Badegg Photography II

Nothing has intrigued me more since I moved to the Southern countryside than the wide variety of fungi that grows in the Southeastern forests.

I am not one to identify which fungus is which, which mushroom is good to eat, and which one is poisonous. I am just amazed at their simplistic existence and their complex beauty.

Shooting photos of wild fungus is not that hard. All you need is a decent camera with a better than average macro lens, a flash, a tripod and a little perseverance. It helps to be a little limber, since you may have to resort to being a contortionist to shoot at some of the awkward angles.

Be prepared to take several (about 10 or so) shots of each fungi from different angles. Out of 10 shots, you may get 1 or 2 good ones. Pay attention to the background lighting so you don't silhouette your subject too much, and make sure that your macro lens is not blocked by a thin blade of grass. A grass blade no wider than a thread can look like a log in a macro shot.

The best time to find some "primo shrooms" for photographing is first thing in the morning after a rain, or during periods of high humidity. I have found more fungi growing in hardwood forests than I have found in coniferous forests.

Many of these fungi were photographed in my own yard. They grow quite rapidly and will often times appear overnight. All of these specimens, except for a few, were no bigger than 2-4 inches tall.

_{All photographs in this article were created by Del Banks. Copyright 2010 by Delbert Banks.}