Amanita muscaria

[John Cooper]

This Amanita (commonly known as the Fly agaric) has just pushed its way up through a carpet of pine needles.

Canon EOS 5, Canon 100mm Macro, ISO 100, natural light with fill flash, F22, Tripod.

[Robert O'Toole]

Seriously this is the greatest fungi action image I have ever seen. The image is very powerful with the fungus breaking through the layer of needles.

Details and sharpness are all great.

As a minor point the darker tones seem lke they need more density but I love it as is.

Robert

[Grace Scalzo]

Agree wholeheartedly with Robert. Seriously interesting, mysterious, colorful, action filled (a fungi??)

Great eye, great work.

[Steve Bein]

This is found worldwide. An old story about Russia has some priests in some strange religion eating the mushroom ( they evidently work on developing resistance to the toxins) and then saving their urine which collects the halucinogens and evidently their livers remove the toxins. Their followers drink the urine. Wierd. Urine is sterile unless there is a bladder infection, so that part, though distasteful ( to our mindset anyway) is not dangerous. A nice image. It has been years since I saw this specie in an old cemetary north of Santa Barbara, CA

[John Cooper]

This is found worldwide. An old story about Russia has some priests in some strange religion eating the mushroom ( they evidently work on developing resistance to the toxins) and then saving their urine which collects the halucinogens and evidently their livers remove the toxins. Their followers drink the urine. Wierd. Urine is sterile unless there is a bladder infection, so that part, though distasteful ( to our mindset anyway) is not dangerous. A nice image. It has been years since I saw this specie in an old cemetary north of Santa Barbara, CA

Your account here is quite correct Steve and I have related this story in my book ;)

[David Steele]

A great shot John and some good comments too. Thought you must have been working on a book. Will watch out for it when I'm next in Oz.

[Mike Moats]

John the fugi guy. Another fine subject and well done on the shot.