Figure 1 – Oyster mushrooms along Fresh Pond, Cambridge, MA. (c) DE Wolf 2015.

Fall in eastern Massachusetts is, I think, just past peak.  It seems like a room in disarray. The ducks have begun their migrations. The ring-necks are starting to gather on the pond. I am waiting patiently for the hoodies and tonight on my drive home I saw several V formations of ducks in flight against the dusk.

But there is another pleasure to be witnessed, and that is the explosion of mushrooms brought on by the dampness and cooler days. This is being played out just beneath our feet and easily missed for the vividness of the trees. Yesterday I spotted the cluster of Figure 1. Mushrooms spend perhaps a day in the splendor of fungal youthfulness. These I believe are oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), although I emphasize that no one should make any eating decisions based on my very limited botanical knowledge.

There is something gorgeous and fresh about them. The image certainly demanded black and white with a subtle tone. But it took a lot of playing with curves, brightness, and contrast to capture the luminescence of the moment.

Canon T2i with EF70-200mm f/4L USM lens at 140 mm, ISO 1600, Aperture Priority AE Mode, 1/500th sec at f/9.0 with -1 exposure compensation.