Parasola plicatilis -- Pleated Inky Cap Mushroom Macros

I took out the K-7, macro bellows, and Vivitar 135mm combo that I used a month or six weeks ago to capture some mantid macros. Tomorrow, I'll embed a couple videos that show you that set up. Nifty, eh? In the interim, here are some Parasola plicatilis -- pleated inky cap (or inkcap, or little Japanese umbrella) mushroom macros I captures in the apartment complex's newly sodded area.






These highly ephemeral little mushrooms last less than a day, including growth, sporing, and total decay. Here, by 10:00 AM, most of the overnight crop has vanished into the grass again. Dirt to dirt. These little mushrooms exemplify why 'being there' is the most important part of photography. Had I slept in past 7:00, I wouldn't have seen these. As you can see, by 8:00, or so, when I took these shots, one of the mushrooms had already gone flat ad begun dying.