Fungal Beauty

Steve Axford, a retired IT professional, says he is now free to devote time to his primary interests: photography and travel. Axford's photography is largely an exploration of the natural world, from the smallest plant life to volcanoes. He prefers to photograph remote areas that are infrequently traveled. While documenting the terrain surrounding his home in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, Australia, which he describes as "once a huge area of uninterrupted lowland, subtropical rainforest," Axford has come across lesser known and rarely photographed examples of subtropical fungal species. Axford, in explaining his motivation, said,

"I try to combine the beauty I see with some scientific accuracy, so most of my photos could be used to identify things and will show the fine detail. Recently I have started to take time lapse videos of mushrooms, and other things, growing. This adds another dimension to an already fascinating world and sometimes allows a glimpse into the world of interactions between different life forms."

See more of Axford's compelling captures at his SmugMug and Flickr sites.