Posts in Category: forest
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.
Maine! Studies in Cinnamon Fern heads
Cinnamon Fern (I think). While out looking for Lady Slipper Orchids in my secret spot here Kennebunk, I could not help but notice all the ferns somewhat past fiddle head stage. I love the ornate look of the coiled fern fonds. The two wider shots here are at 800mm with the M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom on the OM System OM-1Mkii, for about a 1:2 magnification. The tighter shots are with the same set-up but with the 2x digital tele-extender added for a 1:1 magnification. Depending on the device you are viewing the photos on the close-up are probably life size or better. Program mode. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Blue Jay rampant
Blue Jay: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — Just after leaving the deck and my hour long observation of the hunting heron, and my brief observation of the White-tailed Deer, I encountered a small flock of Blue Jays moving through the maple swamp close to the boardwalk. I often see them there, high in the trees and far out from the boardwalk, but this time they were close enough to attempt some photos. I love all the different blues and blue-violets of the plumage, and there is no denying that Blue Birds have personality…or birdinality at any rate. One thing you can’t do with at Blue Bird is to ignore it…they simply are not having any of that! OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! bare maples
The maples in the wet maple forest are totally bare now. The lone oak stands out at the edge of the marsh, here at Laudholm Farms. OM Systems OMD EM5Mkiii with 12-45mm zoom at 54mm equivalent. Program mode with in-camera HDR. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Bare maples and copper oak
The season continues to develop…the maples are bare and the oaks are copper at this little pond along the bridle path in Kennebunk. OM Systems OMD EM5Mkiii with 12-45mm zoom at 24mm equivalent. Program mode with in-camera HDR. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.
Maine! Laudholm October, where field meets forest
Where the overgrown meadow meets the forest at Laudholm Farms (Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve). Color, color every where. OM Systems OMD EM5Mkiii with 12-45mm zoom at 24mm equivalent. Program mode with in-camera HDR. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.