Funghi Photography tips

Fall is always great season for photography and fungi are often an interesting fall season subject. Here are a five tips to capture them in the best way.

The Amanita muscaria, better known as the fly agaric or fly amanita at 56mm, F1.2, 1/125s and ISO 160

#1 Get down low

A common way of shooting fungi is shooting from below, it will give you a better perspective. It will enable you to see the textures, shapes and colors of the mushroom. It also means you need to position yourself quite low, meaning you will probably be sitting or laying in the (wet) dirt. Old clothes are a smart move. I always bring a blanket or a garbage bag of some sorts. You will also be using the back screen of your camera a lot more than than your viewfinder.

#2 Use a tripod

Fungi are usually found in dark places like forests, so getting enough light can be problematic. To avoid using high ISO and grainy photo's, a tripod is your best friend. I use the a small Manfrotto Pixi Evo which works great on a mirrorless camera like my Fujifilm X-T3. The tripod also goes pretty low to the ground which helps a lot!

#3 Clean up the scene

Mushrooms are often hidden and tucked away, between branches, leaves and other forest attributes. Removing all these distractions can help you isolate your subject better. I have seen other photographers even bring a small brush and some gloves, but I usually just get my hands dirty. 

#4 Play with your Aperture

The background and foreground play an important part in Fungi photography. The forest can give you some amazing bokeh. There are no exact rules in regards to the aperture you need to use, especially when you have a tripod at hand. I think it is best to take your time and experiment with different aperture settings. Depending on the distance to your subject the aperture can give a variety of results.

"Personally, I find it very pleasing to see all the details of the mushroom and want most of the mushroom in focus. But I have also seen great photos of detail shots where just a small part is in focus. There is no right or wrong and it ultimately comes down to personal preference. "

#5 Which lens?

You often hear that you will need a macro lens to shoot Fungi, this is far from true. I have gotten some great results with zoom lenses and primes. Of course a macro lens can get you very close to the mushroom, but a zoomlens is a great alternative I have found. A close focussing lens is also a huge benefit! Macro lenses are not the cheapest lenses out there and  buying one just for taking photo's of fungi seems a little over the top. Another far cheaper option is using extension tubes. which can expand your focal length and get you even closer.

I hope these tips will help you create some great images, and I look forward to seeing all your results! 

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