The 17th Garden Photographer of the Year competition showcased breathtaking entries in "The World of Fungi" category, celebrating the intricate beauty of these often-overlooked organisms. Among the standout entries, Barry Webb FRPS captured 1st Place with his mesmerizing image "Icy Craterium," a macro masterpiece that reveals the delicate, crystalline textures of slime molds.
The collection of 18 incredible macro fungi photos highlights the diversity and artistry of fungi, emphasizing their vital role in nature and their hidden aesthetic appeal. These photographs bring a new appreciation for the microcosmic wonders thriving in gardens worldwide.
Submit your entries for 2024 IGPOTY Photo Contest. Scroll down and inspire yourself. You can check their website for more information.
You can find more info about IGPOTY:
#1. 1st Place: "Icy Craterium" by Barry Webb FRPS
"This 1 mm tall Craterium minutum slime mould was found on decaying vegetation, at the edge of a compost heap in my garden, captured following a hard frost. I was surprised to see the unusually cube-shaped ice formations on the fruiting body of this slime mould. This shot is comprised of 87 focus bracketed images, focus stacked together."
#2. 2nd Place: "Honey Fungi" by Tony North
"A clump of honey fungus mushrooms, which I found growing on a log in a country park. I focus stacked multiple images together to capture maximum details."
#3. 3rd Place: "Ink Factory" by Erik Nevels
"Inkcap mushrooms do not have a long life. When they perish, they deteriorate rapidly – it is certainly not a pretty sight, but rather a grisly one. Due to overhead lighting, the background remains white, and the contrast with the inky black remains of the fungus is stark."
#4. Finalist: "Wrinkled Peach Wonderland" by Andrew Neal
"Rhodotus palmatus (wrinkled peach) fungi are fairly scarce, mainly because they almost exclusively grow on elm, which isn’t as common because of Dutch elm disease. This species is classified as ‘near threatened’ on the IUCN Red List. There are numerous droplets, which are its earliest stage of fruiting, this ‘weeping’ is known as guttation. For maximum clarity, I captured 40 photos and focus stacked them together."
#5. Finalist: "Slime Mould and Springtail" by Barry Webb FRPS
"I was photographing these 4 mm tall Comatricha slime moulds, growing on an old fencepost in my back garden, when I noticed a tiny springtail (which are classified as hexapods), walk into the frame, and begin browsing the algae on the wood. This shot is comprised of 76 focus bracketed images, focus stacked together."
#6. Finalist: "Cribraria Slime Mould Trio" by Barry Webb FRPS
"These three, green Cribraria slime moulds were found on a decaying pine log, on the forest floor of a local ancient, mixed woodland. When seen through a 90mm macro lens with a 2x teleconverter, they resembled miniature watermelons! This shot is comprised of 88 focus bracketed images, focus stacked together, to gain maximum detail of these 2mm tall fruiting bodies."
#7. Finalist: "Mycena on Pine Cone" by Jay Birmingham
"Instead of a party, for my birthday weekend, I decided to spend much of it on the forest floor – photographing fungi. I found this Mycena mushroom, which was emerging from a pine cone, particularly beautiful and used a wide aperture to capture the bokeh behind. This shot is comprised of multiple images, focus stacked together."
#8. Highly Commended: "Smoky Mushroom" by Angi Wallace
"I wanted to create a similar effect to the release of spores, spreading in the wind at night. I placed incense under the mushroom, and used gelled back lighting to illuminate the mushroom and smoke, creating a mysterious atmosphere. This shot is a combination of two separate photos, in order to perfect the composition of the smoke."
#9. Highly Commended: "Lamproderma, Slime Mould on Holly Spike" by Barry Webb FRPS
"The spike of this holly leaf shows the scale of these tiny, 1 mm tall, blue, iridescent Lamproderma slime moulds. Three extension tubes were used with a macro lens, to take 54 bracketed shots, which were then focus stacked together."
#10. Highly Commended: "Sulphur Tufts with Woodlouse" by Tony North
"Pictured are three, young sulphur tuft mushrooms, complete with water droplets and a resident woodlouse. This shot is comprised of multiple images, focus stacked together."
#11. Highly Commended: "Three Bonnets" by Jay Birmingham
"Searching through a local forest early in the morning, I came across this cluster of three common bonnet mushrooms (Mycena sp.), that in one shot seemed to show the stages of growth. The bokeh behind, with the light coming through the ferns, portrayed the environment they live in."
#12. Highly Commended: "With a Pleated Skirt" by Bente Klevenberg
"I bring home various mushrooms, foraged from my local woods, including this blusher mushroom, which is the common name for several closely related Amanita species. I photographed this mushroom in my home studio, using a lamp and flashlight, with texture added in the background."
#13. Highly Commended: "Immature Holly Parachute Fungi" by Barry Webb FRPS
"These immature, Marasmius hudsonii (holly parachute fungi), were growing on a dead holly twig, in leaf litter, on the floor of an ancient woodland. Each fungus is approximately 6-7 mm tall, and covered in tiny, hair-like spikes. I captured 47 focus bracketed shots, and then focus stacked together."
#14. Commended: "Collaria Slime Mould" by Barry Webb FRPS
"These 1.5 mm tall Collaria slime moulds were growing around a hole in a dead leaf, found on the woodland floor. I focus stacked 102 focus bracketed images together, in order to achieve sufficient depth of field."
#15. Commended: "Family Photo" by Bernadette Benz
"A group of shaggy ink cap fungi, growing along the side of a road, which I captured with my camera sat on a beanbag – to me, they looked like a family posing for a group photo. This shot is comprised of 30 images focus stacked together."
#16. Commended: "Amethyst Deceiver Pair" by Angi Wallace
"A focus stacked image of two beautiful amethyst deceiver fungi, captured at Northumberlandia woods."
#17. Commended: "Spores Spewing Out" by Huixia Mi
"Mount Taishan Scenic Area (part of the protected Taishan UNESCO Global Geopark), is home to the reishi mushroom – Ganoderma lucidum, which is in its mature form in late August every year. In the subsequent months, millions of spores are intermittently released into the air of the forest."
#18. Commended: "Triplets" by Gina Heynze
"A trio of vermillion waxcap mushrooms, stood out with their vibrant orange-red colours, especially well against the browns of the forest floor."
