Fungi, Mushrooms, Orchids Macro Photography
Macro photography has opened an exciting new world for me to explore. New Zealand's forests hide a remarkable variety of fungi, tiny native orchids, mosses and lichens that are easily overlooked but reward those who take the time to look closely.
Many of these subjects are seasonal, yet each year brings new colours, shapes and discoveries. Scientists estimate that around 22,000 species of fungi inhabit New Zealand, many still waiting to be discovered and described. Every walk in the forest has the potential to reveal something I have never seen before.
Learning the techniques of macro photography with my Olympus TG-7 has renewed my enthusiasm. I still love my Nikon D850, but when you're lying on your stomach trying to photograph a tiny fungus on the forest floor, a lighter camera is a welcome companion—and an iPhone can be surprisingly awkward!
One of the joys of photography is that there is always something new to learn. Every new subject, every new technique and every change of season presents another opportunity to see the world a little differently.
Entoloma hochstetteri Cocyne Nature trail
Entoloma hochstetteri Cocyne Nature trail
Rose Waxbill Gliophorus versicolor
Velvet Shank Flammulina velutipes
Greenhood orchid (tutukiwi ) Pterostylis banksii
Spider Orchids Cortbas triobus QE2 convent area Davis Road
Thelymitra cyaqnea Albe Tasman Track
Vegetable Cicada. Ophiocordyceps robertsii, This a fascinating species which kills the developing insect before it emerges. A fungal stalk then grows from the body, creating the remarkable Vegetable Cicada, one of New Zealand's most unusual natural curiosities.
Sociable ink cap Coprinellus disseminatus
Inkcap
Red-eye waxbill Gliophorus subheteromorphus
Blue pink gill. (werewere-kokako) Entoloma hochstetteri
Blue pink gill. (werewere-kokako) Entoloma hochstetteri Twins
Shaggy Parasol Chlorophyll brunnrum/rachodes
Foliose Lichen
Giant Flamecap Gymnopilus junonius
Helmeted Logger Galerina hypnorum
Giant Flamecap Gymnopilus junonius
Amanita mascara
Amanita mascara HMcHughes Forest Park
Earth Star Geastrum a type of puffball fungi McHugh's forest park
Scarlet Pixie Cup Cladonia coccifera The contrast between the scarlet apothecia and pale cups makes these one of the most striking lichens in New Zealand.