Funga Obscura: Photo Journeys Among Fungi

Recyclers, creators of soil, enablers of life, and food for many—fungi are as dynamic as they are diverse. And, throughout her career, Alison Pouliot has observed these organisms with a unique vision. As a scientist and photographer, she has led hundreds of forays through the forests of the Americas, Australia, and Europe. In this book, readers can travel along with her on these global explorations through stunning photographs and meditations on the landscape. She says her camera is where fungal lives come most clearly into focus. And like the camera obscura, this book, Funga Obscura, captures brief mycological moments and unforgettable fungus microcosms.

The word funga refers to the fungi of a region, and Pouliot’s photography spans continents. We see a parade of violet webcap mushrooms, spotted in the understory of a Pacific Northwest forest; brilliantly blue pixie’s parasols in Australia; an Italian alpine lichen, looking for all the world like a treasure map; and a showstopping whitelaced shank, ready to spread its spores in Switzerland. We learn that fungi live almost everywhere, from our lawns to forests and woodlands, from the ocean’s depths to deserts and alpine peaks. Yet, like a web of rootlike mycelium, Funga Obscura goes deeper to investigate how fungi shape landscapes and interact with other organisms, including humans. This journey spans eons, from long ago in evolutionary time, when fungi first emerged from the ocean onto land, to today, when we witness their work all around us. The scenes here challenge our ideas about what fungi are, what they do, and why they matter.

In Pouliot’s photographs, you might recognize a few old friends, but many mushrooms will be new acquaintances. Sometimes they make their presence immediately known; at other times, they just provide clues—and trails to follow.