Coral fungi always seem like they wandered in from another world, more at home beneath the waves than among the moss. This one stood out against the dark bark. I love finding details like this tucked away on the forest floor. #mushrooms #fungi #photography #nature #naturephotography

I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for polypores. The intricate detail on the underside is mesmerizing. #mushroom #fungi #mushroomseason #forestfloor #photography #naturephotography

There’s just something magnetic about an Amanita mushroom. The color pulls you in, the pattern makes you pause, and before you realize it, you’re laying in the wet leaves trying to get a closer look. 😍 🍄 #mushroom #mushroomseason #fungi #forestfloor #nature

Everything behind it dissolves into green and brown. The forest becomes background. This is what mushrooms do when they fruit. They pull focus. They say: Hey, look at this exact spot where death becomes something else. Then they're gone and the forest takes back the frame. #mushrooms #fungi #forest

The moss was almost artificial green the after rain. That's what I noticed first. Then I saw this tiny mushroom. The gills always get me. Those thin repeating lines, precise as architecture. This one emerged in the last day or two. The stem still finding its angle. Worth kneeling in the wet leaves.

These grew on a log I've walked past twenty times this month. The orange color looks painted on, almost artificial against the moss. But touch them and they're solid, real, cool to the fingertips. The forest floor is full of surprises. #mushroom #fungi #macro #naturephotography #ForestFriday

Myth: Fresh mushrooms are always better. Reality: Dried mushrooms aren't lesser versions of fresh. Drying concentrates flavor. Dried porcini have more umami than fresh. Dried shiitake develop beneficial compounds during dehydration. The process transforms rather than diminishes. #mushrooms #cooking

People ask why bother preserving mushrooms when you can buy them year-round. They don't understand. These aren't just mushrooms. They're October in the woods, fog lifting, that particular spot under the oak where they appear every year. They're the walk there. The search. The finding. (1/2)

I've been watching the same fallen oak for three years. This year, I can push my thumb through the wood. Thread by thread, the mycelium is turning the tree into soil. New post on decomposition, life cycles, and what happens when you stop looking away.

Autumn foraging is ridiculously good right now, and if you're sitting inside, you're missing it. Cool mornings, occasional rain, leaf litter everywhere. It's prime #mushroom season with Hen of the Woods, Lion's Mane, and Honey Mushrooms all fruiting. Here's what to actually look for right now...

Welcome to Wandering Spore. I'm a chef, photographer, and writer who has spent years working with mushrooms in kitchens before getting curious about where they come from. That led to obsession: growing, foraging, and understanding how they work. This is where I share all of that. ↓ (1/4)