Play That Fungi Music
Written & Photographed by Chris Holloman
| Camera: Canon R6 Mark II | Lens: Canon EF 100mm Macro f2.8
The Location
Percy Scenic Reserve is a Wellington gem. If you didn’t know it existed, you’d drive by it all too easily heading through Lower Hutt.
The historical value within this small footprint is quite incredible. Collections of native plants, some of Wellington’s earliest settler relics, and several tracks that branch throughout the gardens and ponds. Kiwi? perhaps soon enough… That will be an amazing day.
The Camera Walk
Today was overcast, slightly chilly and perfect to go find a variety of tiny fungi to play as the subject for my photography. Most of the specimens in the images are no more than a centimeter in diameter… many even smaller. Armed with the Canon R6 Mark II and the EF 105mm Macro (2.8), the adventure was set… but these little guys are much harder to spot walking at average pace, so my walk slowed to a crawl, and in some instances, I was actually on my knees and elbows to position myself.
Even at a micro scale, subjects this small can still pose. I tried to even shoot from underneath in order to make them appear more grand… There are SO many varieties within the natural areas of New Zealand that this is clearly just a small sample… I’m planning to see how many I can ‘collect’ by the end of this year.
Preservation
I NEVER pick or relocate native plants or botanicals. I know that I can enjoy it where it lives… no need to disrupt the bio. I will always do my best to respect what nature has gifted us; Pure Beauty.
Want to Visit? See the map below. Remember, NO dogs and NO bicycles… These are protected grounds.
