In the autumn of 2022, I embarked on the Camino de Santiago, an 800km trail stretching from St. Jean Pied de Port in the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. This unforgettable journey was a chance to reconnect with nature and revive my creative spirit.
As I approached Santiago, I meandered through the enchanting woodlands of Galicia. During this leg of the journey, I intentionally slowed my pace, immersing myself in the beauty of the world around me. This mindful approach led to the creation of a collection of macro-images captured with my trusty, albeit battered, iPhone SE 2nd Gen.
Many of the mushrooms I encountered were of the same species but appeared different due to their varying stages of development. While some were familiar from my walks in the English countryside, many were new to me. One particularly striking find was the devil's fingers fungus, Clathrus archeri, with its alien-like crimson red tentacles that added a spectacular and otherworldly touch to the collection.
These mushrooms, or 'Mushies,' as I fondly call them, are exquisite temporary sculptures of nature. The three weeks of walking and meditating had fine-tuned my senses, allowing me to notice things that I might have otherwise overlooked. The name 'Mushies' hints at the playfulness and childlike awe I experienced as I lay in the leaves, photographing these little wonders.
