How To Photograph Fungi

Most photographers shy away from shooting fungi, mostly because it is not seen to be a glamourous thing to do. Yet these life forms are just begging to be photographed and the picture potential is there to be taken. Fungi can be found anywhere where organic matter is decaying, especially in woodland, and in particular around autumn and early winter.

To photograph fungi all you need is a simple set-up, so this form of photography is widely accessible and thoroughly enjoyable.

• Where To Find Fungi To Photograph

Different types of fungi have their own habitats, but most will be found growing in deciduous woodland. The best places to look for them are on fallen branches and decaying stumps. You can also find them among mossy areas and dense leaf litter. Another good place to find them is on tree trunks, when a telephoto lens will be required.

One thing to remember about fungi is that they spread as mycelia (very thin root-like structures) underground and absorb nutrients from decaying vegetation before revealing their existence on the surface as reproductive fruiting bodies we commonly see as toadstools or mushrooms. Mycelia can travel for a at least a mile underground.

• Your Photography Gear

Most lenses can be used to shoot fungi, but because some species can be rather small, a dedicated macro lens will be the preferred lens to use. Macro lenses give results that are lifesize. They also give you maximum aperture, which means you will get a brighter image that is essential in dark woodland.

If you do not have a macro lens you can easily use much cheaper, but effective, close-up filters. These do not affect your camera's automatic functions. Another possibility is the use of extension tubes.

An effective way of photographing fungi is to use a telephoto or a zoom lens from a distance to isolate the fungi from their surroundings. Actually, different focal lengths will help create different perspectives and results, so it is best to experiment.

A tripod, especially one that the legs can be splayed almost flat will be very useful when shooting fungi. If shooting at ground level, a beanbag will be very handy. Be sure to lay out a plastic groundsheet to kneel on in order to keep your legs dry.

In order to minimize camera shake, even though you are using a steadying tripod, it is best to take the shot with a remote release rather than pressing the shutter. Alternatively, use your camera's self-timer.

• Beware of Toxins

Although some mushrooms are edible, it is generally a good idea not to handle fungi unless you know the subject well. There are some types of fungi out there that are known to be poisonous and potentially deadly. So if you find that you need to clean bits of vegetation and dirt off a fruiting body, it will be safer to use a blower brush instead of picking off the particles with your fingers.

As soon as you have found a good looking fungus to photograph, be it the fruiting body of a puffball mushroom, a stinkhorn mushroom, a death cap mushroom or whatever, you need to figure out the best way to photograph it.

The good thing about photographing fungi is that they are static objects, so you have lots of time to shoot them. You have to take note of the surrounding light and the size and shape of the fruiting body.

If the amount of light is an issue, that will mean mounting your camera on a sturdy mount such as a tripod or a beanbag. Then, the actual exposure time will not matter too much. However, fungi being what they are, tend to grow in uneven and awkward places, so setting up your tripod can become a bit fiddly. Patience in setting up will always be rewarded.

• Lighting

Woodlands being dark places by nature mean that fungi generally prefer to grow in dark locations. Fungi are not plants, so they have no need for light in order to flourish. The dark environment in which you find the fruiting bodies means that the available light has to be supplemented.

A typical fruiting body like a mushroom has more light on the cap than on the underparts, so if you do not balance the light, a lot of detail will be missing in your photographs. You can rectify this by using a reflector or fill flash.

A reflector can be hand-held or placed nearby the fungus so that lateral light falls on the subject at an angle. By moving the reflector closer or farther away, you can vary the light intensity. You do not have to use a fancy foil umbrella like you might use in studio photography. Instead, you can use a white card or a piece of aluminium foil to act as the reflector.

Fill-flash is used to lighten the shadows. Normally it is best to reduce the output of the flash by a couple of stops to balance the flash with the ambient surrounding light. You will have to experiment on the subject distance.

Off-camera flash is generally the preferred method to use because of its versatility and the way it gives fungi a more natural look. You simply place the flash to the side or at an angle to create interesting backlighting, which will always be particularly impressive on translucent fruiting bodies.

• Image Sharpness

If your camera has mirror lock-up, use it. This will maximize image sharpness in the poor lighting conditions associated with fungi photography. Mirror lock-up works by locking-up the reflex mirror in a DSLR camera before firing the shutter. This reduces unwanted vibrations. It will work best when the camera is fitted to a tripod and when the self-timer or a remote release is also used.