Bob Wills
November 2026 - NW Trek Spider
Original
About the Image(s)
We had a group outing to NW Trek in Pierce County to see Trolls on display. It was freezing outside, so I wasn't sure about my ability to keep the camera steady, even with stabilization on. It turned out pretty good after all, but I'm not the judge, am I? I shot this Halloween rooftop spider just to see how I could handle the camera, and save the trolls for a composite. They also had a black spider too, and pirates and skeletons. What kind of a kids holiday is this?
Nikon Z8, 28-400 mm zoom @55 mm, 400 ISO, 1/60 sec @ f10, manual mode. I cropped and leveled it in PS, blurred the background and used Topaz Photo to remove noise.
1 comment posted
Bob, you've certainly found an unusual Halloween subject! And considering the freezing temperatures and a shutter speed of 1/60 second, I'd say you passed your camera-handling test with flying colors!
What struck me immediately was the contrast between the bright white spider and the dark rooftop. It's an attention grabber - although I'm not sure the surrounding environment does much to enhance the image.
My photographic concern is that this seems more documentary than artistic. The busy foliage, bright sky, and uneven lighting compete with the spider, and I don't see a particularly compelling composition or story beyond the novelty of the decoration itself.
I wonder whether a tighter crop, concentrating on the spider and eliminating most of the surrounding distractions, might have produced a more interesting image.
Nonetheless, you accomplished what you set out to do under some challenging conditions, and that's certainly worth acknowledging!
Posted: 11/01/2026 15:28:02
What struck me immediately was the contrast between the bright white spider and the dark rooftop. It's an attention grabber - although I'm not sure the surrounding environment does much to enhance the image.
My photographic concern is that this seems more documentary than artistic. The busy foliage, bright sky, and uneven lighting compete with the spider, and I don't see a particularly compelling composition or story beyond the novelty of the decoration itself.
I wonder whether a tighter crop, concentrating on the spider and eliminating most of the surrounding distractions, might have produced a more interesting image.
Nonetheless, you accomplished what you set out to do under some challenging conditions, and that's certainly worth acknowledging!
Posted: 11/01/2026 15:28:02