Bruce Michelotti
October 2026 - Old Man of the Woods
About the Image(s)
I went for a hike in the forest a few weeks ago in search of mushrooms. It had rained the day before and I thought I had a good chance of finding some. I was amazed by how many I saw. They seemed to be everywhere. I found many that I had never seen before and this is one of them. I think it is called Old Man of the Woods. I used some LED lighting since it was quite dark where I was due to overcast skies. This was shot at 1/50 sec, f/8 and ISO 800. Canon R5, 105mm. Even though the mushrooms were plentiful they are somewhat difficult to shoot. I had to get down to their level to capture a good shot. As you might guess getting down that low is the easy part. Getting back up is the challenge!
6 comments posted
Nice work, Bruce. There are a lot of elements that make this a winner. Truly worthy of the trouble we have getting up and down for our art form.
The texture in the mushroom and surrounding areas is really well rendered. The shallow depth of field really enhances the image, but the sprouts in the foreground being in focus really add to the scene. It gives a great foreground/middle ground/background to the frame. It's a great image to tell a story while still having an artistic overtone. The colors all work well together and you nailed the exposure. Well done! Posted: 10/15/2026 15:14:27
The texture in the mushroom and surrounding areas is really well rendered. The shallow depth of field really enhances the image, but the sprouts in the foreground being in focus really add to the scene. It gives a great foreground/middle ground/background to the frame. It's a great image to tell a story while still having an artistic overtone. The colors all work well together and you nailed the exposure. Well done! Posted: 10/15/2026 15:14:27
Thanks for your comments Andrew. The photo does not really show the scale of this guy. It is about two inches tall. I though about putting a memory card next to it for comparison but then I couldn't enter it into competitions (just kidding). Posted: 10/26/2026 22:05:45
Composition is very good! F 8 kept the mushroom in focus and blurred the background nicely. The colors are warm and inviting. The green in the foreground is quite nice. I have something else to say but I can't remember the word I am looking for. When it leaps back into my mind I will add to this comment. Posted: 10/15/2026 23:25:06
Thanks for your comments Mark, you remembered a lot and I appreciate it. Posted: 10/26/2026 22:06:38
wabi sabi Posted: 10/26/2026 23:09:14
AH, yes. Wabi Sabi. Thanks Posted: 10/26/2026 23:32:51