The Fungus season opens

[Actinia]

Following a very rainy week and a couple of dry days, I went to my local wood looking for fungi. There were not many fungi out, and those that were out were rather small. The Agaric below was only about 5cm high. I have been devising a technique for illuminating fungi using small LED lights. I describe the technique in the LIghting and Hardware forum here.

#1 is a common Agaric, probably a Yellow-stainer:

#2 is the Amethyst Deceiver:

#3 is a group of Bonnet Mushrooms growing on a lump of wood:

I used the lighting technique described in the other thread here, but took two to four shots, each with different lighting. I then merged them in Photoshop. I did try varying the proportions, but a straight average seemed to work best.

A criticism made in the other thread was that the lighting I suggested would result in rather flat images. I do not find these flat. The advantage of this technique is that you could just use one light source, and take shots with it in different positions.

All shots were taken using a remote shutter release.

I would welcome C&C, both on the shots of the fungi as such, and of the lighting.

 

[TheStunch]

You have a lot of knowledge of fungi, lol, and oddly, I enjoy fungi pictures as well, though I had never wondered how to light them. I like the lighting, as it does not make the fungi seem too mysterious, or overly artistic, but rather shows them as you would expect to see them in real life. I think these photos capture the subject well, and use depth of field to good effect and would expect to see them in a book or possibly field guide on the subject. Nice work.

 

[WesternGuy]

Very nice. You must spend a lot of time crawling around forest floors. This is a subject that I often have a lot of trouble capturing. I guess I will have to get down lower next time.

WesternGuy

 

[runnah]

You sure seem like a fun guy!

 

[bribrius]

this is actually really kind of cool as usually I see a mushroom I just kick it I never actually think of looking at one closely. so I gained something from this. I like the first one especially and the second. Also like your lighting idea too bad you couldn't do it without merging four shots.

 

[Actinia]

Bibrius said:

Also like your lighting idea too bad you couldn't do it without merging four shots.

The four shots were individually not too bad, but I thought the merger looked better.

WesternGuy said:

I guess I will have to get down lower next time.

I didn't have to get down. I have replacement knees so I can't! My LCD folds down and twists so I can put my camera (Sony A55) on the ground and see the subject with just a modest bend. Unfortunately this does mean that I have to rely on Autofocus.

 

[JustJazzie]

I don't mind the lighting in these. It's much nicer than the last set of yours that I commented on!

I think I would have liked to see some landscaping done here. Maybe having cleaned up some of the leaves that land in the same focal plane it would have brought some more of the focus onto the shroom itself.

All these pictures make me want to go mushroom hunting soon! I haven't had much luck lately where we have been hiking, but I'd like to get back to the stream where I found purple coral fungus last year.

You sure seem like a fun guy!

This was a pun right? :giggle:

 

[WhiteRaven22]

I really like the composure of the third one.

 

[Actinia]

JustJazzie said:

I think I would have liked to see some landscaping done here. Maybe having cleaned up some of the leaves that land in the same focal plane it would have brought some more of the focus onto the shroom itself.

Good point. I have always know this as 'gardening'. I tend to concentrate on gardening in front of the fungus rather clearing what is behind - or at the side! My problem was that because of the way I take the picture, I can see the fungus and check the composition in the LCD, but not see the extras. What I ought to do is to pick up the camera from the ground and have a good look at the images before continuing. I actually have a device called a Macroscope, which is a compact close-focussing monocular. I ought to use it to view the LCD from a standing (or stooping) position.