Jewel in the rough

I spotted this Pleated Ink Cap (I think that what it is??) on an early morning walk. At first glance I thought it was a fading dandelion, flower or perhaps even a half eaten mushroom. But the closer I looked I was fascinated with the shape and structure of it, realizing is was a mushroom. The challenge for me, since it was still pre-dawn, was to get settings that would work in this situation.

I set the ISO @ 1600 to compensate for not only the pre dawn lighting, but also because I was hand holding the camera. I really love this little (less than 1 1/2") mushroom shape and texture. And that it was growing in a grassy area (not a moist wooden area as I would have expected) right along side the road. Also like the contrasting dried grasses as a backdrop.

In LR PS - I’ve sharpened, reduced noise, added luminosity mask (to even out the background) and cropped 1:1.

Nikon D7200, f/11, 1/5sec, ISO 1600 16-80mm @80mm

Any and all comment, thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

2 Likes

Linda, this is a neat looking mushroom with its mix of lines and “squiggles”. The background fits well and the mushroom stands out nicely. I would have looked into moving that one stem that lies just beneath the shroom, which admittedly, could be dangerous in terms of knocking down the mushroom, but possibly not proceeded…

What a cool-looking mushroom, Linda, and nicely captured. A terrific entry to the Weekly Challenge.

Thanks Mark. I was so tempted to try exactly what you’re referring to however the next couple of weeks will allow me little time for photography. My husband and I are headed to Colorado as his sister is in hospice and the last stages of Huntington’s Disease

Thanks Terry. It was a fun find for me.

A very nice find andwell photographed, Linda. An amazing job of hand holding with that shutter speed.

Sorry it’s taken me sometimes time, out of town for a bit, Dennis. Thanks for your kind thoughts.