Pirate Spider Cocoon via Laowa 25mm: Shallow Stacks & Stereo
 

Mimetidae are spiders which prey on other spiders. When I saw a topic feature the adult Pirate Spider I decided to shoot some more images of cocoons of these spiders.

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/to...6374/#14631336

I had posted images of the cocoons before but I wanted better images. There is a colony of the spiders inside a large, plastic composting bin. The top of the bin is narrower than the main body, leaving an internal overhang all the way around the perimeter. This is where the spiders (if present) and their cocoons are to be found, making framing and, in particular, lighting difficult.

I set out to get some single frames and stereo pairs. That was three weeks ago and I have prioritised processing the images of other subjects.

Not only are the cocoons in semi-darkness and under the overhang but they are suspended by a thin stalk which permits them to swing and spin in the slightest air movement. All the factors contrive to minimise the number of keeper images.

After processing the images, I noticed small discrepancies in the principal planes of focus of left and right images and thought that this might be evened out by stacking.

I took my very first trip into the menus for Photoshop stacking. I had no instructions and just “winged it”. Let me just say that you were very nearly looking at a panorama!

The outcome is that the single frame and the stereo are both two images deep, combined in the software. Although the DOF is still small, I can see definite improvement over the original, single images. Just to be clear, these images were not intended as stacks but stacking them brings out their combined potential.

The thin, ribbon-like strands around the outside of the cocoon have a metallic appearance, like copper, and are twisted, giving numerous highlights.

Olympus EM-1 (manual mode), Laowa 25mm f2.8 2.5x-5x ultra-macro at x2.5 & f11, triple TTL flash hand-held. FOV 5mm wide, cropped from 7mm.

The stereo is crosseye.

Harold

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ufiles/82/1724882.jpg

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/uf...?ts=1541572545

Re: Pirate Spider Cocoon via Laowa 25mm: Shallow Stacks & Stereo
 

We could call it the Christmas Spider...*chr

Very clear and sharp photos Harold...…………..

Re: Pirate Spider Cocoon via Laowa 25mm: Shallow Stacks & Stereo
 

Thanks. I have just inserted size details. It would have to be a bonsai tree!

The sharpness has come from the same treatment I give to all my macro images, with micro contrast adjustment for the higher magnifications and smaller effective apertures. I never use in-camera sharpening.

Harold

Re: Pirate Spider Cocoon via Laowa 25mm: Shallow Stacks & Stereo
 

Spectacular, good work keeping them still too!

Re: Pirate Spider Cocoon via Laowa 25mm: Shallow Stacks & Stereo
 

Thanks. No way could I do anything keep them still. I had to wait and be careful not to breathe in their direction.

The mother (I assume) now has a web across the top of the inside of the bin. I just got four shots of her when it started to rain enough to disturb her if I continued, so I will try again later. There are at least three cocoons still there.

Harold

Re: Pirate Spider Cocoon via Laowa 25mm: Shallow Stacks & Stereo
 

Having obtained a series of images of the adult spider, it seems to me that it is not a Pirate Spider.

Harold