[Al_s14]

Ok, so this bastard is still hanging outside and i'd really like to get a good photo, but no matter how hard i try i just cant get it perfect....Well except one time but it just so happened that i didn't have it centered right that time.

For some reason only the first photo has the deep yellow color. (clear but cloudy at that time). I've tried taking it with full sun out and it only gets worse. 2nd photo is one with full sun out.

Any advice?

[icywarm]

I think you need fill flash... macro ring would be best.... but use what you have... or a piece of white paper as a reflector to bring balance to the lighting... there could be 5 or six stops between the deep shadows and the highlights if not more...

[JeffJS]

Try spot metering the spider, EV Comp to -.7 or -1 or so. Then bring him out in post processing. That's where I would go, with a Non flash shot anyway.

[Chaos_Realm]

If you can try to shoot it when there are clouds and use some light fill flash or reflected light, as Iceywarm pointed out. They (the Clouds) act as a natural diffuser to the sun which is otherwise a very harsh light. It might help get more colour saturation. Another thing you need to consider in the White balance, I presume you have it set to auto?.. Try setting it to shade, and that will help to produce a warmer image. And finally, if at all possible try to get something between the spider and the fence? in the background, I find it to be very distracting and draws my eye away from the subject. Others might have a different approach but this is what I would do.

[Digitalis]

I think you need fill flash... macro ring would be best.

I agree on the need for flash but I don't think a ring flash would have helped here. personally what I would have done I would have given a strong backlight to the spider to make the spider stand out - the background is distracting so using a high f stop with flash would render the background quite dark.