Food and lifestyle photographer Ania Elias reveals her top tips for finding, capturing and exploring the macro world of toadstool photography!
Ania Elias specialises in the documentation of all things edible. Pairing a zealous appetite with a passion for visual art, her images speak to the creativity of cooking, and the nascent beauty of ingredients that blossom in scenic, natural habitats.
As we venture into the autumn months, Ania adopts a more single-minded focus. The year’s penultimate quarter is when mushrooms begin to sprout and spore across the country. Aiming to capture the essence of these strange, eccentric truffles, it’s the time Ania heads out with her FUJIFILM camera to see what she can discover. You should, too!
Different types of fungi require different conditions to grow. “At this time of year, they seem to appear almost everywhere,” she begins. “If you’ve never tried photographing them before, now is the time to give it a go – they really are great macro subjects.” Commonly found in woodland, a vast range of visually interesting varieties of mushrooms are available to unearth. “They’re especially prevalent after a spell of wet weather. Often appearing overnight, some can be gone by late afternoon the following day. That’s why it’s worth venturing out multiple times. You never know what you might find!”
Fungi can be troublesome to spot if you’re not actively searching for them. “My advice is to slow down,” Ania recommends. “I mean really slow down and take your time. Look around the base of trees, falling branches, decaying stumps, rotting logs and under piles of leaves. Kneel… and you’ll discover a magical world under your feet.” Indeed, there are as many as 15,000 types currently growing in the UK, reinforcing the sense of discovery and adventure Ania uncovers every time she goes out. Stressing the importance of packing the right tools for the job, she expands on locating tips. “Be diligent, be thorough. Stay on the lookout for pops of colour, interesting shapes, textures or perhaps intriguing clusters,” she notes.
Mushrooms thrive in wet environments where sunlight is minimal. For Ania, a willingness to get immersed is vital. “You have to be prepared to spend a lot of time at ground level. That’s why it’s important to wear comfortable, waterproof clothing. Wellies or good boots are a must. I also use tick repellent.” Operating in difficult weather conditions, the importance of protective safeguards becomes essential to the process. “It’s likely to be wet, so placing a sheet or bin liner on the ground will help prevent your kit from getting drenched.” Using the FUJIFILM X-T3, Ania compliments its usability in adverse circumstances. “This camera’s body is well sealed against the climate. I often use it in the rain, but I’ve never experienced any issues. I love its light weight and portability. It’s compact, powerful and incredibly user-friendly.”
Ania is also a fan of X-T3’s low light capabilities; something she regularly has to call upon. “You’ll be using slower shutter speeds, as there isn’t much light in the woods. Use a tripod wherever possible,” she recommends. “For those extra-low angle shots, a bean bag is useful.”
The world of fungi has often been linked with a sense of peril and risk. Associations between fungi and poison have long been documented, and Ania is no stranger to potential dangers. Her message is clear: proceed with caution, and only ever handle mushrooms if you’re well-versed in identifying prospective threats. “You have to be aware of the toxins and spores, and act with supreme care. Never handle fungi unless you know them well,” she warns. “Clean leaves or dirt off using either a soft brush or latex glove. Never pick them off with your fingers and, of course, wash your hands thoroughly before eating or touching food.”
When photographing fungi, Ania works with precision and exactness. “Pay attention to the background. Throwing it out of focus will not only help isolate your subject, it will also hide the things you do not want your viewer to see. I have Preview Depth of Field assigned to one of my Fn buttons, and I use it a lot.
“To ensure a clean composition, carefully remove any unnecessary twigs or leaf litter. Avoid anything that could cause distraction, but please don’t damage any vegetation for the sake of a photo.” Ania continues, discussing the ways in which this effect can be achieved. For her, using the camera to simply obfuscate and obscure is insufficient. You must be conscious of how external factors inform one another. “Choose a background that will look interesting and juxtapose your subject,” she advises.
Moving on to perspective, Ania describes the value of utilising multiple angles, and how a variety of shots is key to creating a stimulating portfolio. “Experiment! Whether it’s a bird’s eye or a worm’s eye view, try to create a compelling viewpoint. Look for symmetry and patterns. And remember the rule of thirds by placing important subjects a third of the way from the edges of the frame. A low shooting angle usually looks natural, and it also allows you to capture the beauty and texture of the gills underneath the mushroom cap. For me, this type of angle often produces the most striking composition. The tilting LCD screen of the X-T3 is very useful in this environment.”
Mindful of the perception of mushroom photos, Ania incorporates a multitude of intriguing elements, so they remain absorbing. “Sometimes it’s difficult to find a good composition, especially if the scene looks cluttered. In my mind, you don’t have to include the entire subject. Isolating smaller details can create very powerful close-ups. The XF80mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro is an amazing lens for this purpose. It’s wonderful at capturing texture, allowing me to get in close on each and every mushroom. I’m interested in showcasing the familiar in unfamiliar ways. Sometimes you may be lucky enough to include wildlife in your image – an ant, or a slug making its way to the top of the mushroom, for instance. Aspects like these can make the photo more interesting, and the XF80mm really homes in on these specifics. I also use the magnification tool of the X-T3 to check the focus, which is beneficial.”
Ania points out how lighting set-ups can facilitate a more appealing result. “If you’re lucky enough to be taking mushroom photos on a sunny day, that’s fantastic! To make your pictures more artistic and dramatic, shoot with backlighting. This will produce a beautiful contrast between the subject and background. Typically, dappled highlights create attractive bokeh, like the sun shining through leaves.” In the UK, ideal lighting conditions are rarely present during autumn and winter months. Because of these obstacles, ingenuity is integral, and inventiveness becomes a determining factor in the creative process. “Even when you do have enough light available, the mushroom’s gills and upper part of the stem are getting less light than its cap,” Ania observes. “If shooting from a low angle, it’s a good idea to consider adding extra light. I like to use either a small reflector or LED. If not, a white card or aluminium foil will suffice. From here, you can manipulate it until you’re happy with the result.”
Fungi can be challenging to photograph with a shallow depth of field. Set-ups can depend on how the toadstool is shaped – you also need to decide whether you want to include background or foreground details. “Experiment with settings. If you can’t achieve the depth of field you need in one frame, think about a technique like focus stacking. Take a few images of a subject with different focus points, then combine them all together in Photoshop, or another application.” Post-processing can intensify and augment exposures, and it’s a practice Ania advocates. “There’s also a lot that you can do in post-processing to make your images look more dramatic,” she concludes. “Deepening colours, accentuating textures, manipulating contrast… these are just some of the functions that you can use to bolster the overall look of the image and create an exciting end result.”
