Dewdrops on spiderwebs on silver bluestem seed head remains

with 37 comments

Click for better clarity.

West of Morado Circle this past Christmas morning.
Silver bluestem = Bothriochloa laguroides subsp. torreyana.

Written by Steve Schwartzman

January 21, 2019 at 4:27 AM

Posted in nature photography

Tagged with Austin, dew, grass, spiderweb, Texas

37 Responses

Subscribe to comments with RSS.

so beautiful… art in nature….Thank you, Love, nia

niasunset

January 21, 2019 at 4:47 AM

Reply
- I was thankful that morning for the chance to photograph this and other dew- and spiderweb-covered plants.
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 21, 2019 at 5:38 AM
  
  Reply
What a lovely, delicate design! Wonderful composition! I recently tried to capture the beauty of dew drops on spiderwebs on a wonderful morning walk ….but I’ve never yet managed to produce a photo that shows the sparkling clarity that I see in my viewfinder.

Birder's Journey

January 21, 2019 at 7:42 AM

Reply
- Thanks for your effusive comment. The design came from the atmosphere, the grass, and the anonymous spider. The composition is mine, primarily the tall, narrow cropping to follow and emphasize the spire of grass. Retaining the sparkling clarity you mentioned wasn’t easy. I avoided the garishness of flash, but even a high ISO of 2500 still gave limited depth of field at an aperture of f/5.6. I didn’t mean to get too technical, but the information might be useful.
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 21, 2019 at 8:01 AM
  
  Reply
  - Thanks for this info – ! What lens do you use for shots like this?
    
    Birder's Journey
    
    January 21, 2019 at 8:12 AM
    
    Reply
    - For this kind of close, detailed work I use a macro lens, in this case the Canon 100mm L Series lens. Of all the pictures that have appeared here, I took the greatest number with that lens.
      
      Steve Schwartzman
      
      January 21, 2019 at 9:42 AM
      
      Reply
      - Thanks! I don’t own a macro lens but assumed that that was probably what you were using. I wonder if it’s possible to get this kind of close up and detail without a macro lens.
        
        Birder's Journey
        
        January 21, 2019 at 3:25 PM
        
        Reply
        
        If you don’t plan to take lots of close-ups, one workaround is to use a non-macro lens and insert an extension tube between it and the camera body. The extension tube allows the regular lens to focus more closely than it normally does. Here’s a little tutorial:
        
        https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/macro-extension-tubes-closeup.htm
        
        Steve Schwartzman
        
        January 21, 2019 at 4:58 PM
        
        Reply
        
        Thanks for this excellent tip!
        
        Birder's Journey
        
        January 21, 2019 at 6:50 PM
        
        Reply
Such a stunning nature sculpture to find on Christmas morning. Terrific photo, Steve.

Jet Eliot

January 21, 2019 at 9:20 AM

Reply
- Thank you. I found and photographed other dewdropped plants on that walk but this won out when it came time to post one.
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 21, 2019 at 9:51 AM
  
  Reply
In some ways, this reminds of the Milky Way. Stretching the imagination a bit, I guess.

Steve Gingold

January 21, 2019 at 9:23 AM

Reply
- Stretch away, that’s fine with me, even more than a bit.
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 21, 2019 at 10:02 AM
  
  Reply
Steve, thanks for the sparking jewels of nature.

lensandpensbysally

January 21, 2019 at 9:28 AM

Reply
- Just call me a photographic jeweler. If dewdrops weren’t ephemeral, there might well be a market for them.
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 21, 2019 at 10:04 AM
  
  Reply
  - Thanks for the smile.
    
    lensandpensbysally
    
    January 21, 2019 at 11:59 AM
    
    Reply
    - Sure thing, Sally.
      
      Steve Schwartzman
      
      January 21, 2019 at 12:34 PM
      
      Reply
Gorgeous!

M.B. Henry

January 21, 2019 at 4:34 PM

Reply
- Yes!
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 21, 2019 at 5:00 PM
  
  Reply
This is fascinating Steve, it’s like a natural weaving.

Maria

January 21, 2019 at 5:19 PM

Reply
- I did weave in and out on my walk.
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 22, 2019 at 6:17 AM
  
  Reply
A beautiful photo, Steve! I am a big fan of water-beaded webs.

Lavinia Ross

January 21, 2019 at 9:57 PM

Reply
- Some photographers even carry a sprayer with them so they can create water-beaded webs at will. I’ve never done that; it seems like cheating.
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 22, 2019 at 6:19 AM
  
  Reply
  - I’ve never heard of anyone doing that, but it wouldn’t surprise me either.
    
    Lavinia Ross
    
    January 24, 2019 at 12:39 PM
    
    Reply
    - In fact this evening I’m attending a meeting of photographers, one of whom has said he’s done that.
      
      Steve Schwartzman
      
      January 24, 2019 at 3:57 PM
      
      Reply
Spraying plants to create dewdrops seems akin to coating hamburgers with hairspray for advertising shoots. I’m reminded of the note that appears in some of my favorite bird photographers’ blogs: “not baited, set up or called in.” It’s like using a gizmo of some sort to steady a plant in the wind. I’m not going to fuss at anyone for doing it, but it’s not for me.

The plant is beautiful with its glittery additions, and the long, vertical web is quite something. I got out my magnifying glass but can’t quite tell — is that the spider on the right, in the center, or just a bit of plant that got caught in the web?

shoreacres

January 22, 2019 at 9:37 AM

Reply
- After enlarging the page, it surely does look like the spider.
  
  shoreacres
  
  January 22, 2019 at 9:39 AM
  
  Reply
  - It’s not unusual in webs I’ve photographed to discover a spider lurking somewhere inside, often even during the taking of the pictures. In this case, though, I just looked at an enlargement of the original photograph, which of course has a lot more detail, and couldn’t find anything I think is a spider.
    
    Steve Schwartzman
    
    January 22, 2019 at 11:43 AM
    
    Reply
- I know a nature photographer in Austin who regularly uses a clamp. I’ll admit to using a gizmo to steady a plant if my left hand can be considered a gizmo. I’ve been pretty adept over the years at steadying with my left hand while wielding the camera with my right.
  
  One reason this dew-spangled web appealed to is its length. Most webs I’ve photographed, with or without dew, have been more clustered, much less elongated.
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 22, 2019 at 11:40 AM
  
  Reply
Dewdrops and spiderwebs just naturally seem to go together really well. Lovely capture!

Gunta

January 23, 2019 at 12:39 AM

Reply
- They do go together. This time I went together with them, with good consequences.
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 23, 2019 at 7:21 AM
  
  Reply
Thank you for starting an earworm, Steve. When I read your caption, the words and melody of Julie Andrew’s song, “These are a few of my favorite things,” started playing in my head… 🙂

tanjabrittonwriter

January 23, 2019 at 4:34 PM

Reply
- Given that you live in Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, I expect you to continue with one of my favorite things from the same show, “Climb Every Mountain.”
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 23, 2019 at 5:26 PM
  
  Reply
So intricate and delicate … wonderful shot thanks Steve

Julie@frogpondfarm

January 26, 2019 at 12:36 PM

Reply
- You’re welcome. This was from the same outing as the picture I showed today.
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 26, 2019 at 1:38 PM
  
  Reply
I rarely comment but want you to know how much I enjoy your beautiful photos. It’s always a pleasure to see what you come up with next.

Martha Goudey

January 29, 2019 at 12:19 PM

Reply
- Thanks for letting me know, Martha. I appreciate it. I’m as keen to find out what I’ll come up with next as you are. What’s planned doesn’t always come to fruition, while unexpected finds occur pretty often.
  
  Steve Schwartzman
  
  January 29, 2019 at 4:24 PM
  
  Reply