User Vanessa's Photo Thread

[Vanessa]

Also happens to be my favourite. What are the chances of that?
My little Cyriocosmus elegans, Emily, would like to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!

 

[Unlostlamb]

She is beautiful!!!!

 

[Vanessa]

I usually don't mess around with my photos, but I couldn't resist. She is a gorgeous little girl... too bad I hardly ever see her. Cyriocosmus elegans are very reclusive.

 

[Unlostlamb]

I'm hoping my little one decides to start gracing me with its presence!

 

[Vanessa]

Just some more recent photos of the gang!

 

[Vanessa]

 

[Vanessa]

 

[Vanessa]

 

[Olan]

Did your pulchripes male mature? If so, how big was he before he molted? I suspect mine might be penultimate.

 

[Vanessa]

Did your pulchripes male mature? If so, how big was he before he molted? I suspect mine might be penultimate.

I wasn't able to confirm, because he had the moult for a few days and it was destroyed, but I'm going to say he was pretty close to 5".

 

[Olan]

I wasn't able to confirm, because he had the moult for a few days and it was destroyed, but I'm going to say he was pretty close to 5".

Hmm, ok. My guy is barely over 4". He might have one more molt before he's penultimate.

 

[nicodimus22]

Out of curiosity, what camera/lens do you use to photograph these guys? I have a few years of experience with macro photography, but adult tarantulas are much, much larger than my usual subjects, so I'm debating what system to use to shoot them. Thanks.

 

[Vanessa]

Out of curiosity, what camera/lens do you use to photograph these guys? I have a few years of experience with macro photography, but adult tarantulas are much, much larger than my usual subjects, so I'm debating what system to use to shoot them. Thanks.

I have a Sony A57. I have a Sony 50mm macro lens and a Tamron 100mm macro lens. I will normally use the 50mm with the gang because the other one is just way too heavy. I will use it the odd time, but I mostly use that lens for photographing wild insects where I can't get as close to them. I don't use a tripod and I do use the flash.
Some of those photos are spiderlings under 1/2", some are even 1/4", and that is why I just usually use the macro lens for all my photos. I will sometimes use my 35mm f/1.8 or my 50mm f/1.4 for the adults if I want to take some without having that shallow depth of field.

 

[nicodimus22]

Thanks for the info! I'll experiment with what I have and see what yields the best results.

 

[Vanessa]

Wow, it's been two years since I posted to this with updates. How delinquent.

Grammostola actaeon Female

Euathlus parvulus/manicata Mature Male

Aphonopelma seemanni Sub-Adult Female

Caribena versicolor Sub-Adult Male

Euathlus condorito Spiderling

Pamphobeteus platyomma Juvenile Male

Homoeomma chilensis (formerly Euathlus sp. Red) Mature Male

Avicularia purpurea Juvenile Female

Brachypelma boehmei Sub-Adult Female

Cyriocosmus giganteus Spiderling

 

[Vanessa]

Avicularia avicularia Spiderlings

Pamphobeteus fortis Sub-Adult Female

Acanthoscurria geniculata Sub-Adult Female

Cyriocosmus giganteus Spiderling

Avicularia avicularia Spiderling


Brachypelma emilia Juvenile Female

Hapalopus sp. Colombia Large Mature Male

Brachypelma albopilosum Honduras

Pseudhapalopus spinulopalpus Adult Female


Homoeomma chilensis Pairing

 

[Irma]

Your Brachypelma albopilosum - Sage, looks like my Eupalaestrus campestratus. Nice and cosy burried under the sand and about the same size

 

[Vanessa]

Your Brachypelma albopilosum - Sage, looks like my Eupalaestrus campestratus. Nice and cosy burried under the sand and about the same size

I had to go back to the original post... that was a long time ago. Sage went from that tiny spiderling to a 3" juvenile in about 18 months. This is what she looks like today, almost three years later...

 

[Irma]

Oh wow, that is so cool, I'm sure my Eupalaestrus campestratus will take longer than that to get to that size, I've read that they grow very slow. I've had him longer than
my Grammostola pulchripes and he's only molted one time more than the other one, and is still tiny...

 

[Vanessa]

Oh wow, that is so cool, I'm sure my Eupalaestrus campestratus will take longer than that to get to that size, I've read that they grow very slow. I've had him longer than
my Grammostola pulchripes and he's only molted one time more than the other one, and is still tiny...

Yes, they are slower growing that Brachypelma albopilosum. They are slower than Grammostola pulchripes too. My female Eupalaestrus campestratus has gone from 1/2" to about 4" in three years. It's been about eight months since my girl moulted.
Eupalaestrus campestratus have always had a reputation as being very tolerant, but my girl isn't. I've never seen any type of defensive behaviour, she has never once even kicked hair at me, but she is extremely skittish. That could change as she gets larger, though. I adore her and I remember how thrilled I was when I found out Calypso was female.