Year in Review 2005: Photo Display

Argiope aurantia: Black and Yellow Garden Spider
Date: This is a common and easily identified spider. Notice the zigzag part of the web, the "stabilimentum." No one is sure exactly what it function is, but it is a key for identifying Argiope species.
Filename: /images/2003/Spiders/2002-09-02--Black-and-Yellow-Argiope-(Argiope-aurantia)-at-HB-Bird-Shelter.jpg
About this photo: This was my first spider photo. Linda and I were birding at Hornsby Bend in September, 2002, when we noticed this spider hanging in her web at the bird blind. On a whim, I snapped a photo. Later, I was able to zoom in on the image using Photoshop Elements and extract just the spider. What a revelation! I noticed colors and details in the picture that were invisible to the naked eye. I found the result not only interesting, but beautiful. I was hooked. I printed an 8x10 of the beast and had it displayed on the bulletin board at Hornsby Bend. Then I found that HB was a great place to find spiders. Only later did I discover all the frustrations of trying to get a good photo.

Argiope aurantia: Black and Yellow Garden Spider