Holy Fungi: It's Mushroom Season!

Text and photos by Heather Cline 

I don't know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but the weather has been finicky in Northern California. Some days are gray, cold and drizzly while others are warm and sunny. One thing I have noticed despite these weather shifts is an abundant number of mushrooms in my yard and along the local trails. 

Mushrooms are a great subject because they sit nice and still, but they do come with challenges. This is a quick post offering tips to capture these delightful subjects. 

Finding The Fungi

• Shady, humid areas with good air flow
• Near tree bases or rotting wood, rotting stumps and branches
• Some mushrooms are colorful, while others are camouflaged or tiny. A slower pace is best for this type of hunting.

Setting Up The Shot

• Mushrooms are best photographed at their level so you should plan to spend some time on the ground when photographing them. 
• Use a tripod for limited lighting conditions and awkward angles 
• A fill flash can be used to fill in the shadows and add a little light to the subject.
• A reflector can be positioned to bounce light back towards the subject. 

Composition

• Evaluate the scene to determine if the supporting elements are helping or hurting:
  • If the environment improves to the overall composition, then a wide angle or standard focal length lens is a good option to include it with the subject.
  • If the surrounding features will not improve the image, a telephoto or macro lens can help frame the subject while eliminating distracting elements.
• Consider different points of view to tell the story 
• Lighting can be leveraged to set the mood of the image (filtered, direct, deep shadows)
• Depth of field can also be used to soften elements that you could not move or eliminate
• Macro lenses are great for allowing you to highlight the details that most people don’t see.

Before you know it, it's going to be 110 degrees outside, so get out and enjoy those mushrooms while they last!