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I found it a bit difficult and daunting to “judge” the photographs of photographers way more accomplished (based on looking in the galleries) than I, and hopefully my perspective from a background with no formal training or education in art or photography won’t be that limiting... but I would like to comment on some of what I thought were interesting images, as well as the winners. And a big thanks to everyone who participated!
luxun54:
The color contrast and the almost monochromatic forest duff at the bottom makes for a nice composition featuring what looks like a mushroom from the genus Hygrocybe (the “waxy caps”).
Titia Geertman:
Liked this pretty shot of a Suillus americanus (“chicken fat suillus” is the common name here, but I doubt that the species name is the same in the Netherlands)?
karlc:
Interesting POV, reminded me of that old television show, Land of the Giants... the sense of scale is highly distorted, almost surreal. The pinkish-orange coloration of these Russula mushrooms adds a lot of interest.
Flo Hendry:
Nice, playful composition and use of color.
Aaron Zeitler:
The moist appearance of this mushroom (looks like Cortinarius iodes), alongside the moss was very appealing.
McGarva:
Great POV and composition, and some beautiful mushrooms (appear to be some purple Russulas).
Jeroen Bosman:
Nice composition, nice lighting, good choice of "frame," and nice specimens (though, if I may say so, I don’t quite agree with your ID... the blood-foot mycena, Mycena haematopus or sanguinolenta is much smaller and has a delicate, fragile, translucent, thin stem and striations on the cap, whereas the specimens in your image are more robust and larger (based on the size of the grass blades) than typical mycenas (see http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/jun2002.html or http://home.online.no/~araronse/Mycenak ... atopus.htm or http://www.pbase.com/rsub8/image/115715063); would need to see the specimens, to tell what they are...
Owen Wong:
Both very, very pretty studies of Agaricus, nice use of lensbaby for the first one, and nice use of shapes and lines in the second. I initially had a bit of a hard time finding the originals (not linked) but it was nice making a side trip to your interesting galleries. Check out the “info regarding Show & Tell Contests” thread for help on how to link the images, it’s not that hard once you get the hang of it, Owen.
Following are the winners. I consider the second and third place images to be tied for second; it was very difficult to decide which to put into which slot. Though the photographic styles of those images aren’t something that I would try myself, because I tend not to like “processed” or artificial appearing images, here, I found them to be unusual, graphic and very appealing.
Colin Bainbridge:
Fourth place. Beautiful pastel colors of what appear to be cultivated mushrooms, quite a lovely image!
Markus Grompe:
Third place. I just loved the symmetry of this well balanced composition that draws you in, and the image processing was nicely done. Almost like a painting. I think the image is more interesting than seeing the mushrooms as they would actually appear, even the original subject in the woods. Stunning, very well done, and I think this would look great framed and hanging on a wall!
Peter Stubley:
Second place. Really nice and unusual use of lighting and contrast for this type of subject, and the water drop adds an important element of interest. It almost looks like a black and white negative, because of the direction of the lighting, and the image could even be more interesting inverted to negative (I tried it, and liked it, and I think the result would turn any mycologist’s head).
Jeroen Bosman:
First place for this strikingly beautiful image. The use of depth of field for the close-up was well done, and the point of view also good... and the sharpness (where in focus) even nicely resolved the details of the warts. The blades of grass provided a nice color contrast and tied the composition together. It also helped to have a great specimen of Amanita muscaria (fly agaric). The colors of the reduced-size versions of the original image are undersaturated, and I wouldn't have liked this nearly as much had I not also seen the original. I'd recommend that everyone check out the original (linked to the image above); these mushrooms really are that vividly colored (although the version common in America, Amanita muscaria var. formosa tends to be yellow to orange-red rather than that amazing vivid red).
I notice that this is now the third contest you’ve won, Jeroen... jamais deux sans trois, I suppose? And so it’s your turn (again)! Congratulations...
-Rob