The relationship between these two mushrooms became the foundation of the image. Rather than treating them as individual subjects, I wanted them to feel connected, almost like a parent and child quietly standing together in the forest.
Before adding a single light, I intentionally underexposed the ambient daylight by about two stops. This is one of my favorite techniques because it creates room for artificial light to shape the scene instead of competing with the existing daylight.
The amaran Pano 60c became my primary light source. I positioned it to the left of the mushrooms but only allowed the right side of the panel to illuminate the subjects. This prevented unnecessary light from spilling onto the foreground while still producing soft, natural-looking shadows. Because the background sat lower than the mushrooms, it didn't matter if some light spilled behind them—I knew it wouldn't appear in the final composition.
To simplify the background, I placed a small piece of steel wool only a few inches behind the mushrooms and illuminated it with a blue Adaptalux Flexible LED. Rather than seeing steel wool, the camera transformed it into soft blue bokeh that added atmosphere and separated the warm golden mushrooms from the darker forest.
Finally, I placed an amaran Ace 25c behind and to the right of the mushrooms. By setting it to a slightly cooler color temperature, I was able to create subtle highlights along the edges of both mushrooms, giving them more dimension without overpowering the warm light from the Pano 60c.
The final image feels less like a simple mushroom photograph and more like a portrait of two subjects

– Canon R5
– Canon RF 100mm Macro
– amaran Pano 60c
– Peak Battery Pack
– amaran Ace 25c
– Adaptalux Flexible LED Light
– Steel Wool
– Tripod

Camera: Canon R5
Lens: Canon RF 100mm Macro
Aperture: f/4
Shutter Speed: 1/200s
ISO: 200
Focus stacking: ~50 images used
Focus Bracketing: ~50 images captured

I started by composing the two golden chanterelles against a darker section of the forest and underexposing the scene by approximately two stops. This reduced the influence of the ambient daylight and created room for the artificial lighting to shape the image.
The first light I introduced was the amaran Pano 60c (2), positioned to the left of the mushrooms. Rather than illuminating the entire scene, I allowed only the right side of the panel to light the subjects, which helped keep the foreground darker while producing soft, natural-looking light and gentle shadows.
At this point, I was happy with the way the mushrooms looked, but the background still felt flat and lacked atmosphere.
To create more depth, I placed a small piece of steel wool (5) a few inches behind the mushrooms and illuminated it with a blue Adaptalux Flexible LED Light (3). The textured steel wool transformed into soft, dreamy blue bokeh that separated the mushrooms from the forest while introducing a cool color contrast against their warm golden tones.
Next, I added an amaran Ace 25c (4) behind and to the right of the mushrooms. Using a slightly cooler color temperature, I created subtle rim highlights that helped define the edges of both mushrooms without competing with the main light.
Once the lighting felt balanced, I used the camera's focus bracketing feature and captured approximately 50 images at the smallest focus increment setting. All 50 images were used in the final focus stack, allowing me to maintain sharp detail throughout both mushrooms while preserving the soft, atmospheric background.
Before packing everything away, I also photographed the scene using only the available light. Comparing the two versions reinforced one of my favorite lessons in macro photography: instead of trying to overpower daylight, begin by reducing it. Once the ambient light is under control, every artificial light you add has a purpose, giving you complete creative control over depth, mood, and atmosphere.

One of the biggest improvements photographers can make with artificial lighting is learning to stop competing with daylight. Instead of trying to overpower the sun, reduce its influence first and let your lights become the primary tool for shaping the scene.
Sometimes the biggest transformation doesn't come from adding more light—it comes from making room for it.