Between Light and Leaf – Magpie Inkcaps (Coprinopsis picacea)

On the autumn forest floor, among fallen leaves and shifting light, a group of Magpie Inkcaps emerges from the woodland shadows.

The dark, bell-shaped caps of Coprinopsis picacea are scattered with irregular white remnants of the universal veil, creating the remarkable black-and-white pattern that gives these fungi their common name. At different stages of development, the fruiting bodies rise above the warm tones of the leaf litter, each revealing a different moment in their brief appearance above ground.

Then the light reveals something more.

Around the mushrooms, minute airborne particles drift through the frame, becoming visible only as they cross the backlight. What might otherwise remain unnoticed becomes part of the scene – a quiet movement suspended between fungus, forest and light.

Filmed from an intimate, low perspective, this original macro nature video brings the viewer down to the scale of the forest floor. A shallow depth of field separates the Magpie Inkcaps from the softly rendered autumn woodland, while the contrasting forms of Coprinopsis picacea give the composition its unmistakable character.

Between Light and Leaf captures more than the appearance of an extraordinary fungus. It preserves a fleeting encounter with the hidden rhythms of the forest — a world that is always present, yet rarely observed this closely.

Created by nature photographer Almir Rizvanović.

Please note: Colours may vary slightly depending on screen settings, display technology and colour calibration.