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Wild, Wild Africa


Wild, Wild Africa
Photo Information
Copyright: Loot Eksteen (loot) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5524 W: 722 N: 4163] (11276)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-10-20
Categories: Spiders
Camera: Sony Cybershot DSC HX1, Sony G lens 20x Optical zoom, Digital ISO 125
Exposure: f/3.2, 1/80 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: Kruger National Park - 2009
Theme(s): Insects and Spiders of Southern Africa, 70-79 Puntos (chapter 2), Spiders of the World, Kruger National Park 2, World of Spiders, Macromania, A study in Arachnology (spiders & scorpions) 1 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2009-11-03 10:04
Viewed: 7728
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 74
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Unknown green spider - Arachnid incognito

This minute spider (only 4mm in length) was photographed in the Kruger National Park on the "H1-4 main road", near the Ntomeni waterhole, ±13km north of the Satara camp. We (Anna and I) just finished shooting some photos of a Kori Bustard when I became aware of this little jewel sitting on the windscreen of my car. Immediately I lost all interest in the bird and all my focus was concentrated on this brilliant fluorescent lime coloured little spider. I just love finding these kinds of unexpected surprises which nature sometimes reveals to us, but I'll expand on this down below.

Unfortunately I do not have the faintest clue what kind of spider it might be. I do not know much about these "8 wheelers" therefore, I'm not sure if it might be a baby or full grown spider. All I know is that it was a lovely surprise and I jumped at the opportunity to capture its image. I was outside the car in no time (don't worry, I had a good look first to ensure there were no lions around) and shooting away at this little spider sitting on the windscreen. It didn't like the fact that I kept shoving my little Sony Cybershot HX1 into its face and it jumped around all over the windscreen, but finally I nailed it and I am happy to share this with you. Hopefully someone might be able to assist with the ID though.

Notes Update (08/11/2009): From the critique Howard Cheek (marhowie) has provided I've learned that this is "in the family OXYOPIDAE, a species of Lynx" spider. Thanks Howard.

That brings me to my title: "Wild, Wild Africa". World wide nature reserves or game parks are a great source of pleasure and leisure for many visitors and obviously a massive income resource for the owners or authorities who make these facilities available. However, my thoughts do not concern the owners or authorities who provide these places, but rather with the tourist. You and me. Those people who spend vast amounts of money to visit these places of refuge and all for a number of possible reasons. Maybe to relax and break free from the hustle-and-bustle of everyday life while enjoying the serenity of "untouched" nature and possibly one of the main reasons might be to come and experience the delight to observe the lovely animals contained in such a sanctuary.

So, why is it that so many people tend to focus only on the big things? Here in Africa we have the so-called BIG 5. It is a fantastic attraction to promote the "Wild Africa" or so-called "African Safari" experience. This includes; elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard. Yes, these are all lovely animals, but the truth is that on any given day in the Kruger Park one may encounter all these and even more. Elephant are almost "common" and it is no surprise that one can see anything up to 200+ elephant in one day. Rhino are less widespread, but anything from 1-15+ sightings per day are not uncommon. Buffalo numbers my even range upwards of 600+ individual animals one might see in a day. That is if you want to count them (chuckle). Lions sightings are variable, but once again it is possible to see anything from 1-20 in a day – it all depends on the size of the pride one might encounter. The rarer one of the big 5 is the leopard, but in our experience it is quite possible to see on average 1-2 leopards every second day. Yet, people push and shove with their vehicles, especially when the big cats are involved, just to get closer to gain that "view" and to be damned with whoever else is around. Lion or leopard frenzy makes people act in strange ways. Fisticuffs are often a threat thrown about. I have witnessed many mad scenes at a lion or leopard sighting. The big joke is that many times it is only the ears of such animal that is visible, but some people will behave in the most rude and selfish manner just to see those "ears". Meanwhile just down the road there are 6 lions lying in open view for all to see and enjoy. I believe, in such a case, get your view, shoot your shots, and move on so others may also enjoy the sighting. But, this is only part of the thorn in my flesh.

When I really get hot though, is when one encounters some rare sighting, whether that might be a rare bird, a peculiar scene, or a strange phenomenon and inconsiderate people either rush past at high speed or barge in towards the scene. I have experienced this on many occasions during the past 18 years that I have spent months in game parks or nature reserves. So many beautiful captures were lost because of this. The sad part is that many times it is even parks officials who make themselves guilty of such behaviour. I don't even want to start talking about these so-called "Tour Operators", but let's leave it at that.

The other thing which I cannot understand, and this tie in with my paragraph about the big 5, is why so many people would stop next to one to enquire what one might be looking at, only to speed off when they hear it is not a lion or a leopard. Meanwhile one might be looking at a very rare animal.

OK, I'm getting to my point as this is not meant to be an attack or barrage against those who cannot show some descent manners or consideration, but an attempt to make people think about the bigger picture. There are so much wonderful things to experience in any game park or nature reserve. The problem is that if one only focuses on the big things the chances are that you will only see the big things. However, if one starts focusing on and taking notice of the small things you can be sure to find and see these small things, but the added bonus is that one will also see all the other big things as well. This way one will surely enjoy a superior experience and benefit much, much more for the time and money spent.

Post Processing was done with Adobe Photoshop CS2.
roges, nglen, PeterZ, hansh, bobair, ramthakur, robindb, Miss_Piggy, Alex99, pilonm, sranjan, ellis49, tuslaw, maurydv, zulfu, marhowie, Dis. Ac., uleko, boreocypriensis, jtkerb, jmirah, Argus, jcoowanitwong, Rehanna, oscarromulus, betsie, jusninasirun has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • roges Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 957 W: 0 N: 1329] (6264)
  • [2009-11-03 10:06]

Hi Loot,
An interesting image. Beautiful details and colors.
Again an excellent macro, my warm congratulations.
Have a pleasant evening,
Adrian

  • Great 
  • zetu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 967 W: 26 N: 3888] (16941)
  • [2009-11-03 10:06]

Hello Loot
Wonderful composition, great details and vivid colors
Well done
Regards
Razvan

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2009-11-03 10:22]

Hi Loot. Good to see you. Firstly i have read your interesting notes i have to say this happens every where even in the local shops. Anyway the spider it has some fantastic shades of green against the blue of the glass. You have taken this with fine detail andsharp focusing.. Well seen and taken ,
TFS.
Nick..

Hello Loot,
Nice color composition, very good PO:
TFS. Best regards.

Hello Loot
Magnifique prise de vue
Très bon rendu dans cette lumière
Bravo et Merci
Laurent

Hi Loot,
this is an interesting shot of this green spider. It looks a little transparent, as if light is shining through the body and the legs. Thanks, it's very nice, greetings
Sabine - wishnugaruda

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2009-11-03 11:09]

Hello Loot,
When I was in Kruger I was looking for elephants, girafs, buffalows and amazing birds. But you found this spider, what a jewel. Fantastic colours and sharp details. The contrast against the BG is marvelous. Good composition.
Very special photo.
Thanks for showing and best regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • batu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1079 W: 293 N: 4497] (16383)
  • [2009-11-03 12:17]

Hello Loot,
considering the small size of the spider you achieved good sharpness and detail visibility.
Colours and light, both are well balanced. I think that the spider belongs to the family
Salticidae - Jumping Spiders.
Best wishes, Peter

  • Great 
  • Mello Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 140 W: 34 N: 480] (2419)
  • [2009-11-03 12:19]

wow!!!Lot!
What an impressive image. Very nice colours, BG and composition. Sharpness are great to. TFS.
Francisco

  • Great 
  • hansh Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 277 W: 1 N: 741] (2762)
  • [2009-11-03 12:37]

Hello Loot.

A great capture, sharpness is perfect and the green of the insect contrasts very well with the blue background.
Very well done and thanks for sharing.

Gr. Hans

Hi Loot,
well that is one very well said note you have included with your photo and I find myself agreeing about the small things seen when looking out for the very large.I often find myself photoing insects and spiders when out looking for the larger animals and then I'm off on a tangent forgetting all about the bigger things,nature is wonderful in all of her variety.I like the colour this wee spider has and I have no idea of what species it is,your name for it works for me-Arachnid incognito.The only thing I wish could of been different for this shot would be the f-stop you used,however the light you likely had would have make stopping down,impractical without boosting the iso and unwanted noise.Thanks for sharing this most interesting little critter with us,that colour sure is special. Bob

Yes, it looks like a Jumping Spider, Loot.
You have managed to get pretty good clairty here despite the light conditions not being really ideal as far as my guess goes.
Good to see you active again, though going by my own protracted absences from TN, my welcome message might sound hollow to you!
Your Kruger Park outing seems to have gone well and I will try to keep abreast of the fresh work from the trip you would post here in the coming days.
Hope Anna was able to use her award-winning new equipment on the trip.
Regards.
Ram

Hi Loot,

Very good and sharp image of this small beauty of nature. Your comments are also to the point and a cause for thought for anybody visiting the park. The fact that you have chosen a subject like this for your first of hopefully many postings of your trip is fitting. The behaviour of some of the "lesser" animals, birds and insects is sometimes more interesting and satisfying to watch than the big 5 especially the lions which usually just lie around in the shade. To see an actual kill in progress by lions would probably be fantastic but the chances of seeing that are fairly remote.

Robin

What a great macro photo. Well done on spotting the tiny spider and taking the time to actually photograph it.You are right, one has to be on the lookout for things large and small, more often than not the small things make for the more interesting photos.

Hallo Loot
What a striking image! You have captured this minute and beautiful florescent coloured spider with great technical skill. The detail I see on my screen is super. One can see features like the rubbery paws, the tiny eyes and body with great clarity. I saw how small this spider was when you captured it, and it is unbelievable how clear one can see it on the monitor. The blue as your backdrop is stunning. I think it is only in nature where one can combine colours like green and blue or pink and red and it does not shout out "Oh dear" like in fashion circles. A beautiful perspective, with sharp details and focus. Really an amazing macro. Thanks for sharing this image with us, as well as your informative note. I am so glad to see you active at the moment. It is always a pleasure to look at your photographs. Best regards
Anna

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2009-11-04 9:07]

Hi Loot.
I am very glad meet you here and your new posts. This one is so unique. Colour palette is amazing, lights are unusual and very impressive, details of the spider are ultimate. Well done and creative work. My warm greetings and TFS.
Alexei.

Hello Loot,

Happy to learn that you will be more available for TN friends very soon :-)

Here I must thank you very much for this picture because it will serve so well my therapy against my visceral spider fear!

You did very well to focus your concentration on this splendid specimen! The dark bg of your car enhances so well the fluorescent color of it. Don't ask me to flatter it even if its size is 4mm but I can easily appreciate its beauty!!!

Great job my friend!!!

Michel

Hello Loot,
Welcome back from KNP with many such surprises. I appreciate the details of possibly jumping green spider with beautiful dark blue OOF background & of course not to miss the eye contact (chuckle) with it.... Many new shots yet to come from your end & I am eagerly waiting to see.
Regards-Subhash

Hallo old friend,
it took a quite long time for you to return to TN, your most welcome, I have missed you very much.
You start your return with a very nice picture.
The spider has a fantastic green colours.
Very good sharpness with lot's of details and the spider is well seen against the BG. And your note is great as usual.
Well done.

Best Regards from a cold Sweden.
Gert

Howzit Loot,
Your notes are so very true.This little green fellow came out brilliantly against the BG blues.Sharp focus and excellent details especially on the legs.Also no idea of its specs, well he /she seems quite at peace. Great shot and TFS.
erwin...

  • Great 
  • tuslaw Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2754 W: 282 N: 4931] (19883)
  • [2009-11-05 18:19]

A super shot Loot,
It almost looks transparent, the colors are gorgeous and the detail is exceptionally fine. I totally agree with you that bigger is not always better when it comes to natures creatures. This tiny spider is just as beautiful and meaningful as any larger animal. Well done!!
Ron

Hello Loot,
fantastic and surrealist picture of this spider, a very good contrast of the green spider against a very good dark BG, spectacular visual impression.
TFS
Best regards
Maurizio

hello Loot!
good capture...this green spider watch you, on the hanging threads of the net .. excellent details and definition

greeting sERGIO

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer [C: 685 W: 0 N: 2] (43)
  • [2009-11-08 1:55]

Hello Loot, welcome back with this fantastic coloured close up shot of a tiny spider with great details and lighting.
TFS and G's,
Mehmet

Dramatic look with this sharply contrasted BG Loot.
It's in the family OXYOPIDAE, a species of Lynx I believe..same as my famous lean-green-killing-machine ;-}
Well done & have a great Sunday!
PS - I get the "bigger picture" BTW..
TN seems a good place to vent ones true feelings :)

Hello Loot,

a very good macro shot from this spider that I don't know.
So I can't help you.

Fine colours, good bg and details.

Gert

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2009-11-08 11:23]

Hello Loot,
Very nice to see a post from you again! I hope you had a good time in Kruger Park and will keep on posting. Your note reminds me of the one organised 2-week birdwatching trip we once went on. If you happened to look at a flower or an insect instead of a bird our guide was quite upset!!
Now to your brightly coloured Spider! You got a splendid capture showing details very sharply and the colour is stunning. Well done!
TFS and all the best wishes, Ulla

Hi My dear friend Loot,

Impressive shot!, you've managed to focus in on the spider very nicely. Nice balanced exposure too.
Indeed i find spiders very atractive and intriguing creatures always.
Your POV works wonders here, so many details and colours, almost makes me dizzy! [chukle:)]. Really nice tones and colours.
You've done a good job to capture this one.
TFS this and have a nice new week my friend!
Cheers,

Bayram

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2009-11-08 14:33]

Hi Loot,this is a wonderful work....but i'm in delay to write something new..just my great compliments for this professional pic,have a nice week,LUCIANO

Hi Loot,
The colors in this photo surprised and pleased me. Combined with the super close up, it forms a very aesthetically pleasing photo - almost like a microscope slide (a positive from my perspecitive, hah). I appreciated both the photo and the note, a fine pair. TFS, Jeff

  • Great 
  • jmirah Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 509 W: 5 N: 1141] (4687)
  • [2009-11-08 16:28]

Hi Loot
Excellent color and eye(s) contact on a spider seeming suspended in space...TFS
Jim

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2009-11-08 22:07]

Hello Loot,
Considering this little Lynx Spider is only about 4mm long you have achieved a superb macro.
The details can be seen with excellent shapness and the correct exposure of the spider has resulted in a marvellous contrasting dark blue BG that shows the green spider up in a striking way as it is suspended by its threads.
A superb scene of micro tranquility in the hustle and bustle caused by park visitors.
Thanks both for this and your kind critique. It's nice to have you back in action on TN!
Best regards,
Ivan

Hi Loot,
This lynx spider has interesting green color. If it is not on the windscreen, it must be very difficult to make a notice. Nice shot on this tiny creature.
JC

Hi Loot

Good to see you posting again, and here we have another african gem. Indeed i would have changed lenes and gone for teh spider too! Great colour, sharpness, details and wonderful composition. TFS

Chris

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2791 W: 0 N: 6696] (25839)
  • [2009-11-18 16:56]

Hi Loot,
it is really an honour to have your response and critique to my post. Such a pleasure and I really appreciate your motivating words. Such a great feeling to hear from an expert and a very skillful person like you.
As for the image above, it attracts very much. The glows and flourescent charisma indeed very appealing.
The sharpness and the lovely background is an outstanding view.
Well prresented in excellent view and congratulations for the images presented in the TN.

Regards,
Foozi

Hello "MF",
Whenever I view your images.... the very first thing I try to find out....What equipment did the MASTER use??? Then, I say to myself... should I get one??? The answer is NO! But, this time I think I'll get myself another high quality Sony.
Loved the way you have "pin-pointed" the exact location on the map. I'll have to learn this new trick.... after all that's what TN is all about... viewing great images of nature and learning from each other... and, boy, I've picked up quite a bit from you. This is the first time I'm acknowledging this fact.
A BIG THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME.
Also loved your "8 wheeler"; am going to fav. this one.
This Howard Cheek.... I'm glad you mentioned his name....
A BIG THANK YOU ONCE MORE.
There is a lot to learn here.... it never ends.
My best good wishes to you and all your loved ones.
M.

Hello Loot.
This minute spider looks so good in green against the silenced blue background.
The light is fabulous with creating translucency to the limbs and body. Very nice composition with sharpness and details so well established in the frame.
Thanks and kind regards - Jusni

p/s: Many thanks for kind wishes and greetings to you and family from Malaysia.

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