Following my previous post, my enjoyment of finding and photographing fungi has reached new heights and I've found some fascinating things during some recent walks. We're so fortunate to have so much countryside on our doorstep here in the Cotswolds and have been making the most of that over recent weeks. Whilst the weather hasn't been anything special, it hasn't been bad enough to deter me from venturing from outdoors, and this post covers some of my favourite recent finds.

Before I get into the image, I wanted to quickly reflect on my motivations for partaking in this hobby. I've always enjoyed the natural world, and especially the 'small stuff'. As a kid, I was always on the hunt for insects, reptiles and anything else I could find and this has certainly contributed to my love of macro photography. In relation to the subject of this and my previous post, the search for fungi - definitely something I've inherited from my dad - has peaked this year and I think finally being able to stack images in camera has opened up a whole new world of hidden detail and I am absolutely LOVING the process. This got me thinking the other day about what it is I enjoy about photography and why exactly I do it. Sure, it's nice to post and share images, and I do sell one or two every now and again, but the real buzz is stepping outside with no real idea what I'm going to find. The anticipation is utterly addictive, as is the rush of discovering one of natures treasures. Fungi lends itself to this remarkably well, especially when light and general weather conditions may make bird photography a little less appealing, and I've been so surprised at just how much is out there. So...what have I found?!

The first species that has really captured my imagination is the Shaggy Scalycap mushrooms that I found growing on a tree stump in our closest woodland. I got some decent shots when I first found them but knew I could do better so on a return visit I made straight for them and spent a lot more time working on the composition. This fungi really is quite something to look at and on first glance looks incredibly spiky. In fact, the 'spikes' are the scales of the mushroom peeling away from the body.

Another species that I've found a few times now is the Common Puffball and whilst a lot of these have been surprisingly hard to spot, some have been a lot more out in the open and have made for some pleasing images. Again, the surface of these is riddled with detail which never ceases to blow my mind when seen up close.

Common Puffball Common Puffball

Next up is Verdigris Agaric - a very slimy and very neat coloured mushroom - a green/blue hue that grabbed my attention when I first set eyes on it. These were very small - no more than two inches high. Some were well tucked away in deep grass but a few others were much more photogenic, emerging from a bed of moss.

Verdigris Agaric Verdigris Agaric

Verdigris Agaric

A relatively small Shaggy Inkcap was found along a woodland ride and this one was thankfully in a really nice position. I'd found a few a week or so before that were a lot bigger but they were very hard to photograph so I decided to keep searching. This one was just starting to turn, as shown by the inky residue at the fringe of the cap.

Shaggy Inkcap

Finally, and a real treat, was coming across a trio of immaculate Parasol Mushrooms, tucked under some overhanging trees. The sheltered position was a little uncomfortable for me when getting into position but I'm really happy with how these images came out. Parasol Mushroom

With some sharp frosts forecast towards the end of the week, I'm planning on getting out again in the hope that I can capture some of these incredible fungi coated in ice, so everything crossed that the plan comes together! As always, thank you for reading!