The magical mystery of a miniature mushroom kingdom
An Australian photographer gets up close and personal with the fungal underworld


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(Image credit: (Steve Axford))

(Image credit: (Steve Axford)Colorful and quirky, the mushrooms and other eccentric fungi that populate the photographer's collections create a whimsical mini-world, one in which Tinkerbell and her fairy fr)

(Image credit: (Steve Axford))

(Image credit: (Steve Axford))

(Image credit: (Steve Axford)Steve occasionally ventures farther from home to photograph fungi; he recently shot some images while on a visit to Tasmania. But he mostly adds to his collections at or near hi)

(Image credit: (Steve Axford))

(Image credit: (Steve Axford))

(Image credit: (Steve Axford)One creepy-crawly set of challenges that comes with Steve's chosen subjects? The sinister fauna lurking about in the forests' dark, damp corners."I had to learn to cope with lee)

(Image credit: (Steve Axford)So what's the appeal then, of trekking about in the dank, humid woods, where pests big and small await?"There is fascination with the unknown," Steve says. "There are probably m)

(Image credit: (Steve Axford)**See more of Steve Axford's work on his website**)
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Stephanie is an editorial assistant at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Modern Luxury Media.
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