out the door and found one on my front steps!

After a while my curiosity got the best of me and I began to poke at them to make them stand up. Most were about four to five inches in size.

salden · Post by **salden** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:07 am

I had to pick him up, he was so soft and cute. I put him back. I did want to keep him, but that would not be right. I have to go out again today to audit a few more air samplers, so hopefully I will see more of them.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:13 am

That is one of the misleading things, I think, about these spiders. They are so big and hairy that one does not associate them with other arachnids, probably why they make such great pets for some folks too.

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:53 am

An interesting and really quite clever composition Sue. The natural thing might have been to centre the hand in the frame or maybe position it just slightly left of centre.

Apart from being compositionally pleasing, the large "empty" area on the right gives the feeling that it is the viewer's own hand in the picture. This space also generates a greater sense of energy and movement to the subject.

Bruce

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:43 pm

SO, let me get this right.....you were holding the camera, and holding a guy, and holding the spider and taking the picture at the same time?

Very talented Sue

And no, I do not think I would want to hold it.

salden · Post by **salden** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:10 pm

Thanks everyone for your comments. I think everyone would have held this fuzzy wuzzy little guy if you seen it up close and personal.

DaveW · Post by **DaveW** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 6:46 am

"Regardless of what they say about them not biting without provocation!"

I would have expected it to regard being picked up as provocation enough!

DaveW

salden · Post by **salden** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 6:57 am

DaveW wrote:"Regardless of what they say about them not biting without provocation!"

I would have expected it to regard being picked up as provocation enough!

DaveW

These spiders have really sweet personalities. This one loved to be petted. Some of them will put on this big show, like they will have you for diinner, but it is just a show for the most part. The spider I have in my hand, crawled right on up and let me pet him with no problems.