Ipstones Edge Fungi
A landscape photography blog by Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire based landscape photographer Rob Thorley Photography.
It’s the start of October and the weather had been a little bit drab, so I thought I’d venture out to the woods to see what the fungi was up to.
I opted for Ipstones Edge, otherwise known as Swineholes Wood as I hadn’t been there for a while and it’s quite a damp woodland ( if that makes sense).
I switched out my usual landscape gear for my macro lens, batteries and flash. I have to admit it’s always nicer to carry a lighter load. The plan was simple. Find the fungi and do some light painting.
Whilst it’s always good to have a plan in your head ultimately you go with what nature gives you. Today was one of those days where the stars didn’t align. I wandered around the woodland, and to be fair I found plenty of fungi, certainly more than I was expecting. It just wasn’t to be found in the right places.
The longer I wandered around the more I felt like Goldilocks. The fungi was either too low, Too thick. Too damaged, Too . . . you name it. It just wasn’t sitting right.
Foraging for fungi at Ipstones Edge.
In the end I came away with just the one composition of this orange fungi that was covering a moss covered tree stump. I took a few shots experimenting with the flash power and different angles but if I’m honest I wasn’t really in the zone.
I think sometimes the worst thing you can do is try to force it, so in the end I called it, and headed off home. As Goldilocks would say . . . that felt just right.
You can view more images of Swineholes Wood and my gallery of other Staffordshire locations.
