Marasmius haematocephalus

Panus fasciatus

Cup mushroom

These truly wonderful photographs were taken by Steve Axford. Let’s leave Steve describe himself:

I live in the Northern Rivers area of NSW and I am doing essentially what I like. What I like is photography and exploring the world. The world, for me, is dominated by living things and the planet we live on . My photography is an avenue into exploring this world. My interests cover everything from micro fungi to volcanoes, though more of my time now is spent with the fungi than the volcanoes.

Stinkhorn mushrooms

Leratiomyces

mushroom

Mycena chlorophos – a bioluminiscent mushroom.

The mushrooms he photographs look like they are not from this galaxy – let alone from this planet! Axford says that most of the mushrooms seen here were photographed around his home and are sub-tropical fungi, but many were also taken in Victoria and Tasmania and are classified as temperate fungi.

My photography has been my avenue into this world as it slows me down and allows me to look at things more closely. Most of my photography is still pictures, as you will mostly see on this site. I try to combine the beauty I see with some scientific accuracy, so most of my photos could be used to identify things and will show the fine detail. Recently I have started to take time lapse videos of mushrooms, and other things, growing. This adds another dimension to an already fascination world and sometimes allows a glimpse into the world of interactions between different life forms.

Big Scrub Loop.

Cyptotrama aspratum or Gold tuft

Mycena aff. adonis

Mycena aff adonis

He made it his mission to track down some of the world’s strangest and brilliantly diverse mushrooms and take fantastic pictures of them.

Hairy mycena

White mycena.

Orange Marasmiaceae

Favolaschia cyathia

Mauve splitting waxcap

Panus lecomtei

You can find out more about him (or see some of his other pictures, fungi or non-fungi) on his smugsmug Page or on his Flickr.

Schizophyllum commune

Red Marasmiaceae

Mutinus boninensis

Leathery Goblet

Phillipsia subpurpurea

Orange crepidotus