Photographs by Jay Lichter for his new book The Secret Life of Fungi turn New Zealand’s “micro marvels” into something you can almost feel—sticky droplets, pink tufts, and slime moulds that seem to bloom in unexpected places.
For Jay Lichter, the fascination starts with the moment he sees something ordinary and decides to look closer. In his new book. The Secret Life of Fungi. he pairs the weirdness of fungi and slime moulds with the kind of close-up beauty that makes you stop and stare—then wonder what else you’ve been walking past without noticing.
One image captures the ruby bonnet fungus, Cruentomycena viscidocruenta. The scientific name comes from Latin words meaning “bloody” and “slimy,” a nod to the sticky substance coating its stalk. That coating can form large droplets. and Lichter says the look of those globules is what keeps his camera coming back for more: “The reflections you get in these globules from a diffused flash make for an awesome shot every time. so I never get sick of shooting them.”.
Other photos shift from fungus to slime moulds, including Cribraria, described as a protist—like certain algae and amoebas. Lichter also photographs Arcyria denudata, the carnival candy slime mould. Its name points to the pink tufts it forms during its fruiting phase. and it stays small: it is only 4 to 6 millimetres tall.
Not every discovery comes in a pristine forest scene. Lichter found Mycena lividorubra—described in the book as relatively uncommon—under a log in New Zealand’s Waitākere Ranges. And in another Mycena mushroom photo, the fungus has been targeted by mould “almost like a bridal veil,” Lichter writes. What makes the image even stranger is what the mould is doing: it is producing droplets of guttation. excess moisture. along its threads. Lichter calls the result “an absolutely wild shot. ” tying beauty to biology in a way that feels both delicate and a little unsettling.
The throughline in Lichter’s work is an invitation to get hands-on with curiosity. He hopes the book inspires readers to discover the secret life of fungi themselves. Moss and rotten wood in the forest are described as the best places to look. but he has also found stunning specimens in car parks and vacant lots. “Even the most unassuming locations are exploding with fungal life,” he writes.
The photographs don’t just document species—they make the hidden visible. In the close-up world Lichter builds. every sticky droplet. pink tuft. and thread carrying excess moisture reads like proof that the “micro marvels” of New Zealand are always working. even where you might least expect to find them.
fungi photography Jay Lichter The Secret Life of Fungi New Zealand fungi slime moulds Cruentomycena viscidocruenta Arcyria denudata Cribraria Mycena lividorubra guttation
So it’s like mold but pretty? I knew it. Car parks are probably the worst, gross.
Wait “slime moulds” are actually not mushrooms? I’m confused lol. The sticky droplets part sounds like something from a science fiction movie.
The article says ruby bonnet fungus has “bloody and slimy” Latin… so is it literally like blood? I mean I get it’s a name, but still kinda creepy. Also 4 to 6 millimeters doesn’t seem like “carnival candy” more like like a speck.
I don’t get why people are photographing fungi like it’s cute. Isn’t that how you get allergies? I did see those pink slime pics once and thought it was algae or something in the street after rain. But then they’re saying it’s “guttation” moisture?? Doesn’t sound safe, just saying.