A couple of weeks ago, I was at a family friend's compound garden, getting some utazi leaves. You know, in some village compounds, there's usually this patch at the front or back yard where leaves like ukazi (wild spinach), uziza (piper guineense), uziza (bush buck, Gongronema latifolium), and herbs grow for daily cooking. You'd also find tree plants growing there, mainly as natural trellises or support for the vines to climb on.
So, it was while pulling one of the long utazi runners or stems, as some people call it, that I spotted the spiderweb between the vines and stopped to avoid damaging it.
I abandoned the utazi, and what followed was about five minutes of phone yoga, just to capture the spiderweb. Zoom in, zoom out, flip the phone upside down, hold my breath, and all. Lol.
I tried all tactics just to keep the lens steady enough for the camera to lock focus on those fine silk strands of the web. The breeze wasn't even helping matters. It kept catching the spiderweb, making it dangle and sway between the vines.
It was funnily frustrating. Argghh! 😂
However, my patience paid off. At the end, I was able to get some clear shots.
They're not perfect, though. If you zoom in, you’ll see a bit of motion blur, but they're just manageable.
This spiderweb is really spot on. Not the usual tight, silky spiral you see in most webs. Look at the fine, clean radial lines and the fluffy white disk in the middle - just looking like cotton or loose fibers. Don't you think?
Honestly, I think I nailed the shots. Or do you think otherwise? I'd love to know.
Author's Photos
