Mushrooms

Boletus edulis

This mushroom was initially mistaken for a snail shell since it was half buried in the pine needle layer. It was during my second pass that I realised it was the top of a mushroom. Since it was not possible to lay down, I tried to be as close to the ground as possible.

Photo by George J. Reclos

Shooting Data:

Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/9, AP mode
Flash: SB800, auto/return light detected (TTL/BL mode)
Image: JPEG processed in Photoshop CS, unsharp mask filter and resized.  

Omphalolotus olearius (O. illudens ?)

This is a less classic one but vividly colored. Looks delicious, too ! However it is poisonous and although not fatal it will give you a really hard time. Once more, vivid colors are there to warn the predators. While taking pictures of those mushrooms every care was taken to ensure that there was no damage done to them. They were not uprooted to be moved in a better position so, after removing some dead pine needles I got the shots you see. This shot was taken at ground level.

Photo by George J. Reclos

Shooting Data:

Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/32, AP mode
Flash: SB800, auto/return light detected (TTL/BL mode)
Image: JPEG processed in Photoshop CS, unsharp mask filter and resized.  

Suillus granulatus

One of the great advantages of nature photography is that you learn a lot of things. Before that, I didn't know which is the right time to search for specific plants, animals or insects. This time I figured it was the perfect time to search for mushrooms. Since this was the first "mushroom - photo session" it is evident that I only spotted those species that are hard to miss. After coming home and searching the net I understood that I saw far more than I shot. There is always a next time.

Photo by George J. Reclos

Shooting Data:

Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/9, AP mode
Flash: SB800, auto/return light detected (TTL/BL mode)
Image: JPEG processed in Photoshop CS, unsharp mask filter and resized.   

Suillus granulatus

Strangely enough this mushroom was found cut in half. I didn't see any signs of human presence around it and the grass leaves in front of it indicate that the mushroom has stayed in this condition for some time (at least the time it takes for the grass to grow to this size). Nevertheless this was a really nice opportunity to take a look at the inner construction of the mushroom.  

Photo by George J. Reclos

Shooting Data:

Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/32, AP mode
Flash: SB800, auto/return light detected (TTL/BL mode)
Image: JPEG processed in Photoshop CS, unsharp mask filter and resized.   

Mushroom in the woods
 
One evening I went out for a walk with only the 50mm f1.8D.  The sun just disappeared but there was still enough light to take photo's. Of course handholding was out of the question at f/11, so I brought a small plywood board as a support for the camera. I wanted to stay as close to the ground as possible to capture the details of the underside of the mushroom.
 
Photo by Frank Panis

Shooting Data:
 
Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens:  AF 50mm f1.8D
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 2s and f/11
Flash:none
Image: RAW, converted in Nikon Capture 4.3.2   

Mushroom symmetry

Beauty and harmony exist all around us, if we take the time to look for it. This ordinary mushroom will make a good dish when cooked but it can also make a very interesting picture if one turns it upside down. I didn't even take the time to clean it since the parts of soil add to this picture in my opinion. This is an indoor shot taken on the kitchen table just before this mushroom was thrown in the pan. The flash had to be used in the i-TTL mode since any other mode couldn't preserve the texture and subtle colors of it. Naturally, a macro lens was the lens of choice.

Photo by George J. Reclos

Shooting Data:

Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/22, AP mode
Flash: SB800, auto/return light detected (TTL mode)
Image: NEF file, processed in Photoshop CS, unsharp mask filter, resized and saved as JPEG.