Long Leg Spider - Tiny Sentinel

Just a few minutes earlier, I decided to check on the solitary long leg spider that guards a corner of our hall-kitchen pass-through wall, where we pass utensils from the kitchen to the dinning hall.

I have left the spider alone for the past years, as it is very tiny and fragile - about 1.0 mm body diameter. Since the kitchen is a place where little ants come and go, this spider has been a good pest reducer. Yes, it has been doing a good job.

These are the two shots that I took, from different angle and light output. I did not take more as I did not want to chase the spider away from its home.

As its web is wedged in a tight corner, it is very difficult to get a clear flash-shot, so I have to improvise just a little bit to bring the flash spot on. Everything about the spider is translucent as it is so thin. Yet, we can see that it has a fierce look. It is now hanging on a web, vertically.

This is an interesting shot, with the spider foreground to the black wooden frame (see below picture).  Nevertheless, it is still possible to see its slim legs and brownish abdomen. Considering its size, even the milk ants are much larger than it. So, unless the web gets the ants - this spider might end up as dinner instead.

Here it is - the setup for the above shots. I used an old SLR Sigma AF 20~70mm lens, reversed. It is connected to the Canon EOS 60D by an adapter. In this case, I add a tube in-between them to allow me to get a magnification ratio of 4.96:1.

The usage of the tube makes the subject area very dark, hence the presence of two mini clip-on torchlight. A long DIY flash extender (made of paper, lined with reflective foils within) brings just enough flash output to the subject. If I want more flash power, I increase the Flash-stop or the ISO number.

Sunset - A short, quick trip to Punggol

There were lots of changes to the Punggol area by this time. And, it is still evolving. Surely, Punggol is an exciting and wonderfully developed place to hang out.

However, for this evening, I was there for the sunset. Sometimes, time is not on your side and you really need to rush. Did I manage to get it? Here are some pictures of how the sky turned over within a short period of just 30 minutes.

This was taken at 7:03pm. The sun has taken a keen look at us before setting farther down. The ray is intense and penetrating.

By 7:23pm, the evening has started to settle down. Our sun is no where to be seen. All of a sudden, it seems, the ambiance changed and the area feels a bit sleepy.

Just as unexpectedly, at 7:34pm, a tinge of blueness drops by and we can feel that the temperature has dropped, though it remains humid.

By 7:51pm, from a different view, the blue hours has taken its mark. In a moment's time, it was really "the evening has come" and we moved on - home.