Lights, Gills and Spores
Inspired by the talented Glenn Smith and his fungi photos, I’ve recently started dabbling in the wonderful world of Mycology, and here are a few of the images I’ve produced while having a play.
So far, every specimen I’ve photographed has been found only metres from my front door, which has made the project very accessible.
My favourite image is the earthstar releasing its spores. I love the sense of movement in the puff of spores and the way such a strange little fungus can suddenly look almost theatrical.
The woodland toadstools got a bit of a makeover with some soft yellow light, which brought out their shape and texture and gave them a warmer, more atmospheric feel.
I’ve also only just learned that these striking red fungi are Fly Agarics (Amanita muscaria), which often appear after rain beneath pine trees. I had always assumed they were fairly ordinary because they regularly pop up in our front yard. Most people in our street have beautiful eucalypts, which I adore, while we have a pine tree. It turns out the pine may finally have earned its keep — not by producing the fungi itself, of course, but by providing the conditions and underground relationship that allow these extraordinary red fungi to thrive.
Their caps can become surprisingly sticky and slimy after rain — something I discovered rather unpleasantly when I picked one up. The cap surface can contain a gelatinous, mucus-like layer that becomes especially slippery when wet. Rain softens the outer tissues, while soil, debris and tiny particles readily stick to the damp surface. As mushrooms age and begin to break down, they can become even softer and more unpleasantly slimy.
And, as so often happens in nature, bright red is a warning colour. These beautiful fungi are poisonous, which is another very good reason to keep them firmly in the look at, photograph and leave alone category — no tasting required.
Another image I particularly like is one where you can clearly see the gills beneath the cap. I’ve always loved the delicate, repetitive pattern of mushroom gills and their thin, almost frilly structure
I’ve now bought two Godox flashes and a controller, so I’m planning to get a little more serious about lighting my fungi photographs. There is something wonderfully sculptural about these tiny subjects, and I suspect I’ve only just begun exploring what can be done with them.
And next time, I might even venture a little further afield than the front yard — perhaps the backyard to begin with, and then, eventually, somewhere genuinely adventurous.
