Rotten To The Core

[Julie Kenward]

I found this mushroom/fungi growing in the woods yesterday near several decomposing logs. I've never seen one that looked like this before. (Does anyone know what this is called?) In any case, it had some beautiful creamy light to it so I dropped down and took its portrait.

Canon 40D, EF 100mm Macro
f3.2 @ 1/125th, ISO 400
Center-weighted metering, AWB
Handheld, braced against a log, natural morning light
Processed in ACR & CS3. Small crop, levels adjustment, some burning & dodging

[Mike Moats]

Hey Julie, can't help on the ID, but very cool fungi. Nice details and like the DOF and lighting.

[Anita Rakestraw]

I don't know what it is either, looks like something you'd see in ocean water, like coral or something. Very neat! Have you considered cropping most of the right side off? Do you think it adds to the image?

[Julie Kenward]

Anita, I do think it adds to the image because it shows the natural habitat. I also like the color and textural difference between the fungi and the log and think the log does a good job of balancing out the height of the fungi.

Yes, I could do a close crop and get in tight on the fungi but the log was so cool and I really liked that the image was about the forest floor as much as it was about the fungi. ;)

[Gus Cobos]

Very well composed Lady Julie, I like it as presented. A great combination and balance of textures and colors...congrats...:cool:

[Jerry van Dijk]

Hi Julie, nice mushroom! I like the wood too, enough to be interested in a picture of just that. The rotten texture looks promising enough for a macro closeup.
Anita is not far off with her remarks that it resembles coral because this is a Straight Branched Coral mushroom (Ramaria stricta is its scientific name). Next to this species, we have a completely bright orange species in The Netherlands, I'll see if I can dig up a nice picture of it.
- Jerry -

[Anita Rakestraw]

Thanks for providing your rationale about the right side of the image, Julie, I was hoping you would. Sounds like I'm outnumbered in votes for the additional wood! :) That's how we learn!

[Jerry van Dijk]

Hi Julie, I dug up an old picture of your mushrooms' orange cousin (not a very nice picture). It's scientific name is Calocera viscosa but it has a phletora of common names in English.
- Jerry -

[Julie Kenward]

Jerry, I thought it looked like coral, too, but had no idea it would actually have a name that matched the description! Thanks so much for filling us all in on what this was. (Love the orange version by the way!)

Anita, there's nothing wrong with liking a different crop...that's what makes each of us an individual artist!

[Ed Vatza]

Hi Jules,

I like this. I think you are looking at it as an interesting fungus. And it is. Your description in the OP directed me to look at it in that way. However, when I gave it a second look, I started to see a landscape along the lines of what I was attempting to capture with my "Lilliputian Landscapes". It is as a landscape that this image really impresses me. The fungus (looking like a tree) provides an anchor point for the eye which my images seemed to lack. I realize I may be sounding crazy. :p In any event, very nice job.

[Julie Kenward]

Ed, I know exactly what you mean. I noticed it when I was down on the ground rummaging around for a good spot to make the image...it IS like a whole other world going on down there! I think this is exactly what your lilliputan landscapes needed - something to hold the eye and put some objective scale into the photo.

[Jonathan Michael Ashton]

Lovely picture, I particularly like the processing, it has a very natural look about it. I wonder if a little more DOF would improve the portrayal of the fungus but then I suppose a smaller aperture would probably introduce unwanted features in the background. I really like this one!

Jon