From antibiotics to alcoholic drinks, organic decay to delicious food, fungi play an important role in all manner of things. They range from microscopic structures to the largest living organism on the planet. Underground, the ‘wood-wide web’ of fine tendrils creates a network that allows plants and trees to communicate. Above ground, the fruiting bodies form as mushrooms and other stunning structures, offering great opportunities for macro photography.
Fungi – and mushrooms in particular – tend to prefer dark conditions like dense woodlands, crevices in rotten wood and shady areas. When photographing in these murky spots, a burst of flash can provide a welcome lift to the scene. But it’s not just about increasing the light levels, a flash also gives you the opportunity to enhance the mood.
By firing the flash off-camera, either from the side, above, behind or even below, we can highlight thethis, the ambient daylight becomes almost like a secondary light source. We can decide whether the daylight plays a major or minor role in the exposure, either by balancing our flash with it for a subtle lift, or by overpowering it for a spotlight effect.
