First decent dew-covered spider web

Just a few days ago I commented on MaryBeth's spider web post — http://365project.org/espyetta/365/2015-10-12 — that I had photo-envy. I just haven't had any good opportunities to photograph a dew-soaked web. So imagine my enthusiasm when I spotted this on our butterfly bush from the kitchen window.

I have spent a *lot* of time on my 8 frames and I've learned that this subject is a bit of a challenge.

» I had one cropped down to to the smallest wet "circle" in a corner of the image and then just a few "rungs" from that smallest wet "circle" in the opposite corner of the image.
» I experimented with gray-scaling.
» I used Auto Levels and Auto Contrast to make the images "pop" more.
» I tried square-ish crops like this one and rectangular crops, too.
» I tried vertical rectangles and horizontal rectangles.

In the end, the image above — the first of the eight frames — results from using Photoshop's "Curves" adjustment. I hope this is a worthy first hack at a dew-covered spider web.

So how does a creature the size of a web-spinning spider create such an intricate structure several times its body size without a compass or protractor or ruler or …?

1 year ago (“Firecracker flower”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2014-11-03
2 years ago (“Long shadows … at only 4 p.m.!”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2013-11-03
3 years ago (“Gray Hairstreak”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-11-03
4 years ago (“Playoff series format”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-11-03

[ IMG_7081Curves63S12x12tm :: f/9 :: 1/250" :: ISO-1600 :: 55mm ]

3rd November 2015 3rd Nov 15