Mushroom Dream represents an internal debate that I sometimes have about photography. As a visual artform, photography is saddled with the assumption that photographs will always be sharp, well exposed, and offer clear representations of the subject matter. Viewers tend to ignore photographs that depart from these assumptions because they look like mistakes. We’re so used to deleting snapshots that aren’t sharp or well exposed that we don’t slow-down and just experience the visual experience the photograph has to offer.

I have a surprisingly sharp memory about my photographs and I remember that this one was taken in the early 90s at Camp Moose Lake during a church retreat. I also remember that it was taken on Ektachrome 100 – which I chose because it had slightly better shadow detail that Kodachrome 64, my normal choice. I remember being excited when I came across a patch of mushrooms. I put together my close-up setup and started shooting.

I love close-up, or macro, photography, but it is challenging. Macro photography demands very precise focus and control of depth-of-field because the in-focus range becomes very narrow the closer you get to the subject. Choosing to use a smaller f-stop to increase the range of focus reduces the amount of light travelling through the lens and demands a longer shutter speed. Finally, making a sharp photograph with a long shutter speed demands a very stable tripod and no interference from wind or other factors.

Photographing the mushrooms was a struggle because the forest was dark, the mushrooms were very close to the ground, and the ground was uneven and full of roots. It took forever to figure out a stable setup that would allow me to look through the viewfinder to focus. It was frustrating, so finally I just said “screw it” cranked the focus ring and pressed the button. It’s strange, but of the roll of photographs I took that afternoon, Mushroom Dream is among my favourites.

Photography is the presentation of light, shape, and texture. Mushroom Dream invites viewers to put aside the need to see objects with perfect clarity and enjoy the more abstract light, shapes, and textures of the natural world.

*No mushrooms were consumed in the making of this photograph. Ha, ha!