Weekly Competition #197 - Fungi Competition

Right, here we go! Many thanks for all the entries and especially so when all this great weather has been dragging people out into the fresh air, away from TV and computers alike.

Please can we join your gang? - I like the form and composition of this very much indeed, but to be honest less so the treatment. This may well be a result of the scanning process, so I'd have another go at that because the underlying image is excellent.

uneatable - This seems to crawl towards us like some slimy monster so the effect is certainly there. A minor point is that the two green leaves in the background do catch the eye in a way that is disprportionate to their size. Pewrhaps cloning them out would help, but in a strict natural history competition that would not be allowed. A crop might do it, or a slight adjustment of viewpoint.

Autumn abstract - Brilliant, like it very much. That one little bit of green could go, but the overall effect is really good. Lots of detail and textures make up a wonderful abstract design.

mushrooms and the sixties, who remembers - a tribute to Andy Warhol and a brave attempt to rival that classic style. The choice of a diagonal gives the image strength and the colours are spot on. The red moves strongly towards us and the poster-green forms a great backdrop. The stalk may be a problem, so that could be cloned out, after which I would have be tempted to call this "The Smile"....

Mushroom Picking - There has been some thought into the presentation of the foreground elements of this image, but don't forget the background. The partially in focus details are distracting and a lighter area will always catch the eye. More depth of field is needed in the mushroom itself as there is little sharpness and a lack of texture detail. The lighting is good, so next time just thinking of the whole image rather than one aspect will pay dividends.

Black caps? - Apart from the fungi, we could almost be looking at a satellite image of the ground. It's a very interesting effect and makes a good abstract. The fungi themselves are quite secondary to the image, but form a good record of how they grow.

Bolitus - The light is very high above this fungus, throwing shadows downwards when we really want to see some detail under the cap if possible. Lying evenh flatter on the floor, perhaps using reflectors or fill in flash and gardening away the twig will hone this shot. The background is excellent and shows off the Bolitus perfectly, but just those few details will lift the image.

Unknown Fungi - A nice bland background that doesn't compete, an interesting diagonal composition and good colour are the hallmarks of this image. WE can see from the sharpness of the grass that the depth of field is a little too far forwards and could do with encompassing the fungi rather than the grass foreground. A smaller aperture than f8 is needed here, I would use f16, and focusing perhaps on the upper cusp of the first fungus.

Aaaaaagh! - Yes indeed, a good record of an unpleasant find. If for your insurers, then include a ruler in the image to show scale and the job is an effective one, giving all the information we need about an incident or situation.

We all trust ther're edible - Fair enough, but next time less exposure so that the mushrooms don't have burnt out areas and more attention to composition so that all the shadow is included. This is all about attention to detail...even the simplest of shots can be done to a high degree of skill and the difference always shows.

Circle in Square - Yes, a fine pattern and the circle within the quare works perfectly. Symmetry. The orange blob bottom right is the only distraction and that should be removed if possible - cloning will do it - unless your objective was to break the symmetry you have created. The photographer's intention is everything, but whatever the intention here it's still an excellent image.

Not mushroom in this trunk................ - The title sets us up for a lighthearted viewing of this image and I can see where you're coming from with this. f4.5 ensures only one mushroom is sharp, so the photographer has made a choice. Personally I might have rearranged things to show just one sharply and leave the other out entirely as I'm not sure it adds anything to the story of the image.

Life In The Old Tree - Very nicely done, good colour where it's needed and the treatment further concentrates our eye on that. Would a diagonal presentatioon been stronger?

Fly Agarics - This is a very well arranged group, with excellent sharpness and colour and no competing elements within the frame. There is enough of the environment to give a picture of the greater whole, so the group is also in context. There are bright highlights on the caps, but they are held with just a hint of detail, so good technique there. Highly competent and a very satisfying picture of fungi.

The Frog - Excellent observational skills and a good presentation bring us this amusing and effective image. It's a pity about the bright background, but on the other hand the slightest change of viewpoint could ruin the frog-like appearance.

Portico - Nice colour and excposure on the fungus, but I think we could maintain the essential parts of the image and still go very much closer. The texture and colour of the background is very well done.

Shroompat - A blob thing indeed and although on the face of it a very mundane subject, nonetheless it is an accurate record of what this clump of fungi looks like. As this is not a natural history subject per se then I thin perhaps an enhancement of the colours would have lifted the excitement of the image for the general viewer. As a record, then the colours should be accurate and if this is how it looked then this is how it should be.

Is the mushroom in the kitchen? - The title sets us up again so we are told that these mushrooms are captive fungi, so to speak. Here we have an attempt to make a design and make them more interesting. Effort and attention to detail pays off, a good shot at making something out of simple ingredients.

Fungi of the woods - Nice coloour harmony underlies this shot. The lighting is rather harsh for the subject, bright overcast is really the best for this sort of image. Good arrnagement of the main group, correctly placed in the frame. You could consider using a square format and cropping the left side of the image. This coupled with kinder lighting, using a tripod and small aperture, will make for an excellent picture.

money fungi - This is a great idea, but it cries out for more depth of field. Small aperture, tripod, long exposure...and you could then see everything clearly. For me there is far too much out of focus in the image.

Decay - A good group, good colour and a good background. Interesting as well. A little more depth of field would bring in better overall detail, a tripod being a must for maximum sharpness. All the ingredients are here, just a tweak of attention to technique and we would have a really good image. As it is, i still like it very much though and if you found this on a long walk, with no tripod available, then it has to be taken as is.

Orange decomposition - has excellent composition as a photo. The colour is brilliant, the only detraction being an overall lack of critical sharpness. Tripod and smaller aperture will make this a brilliant shot. If it has to be hand held, the up that ISO even more and accept there may be some noise. A noisy (grainy) image will beat a noiseless less sharp one every time.

And so to the results:

1st Place Dr Orloff with Fly Agarics

2nd Place Belinda B. with Autumn Abstract

3rd Place wonble with Circle In Square

Commended entries are
Life in the Old tree by tomw
Is there mushroom in the kitchen? by VonBatCat
Decay by conexus

Beautiful shot doc - excellent composition and my favourite too.

Great judging John - many thanks - well done all the runners up and others.


Tony

Thanks John for the swift and competent judgement and setting a theme close to my heart.

Congratulations to the winners. DrOrloff's shot had my vote as well, fantastic shot!

Many thanks John for an interesting subject and your great reviews and judging.

Congratulations to DrOrloff for a fantastic winning shot, the runners-up and everyone else for a wonderful set of images.

Glyn

Great judging. Well done DrO - had that down as the winner. Many Thanks for my commended John.

Well done to all, wonderful collection of shots.

Blimey. Thanks very much for the excellent judging and well done to fellow podiumers. My money was on VonBatCat.

I'll get my thinking cap on.

Congratulations to DrOrloff - a likely winner I thought.

Thanks to John Riley for the competition, the judging and the greatly coveted 2nd Place

Fortunately my entry was not taken at home but in a listed building that was awash in dry rot, wet rot and one or two other 'nasties'

But good advice about including a ruler to give an idea of scale.

Thank you John for the competition and your usual excellent judging.

A well deserved win by DrOrloff

Excellent judging John. I thought the Doc's image was outstanding too.

K.

congratulations Dr Orloff and thanks for the judging John

Sandy

Hearty congratulations Dr O, and fellow podium places. Thanks for setting the comp and judging John and well done all who entered

Congratulations to the winners, excellent choices by johnriley. Thanks for the comments.

cogratulations DrOrloff & runners up excellent shots all well deserved
also excellent and constructive judgment by Mr Riley

A well deserved win. Thanks for your comments John I'll try harder next time

Bernard