Not My Son - A Cinematic Mash-up of Alien and Jumping Spider Photography by Stewart Wood
I have a deep fascination with both jumping spiders and the Alien franchise, so when I started experimenting with toy photography back in December, I knew I had to merge the two into a single, cinematic image. The goal was to create an authentic, story-driven shot that would blend the eerie atmosphere of Aliens with the intricate beauty of macro photography. The idea, a jumping spider coming out of an Alien egg, was given to me by my daughter.
Planning and Lighting Setup
To achieve the right look, I started by analyzing a scene from Aliens—specifically, one set inside the Xenomorph hive. I took a screenshot and used Photoshop’s eyedropper tool to extract the HSB color values from the original film. This allowed me to accurately replicate the color scheme using my RGB LED lights, ensuring the lighting felt true to the movie’s signature style.
Once I had my reference, I moved on to setting up the composition. The toy is “Big Chap” from Neca. The scene required both the alien figure and the egg to be in the frame while maintaining sharp focus on both subjects, this was achieved using a Platypod eXtreme with an Elbow and a Mini Super Clamp to hold the alien figure in place. After finalizing their positions, I began lighting the scene:
1. Background Light – A bright blue LED was placed behind a metal sheet with perforations, creating a textured, diffused effect similar to the hive’s eerie glow.
2. Main Key Light – A mid-blue LED positioned to the left of the scene served as the primary illumination, shaping the form of the alien and enhancing the three-dimensional look.
3. Accent Light – A low-intensity red LED was added to introduce subtle red highlights, providing depth and a cinematic contrast to the cool blue tones.
Camera Settings and Challenges
For my initial exposure settings, I started with:
• Aperture: f/10
• ISO: 200
• Shutter Speed: 1.3 sec (to accommodate the smoke effects)
However, I quickly realized the biggest challenge—the jumping spider. Unlike a static figurine, a live spider is constantly moving, making it nearly impossible to capture it perfectly positioned, looking at the camera, and staying still for a long exposure.
To freeze the spider’s motion, I introduced an off-camera flash set to 1/32 power and positioned off to the right using a Platypod eXtreme and Elbow. However, this introduced a new issue—the flash made the alien look more like a toy than a cinematic creature. At this point, I decided that a composite approach would be the best solution.
Building the Composite: Three Key Images
To achieve a seamless final image, I broke the shot into three separate elements: -
- The Alien Figure – Photographed using my carefully planned lighting and fog setup.
- The Jumping Spider – Captured separately with an orange-gelled flash to enhance its visibilit and contrast against the alien.
- The Smoke Effect – Shot as an independent layer to allow for precise blending in post-processing.
For the fog effects, I used the Telesin C40 fog machine, which worked beautifully to create the atmospheric mist that added a sense of depth and realism to the shot.
Capturing the Spider
Once I was happy with the composition and lighting, it was time to introduce the jumping spider. The initial test shots were promising, but the spider appeared too small in the frame. To correct this, I moved the entire setup closer to the camera to create a more immersive, in-your-face perspective.
For the spider’s capture, I:
• Adjusted the flash power to 1/128 to reduce harshness.
• Used an orange gel on the flash, which brightened the spider while also enhancing the wet/slim look of the alien due to the hard light reflection.
• Patiently waited for the perfect moment when the spider naturally moved into the desired position—then fired the shot.
The result? The spider appears to be emerging from the alien egg, while the Xenomorph looms over it, inspecting the tiny intruder—exactly the storytelling moment I envisioned.
Final Image Capture Settings
• Shutter Speed: 2 sec
• Aperture: f/10
• ISO: 80
Once the spider shot was complete, I took photos of the alien and smoke, deciding that one image would be enough for the alien and smoke together, I also refocussed on the alien teeth.
With the raw images successfully captured, it was time to move on to post-processing.
Post-Processing in Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop
All selected images were imported into Adobe Lightroom, where I:
• Applied one of my custom macro presets to ensure a consistent tonal look.
• Made basic exposure and contrast adjustments before exporting the shots into Photoshop for compositing.
In Photoshop, I:
• Upscaled the spider by duplicating its layer, enlarging it, and masking it seamlessly into the scene.
• Removed unwanted elements such as toy-like surface imperfections, fluff, and dust partic using the Remove Tool.
• Enhanced the alien’s head details to ensure it had a cinematic presence.
To give the image a true widescreen feel, I cropped it to a 21:9 aspect ratio. Using Photoshop’s Generative Fill, I extended the background where needed—this worked particularly well in out-of- focus areas, seamlessly expanding the environment.
For final color grading, I:
• Used the Channel Mixer and Color Balance to tweak the hues for a more theatrical feel.
• Applied selective sharpening to the spider and alien’s head, ensuring the key focal points were crisp.
• Added 3% noise and grain to give the image a cinematic, film-like texture.
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Final Thoughts
This project was an exciting fusion of macro photography and toy photography, blending practical effects, lighting techniques, and composite work to bring my Alien/Jumping Spider mash-up to life.
It also wouldn’t have been possible without the right gear—including Platypod equipment, which provided the stability and flexibility needed to shoot at such a low-angle perspective whilst accommodating off-camera lighting and fog effects.
From concept to execution, Not My Son was a challenging but rewarding project, and I hope it inspires others to think outside the box—merging genres, experimenting with practical effects and bringing creative visions to life through photography.
