I decided to name this photograph after I took a long look at it during editing. The more I looked at it the more it appeared as though there was a smaller mushroom seeking shelter underneath the canopy of the larger one. It got me to thinking that we all need someone to lean on, whether it be a spouse, a lover, a friend, a sibling, or a stranger. It’s nice to feel comforted and protected.
To let our guard down means to let the outside world in. Not that we are hiding anything but we are on edge most of the time and let’s face it, some things and people in this world seem untrustworthy. It’s becoming harder and harder to let our guard down, because if we do we may face ridicule or judgment.
I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by friends who embrace my weirdness. We all have a funky side that needs to come out now and again! Some of our there also all share the human trait of being sentimental or helpless romantics. I consider myself one of these individuals. I don’t always like expressing my sentimental or romantic side, but it does come out now and again in the company of those I trust.
Long story short, this Photo reminded me of that side of myself that I don’t always let show. It’s OK to hold back, but I have to realize that it’s also OK to show those around me who I really am. If they don’t embrace my true identity, then they are probably not worth having around anyhow. I consider these people my true friends. They love me for who I am!
I may have gotten off track and pretty deep with this post but sometimes you just have to write what you’re feeling, and that’s what I’m doing tonight. So it may be just a photograph of a couple of mushrooms that sort of grew together rather than apart. But I like to think of it as One mushroom sheltering another, showing love to a true friend.
The above photos were created using the same shot I took at the end of the summer. I don't have a lot of knowledge when it comes to mushrooms, so I will be no help in naming the particular species. Above you experienced a few different edits.. A black-and-white version as well as a colorful sort of eccentric edit. There’s also one that I use an inverted edit on to create a more white toned photograph. All of them I think are pretty cool, but the sepia like one really appealed to my senses.
Let me know what you think. Sometimes I tend to get a little too loose with my feelings. This might be one of those cases where I may be the only one who sees this. If that’s the case, don’t tell me and I’ll just assume that ignorance is bliss. Hahaha.
“Fungi make worlds. They also unmake them. There are lots of ways to catch them in the act. When you cook mushroom soup, or just eat it. When you go out gathering mushrooms, or buy them. When you ferment alcohol, plant a plant, or just bury your hands in the soil; and whether you let a fungus into your mind, or marvel at the way that it might enter the mind of another. Whether you’re cured by a fungus, or watch it cure someone else; whether you build your home from fungi, or start growing mushrooms in your home, fungi will catch you in the act. If you’re alive, they already have.”
― Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
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