Magic Mushrooms in a Whole New Light

We know, we know… on paper it sounds, well, boring. Photos of mushrooms. Big deal. That very simplistic description does not come close to realizing the majesty Australian photographer Steve Axford captures in his work. Axford is a sort of photography explorer, not only capturing the natural world around him, but also surveying remote locations by way of macro photography to uncover the beauty of mushrooms and other fungi. Nature photography is often concentrated on much larger objects, so Axford’s artistic approach to what could otherwise be missed, and considered scientific subjects is pretty unique. In his own words, “My photography is an avenue into exploring this world… as it slows me down and allows me to look at things more closely. My interests cover everything from micro fungi to volcanoes, though more of my time now is spent with the fungi than the volcanoes. While doing this I have developed a passion for the way things fit together (the ecology). Nothing exists in isolation and the more you look, the more connections you find. Oddly enough, this fits with what I used to work at, as a designer and manager of large computer systems. Although the world is a far more complex than any man made computer system, the rules learned with one can be applied to the other.” Needless to say, we appreciate the unique beauty and investigative spirit in Axford’s work.

More macro photography here and here.

Via steveaxford.smugmug.com

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