Tips to Photograph mushrooms and toadstools

October is a great month to visit a forest and search for mushrooms and toadstools to photograph!

October is a great month to go on a fungus foray in your local woodland. Especially after some rain, the forest floor is likely to hold a wide variety of all sorts of mushrooms and toadstools.

Tips to photograph fungi (for walkers & nature lovers)

If you spot some eye-catching fungi on your walk, don’t just admire them – photograph them! Here are simple, field-friendly tips for getting striking mushroom photos with either a phone or a camera.

Find the right light

• Cloudy = perfect. Overcast woodland acts like a giant softbox.
• After rain. Colours pop; carry a microfibre cloth to dab big droplets.
• Make your own shade. Block harsh sun with your body or a hat.
• Gentle fill. A white card/reflector brightens gills more naturally than phone flash.

Get low and go close

• Mushroom-eye level. Kneel or use a sit mat; low angles add presence.
• Show structure. A slight side angle reveals gills/pores and stem texture.
• Include habitat. Moss, leaves and bark give context, scale, and colour contrast.

Stabilise for crisp shots

• Brace. Rest elbows on knees or a log.
• Mini tripod/bean bag. Small, cheap, perfect on forest floors; use self-timer to avoid shake.
• Shutter & ISO. Handheld, aim for 1/125s+; raise ISO 800–1600 in dim woods rather than risk blur.

Nail focus, tame exposure

• Phones: Tap to focus on the front edge of the cap, then slide exposure down slightly (–0.3 to –1.0 EV) to keep pale caps from blowing out.
• Cameras: Use single-point AF on the leading edge; for one subject try f/2.8–f/4 (soft background), for small clusters f/5.6–f/8 (more in focus).

Clean, calm backgrounds

• Micro-tidy. Gently move a distracting twig or blade of grass (don’t touch the fungus).
• Shift your feet. Tiny changes place the cap against darker moss or distant bokeh.
• Carry a card. A small grey/black card held behind the stem isolates the subject.

Compose with intent

• Tell a story. A “family” of sizes, a cap breaking through moss, or a slug nibble adds narrative.
• Suggest scale. Place a leaf or acorn near (not touching) the subject.
• Try a top-down too. Rings, colours and slime can look beautifully graphic.

I personally make a beeline for areas where the soil has recently been disturbed, for example by some forestry work, horses’ hooves, or by a tree falling over and exposing the soil. It’s also good to check out rotting tree trunks, sawn off tree stumps, and piles of logs.

Ethics & safety (please read)

• Leave no trace. Photograph in place; don’t pick or trample surrounding mycelium.
• Don’t taste/handle. Many species are toxic; wash hands after rummaging in leaf litter.
• Respect local rules. Some areas prohibit collecting; stay on paths where requested.

I would recommend not touching the fungi you come across nor picking them, and definitely not eating them, as some are poisonous. Unless of course you are proficient at identifying edible fungi.

Where to find mushrooms and toadstools in Belgium?

Literally anywhere. However, here are some recommendations of forests I’ve enjoyed walking through and discovering all sorts of nature, not just fungi. They are listed by province:

• Flemish Brabant: Mollendaal Forest
• Liège: Hertogenwald Forest
• Hainaut: La Foret du Pays de Chimay
• Limburg: Hoge Kempen National Park
• Antwerpen: Border Park De Zoom
• East Flanders: Raspaillebos
• West Flanders: Heuvelland
• Brussels/Walloon Brabant: Foret de Soignes
• Luxembourg: Anlier Forest
• Namur: Bocq Valley

Send me your fungi foto!

If you or your children have taken a photo of a wild mushroom or toadstool that you are especially proud of, send it to me in an email and I will be delighted to add it to this post.

First up is Easter Jacinto who sent me these photos of some fungi that she and her daughter discovered on their walks on the Mechelse Heide, Maasmechelen and to Ninglinspo:

Second up is Joy-Ann who sent me these photos of fungi in her garden in Uccle:

Any questions? Just drop me a line.

More nature guides on this blog

Here are some more helpful guides to explore nature:

• How to identify farm crops
• How to identify berries
• How to identify nuts and seeds

All photos by Denzil Walton

Denzil Walton

I created Discovering Belgium in 2011 to share the country’s hidden stories, fascinating places, and remarkable people. Through articles, photography, and audio walks, I share discoveries that reveal Belgium beyond the obvious. Hope you enjoy this site.