Gallery

Fungi and mushrooms.

Most of the year the woodland floor keeps its secrets. Then, for a few damp weeks in autumn, the fungi appear, brief, strange, and gone again before most people think to look down.

21 images · prints available

A cluster of small, delicate fungi with conical caps adorns a moss-covered log. The softly blurred background showcases autumnal colours of browns and yellows, creating a serene woodland setting perfect for forest photography. Dim lighting highlights the mushrooms' subtle texture.

Sheltered

A cluster of brown and white bracket fungi grows on a mossy, fallen log in the tranquil woodlands. The fungi feature concentric rings and fan-like shapes. The log lies on damp, reddish-brown leaves, with traces of green moss and grass visible. The scene is dimly lit, enhancing the richness ideal for forest photography.

Shapes of Nature

Close-up of three small fungi with pale, curved caps and slender stems, thriving amidst green and brown foliage. The background is gently blurred, creating a peaceful woodland atmosphere. Dewdrops glimmer on nearby leaves, enhancing the natural setting and the appeal of forest photography.

Triple Cap

Three delicate, translucent mushrooms with white caps and slender stems thrive on a moss-covered surface in low light. This enchanting scene of forest photography captures the intricate gills and subtle textures of these fungi against a dark backdrop.

Luminous

A cluster of orange, spiky mushrooms grows at the base of a mossy tree trunk. Their textured caps contrast with the soft green moss and grass. The blurred background highlights the fungi, whilst droplets of moisture add a touch of woodland magic.

Spiked

A small mushroom stands alone in the lower left foreground, encircled by lush green moss and vivid wildflowers. The background is softly blurred with large, circular bokeh lights in shades of white and grey, capturing the tranquil and dreamy ambiance of forest photography while emphasising the delicate texture of the mushroom cap.

Quiet

A small mushroom stands alone on a dark, mossy surface in the foreground, perfectly capturing the essence of the forest. The background is a soft, dreamy blur of large light circles in shades of grey and white, creating a bokeh effect that conveys solitude and tranquillity.

Out of Darkness

A solitary, delicate mushroom emerges from the vibrant green moss against a dark, blurred forest background. Bathed in soft, diffused light, the scene exudes a tranquil, ethereal atmosphere. The mushroom stands out as the focal point amid the moody woodland backdrop.

Spotlit

A cluster of small, brown mushrooms with slender stems is grouped closely together amidst the shadowy trees. The dim forest floor, covered with moss and scattered wild flowers, creates a mystical atmosphere. The fungi vary slightly in size, and their caps have a slightly glossy appearance.

Family Gathering

Close-up of a single mushroom with a conical cap and a slightly darkened tip, growing amidst green grass. The blurred background captures the essence of the woodland, creating a moody effect with cool tones, giving the scene a mysterious and tranquil ambience.

Earthy Crown

Close-up of a single mushroom with a beige cap and visible gills, nestled in the woodlands. The dimly lit background is blurred, with hints of green and brown foliage from nearby trees. The atmosphere is calm and slightly mysterious, highlighting the fungus's delicate structure.

Watchful

Three small mushrooms with thin, white caps and rusty-brown stems grow closely on a lush, dark green mossy surface. The blurred background accentuates the delicate details of the mushrooms and moss, capturing the tranquil essence of the woods amidst towering trees.

Harmony

Close-up of a mushroom with a wide, textured, brown cap and a thick, pale stem growing from dark soil. The deep black background highlights the fungi's details and earthy tones, while bits of soil and organic material surround its base.

Spores

Two small, purple mushrooms with textured caps stand closely together in a dimly lit woodland setting. Emerging from a dark, blurred background, they accentuate their delicate structure and colour. The foreground is filled with scattered leaves and twigs, creating an enchanting forest photography scene.

Soft Embrace

A close-up of a brown mushroom growing amidst moss in a dimly lit forest. The mushroom has a thin stalk and a large, slightly textured cap. Blurred, darker mushrooms can be seen in the background, with soft green light filtering through the trees in the woods, creating a serene and mystical atmosphere.

Silent Watcher

A cluster of beige mushrooms with textured caps and slender stems grows on a moss-covered log in the dim woodland light. In the background, there is a soft-focus, circular light bokeh among the trees, which adds a serene and mysterious atmosphere to the enchanting scene of the fungi.

Lanterns

Close-up of a single mushroom with a light brown cap and reddish-brown gills, growing on a moss-covered log. The background is blurred, featuring hints of green and soft circular light bokeh, capturing the essence of the forest in a tranquil ambience.

Forest Throne

A cluster of small, pinkish-white fungi thrives on a woodland floor, surrounded by dry leaves and twigs. The mushrooms possess smooth caps and are tightly packed together, forming an organic, textured pattern beneath the towering trees in the earthy backdrop.

Pebbles

A small, white toadstool stands alone in a dimly lit forest undergrowth. The focus is on the toadstool amid the dark, mossy foreground, while large soft circles of light in the background create a dreamy atmosphere typical of woodlands.

Solitary Glow

Two tall, slender mushrooms with conical caps stand side by side against a dark, blurred forest background. The lighting highlights their textured surfaces, creating a mystical ambience. The softly out-of-focus ground emphasises the delicate mushrooms.

Companions

Emerging

Fungi are the part of the wood you have to get low for. Down on the leaf litter, in the dark under the canopy, where the light is poor and the season is short. Miss the fortnight and you wait a year. Crouch in the wrong place and you find nothing. They reward the people who are already looking at the ground.

I photograph them in the gloom they grow in, rather than lighting them up. A single mushroom catching what little light reaches the floor, the background dissolving into soft dark, is closer to how it actually feels to find one than any brightly lit version would be. Low down, low light, low to the ground. The whole genre is an argument for slowing down and looking carefully.

These were all made in ordinary woodland near home, in the few autumn weeks when the conditions are right. No travel, no rare species hunted down. Just whatever the local woods produced that year, found by walking slowly with my eyes on the floor.

← Tree textures

Next Gallery

Ferns →

Where and when were these photographs taken?

In ordinary woodland close to home, across Hertfordshire and the surrounding counties, almost all in the few damp weeks of autumn when fungi appear. It is a short season. Most of the year there is nothing to photograph, which is part of what makes it worth the wait.

How do you photograph mushrooms in such low light?

By working with the gloom rather than against it. I rarely add light. A tripod, patience, and a willingness to lie on the woodland floor get you most of the way. The soft dark backgrounds are how these scenes actually look, low down under the canopy, and I cover the technique in my workshops.

Can I buy a print?

Yes. Most images here are available as limited edition fine art prints, produced on the highest quality archival papers in sizes suited to both homes and larger interiors. Prints are arranged directly with me, so get in touch and tell me which image and roughly what size you have in mind.

Do you run workshops in these woods?

I do. I teach one-to-one woodland photography workshops and online editing sessions across Hertfordshire and the surrounding ancient woodlands, shaped around your level and pace.

Can I commission woodland artwork for a space?

Yes. I make large-format woodland artwork to commission for hospitality, wellness and healthcare interiors, including whole-wall installations. Past commissions include work for Center Parcs. Find out more →

How often do you add new galleries?

The galleries grow as the work does. New images are added through the year as I edit recent sessions, so it is worth returning, or joining my newsletter to hear when something new goes up.

Take it further

Miss the fortnight and you wait a year. These were found in the few weeks the woodland floor gives anything up, by walking slowly with my eyes on the ground.

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