Mystical Photos of Mushrooms Casting an Enchanting Glow

Mushrooms, with their different shapes, sizes, and colors, sometime seem like they exist in faraway, imaginary lands. German photographer Martin Pfister captures these mystical and magical qualities in his delightful series of macro fungi photographs. He's even developed a creative twist on shooting the mushrooms. Instead of relying on only natural light, he illuminates them from behind using tiny LED bulbs. This is what gives them their enchanting glow.

Pfister's work features brilliant blues, purples, and greens. His often-dramatic lighting captures the amazing texture of the small mushrooms as well as their vivid surroundings. Sometimes, insects rest on them or moisture bellows from their caps, and it's clear that Pfister has caught his subjects at just the right moment. They make for exquisite photos that allow us to appreciate these real-life fairy tales.

Martin Pfister 500px page
via [Bored Panda and PHOTO.ru]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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