How To Take The Best Tarantula Pictures Even If You’re Not A Photographer (IMAGES)

December 17, 2017 info@tarantulaheaven.com

The majestic beauty of a tarantula or spider is something that anyone who appreciates them is well aware of. Once you have a pet tarantula of your own, they are not only extremely exquisite creatures, but you will also realize that they really have their own little personalities and do some really funny, peculiar things once you get to know them and their behaviors! Once I got my chilean rose hair, I was on a mission to take the best tarantula pictures I could – and I definitely learned some cool stuff along the way!

As a tarantula owner (or owner of any other spider), it’s only natural to want to capture these amazing moments and document what it’s like to have such a unique, interesting pet. There are already enough pictures of cats and dogs – but what the world really needs is more honest documentation and depictions about what tarantulas and spiders are REALLY like, instead of the normal everyday fear-mongering and myths that people are raised with, which transforms into full phobias of these creatures.

When I first got my chilean rose hair tarantula Spidey, I took as many pictures of her as I could. I was literally fascinated by her (even though I was still a little bit scared of her!). It didn’t take long before my phone’s memory card couldn’t handle anymore and I made a blog to store all her pics. Little did I know, she would become tumblr famous (here’s her blog, she is QUITE the adorable little lady)!

I will admit, my first photos of Spidey were AWFUL. I even received hate mail once because of it! I didn’t know how to capture her or what made her special – but now that I’ve gotten a better understanding of her temperament and behavior patterns (as well as some of her really random spider moments), I’ve become better able to get her beauty and ‘essence’ in a photo, whether I use my Android phone or my professional camera (which is on sale right now!).

I will admit, Spidey was one of the reasons I decided to upgrade from my Samsung galaxy. Don’t get me wrong – the phone did its job. But when it comes to taking those special close-up macro tarantula pictures that everyone loves so much, there was no way my phone could stand up to the challenge. So, I bought a Canon EOS Rebel T6 Digital SLR Camera. And let me tell you, it was worth EVERY penny. See for yourself:

Here are some photos I’ve taken with my phone, a Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime.

Now, these photos aren’t HORRIBLE, but they’re certainly not the best tarantula pictures. Which is REALLY obvious when I try to get close-ups of the little angel:

But watch what happened once I got a real camera on her (no fancy lens or tricks used, I don’t even know how to use that stuff lol). I pretty much charged the camera and used it right out of the box – but still got amazing pictures! See for yourself:

It was a game-changer. Not only for her blog (of COURSE the Cannon pics get WAY more likes and reblogs!), but for me as well. I am able to see and notice even more of her beauty and characteristics because I am seeing her through a far superior, sharper lens that is honestly better than my own eyesight!

I am by NO means a skilled photographer, and honestly you don’t have to be when you have the right tools (although doing some research and practicing will make a ton of difference). Tarantulas are a great pet to practice on if you are trying to get better at photography, because many of them love to sit still for long periods of time! Spidey loves being a little model 🙂

But of course, buying a professional camera can be expensive. If you can’t afford a better camera or don’t want to commit to such a purchase, you can always buy this attachment for your phone (works for Android and iPhone). Here’s a tutorial on how to use it:

Now honestly, I do still use my phone to take most of Spidey’s pics, but that’s mostly because I am lazy 🙂 I am challenging myself in 2018 to use my pro Cannon camera more often, so I wanted to create this post to encourage others to step their spider games up! Let’s show the world how great these creatures are with the best tarantula pictures!