Take a walk into the enchanted forest and create some magic
Mushroom season is here, temperatures are dropping and humidity in the forests is on the rise. A perfect combination for mushrooms to pop up. I really love this period of the year. A perfect opportunity to pick up my camera and head to the woods. Mushrooms have something magical, they seem to come straight out of a fairy tale. They really trigger our imagination and lead us back to a fantasy world, a fantasy world that only existed when we were kids. A mystery world that we’ve almost forgotten. But… then there’s autumn to remind us. The enchanted forest still exists!
We want to capture this magical world. It’s a great way to connect with nature. Notice the little things that others just walk by, open up your mind and create a new world. A world full of magic and fantasy.
While shooting a picture of a mushroom is quite easy, shooting a picture coming straight out of a fairy tale is a little more complicated. But difficult doesn’t mean impossible. What you need is patience, the right camera techniques and a good amount of imagination. In the video below I’m going to give you some photography tips on how to create pictures of enchanted mushrooms.
Embracing a shallow depth of field
The techniques and skills I use to create these mushroom pictures are all discussed in great detail in the Flower Art Photography Masterclass. The goal is to create the images in-camera while shooting and to limit the post production to a minimum. One of the main characteristics of this type of photography is the shallow depth of field that results in a painterly dreamy feel.
To create this kind of images you’ll have to take all elements into account. The foreground, background, main subject, supporting subject, light and composition help all to tell a wonderful visual story.
Take it a step further
But if you want to take it a step further and you want to learn how to create images that really seem to come out of a fairy tale, then have a look at the Mushroom Light painting masterclass. Learn to create magical glowing mushrooms. For these images you need to do quite some work in photoshop, but you’ll end up with pictures that really scream WOW! In the masterclass I show 3 different ways to let the mushrooms glow, depending on the kind of mushroom they need a different approach.
Background is key in creating this kind of painterly pictures. I’ll go more into detail on this topic in another video: Mastering the Art of Effective Backgrounds
15 Comments
ANGIE
24/09/2021 at 8:08 pmThank you for your tips, you’re very generous with your explanations.
admin
25/09/2021 at 12:40 amYou’re more than welcome!
Inger Sudland
29/09/2021 at 2:25 pmLovely pics og mushrooms. I am still strugling with flowers. There has not been much times to practice with flowers. But I have time now to go through Your flower-lessons. 😊
admin
29/09/2021 at 6:18 pmThanks!
Mushrooms are a wonderful alternative to apply the techniques of the flower art photography masterclass. Have fun at it!
Alan Dixon
30/09/2021 at 9:52 amAs always, very helpful, thanks very much!
admin
03/10/2021 at 4:25 pmYou’re welcome!
Ken Graham
02/10/2021 at 8:23 amThis was a very simple and inspiring video.. excellent
Thank you
Kan Graham
admin
03/10/2021 at 4:25 pmThanks! You’re welcome!
Theo Daems
02/10/2021 at 8:43 amDit is top informatie, gespekt met mooie foto’s. Top.
admin
03/10/2021 at 4:24 pmDankjewel!
annie.vanbroeck@gmail.com
08/03/2022 at 4:06 pmHeel heldere uitleg en tips. Bedankt!
Christine
03/08/2023 at 10:41 amWhat a fantastic video, full of helpful tips and wonderful photography! Thank you so so much 😊
admin
24/09/2023 at 6:47 pmYou’re welcome Christine! Glad you are enjoying it!
Ruth
15/08/2023 at 6:57 pmTHank You ! You are an Inspiration !
I definitely want to do the mushroom light class sometime.
I’m working on finding a way to see my flower images at this time. Then I will do the mushroom class.
I would appreciate any advice on how to sell my flower photos.
admin
24/09/2023 at 6:46 pmHey Ruth, thanks for your response! Selling images and earn money with it isn’t really easy! I used to sell a lot of images in micro stock. Until about eight years ago it was still worth it to upload, but nowadays it’s just a waste of time. I used to earn thousands a month with it. But those days are long gone!