Inspiring Photo: The Duel #7181018

The Duel

Uploaded: October 16, 2008

Description

Black-spotted Prominent and Crab Spider

Micro-Nikkor 105 mm, PB-4 Bellows

Featured as POTD #1515
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Comments

Dominick M. Dimacale October 16, 2008

Great macro image you have here, Bob.

Dominick #1017317

Dr. Harmeet Singh October 16, 2008

Great image beautifully captured.A winner for sure.. #6607119

Michelle Alton October 16, 2008

Perfect timing on this capture, Bob. Tells a great story. #6607121

Tiia Vissak October 16, 2008

great colors, light & details! #6607173

Tammy M. Anderson October 16, 2008

Super fond and capture, Bob. #6607216

Carolyn M. Fletcher October 16, 2008

A sure winner! It's just great! #6607252

Usman M. Bajwa October 16, 2008

Wow.. what a great timing and find here, Bob. The details and colors are amazing too. UB. #6607291

Colette M. Metcalf October 16, 2008

Excellent!!! #6607557

Erin Appelbaum October 16, 2008

Awesome!!! Peter #6607899

Summer A. Kozisek October 16, 2008

Amazing capture Bob, love it! #6610519

Bob Cammarata October 16, 2008

Thanks everyone for your nice comments.

This miniscule meeting (or fracas) literally happened before my eyes.
As I was concentrating on how to best portray this interesting caterpillar I'd found, the crab spider scrambled across that tiny twig and appeared determined to steal the show.

It just makes one wonder how many curious little dramas and/or bitter conflicts occur within the macro-world that we never notice.

Bob #6610649

November 04, 2008

Great find Bob. Love the color and detail. Great job! #6707622

Donna La Mattino Pagakis November 06, 2008

Great details Bob, congratulations on your potd! #6713911

A P November 06, 2008

ooyyeee gooyyee wonderful POTD. Incredible macro, Bob #6713913

Tiia Vissak November 06, 2008

congratulations! #6713966

Darryl Wilkinson November 06, 2008

That's a great shot, Bob! Congrats on your award!! #6713971

Susie Peek-Swint November 06, 2008

Fantastic macro Bob ~ great timing! Congrats on POTD! #6713981

Les Rhoades November 06, 2008

Congrats on your POTD selection! #6714028

Joseph R. Ombrello November 06, 2008

What an outstanding pictyre. Well deserved POTD, Bob. #6714086

Deepinder S. RANGER November 06, 2008

Excellent use of the bellows with macro lens !
Congrats on well deserved POTD ! #6714198

Mary Timman November 06, 2008

Magnificent macro. What detail and color! Beautifully made. I love your title! Congratulations on POTD! #6714341

Usman M. Bajwa November 06, 2008

Congrats on this wonderful POTD, Bob.

UB. #6714476

Guy D. Biechele November 06, 2008

Fantastic! Congratulations on your POTD. #6714557

Joy Rector November 06, 2008

congrats on this excellent POTD #6714662

JO ANN CLEVELAND November 06, 2008

Wowee! Fantastic macro Bob ~ great timing! Congrats on POTD!

jo ann c. #6715062

Nancy L. Green November 06, 2008

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS on this FANTASTIC POTD!!!! So, who won??? <>< #6715317

Mike F. Anderson November 06, 2008

Very nice Bob. Great detail #6715598

KIM A. RINCONES November 06, 2008

Great picture Bob. There are a lot of things around us we do not see, so this is a special moment. How did you get the background that color? If you do not mind me asking. Kim #6716011

Kathleen R. Struckle November 06, 2008

Awesome macro. Congrats on POTD!! #6716086

November 06, 2008

Great luck, great timing, great capture. WOW. congrats on POTD.
If you don't mind a second person asking, how did you get the background color? I am a true beginner myself so just curious. #6716089

Erica Murphy November 06, 2008

This is spectacular Bob!! Congratulations on being the POTD!! #6716245

Lisa J. Boulden November 06, 2008

Such a cool capture!
Congratz on your POTD!
~Lisa #6716615

Cary Rogers November 06, 2008

Congrats on this unique POTD, Bob!! a great capture and peek at Nature that most people never see or think about! #6716733

Michelle L. Frick November 06, 2008

Doesn't look like a fair fight! Who won? Congratulations on the POTD and the amazing capture! #6716758

Kathy L. Clark November 06, 2008

CONGRATS BOB ON YOU VERY AWESOME POTD. WONDERFUL DETAIL, LIGHT AND COMPOSITION. VERY NICELY DONE. #6717318

Carlton Ward November 06, 2008

Great capture Bob - color, sharpness & the subjects are so dynamic. #6717725

Bob Cammarata November 06, 2008

Thanks everyone for your nice comments.

This POTD was a pleasant surprise when I awoke this morning!
I will attempt to address the many inquiries re:, the technical processes leading to the creation of this image.

First of all, I was out looking for bugs that day so I had my full arsenal of close-focusing equipment.
A macro-lens, a bellows assembly, a sturdy tripod that will get my camera close to the ground, several home-made stabilizing devices (...made from tiny alligator clips attached to sections of coat-hanger wire), a portable flash unit with an infra-red trigger, various reflectors, diffusers and background materials all accompany me on bug forays.
Sometimes they are all used...sometimes not.

In this photo, I'd spotted an interesting looking caterpillar on a low-hanging bush and stabilized the twig it was on with a few of the clips mentioned above.
(This photo was shot in natural light with the natural background at the scene.)

In this version, I laid a piece of beaded plastic diffusion material on the ground behind the subject (on top of black felt) to get a more "smoky" background in an attempt to highlight the vibrant colors of the subject.

While all this was going on, the prominent cat' remained motionless except for a few shifts in its pose.

I noticed this crab spiderresting a few inches away on the same twig and shifted the camera and extended the bellows to capture this tiny but colorful arachnid in its benign position for a few frames. Then, I returned to my caterpillar for a few intimate close-ups.

Suddenly, the spider became active and scrambled across the twig.
It crawled over the caterpillar and rested on its tail.
The cat' swung its head around like a mace...striking a forceful blow which toppled the spider off the twig, where it hung on a thread of silk for a few seconds before climbing back up to continue the the fight.

I was fortunate to have been in place and completely set up to record this little drama.
The background in "The Duel" was the same smoky background I'd setup earlier ().

...and who won the fight?

Since they both went their own way afterwards, I guess we can call it a draw.

Bob

#6717902

Nancy L. Green November 06, 2008

Thak you Bob for this informative narrative, I LOVE THIS!!! and I'm glad they both survived!! <>< #6717956

KIM A. RINCONES November 06, 2008

Bob, Thanks for the detailed information. Wow. Still learning and your information is greatly appreciated. Great info. Thanks again. Kim #6718014

November 06, 2008

WOW! Awesome!!!! #6718147

Vicki L. Filippin November 07, 2008

MAGNIFICENT *winning* image, Bob! Thanks so much for sharing your story with us. I'll be keeping my eye out for GOLD on this one! #6720774

Laura E. Swan November 07, 2008

Wow! AMAZING photo! Great work here, Bob! -Laura Swan #6721541

November 07, 2008

Thanks so much for all the details of the shoot. This is such a great place for us real beginners to learn from others. Thanks again. #6722037

Lindley Johnson November 08, 2008

Congratulations on your terrific POTD, Bob! Thanks for sharing your detailed description on how you captured it. #6723932

A P November 25, 2008

CONGRATULATIONS Bob on this incredible colorful bug fight FINALIST!!!! #6805534

Larry L. Redmon November 25, 2008

Congratulations, Bob! Awesome work! #6806720

Sam Britt November 26, 2008

Congratulations Bob!! #6810189

Michelle Alton November 26, 2008

This one is going to the stars, Bob. #6811479

Usman M. Bajwa November 27, 2008

Another Congrats on this stunning capture and Finalist. I think there is one more to go, just yet. GL.

UB. #6814788

Sylvia Rossler November 27, 2008

Big congrats on your wonderful finalist :) #6816936

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