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Is this perhaps a new Species?
The Christmas Mushroom perhaps

We found this very tiny fella on some rotting wood while doing a post christmas cleanup.

I found the extreme close up quite a challenge & after seeing it on the big screen will try again with a second light to Camera right,
Any other suggestions are more than welcome, as is a serious ID.
I am reluctant to clean it up as it is very delicate.

Taken with 105VR + all three Kenko tubes. SB800 to Camera Left.


And with a match to give an idea of scale:

Interesting. I like the intense red on the first one (I realise the second is to give an idea of its size next to a match), but I find it a bit soft. I would try using your software to sharpen it a bit or maybe reducing the size of the picture. As far as cleaning it up, I feel that even if you use your camera blower (I'm assuming you have one) you will have to do it very gently because it looks very fragile.

You can try reshooting the second picture with the match more in the frame. Just a thought.

did you eat it? looks tasty

The first image works well for me, alittle sharper would be nice. As for the ID, its a mushroom, i got no clue, colin will probably know..

I had another go. Not with a scale though. I brought it inside (Oh my aching back!)
SB900 LHS. SB800 RHS & Top. All M1/1, but distances varied to balance the lights. LHS & RHS had the diffusers on. At this scale these are effectively giant softboxes. Top light was bare & much further away.
Also as I was able to control the environment better, I managed to get closer in.

1/250s f57 ISO200 Minimum focus. I used my Pano rail to adjust focus manually

Processing was slightly different. CS3 rather than NX2 as the sharpening tools there seem to do a better job.
Exposure was slightly lower resulting in a darker image which I prefer. It is also closer to what I see through the magnifying glass. Apart from Sharpening, this is SOOC

If it's still there in the morning, I will try again with a scale. I will also try the blower on it. Good idea.

It could be a Hygrocybe of some sort Greg.
Tiny little tacker.
Nice pic.

Hi Greg,

The first of these images is overexposed. You have pulled the exposure back nicely in the other two images and the translucence and delicacy comes through very nicely.

This sort of photography is not at all easy, and you have done well.

I think this last one is more interesting, sharper and deeper red.

Here is this morning's photo with the match. Blowing did not dislodge the sand grains.
Settings much the same as the previous one, but I dialed back the LHS and RHS strobes somewhat because of the brightness of the match.

As you can see, it has faded fast, but as the purpose was to show the size, I went ahead anyway. It wilted visibly while I was photographing it.


I checked Wiki for Hygrocybes. The closest seemed to be Hygrocybe miniata but this seems both too Orange and too large.

Looking at this photo again, Perhaps it's a Brett Whitely Sculpture instead

Interesting, in this one the focus shifted to the match and then the wilted mushroom.

Love the last version greg, REally sharp with great detail however the eye is drawn to the match more. Perhaps darken the match a little.

Great macros! How magnification are you getting over and above the 1:1 from the 105mm?

surenj wrote:How magnification are you getting over and above the 1:1 from the 105mm?

You work it out. I care about composing the shot and filling the frame. Also giving a sense of scale, not magnification per se. It is a standard Redhead match. Two mm across the wood. The photo is uncropped on a DX sensor. Or measure the size on your monitor to give final magnification.

I agree that the match would be better darker. Trouble was, it was 1. Lighter in tone and 2. Closer to the light source (LHS). As the mushie was, by this time, well past its prime, I can't really be bothered stumbling through post to get a better look.