Plants and Fungi

Category Winner 

Jeannet van der Knijff (1)
Kwade Hoek (Zuid-Holland)
100mm; 1/30s at f/10; ISO 1250

The bright orange paint of this beach post contrasts with the green lichen. The organic shapes on the raw wood create a lively image. By turning the photo a quarter, it becomes almost graphic and starts to resemble a flag.

Runner-up

Gertjan Ketelaars (2)
Loonse en Drunense Duinen (Noord-Brabant)
100mm; 3.2s at f/16; ISO 400

This group of mushrooms grows under a fallen tree. I took several photos, each focused on a different point. These were later combined into one image using focus stacking.

Honourable Mentions

Edwig Vanhassel (3)
Pepingen (België)
100mm; 1/1000s at f/7.1; ISO 800

Heavy snow started falling unexpectedly. I stopped at a row of poplars with mistletoe that I pass every day. In black and white, the image highlights structure and shape.

Miep Knöptels (4)
Zwanenwater (Noord-Holland)
105mm; 1/100s at f/16; ISO 640

Each spring, these shapes appear again. Blades with a slimy layer of algae look like small boats. The scene sparks the imagination and invites you to keep looking.

Thijs Friederich (5)
Amsterdamse Bos (Noord-Holland)
85mm; 2s at f/11; ISO 100

Along a pond in the forest, wild garlic blooms. The white flowers reflect in still water while trees lean over the edge. The soft light creates a calm, almost dreamlike atmosphere.

Piet Haaksma (6)
Own house
150mm; 1/25s at f/11; ISO 1000

In my garden, I follow the growth of mushrooms on old wood. The small mycena species are especially interesting to photograph. This image is created by combining fifteen photos into one.

Elles Rijsdijk (7)
Landgoed Annanina’s Rust (Noord-Brabant)
180mm; 1s at f/22; ISO 64 & 180mm; 1.6s at f/40; ISO 64

Using double exposure, I photographed ferns on a mushroom rich estate. The light falls on a beech tree beside them. In the second exposure, I used a dark background and slightly moved the camera to make the leaf stand out more.