Posts in Category: forest
Maine! Calico Aster
Calico Aster, also known as “white woodland aster” is a small flowered aster of, as you might guess, woodlands throughout North and Central Americas. It is a late summer, early fall bloomer. This one was growing in the Walsh Woods Arundel Land Conservancy. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 109mm equivalent. Program mode with my macro modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! First touch of fall
The very first touch of autumn’s brush along the edge of the marsh in Kennebunk, Maine. Definitely fall in the air. Sony a5100 with the E 10-18 f4 zoom at 15mm equivalent. Superior Auto with Landscape Scene Mode. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! More Ghost Flower
I found this small stand of Ghost Flower, or Indian Pipe, in the forest along the Bridle Path in Kennebunk, Maine, where the majority of the flowers had not curled over, giving a great view of the inner parts. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 75 and 105mm equivalents. Program mode with my macro modifications. Program shift to f10 and f11 for depth of field. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Ghost Flower, the inside view
Occasionally you find a Ghost Flower or Indian Pipe plant with the blossom still pointing up so you can see what is inside. And here it is. The inside view of the Ghost Flower. Who would suspect that all the pigment in the plant is mostly hidden. Even viewed on phone you are seeing the flower at life-size or more. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 106mm equivalent. Program mode with my macro modifications. Program shift to f10 at 1/30th for depth of field. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! More Ghost Plant
Ghost Plant or Indian Pipe is in full bloom these last days of August here in Southern Maine. This stand is just off the Bridle Path in Kennebunk and is among the largest clumps I have seen and one of the healthiest. I actually went back to photography it a second. I find the range of tones from pink to pure white to be interesting. I assume it is something to do with the soil as many clumps, even nearby, were plain white. Sony a5100 with Sony E 10-18 f4 zoom at 22mm equivalent. Aperture Program mode at f10 for depth of field…and clearly the camera was just above ground level for this shot. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Two fungi and a flower
Three low wide angle perspective shots. Crown-tipped Coral, Golden Fairy Spindle (sometimes Yellow Coral), and a true flower…the Ghost Flower or Indian Pipe, a parasitic plant on some mushrooms, which are themselves parasitic on the tree roots. Sony a5100 with Sony 10-18 f4 zoom at 15mm equivalent. Aperture mode at f10 for depth of field. Processed in Photomator. Assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! The fruiting forest floor
We have a little patch of woods across the road which I do not pay enough attention too. It was posted for a long time, but it has changed hands and the posted signs are gone, so maybe I will explore it more. This is the time when the forest floor comes alive with mushrooms of all shapes and kinds and I found these in just a short excursion (incursion) in those woods. Clavulinopsis fusiformis, among whose common names I like “golden fairy spindle” best. Some kind of Hygrophore, one of the Lactarus, and a more mature Hygrophore. (Ids courtesy of Siri Knowledge and Google Lens :). Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 75-100mm equivalents. Program mode with my macro modifications. f10 for depth of field and all handheld at low shutter speeds due to the lack of light on the forest floor on a cloudy day. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Forest perspective
One of the Russula mushrooms I think, from the Mousam River Preserve of the Kennebunk Land Trust. This is one of the other “uses” I had hoped for from the Sony 10-18mm f4 lens when I bought it. It focuses to about 6 inches so these kinds of right down on the forest floor shots are possible. Keeping everything in perspective as we enter mushroom season. Sony a5100 with the aforementioned Sony 10-18mm zoom at 15mm equivalent. Program Aperture @ f10 for depth of field. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Ghost Plant
Indian Pipe (or Ghost Plant), Rachel Carson Headland Trail (at the headquarters), Wells, Maine, USA, August 2024 — Growing up in up-state New York, we called this Indian Pipe, but I see that many internet resources are using the name Ghost Plant. I can see why…it does have a definite ghostly appearance. It is a flowering plant, each stem producing one flower, but it has no chlorophyll and cannot use sunlight to generate nourishment. Instead it is parasitic on Russula type mushrooms, which are themselves parasitic on the roots of host trees. Ultimately the Ghost Plant gets its nutrients third hand. Talk about complicated living arrangements. This arrangement does mean that it can grow in deep undergrowth under dense canopy where little sunlight penetrates. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 75mm equivalent. Program mode with my macro modifications. ISO 2000 @ f4.5 @ 1/250th. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Tripping Slugs
From my session with the mushrooms of the woods along the Bridle Path…you have to wonder if these slugs are tripping on what looks like Fly Agaric to me. They certainly seem to be enjoying it. Yes I know, yuk. Still I find it to be an interesting photo. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 75mm equivalent. Program mode with my macro modifications. Processed in Photomator.