Darkwood Symphony

For months I'd been doing casual research on mushrooms, learning how astonishing their hidden world really is. They are neither plant nor animal, existing in their own fascinating category. Mushrooms are the fruit of fungi, like apples on a tree. And their underground networks can take on epic proportions. The world's largest organism is not the whale, it's a fungi living in Oregon. It's an astounding 4 square miles and is thousands of years old.
 
In my work, I often explore the concept of finding beauty and wonder within the shadows. Similar to mushrooms, which thrive in damp and dimly lit environments, I draw inspiration from the overlooked and unexpected corners of our world. The fact that mushrooms flourish in dark and hidden places only adds to their mystique.
 
But its the visual aesthetics of mushrooms that I find most mesmerizing, especially their magnificent gills - those delicate, feathery structures beneath their caps. I learned of a lighting technique that can make them glow, and I knew I had to photograph them. 
 
I started going to the small forests in Chicago to find mushrooms and to see how I could shoot them at night, but I came away disappointed every time. The few I came across sat in difficult locations to work with. But the biggest problem, which I often face, is that most parks close at sundown. I've had enough cops yell at me in the dark to last a lifetime.
 
A better alternative was to take the forest to my studio. This way I could create and control the most perfect conditions for creating exactly the mood and the images I wanted.  So I returned to the woods and this time gathered moss and branches and bark and went to garden centers for other items. I became an expert at keeping moss good and healthy.
 
The final, and key ingredient was of course the mushrooms. I got generous support from two local mushroom farms, Four Star Mushrooms and Windy City Mushrooms, who grow exotic varieties for gourmet restaurants. While building the miniature sets, I tried arranging each one to suit the character of its mushroom. A mist maker added the final touch.
 
But unlike a brick wall, mushrooms are fleeting. I was always racing to get the shot before they wilted. Each photo became a 36-hour all-nighter fueled by naps in the studio. In the dark, I used long exposures, painting the scene with colored gels until they glowed like a stage.
 
 
"In none of his photos does Nuez exploit the obvious" 
Montreal Gazette
 
"Seductive ... Nuez's photos do not leave one indifferent"
Ciel Variable - Contemporary Photography magazine
 
Light Paintings series
 
I sometimes fantasize that with the snap of a finger, I can escape reality ... in a moment, be transported to a dream world free of life's demands, a child's playground where magic exists and all is right with the world.My Light Paintings are that portal. Through them I can transcend reality and escape into these beautiful, vibrant yet peaceful realms.
 
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Although there is some digital manipulation in this series, the unusual lighting and surreal quality in the Light Painting series is achieved by using colored lights during long exposures. They are not digital effects.