Toadstools in Black & White

I’ve been busy with other activities recently and had less time to spend on photography, but I’ve always wanted to try some landscapes and nature photography in Black and White.

Yesterday I had the chance (albeit brief).

On a roadside stop while up at the nearby Dandenong Ranges (the range of hills overlooking the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne), I was lucky enough to make some images of large toadstools on a grassy roadside edge and in the nearby field.  While I made the photos in colour, I tried converting a few to B & W and this is the result.  The lens used in these two was my 50mm f1.4 – at f3.5 and then I tried f1.4 on a toadstool hidden in the grass.

Unfortunately, a barbed wire fence stopped me getting on the other side of the patch and I shot mainly into the light (resulted in some over-exposed areas in some images).

I’ll look forward to trying again sometime.  I must admit, getting up off the ground was extremely difficult with my stiff back and neck, so I don’t think I’ll be getting this low down next time though.  The ground was covered in pine cones and twigs from a nearby tree, so it was a bit prickly and uncomfortable too.  At least now I know what it feels like to lie on a bed of nails!