Autumn is the season where the rainforest floor comes alive in brightly coloured and fantastically shaped fungi. The shots below are all from the Tarkine rainforest in north west Tasmania.

Fungi & Moss – Autumn in the Tarkine rainforest is a magic time

All images are macro and the vast majority were shot with a very shallow depth of field (ie f2.8~f4) to allow for nicely blurred out backgrounds (and foregrounds too for that matter!).

Flame fungi (Clavaria miniata) in Tasmania’s Tarkine, and common in many other rainforest locations across Tasmania

Mycena interrupta – the blue “eyeball” fungi on the Philosophers Falls track

There are a myriad of tiny toadstools and mushrooms, corals and other fascinating forms. I can’t claim to be a full-blown expert on identification, but where possible I have included names of each type.

Stinkhorn fungi near the Savage River, Tarkine

A cluster of orange fungi on the Philosopher Falls track near Waratah

Where to photograph the fungi in the Tarkine Tasmania

The Tarkine has a lot of great trails to walk to discover the fungi. In the south there are many walks around Corinna such as the Whyte River trail, the “Fairlyland” walk at Middleton Creek and along the Savage River. Philosophers Falls near Waratah is also highly recommended. In the north you could try the Balfour track, Hellyer Gorge or any of the tracks on the “South Arthur Forest Drive“.

This one also comes with a red top. Fungi, Tarkine Tasmania

A type of coral fungi in the Tarkine Tasmania

Photographing the Fungi – Dont forget your macro lens!

The fungi are so small that a macro lens is essential, as is a tripod in the dark rainforest. Make sure you also pack some waterproof pants for getting down and dirty on the wet forest floor! An umbrella can be handy too – not just for rain but also to block light or potentially wind. A diffuser can be good too, to reflect natural light onto poorly lit spots rather than using a flash.