Over the past few years I’ve become more and more interested in jumping spiders. It is a real challenge to photograph them in order to get drawing and painting references. Sometimes I photograph them in the field, and other times I bring them down to the basement to shoot them in a light tent with 3-4 flashes. That supplies me with even lighting and nice, soft shadows. One of the great challenges is getting sharp images of such tiny creatures where there is still some depth of field. With a 100mm lens and 68mm of stacked extension tubes, even at f20 focus is a real issue. An eighth of an inch can be the difference between sharp and fuzzy. On top of that the little guy is moving all the time. It’s a good thing it is all digital, because I throw away a ton of photos. I’d be broke if I were still shooting film.
This sketch is of a male Reckless Jumper (Pelegrina proverta). Proterva means reckless in Latin. I have to say that it’s a great name for this guy. They have been called the Evil Knieval of spiders. These little daredevils can jump incredible distances, especially considering their tiny size. They are very curious and will watch you as you move about with the camera. I tend to call them “Grumpy Jumpers” because they seem to have perfect cartoon grouchy eyebrows. The female looks considerably different and seems 100% less grumpy. These jumpers are more likely to be found in woodland areas hunting among the shrubs.
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