I am a hobbyist, nature photographer / field mycologist of 17 yrs experience / a computer artist / lifelong naturalist / specialising in mushroom photography. My main interest being the so called higher fungi, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota. I have little interest in rusts, and smuts, and do not record pictures of mushrooms that are past their best. I wait to find the perfect specimens, preferring to set up groups with as little disturbance as possible. Although some of my pictures show uprooted specimens, I do not do this if I can show the gills, or pores in another way. A natural looking effect is best. I have written several articles in magazines, and my pictures have featured in these.
I was initially very much influenced by the Mitchell Beazley Pocket Guide to Mushrooms and Toadstools by David Pegler (ISBN0 85533 347 2). These illustrations (by Patrick Cox, Gill Tomblin, and Colin Emberson), inspired me to use 'found objects' (often collected nearby) of interesting artifacts, such as skulls; feathers; snails; pretty autumn leaves etc. My pictures are contrived to give mushrooms, and toadstools the stately image that they deserve. This is an idealised image, and although quite good for identification purposes, will... rarely be seen in nature.
In the light of DNA examination a massive shake-up of fungal classification is happening now. This new knowledge of fungal taxonomy, and nomenclature will probably be final, (thank god). Many field mycologists (including myself) are having enormous difficulty in keeping up with taxonomic revelation happening at the moment. While the guidebooks are being re-written, i shall no longer be contributing much to species level, and rarely to genus level on WIKI. All literature and guidebooks are fast becoming obsolete. My role is diminished to observer. A few years from now, and we should see a degree of stability in fungal taxonomy. For the moment i'm clearing my WIKI desk.[edit]
