21 Inspiring And Unusual Photographs Of Lichen

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Look at these amazing lichen photographs!

Lichens make great subjects for macro photography because of their interesting patterns and colors but are often overlooked or even go unnoticed by most photographers. Lichens can be found everywhere from warm and wet tropical forests to frozen or dry deserts (yes, they can grow in places where other vegetation cannot survive), grow on undisturbed surfaces of wood, rocks, peat, barks, etc., and are a key species in many ecosystems.

When photographing Lichens, you need to get close to observe and photograph them, and that way you will be able to capture their intricate details. If you have a macro lens, then great – take it with you the next time you go on a hike, and do not forget to stop and look at the world around you. If you only have a small camera or the kit lens, that should also be perfect to get some closeups and also wide shots of where the lichen grows.

Look for rock surfaces, branches, walls, fences, barks, grounds, etc. for lichen growth as they can be found anywhere there is moisture or other water features. Here are 21 photographs of lichen that will inspire you to appreciate and photograph tiny organisms around you.

In forests and woodland areas, lichens usually grow in areas where there is low light. You will need to find the right direction to photograph and use the available light creatively to illuminate your subject and add some depth to your images. This fantastic guide “Understanding Light” by Photzy will help you to truly master light and produce amazing and inspiring images of your own.

green lichen photographs
Photo by JerzyGorecki 
yellow lichen photographs
Photo by Martina Leitschuh
white lichen
Photo by David Clode 
orange lichen
Photo by Matt Palmer
green lichen
Photo by Wolfgang Eckert 
bright yellow lichen
Photo by Hans Braxmeier

Photography is all about light and great photographers do not just see light, but they study, learn and master the skill of recognising light, controlling it, making it and then manipulating light according to their desire. This applies to all genres of photography and without a good understanding of light, you will not be able to capture interesting images on days when there isn't great light available. If you wish to recognise, control and manipulate light, then we recommend you to check out this guide “Understanding Light” by Photzy, that is packed with illustrations, case studies and assignments to verify your knowledge.

lichen on the tree
Photo by vividd
lichen like snowflake
Photo by Uta E.
colorful lichen
Photo by Marta Wave
delicate lichen
Photo by Minna Autio
bright green lichen
Photo by Petra Blahoutová
colorful lichen
Photo by Andras Kovacs
brown lichen
Photo by cottonbro

There are times when photographers do not photograph under certain light conditions because the light is bad and they miss the moment. If you learn the secrets behind controlling the existing light, you won't miss another shot and this will leave others wondering how you're doing it. Check out this ebook “Understanding Light” by Photzy and discover how light defines shape, texture, colour and composition, so that your images literally grab the viewer's attention.

cacti-like lichen
Photo by Ian Lindsay
red button lichen
Photo by KitKestrel 
green white lichen
Photo by Jan Haerer
dark colorful lichen
Photo by Patrick Hendry 
lichen on the old tree
Photo by jggrz
bright green lichen
Photo by Scott Osborn

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About Author

Dahlia is a stock photographer and full time educator at Light Stalking. You can find her on Gurushots and see some of her more popular articles at The American Society of Media Photographers. Get to know her better here.

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