#59: Alison Pollack - Finding and Photographing Slime Molds

Slime molds (Myxomycetes) are beautiful, weird, and amazing organisms. Often mistaken for fungi, they are actually single celled, yet they grow and efficiently move in search of food, can start and stop their life cycle based on environmental conditions, and even change colors several times during their brief life. They can be beautifully colored, frequently iridescent, and can be ornately shaped. And better still, they can be found in much of the world - maybe even in your yard.My guest today, Alison Pollack, is a renowned slime mold photographer and unabashed enthusiast of slime molds and their habitats. If you follow nature photographers on Instagram, perhaps you count yourself as one of her 50,000 followers.Today Alison tells us what a slime mold is - and no, it is not a mold or fungi. She describes a typical lifecycle, where they grow, and how to find them. Alison then tells us about her astonishing macro photography of slime molds - both in the field and in her home studio. She walks through her process, technique, and equipment she uses to create her acclaimed photos. If you do nothing else, follow her on Instagram @marin_mushrooms, or check the photos below to get a hint of the beauty of the slime molds, and Alison's artistic skill in capturing them.Find Alison on Facebook, and on iNaturalist.FULL SHOW NOTESPeople, Groups, OrganizationsAlison's interview with Allan Walls and Rik LittlefieldThe Art of Mushroom Photography - Madeline Island School of the Arts photography class Alison co-taught with Alan RockefellerDamon Tighe - Episode 36 talking FungiNikon Small World 2022 WinnersSlime Mold Identification and Appreciation - Facebook GroupBooks, Camera Equipment, and Morelinks may be affiliate linksAll the Rain Promises and More by David AroraLaowa ultra macro lens - there are models for each major camera manufacturer.Les MyxomycètesMyxomycetes - A Handbook of Slime Molds by Steven StephensonNOVA Slime Mold episodeOlympus Tough TG-6 - highly recommended pocket camera for naturalistsRaynox DCR-250Where the Slime Mould Creeps by Sarah LloydSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!