You can prefer what you wish. But like I said I started with the white paper to photo as many samples on a group foray as possible. There was a lot of material brought in on these things, hundreds of samples in some cases, and then we look for a couple hours and toss them all out. I wanted to save something from the lot to get to know things better, and to be able to compare what we call something one year to what we would call it the next. In this case, there is no “in situ”, the situ is the group foray lab room, there isn’t anyway to take all the samples back into the field where they might have been found for a photo. Since they are already separated from their env. a neutral background was preferable, and useful.

Personally I think for all taxa it would be good to see a good photo in situ, and another good photo on a neutral background in a controlled setting. The second usually gets more detail and provide further info on the mushroom itself. But it does mean more work for me getting photos twice of everything if I can, but that is just me…

it some times helps with ID too…if you have leaves needles etc in the back ground…

my own preference, viewing and taking, is for in situ photos. Uprooted mushrooms on a blank background look like someone’s dusty collection instead of vibrant nature. :)

Doug got some of his pictures on National geographic….what sp was it?

but as an old friend and hunting buddy, I have watched him carry around reams of paper to forays and use his sheets of white paper for a number of years, and they have become his signature photographic background. it produces a more interesting image, as well as good white balance. it reminds me a bit of those formal photographs taken of endangered bird and mammal species in a studio setting…it adds a bit of drama to the photograph as well.

On many of photos, posted here and for myself, I photo the mushroom on white paper. Which provides a number of benefits, and I started doing this to get a photos of as many samples brought in on a group foray as possible. Debbie is referring to these photos. Except she referred to them on a posting where I didn’t take a photo on white paper…

But one of these photos was published in the National Geographic recently, which I just was joking that maybe that is why others are giving it a try…

them…who?….so you use a white sheet of paper for back ground or some thing?

Since they were in National Geo now, everyone going to want to do it.

Not sure if others are using the white paper for white balance though, which is mostly the point. That and isolating the mushroom…

Did Johannes have a question?

and I see that some others are starting to follow your lead on your signature white paper photos…such a trendsetter!