I first caught sight of this spider yesterday when I almost walked into it—it was hanging in mid-air at eye level across a path and we were less than a foot apart when I encountered it.
Initially the spider scampered up a bit and then seemed to run out of web and came to a stop, giving me some time to change to my macro lens. The spider, which I think is a kind of orb weaver (Neoscona crucifera) that is sometimes called a barn spider, was about seven feet off the ground by this time, so it was quite a challenge getting a stable shooting position. I raised the ISO and used the pop-up flash and managed to get some reasonably sharp images.
These are my favorite two images. I really like the detail in the first shot, but like the background and angle of view more in the second shot. Which one is better? I vacillate in trying to decide, so included them both.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 