Ghost Pipe already has an otherworldly appearance, but I wanted the entire image to feel just as mysterious as the plant itself.
By controlling the ambient light and carefully rebuilding the scene with multiple light sources, I was able to isolate the flower while creating layers of warm highlights behind it. Instead of distracting from the subject, the background becomes part of the story, helping the Ghost Pipe feel as though it's emerging from the darkness.
The result is a portrait that feels both natural and dreamlike while staying true to the atmosphere of the forest.

– Canon R5
– Canon RF 100mm Macro
– amaran Pano 60c
– Peak Battery Pack
– amaran Ace 25c (x2)
– Adaptalux Flexible LED Light
– Lens Cap
– Tripod

Camera: Canon R5
Lens: Canon RF 100mm Macro
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/250s
ISO: 200
Focus stacking: ~50 images used
Focus Bracketing: ~50 images captured

I started by composing the Ghost Pipe against one of the darkest areas of the forest and underexposing the scene by approximately three stops. This removed most of the ambient light and gave me as much creative control as possible over the lighting and mood of the image.
The first light I introduced was the amaran Pano 60c (2), positioned to the left of the subject and powered by the Peak Battery Pack. Rather than pointing the light directly at the Ghost Pipe, I feathered it toward the foreground (3), allowing only the softer edge of the beam to illuminate the flower. This created gentle shadows along the right side of the subject while keeping the background (4) much darker. One of the things I appreciate most about the Pano 60c is its versatility. Depending on the scene, I can use it either as a powerful key light for the subject or to illuminate a much larger portion of the background when needed.
Next, I added an amaran Ace 25c (5) to the right side of the Ghost Pipe to create subtle separation from the darker forest. I wanted the brightest part of the image to remain near the flower, so I placed a lens cap (6) over the lower portion of the light to block it from illuminating the bottom of the stem. This naturally encourages the viewer's eye to travel upward toward the flower head.
To build atmosphere, I looked around the forest for interesting natural elements instead of relying on props. I found a delicate plant covered in tiny water droplets (7) and placed it behind the Ghost Pipe. I then aimed an Adaptalux Flexible LED Light (8) directly toward the subject. As the light passed through the droplets, it created warm, dreamy out-of-focus highlights that added depth while subtly emphasizing the base of the flower.
Finally, I introduced a second amaran Ace 25c (9) to softly illuminate portions of the distant background. This added another layer of depth and created additional out-of-focus highlights without overpowering the subject.
Once the lighting felt balanced, I used the camera's focus bracketing feature and captured approximately 50 images using the smallest focus increment setting. All 50 images were used in the final focus stack to keep the Ghost Pipe sharp while preserving the soft, atmospheric background.
Before packing everything away, I also photographed the scene without the extra background lighting and the plant with water droplets. Comparing the two versions reminded me that creating atmosphere often has less to do with expensive equipment and more to do with using the natural elements already surrounding your subject.

Ghost Pipe is already one of the most unusual plants you'll encounter in the forest, but photographing it taught me another important lesson. The subject doesn't always need to change—sometimes it's the way you shape the light and use the environment around it that makes the biggest difference.
The next time you're composing a macro image, spend as much time looking at the background as you do at the subject. You might discover that the forest already contains everything you need to create something special.