Fall in New England is a magical time of year. The landscape transforms into a breathtaking palette of warm hues, and nature puts on a show like no other. While many people turn their cameras towards the changing leaves, I found myself drawn to the forest floor, where a different kind of autumnal wonder awaited – the world of mushrooms. I am excited to share my experience of photographing mushrooms during the fall season and introduce you to the fascinating art of focus stacking to capture these intricate organisms in all their glory.
The Beauty of Fall in New England
New England is famous for its picturesque fall foliage, but the autumnal beauty extends beyond the leaves. The forest floor becomes a canvas of diverse and colorful mushrooms during this season. The mix of fallen leaves, wet weather, and decaying wood creates the perfect conditions for these fantastic fungi to emerge. Each mushroom species boasts its unique colors, shapes, and sizes, making it a paradise for photographers looking to capture the essence of fall
Mushrooms: The Tip of the Mycelial Iceberg
Mushrooms, as captivating as they are, are just the tip of a much larger and intricate organism. What we commonly see are the fruiting bodies of a vast underground network of mycelium, known as the mycelial mat. This network of fine threads serves as the organism’s true body and is responsible for nutrient absorption, decomposition of organic matter, and even communication with other organisms. The mushrooms we photograph serve as a reproductive structure, releasing spores to create the next generation. It’s awe-inspiring to think about the hidden complexity beneath the forest floor.
Capturing the Details: Focus Stacking
Photographing mushrooms, especially in their natural habitat, can be challenging due to a narrow depth of field. This small depth of field is because of the short distance between the lens and the subject. Therefore, capturing the entire mushroom, from its cap to its base, can be impossible with a single shot.
This is where focus stacking comes into play. Focus stacking is a photographic technique that involves taking multiple images with varying focus points and then merging them into a single image in post-processing. By doing this, you can achieve a final image that’s sharp and in focus from front to back, ensuring that every detail of the mushroom is beautifully rendered.
The photo stacking process goes something like this:
Use a tripod: Stacking requires consistent framing. A tripod stabilizes your camera and helps you maintain the same composition for all shots.
Set your camera to manual mode: This ensures that your exposure settings remain consistent throughout the process.
Choose a small aperture: A high f-stop number (e.g., f/11 or higher) will result in a deeper depth of field.
Compose your shot: Focus on the nearest part of the mushroom and take a photo. Then, progressively adjust the focus point further into the scene, capturing more images.
Post-processing: Use image stacking software, in this case Adobe Photoshop to combine the images into a single, fully focused photograph.
Open all of the photos as layers in a new document.
With all layers selected go to Edit>Auto Align Layers then Edit> Auto Blend Layers and select the “Stacking” method.
Viola! You should now have a mushroom that is fully in focus.
