Having a camera provides a strange barrier between me and reality.

In real life, there are lots of things that I find dangerous or creepy or scary.  Things that I try to avoid because I don't like them.  Give me a camera, though, and they are transformed into "subject"; something that looks interesting that I want to capture as a photograph.  I'll happily lean out over railings or go to the edge of a cliff to avoid a foreground I dislike.  I'll try to get as close to bees or other stinging creatures.  Doesn't matter as long as I can get the image I want.

Here's a case in point.  This is a golden silk orb weaver...A spider...A BIG spider...Close to the size of my hand (at least in memory).  They're all over the place near my cousin's home in Florida.  And they're colorful and have nifty patterns.  So, I had to get a good shot of one. 

I'm still not going to pick one up, though.

golden silk orb weaver