Spider Dance

Spider Dance

You just never know what you’ll get in the background of a black and yellow spider on a summer afternoon. The multi-colored octagonal bokeh behind this spider makes me think of a mirror ball. It’s the refractions of pink and white flowers and dappled leaves set against deep shadows.

Spiders don’t “hang” in the most convenient places. This colorful one had built its orb on the lower branches of several plants in a garden leading to a shaded area, a great place to catch insects as they fly through to nesting areas. The spider is hanging underneath its orb, from the center. I could not get in a position close enough to use my 50mm with the 2.5X adapter that would blend the background into a smooth marbled pattern so I had to use the 70-300mm, hanging sideways and upper body slightly lifted off the ground, doing my best to hold that long lens, fully extended, still for a clear photo. I was immediately grateful for years of yoga practice that developed my abdominal muscles to let me hold myself in this awkward position, as the breeze wafted and shook the web, lifting it up and down, waiting between each little gust. To my neighbors I’m sure I looked like I’d passed out on the sidewalk. But they know my ways.

It never really did stop moving so I didn’t get the closeup I’d wanted, but I liked the bokeh so much I could live with that. Hope the spider likes it. I believe it is a black and yellow garden spider.

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All images in this post are copyright © Bernadette E. Kazmarski and may not be used without prior written permission.