Tell us the story behind your photo in the British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition?
Lamproderma slime moulds often have an iridescent coating. It is thought that it may be a kind of weather protection. I had noticed that the colour of the fruiting bodies of this species of slime mould changes when they become wet. I found a group of them growing on a very wet woodchip pile and spent hours searching through them to see if I could find a good example that showed how the surface was affected by the weather. I was attracted by the way the water droplet in this picture had engulfed two of the slime moulds and taken away their original blue colour. I decided to include the fruiting body on the left, as it shows the blue iridescence. Interestingly, when the two wet fruiting bodies, encased in the water droplet, dried out, they reverted to their original iridescent blue colour.
How did you go about getting that shot?
The slime moulds in this image are only 1mm tall. In order to locate such minuscule subjects, I used a small torch to scan the substrate they were growing on. Once I had found this group of Lamproderma, I examined them carefully using a x10 hand lens to find undamaged specimens and an interesting composition. I then set my camera up on a sturdy but manoeuvrable tripod and took 87 focus-bracketed shots, making sure that every part of the subject was captured in sharp focus. The 87 shots were then focus-stacked, using specialist stacking software.
Did you use any particular equipment or software?
Camera: OM System OM-1
Lens: M. Zuiko 90mm f/3.5 Macro + OM System MC-20 M. Zuiko Digital 2x Teleconverter
Tripod: Gitzo, Explorer tripod
Software: Zerene Stacker + Adobe Lightroom
What would you like people to think about when they see your work?
My aim is to reveal a world that is normally not visible to the human eye. I hope that my images will make people stop and think about the usually unseen beauty that exists beneath our feet.
What makes you stop and decide that a scene is worth photographing?
I always look for specimens in good condition and at the optimum stage of development. Slime moulds are ephemeral: the colourful stage of their fruiting bodies often only lasts for a few hours. They soon become less visually attractive as they fully mature and release their spores
What has wildlife taught you about paying attention?
It is easy to spend hours looking for slime moulds and find nothing as they are often barely visible to the naked eye and frequently found in badly lit conditions on the woodland floor. I have found that it is necessary to slow down and be prepared to examine possible sites meticulously, using a torch and a hand lens. It is only then that you will be most likely to discover elusive and beautiful slime moulds.
What projects are you working on now or have coming up?
I am currently working on a book of immersive, large-scale photographs of slime moulds, due to be published in 2027. I will also be speaking and exhibiting my slime mould photography in Vienna in 2027 at the biennial Pilzfestspiele festival. Lastly, I am continually adding to my collection of slime mould imagery for use in both County and National records as well as for updating the talks I give to photographic societies and natural history groups.
Check out more of Barry’s photography: