This was the first tarantula of the day and one which I used to 'get my eye in'. The biggest challenge I felt, would be in achieving a good enough depth of field. I tried to focus on the eyes or the body most of the time, but when a tarantula brought up its legs so you couldn't see the body, I focused on the legs themselves.
The lighting was kept care of, with Oliver making any necessary adjustments of strength and direction. We worked in a couple of groups giving plenty of opportunities and time to review images before carrying on shooting. The handler for all these critters was Sean - a very knowledgeable chap which made the day even more interesting. The variety of subjects was incredible - a number of tarantulas, two snakes, mantids, a scorpion and a beautiful leopard gecko.
The reflection shots are a master stroke. Using a black ceramic tile you can achieve perfect reflections to create some really unusual images of equally unusual creatures. We were also able to vary settings and backdrops, some of which Oliver has expanded on to create completely natural looking images for future workshops.
It was a great day, with unique images created - and an enjoyable experience too. It's clear that Oliver has put a lot of time and thought into these days, not just in the set-ups but also in his introduction to the session. If you want to give these Macro Photography Courses a go visit www.oliverwrightphotography.com I'm sure I will be back again.!
