An Itsy-Bitsy Spider, Larger Than Life

An arachnid, up close and personal

Photo by David Alejandro Narváez

May 7, 2023

Mexican photographer David Alejandro Narváez says this image came largely by luck. For years, he has been experimenting with a range of photographic technologies—macro lenses, reverse lenses, and extension tubes—to illustrate the hidden universe of insects, spiders, and other arthropods. To capture this photo of a female jumping spider (Phidippus arizonensis), Narváez relied on an old-fashioned skill: patience.