Introduction and "A Throne of Gold" (Johan)

Hello! My name is Johan, and I am 16 years old. I am homeschooled, so my schedule is fairly flexible school-wise and I can shoot when the light is best. I got my first camera at the age of 7, but started photographing seriously when I bought my D-SLR in 2007. I enjoy nature photography--specifically macro. I live on a farm with my family, so most of my photos are taken on the farm acreage. I shoot with a Canon EOS 10D and a variety of Canon and Tamron lenses, including the Canon 100/2.8 Macro. I hope to share some of my best photos and tips with you here.

"A Throne of Gold"

1/320 ~ f/9 ~ ISO 100 ~ Canon 28-135 IS ~ +4 Close-up Diopter ~ Tripod

I discovered this goldenrod spider on a daisy on my family's farm last summer. I found it the day before I took this picture, and was able to watch it for the next couple of weeks while I went about my chores. One day there was an extremely small black spider walking around on its back, but it disappeared before I was finished setting up my tripod. It was obvious to me that the spider was growing since it was bigger every time I saw it. One day I saw it devouring a bee, but of course I had left my camera at the house.

--Johan