Photographing mushrooms

It's that time of year again when mushrooms shoot out of the ground en masse. There are thousands of species to be found in the Netherlands. So a good reason to go out and capture them. To help you on your way, we will give you a few tips for taking a beautiful and creative photo.

The season of the mushrooms

Summer is over and it's raining more and more. Ideal for the mushrooms, because they appear fairly quickly after a wet period. Those who want to shoot a typical autumn picture in the forest can of course not forget the mushrooms. It is almost a challenge to look for the most beautiful and unique mushrooms, because they often hide among the grass or grow on the trees.

Macro photography

Mushrooms are perfect for macro photography. Each mushroom has its own structure, color or shape and those details can be captured very well with a macro lens. Not only the top of the mushroom, but also the gills underneath the cap make for very nice pictures. When taking such detailed photos, also take into account disturbing elements, such as sand, twigs and damage to the mushroom.

Photography Tips

• With 'photo stacking' you photograph the same composition several times, each time with a different focal point. When editing, these photos are merged together, creating a new image. This gives the photo depth without losing brightness or sharpness.

• For those who want to display mushrooms a little more creatively, the 'twist-zoom' is an option. It's an example of 'intentional camera movement' (ICM), where you zoom while the shutter is still open. This creates an image with a spiral movement.

• Light is a very important element when taking pictures. With the help of a flashlight you can play with the incidence of light, so that you can determine the atmosphere of the photo. Think light from above, through the cap of the mushroom. Or from below, so that the mushroom seems to give light. You could also use backlighting to make the silhouette clearly visible. By holding an autumn-colored leaf in front of the flashlight, you get a softer and warmer light.

• By using lens filters you can play with the atmosphere in the photo. For example, it can give a warmer or colder glow, but also give a certain color to the photo. Do you want to know more about the use of filters? Read our photography tips about photographing with filters.

• Another element you can play with is water, such as morning dew. But if that is not available, you can also create the droplets yourself with a plant sprayer. In addition, you can give the effect as if it is raining by spraying water from above while taking a photo. Drops of water can also give a bokeh effect. This is often blurred in the foreground or background, making the subject stand out even more clearly. With a large aperture you take photos with a shallow depth of field, so in this case the mushroom is displayed sharply and the background is not focused.

Learning photography

Want to learn more about macro photography? Take a look at our workshops and sign up!

During the workshops you will put what you have learned into practice in small groups. There is guidance where necessary and enough time and space for taking pictures, which you can still enjoy at home.

Till clicks!