Need A Shelf? by myautofocuslife

Need A Shelf?

I've seen so many gorgeous shots of fungi on 365 that I really wanted to be able to photograph some myself, so imagine my excitement when I found some bracket fungi!

These are also called shelf fungi because they look like shelving growing out of tree trunks. Most shelf fungi are inedible because they are very tough. But some can be ground into powder and used to make herbal teas. I wouldn't eat any I find. But I love how pretty they are! 8)

(View the larger version if you want to see even more details.)
Full of texture, looks like the rings on a tree trunk.
May 5th, 2012  
That is amazing. I've just found you and I'm glad I'm not the only person on 365 who hasn't got a DSLR.
May 5th, 2012  
Wow Great textures! Lovely shot!
May 5th, 2012  
That is so very cool. Love the textures. (Yours is the first shot of fungi I've seen) GREAT JOB.
May 5th, 2012  
eva
Cool macro.
May 5th, 2012  
Great detail - fungus is the weirdest stuff.
May 5th, 2012  
Very cool macr!
May 5th, 2012  
VERY beautiful enlarged ... gorgeous textures and love the soft colors. I haven't tried fungi yet. Let me ask you, Livia .... what do you love to photograph the best?!! You and I have both experimented with many different options. Do you have a favorite so far?! In the end, most pro-photographers do choose their niche ...and I just read that after a few years some turn to totally different kinds of photos. Just wondering.
May 5th, 2012  
This is amazing enlarged I totally agree with Karenann, I have seen these growing out of trees and never known what they were called, so you have taught me something today;0)
May 5th, 2012  
I agree with the last two comments Livia - enlarged the detail is fantastic.....really enjoying your flurry of macros this week :)
May 5th, 2012  
Such wonderful details! The texture is awesome! Love the furry bits, I want to touch it and feel if it is soft or not!
May 5th, 2012  
Yep, I`ve done some myself but it`s always nice to see them from others to.
At first , they are beautiful , second then you`re not alone , and third , a beautiful pic is always an enjoy to watch . Love the details of it and you pov. Well done.
May 5th, 2012  
Great details in this photo. Glad you found some fungi to photograph. We have so much of it here in the woods, that I forget it is not common in other parts of the world.
May 5th, 2012  
beautiful, very abstract
May 5th, 2012  
beautiful details. I like looking at them too. :)
May 5th, 2012  
Beautiful detail. I love finding mushrooms to photograph in the New Forest.
May 5th, 2012  
Very nice capture, great detail.
May 5th, 2012  
Very nice focus!! Love the rings and the fuzzies!
May 5th, 2012  
Gorgeous tones of color and texture! I think I love fungi as much as I love rusty barbed wire! Wonderful shot, Livia! It's also a lovely smile!
May 5th, 2012  
These are very interesting, at one time I nada friend who used to make little village carvings on these by using the different levels and shade of this fungi for his scenes, they were amazing,nice find!!
May 5th, 2012  
Ian
Great texture. Nicely captured
May 5th, 2012  
Amazing fungi. Well captured.
May 5th, 2012  
Great detail and an interesting shot!
May 5th, 2012  
Fantastic detail in the macro, Think I saw something like that in Darwin recently.
May 5th, 2012  
Love the textures!
May 5th, 2012  
I always think of little fairies when I see them. I know, it's silly, but I do and I think it's magical.
May 6th, 2012  
what awesome looking fungi, wonderful detail too.
May 6th, 2012  
I want to rotate this and call it a sepia rainbow. Here in the redwoods these are so common I barely notice them. You made me want to go looking
May 6th, 2012  
Beautiful example; lovely detail.
May 6th, 2012  
Impressive detail and texture!
May 6th, 2012  
mag
great detail...I have these in the back yard but neber knew what they were called....thanks....nice shot
May 6th, 2012  
Cool shot! I've seen these dried & then dyed and made into earring or necklace charms. (Just in case you need a new craft project.) :)
May 6th, 2012  
What an amazing shot, Livia. I have never seen anything like this. Love the detail and colors.
May 6th, 2012  
Beautiful...looks like a shell!
May 6th, 2012  
cool looking shot of this fungi!!!
May 6th, 2012  
@karenann I like photographing things with my macro lens so I guess that's my favorite thing to do—the little things. There's something very satisfying about spotting a tiny bug and getting a good shot of it. I think I get intimidated by large subjects. Like buildings. When I look at my photos of them, they seem horribly flat and uninteresting, which is too bad because there are some structures here that would make great photography subjects. I'm not sure if I choose my niche or my niche chooses me. I'm not ambitious, I don't care to be popular, I don't even want a professional camera (The Husband offered to get me a dSLR and I said no, I have no interest whatsoever, I don't need and I don't want a new camera), I will continue to do what I like to do. And when it's no longer fun for me, I will find something else. Life is fleeting. My hobbies are even more so. 8)
May 6th, 2012  
Awesome shot Livia, i love these, sadly i haven't seen many here but back in Germany they are just everywhere.
May 6th, 2012  
oh my... that's quite spectacular... love the weave / porous aspect to it! very cool photo!
May 6th, 2012  
gorgeous details! wonderful capture (:
May 6th, 2012  
Great textures and very different take of this kind of fungus
May 6th, 2012  
Rob
wonderful textures! Great find!
May 6th, 2012  
That shelf looks like a shell! Nice textures!
May 6th, 2012  
Interesting capture, Livia. Love the textures.
May 6th, 2012  
Lovely patterns in the fungus :) Great colours too.
May 6th, 2012  
Fancy textures!
May 6th, 2012  
Great textures Livia
May 6th, 2012  
Fantastic lines and textures! Great fungus macro. :)
May 6th, 2012  
love the textures and the lines!
May 6th, 2012  
Beautiful.
May 6th, 2012  
Great focus
May 6th, 2012  
Wow, i'll have to loo at my yeas now and see what is in them. Great catch.
May 6th, 2012  
Terrific shot. I've seen people take these and put a sealer on them and then paint a picture on the flat side.
May 6th, 2012  
Love the details and the colors are just amazing! That's how you called it "bracket or shelf fungi". Funny coz I have some shots of these from my hike yesterday and they are huge! Thanks for sharing!
May 6th, 2012  
Love the differing textures in this shot perfectly caught thanks to your perspective
May 6th, 2012  
Lots of great details. Love that kind of fungi. You can drain them and they become like wood?
May 6th, 2012  
nice lines and details!!!
May 6th, 2012  
I thought it was a sea shell. I love the layers of colour and the tiny hairs xx
May 6th, 2012  
Wonderful shot! It is true - here in Germany you can see many of these fungi. But I never got a shot with such beautiful light and detail.
May 6th, 2012  
like lisa, i thought it was a sea shell. come to think of it, before we had cameras in our hands, we kicked things like this or ignore them as we're told they're poisonous. now, poisonous or not, it's a photo opp! great shot, yet again, livia.
May 6th, 2012  
Love the texture and tone - didn't know about making tea from some:)
May 6th, 2012  
Beautiful colours and textures! You do macro well!
May 7th, 2012  
Great capture. Awesome detail, tones and composition. So many times I've come across different varieties of mushrooms, but can never get the capture to come out right. As crazy as it sounds, one of the things I've always wanted to see is the Omphalotus olearius, also known as the Jack 'O Lantern mushroom. Grows in the mountains along the east coast of the US. Its known for its erie bioluminescence.
May 7th, 2012  
A great, big, shell-like, kind-of-fuzzy, pretty-hued, finely textured "THANK YOU!" to everyone!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. It seems this fungus grows in lots of places in the world. That is so cool. I appreciate all your comments. Thank you so much for your constant support. It is a source of encouragement and inspiration for me. 8)
May 7th, 2012  
Nice find Livia !! I took a walk through the rainforest today and was looking for fungi too !! Didn't find any though.
May 7th, 2012  
Never knew they were called shelf fungi, so appropriate and I think they will make great shelves. Beautiful too.
May 7th, 2012  
Love the abstract look, and fabulously composed :D
May 7th, 2012  
fav, love the lines and colors so much
May 8th, 2012  
nice shot..my neighbor painted a scene on one of them!
May 10th, 2012  
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