Mushroombrella
May, 2018Views
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KaKiteTokuKanohi
May 29, 2018
Thank you jelenadjordjevic and antonytrivet, I wasn't expecting that. Your comments are much appreciated
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken while I was bushwalking through Wairongomai Valley, near Mt Te Aroha, in New Zealand. It is a beautiful valley which is easy to walk, as the track is built on top of an old tramline. The mushroom was in amongst re-growing vegetation where a bank had collapsed to the side of the track.Time
It was on the return trip that I saw the mushrooms (there was more than one), so I would say it was around 3pm. .Lighting
The lighting was quite harsh as the bush above had been cleared by the fallen bank, with the background set in shadow. Knowing the affect of a light subject on a darker background I set the scene to reflect this. You can see the affect the light has had creating a shadow under the mushroom cap, putting emphasis on the orange/red colouring.Equipment
I was using a canon 7D with a 70-200mm lens, which was braced on my backpack (set on the slope) in order to get the low angle. There is a polarising filter attached to darken the scene, which coupled with a fast shutter speed, allowed the strong light to be muted.Inspiration
This was a trip in which I had planned to indulge in photographing the natural world around us. When I saw the mushrooms I knew that its separation from the rest of the foliage and they way it sat meant I was going to get something special, and with the right angles would allow it to be a striking contrast to the greens around it. I spent sometime getting the angles right, knowing that I was looking for a shot which evoked a feeling of a solitary bastion to the living world.Editing
The photo was put through lightroom to tweak the lighting and to crop the edges of the images (I often photograph wider edges to allow a bit of cropping later). In adjusting the lighting I lifted the background and muted the orange top to create a moodier feel, giving authenticity to what I had seen when I first took the photo. I thought that much of the affect of the mushroom was given by its decaying state, and opted to leave in the wilder bits, such as the small green limb growing from the centre of the stalk, and the out of focus grass around the base, hence no other editing was done to this image.In my camera bag
That day I was carrying a tripod, the 7D, and two lenses, the 70-200mm, and a 50mm prime, along with a polarising filter.Feedback
New Zealand is a wonderfully rich country for natural shots. Its climate lends towards rainforest type forestation where you can find shots such as this and other scenery. These shots are readily available for those that want to walk, smell the fresh air, and observe what is around them. For those that want to try for a shot like this, the only advice I can give is to spend time enjoying the outdoors, the time to observe what is around you, and the time to look for the correct lighting. It will be there for you. Oh! and don't forget to get down on your knees!
