.Mythmaker

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This is not a macro, just an example of what good quality glass can do. While wandering around the Kiandra goldfields I spied a moment of movement near my right boot. Looking down I eventually saw this handsome fella. He was quite large, as Australian spiders go, probably as long as my index finger. DP (Zunazet) identified him as a "Wolf Spider" - he looks like a hunting spider not a web spinning spider to me. I was using the Pentax K20D with the Pentax SMC DA* 16-50 1:2.8 ED AL at the time. Simply got over this fella, who conveniently decided not to move, got down as close as I could get and still get a focus lock and fired away. If you check out the full size image you'll see all kinds of detail of the spines on his legs and the superfine hairs and all in all the lens demonstrated it was worth every cent spent on it. I processed the raw file to get the max detail from his patterns and colouring and I did a bit of digital manip in The Gimp to help the spider stand out from the grass which he was well suited to blend into. Studying him up close like this doesn't remove my "shiver" response to spiders but he is unquestionably a beautiful creature all the same.

Enjoy.

Mikel.

Full size is worth the extra click.