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Paul_Joslin

POISONOUS AMANITA MUSHROOM

Although Amanita mascaria is considered poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are rare. It is commonly associated with coniferous and...
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Although Amanita mascaria is considered poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are rare. It is commonly associated with coniferous and deciduous forests.
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NIKON D80

Aperture f/5.3 ISO 1250 Shutter 1/80 Focal Length 950/10

upload_date

May, 2016

Views

386

Likes

+34

Awards

People's Choice in Autumn mushrooms Photo Challenge

Peer Award

Superb Composition

All Star

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Absolute Masterpiece

Superior Skill

Magnificent Capture

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Behind The Lens

Location

The photo was taken along the Baxter Bog trail in Anchorage, Alaska. It had rained for about a week and various species of fungi were popping up. The orange topped white flecked Amanita mascara is one of the most easily recognizable mushrooms. That is a good thing because they all contain ibotenic acid, a substance which can cause poisoning if eaten.

Time

Mid-afternoon.

Lighting

The weather was overcast, making for flat lighting, conditions that I consider as ideal for photographing flowers and other color rich subjects, such as these Amanitae.

Equipment

The photograph was taken with a Nikon D80, my first digital camera. The lens was a Nikkor 18-200 mm.

Inspiration

I had photographed several Amanita mascara on this day. What made this photo a little different was that it was a pair that I was able to compose in such a way that it drew the eye from the bottom left corner across the image towards the upper right corner the more dominant of the two mushrooms was located. An added touch were the thin leaves of horsetail drooped across the fungi indicating that the mushrooms had pushed up from below.

Editing

The photograph required little post-processing. I vignetted the photograph slightly.

In my camera bag

Currently I carry a Nikon D500 and a Nikkor 18-300 mm lens in my sling bag. I also carry a small carbon fiber tripod and an external flash. One of the most useful pieces of equipment that I always carry is a carpenter's knee pad. It is something I can kneel on, sit on or occasionally lie on for photographing subjects close to the ground. It fits inside the sling bag wrapped around my camera as protective cushioning when not in use (I removed most of the original camera bag cushioning).

Feedback

If your goal is to find mushrooms and toadstools to photograph, in my experience one of the best times to search for them is after a week or so of rain.

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Paul_Joslin

Paul_Joslin

POISONOUS AMANITA MUSHROOM

Although Amanita mascaria is considered poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are rare. It is commonly associated with coniferous and... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow Paul_Joslin

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Although Amanita mascaria is considered poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are rare. It is commonly associated with coniferous and...
Read more

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.