Photographer captures incredible image of rainbow spiderweb

By Australian Geographic May 6, 2021
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A chance discovery made for an incredible image of a spider’s web.

This spectacular image was captured by amateur photographer Marianne Broug.

“Early one morning when the sun was still low I saw a tiny spider crawling along a single strand of silk in my backyard. The sunlight shone directly towards me and seemed to highlight the spider,” Marianne says.

“All of a sudden, the single strand lit up with colours far beyond those of the rainbow. I literally couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I was breath-taken. It was so beautiful. It was a completely accidental discovery. 

“I took a series of photos at the time, but continued to experiment with the ‘technique’. Then, late one afternoon I saw the tiniest web near our backyard shed shimmer a little in the light. I ran inside the house, grabbed my camera, and took this shot.”

Related: The wonderfully diverse world of spider silk