Stephen Axford: How fungi changed my view of the world
Stephen Axford, a renowned fungi photographer, began his journey in 2003 after a personal tragedy—losing his wife to cancer and surviving a life-threatening illness. On a walk along the Australian coast, he discovered a vibrant purple mushroom, Cortinarius archeri, sparking a passion for fungi photography. With no formal training in biology, Axford was captivated by the beauty and diversity of mushrooms, exploring species like Hygrocybe graminicolor and Russula, found in the forests of Tasmania and New South Wales.
His work soon expanded to rare and unusual fungi, including coral-like Ramaria, shelf fungi like Trametes versicolor, and the stunning blue Mycena interrupta. Axford delved into the microscopic world of mycelium, the underground fungal networks that connect trees and exchange nutrients in what is now called the “Wood Wide Web.” He also documented parasitic fungi like Cordyceps, which infect insects, and slime molds, organisms often mistaken for fungi due to their appearance.
One of his most exciting discoveries was bioluminescent fungi, such as Mycena chlorophos, which glow in the dark. This inspired him to experiment with time-lapse photography, leading to collaborations with the BBC’s Planet Earth 2, where his fungi sequences became some of the series’ most celebrated moments.
Axford’s dedication to fungi photography has contributed to scientific discoveries, including collaborations with mycologists in Yunnan, China, where he documented new and rare species. His work highlights the ecological importance of fungi in forest ecosystems, showing how these organisms play a crucial role in nutrient cycling and supporting plant life. Through his lens, Axford reveals the hidden world of fungi, inspiring awe and respect for this often overlooked kingdom of life.
In 2019, as devastating bushfires swept through Australia, burning over 17 million hectares of land and more than 5 million hectares in New South Wales alone, Stephen Axford witnessed firsthand the destructive power of fire. What made it especially terrifying for him was that the rainforest near his home was also burning, an area typically not prone to fires. Just days after the fires, firefighters reported something astonishing—mushrooms were emerging from the ash.
Curious, Axford ventured into the scorched landscape and was amazed by what he found. Among the blackened remains, fungi of all kinds were sprouting, some species he’d never seen before. One of these was the “stone maker” fungus, which only fruits after a fire. This unique organism lives underground for many years, forming a mycelium lump resembling a stone, and emerges when the heat of a fire triggers its growth.
Another discovery was the cup fungus Anthropobia muelleri, which appeared to play a crucial role in protecting the fragile, fire-damaged soil. This fungus seemed to bind the surface soil together, preserving moisture and preventing erosion. Axford marveled at how life, in the form of fungi, was not only surviving but also helping to heal the land.
His explorations raised many questions: Where did these fungi reside when there were no fires? How did they thrive in such extreme conditions? These mysteries fascinated him, particularly as he found fungi even in the hottest spots, beneath the charcoal remains of fallen logs.
Axford’s journey into fungi photography became more than a passion; it revealed the resilience of nature and underscored the complexity of life on Earth. He realized that life is intricately interconnected, and humans have both the power to destroy and the responsibility to conserve it. Through documenting fungi, Axford found a new understanding of the world, one that inspires others to appreciate and protect the natural environment.
