[chrisa]

I spent last autumn messing about with fungi and flash lighting. Got some great feedback from member on this forum on how I was going, particuarly Markulous (although I know he don't like flash! )

I've written up my trials and experiments on my blog page here for anyone intrested.

Not sure how or if I could paste in here.

[Des Gardner]

Just checked your pictures out, and you seem to have mastered a good flash tech. All your pictures look good with no burnt out areas so well done, I have not done any fungi photography for some time, but I always used reflectors instead of flash, depending on what light was available the reflectors would be gold or silver and of course the camera would always be on a tripod......

[chrisa]

Thanks for the feedback Des,

As I said in my article I was trying out flash tech for the sake of it, also some fungi shots are taken in v.dark areas and rain, so I find it essential, and as you can see the latter are on a tripod. I also have to say the last time (last Oct) I used a reflector was interesting.

I was bouncing some natural light on a fungi on the ground using a free reflector that came with amateur photographer magazine, when an inquisitive horse and his companions decided to find out what the odd guy lying on the ground was up to. I managed to gather up the reflector, camera bag and equipment, bar the reflectors bag. Which before I could grab (or to be more accurate, as I tried to grab it) was eaten by the horse!

I beat a hasty retreat, as it seemed to then be interest in consuming more of my gear...

[Des Gardner]

Strange you should tell a funny story about what happened to your reflector, about 8 years ago a friend and I were taking pictures of some Fly Agaric and a person came along with his dog the person stopped to see what we were doing and the dog pee'd up my tripod leg.... it was so funny.... but later my friend realised he had missed a great picture opportunity!

[Markulous]

LOL! I've had the occasion of lying on the ground (shooting bluebells) when two of the largest Irish Wolfhounds you've ever seen romped up (and these dogs don't come in small sizes!), soft as brushes but they snuffled and slobbered over everything - including me and the camera bag which I'd left open (salutory lesson learned - always close your bag!). But I was pleased anyway as they didn't trample on the bluebells!

[chrisa]

He He!

And another that happened last year to me.

Lying on my mat of a path in the woods shooting some fungi, when I hear some walkers approaching so turn round and look to check they can get by. Nearest walker "jumps" and then says to me "oh my, you gave me a fright (when i move), I thought you were a dead body or something".

I think to myself, being alive is more frightening than being dead.

[Markulous]

Ah, yes, I've had the corpse thing, except I was on top of a hill, middle of nowhere in the Brecon Beacons (was resting my cramped toes - a problem I get when walking long distances, so lying stretched out on my back). As the guy said "I thought that moment we all dread had arrived: finding a dead body when out hiking"