Digital SLR Photography - UK (2019-12)

Creative cobwebs

1

TAKEA TEST S H OTToseeif thelightingandbackgroundarerightfor

yourchosencobweb,fireoffa testshot.Spiderwebslookbest

contrastedagainsta dark,clutter-freebackgroundtoavoidtheirfine

strandsgettinglost.If there’snodewin themorning,considerapplying

a finemistof waterbutbegentle.If thewebis directlylit bythesun, you

may find that you need to reapply the mist as it evaporates.

3

COMPOSITIONAsyou’llbeworkingwithina fewcentimetresof the

webwitha 1:1reproductionratio(orsimilar),you’llneeda mid-

apertureof at leastf/8togetthesphericalbeadsof watersharp– even

if thewebis paralleltotheimagingsensor.Asyouchangetheangleof

thesensortothesubject,orgetcloser,you’llfinddepth-of-fieldfalls

offdramaticallyand you’ll need tostopdowntheaperture further.

5

BACKGROUNDLookfora dark,cleanbackgroundthat’sat leasta

metreaway,withnodistractingvariationsin colourorhighlights

tomakebestuseof theshallowdepth-of-field.Ideallyyou’llfinda

backdropin shade,that’snotaffectedbythebacklightingilluminating

yourweb,butif youfindyourbackgroundis toobrightandthewebis

lost try adding up to a stop of negative exposure compensation.

6

CONTROLTHELIGHTIf you’reshootingin overcastorshaded

conditions,you’llneedtobecarefulof yourshutterspeedaslight

levelswillbelow.A tripodmaybetheonlywaytogo,howeverlimiting

thiscanbe,butbringingin a smallreflectorordiffusedmacroflashcan

helptoo.If you’reshootingbacklit,althoughyoushouldhaveplentyof

light, you’ll also need to watch out for flare as the sun hits the lens.

2

EXPOSUREIt’syourchoicewhethertouseaperture-priorityor

manualmode,butyou’llneedtodialin a mid-aperture(f/8-f/11)

andkeepaneyeonyourshutterspeedtoensureit doesn’tdropbelow

1/160secif you’rehandholding.If you’reusinga tripod,you’llstillneed

tobewatchfulof theshutterspeedtofreezeanymovementof theweb

causedbyeven the slightest breeze.AdjustyourISO rating to suit.

4

FOCUSEvenwithaperturesof f/11-f/16,depth-of-fieldcanstillbe

shallowsoyourfocusinghastobeprecise.Setyourcamerato

shootin burstmodetoincreaseyourchancesof a sharpshotanduse

manualfocusorsingle-pointAFtoaccuratelyalignyourpointof focus.

Aimtofocusin themiddlegroundsoyouhaveout-of-focus

foreground to lead the viewer into the web and background bokeh.

34 DigitalSLR PhotographyDecember 2019

POORFOCUS

LIGHTBACKGROUND DARKBACKGROUND

GOODFOCUS