Planet Fungi A Photographer's Foray

About this book

Fungi are nature's great networkers, weaving connections, driving transformation and thriving in the most unexpected places. Planet Fungi: A Photographer's Foray is a feast for the eyes, with stunning imagery and pioneering explorations that reveal the intricacies of fungal biology and their ecological significance. It was a chance encounter in the forest with a purple mushroom that completely changed photographer Stephen Axford's view of the world. He became obsessed with documenting the largely unexplored kingdom of fungi and, alongside his partner, Catherine Marciniak, capturing the beauty and diversity of fungi in some of the most remote regions on Earth. There are an estimated 2-5 million species of fungi found all over the world, yet with only around 155,000 described so far, there is so much left to discover. From glowing mushrooms in ancient forests to bizarre, alien-like forms, these extraordinary organisms will challenge how you see the natural world.

Contents

1. How fungi changed my view of the world
2. Traders, undertakers and executioners
3. Fungiphilia
4. Lichen love
5. Safari to the end of the world
6. Glowing in the dark
7. In the shadow of the Himalayas
8. New discoveries
9. Everything is connected

Customer Reviews

Biography

Catherine Marciniak is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, photographer and journalist. She co-wrote the IMAX documentary Fungi: Web of Life and directed and co-produced Follow the Rain, exploring the world of fungi. She is also a two-time finalist in the Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

Stephen Axford is renowned for his macro fungi photography, which has been featured in publications and exhibitions worldwide. His fungi time-lapses appear in award-winning documentaries such as Planet Earth 2, Fantastic Fungi and Fungi: Web of Life. He co-writes and presents Planet Fungi's video productions, including Follow the Rain, capturing the intricate beauty of fungi globally.

Dr Tom May is a mycologist at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Australia, where for nearly three decades he has had a distinguished research career and a passion for communicating and educating about fungi. Former President of Fungimap, he co-authored Wild Mushrooming: A Guide for Foragers and was awarded the Nancy T. Burbidge Medal and the Australian Natural History Medallion.