“This is a brilliant exploration of the hidden world. These are among the most astonishing fungal images I have ever seen, interwoven with a series of texts that beautifully illuminate the mysteries and wonders of fungal life.”
— Merlin Sheldrake, author of *Entangled Life* (Stephen’s photography works appear on the cover of *Entangled Life* and throughout the book; the book won the 2021 Royal Society Science Book Prize)

“This is an epic journey into the realm of fungi, brimming with breathtaking photography and captivating stories.”
— Juliana Furci, Founding Director of the Fungi Foundation

★ Throughout the book, you’ll find breathtaking macro photography by Stephen Axford, the internationally renowned photographer behind “Planet Earth II,” “Our Planet,” “Green Planet,” “Chasing the Storm,” and “Mycelium: The Web of Life”—a true “fungi hunter”! This is paired with the scientific writing of Catherine MacSineyak, a multi-award-winning documentary filmmaker, director, and feature journalist, and the expert insights of Dr. Tom May, a mycologist with more than thirty years of experience at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.
★ Published in collaboration with the Board of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI), the English-language edition is distributed and sold in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
★ Recommended by Merlin Sheldrake, author of “Entangled Life” and a leading botanist and microbiologist!
★ Through stunning visual narratives and compelling scientific stories, this book offers a visual feast of fungi, bringing the often‑hidden fungal world within reach for everyone.
★ It features newly discovered species from the scientific community, explains the vital role of fungal life in bolstering Earth’s resilience to climate change, and recounts thrilling fungal expeditions to some of the planet’s most remote forests—spanning Australia, southern China, and South America.

Fungi are nature’s master network builders, weaving connections, driving change, and thriving in the most unexpected places. This book is a visual feast, revealing the complexities of fungal biology and its ecological significance through stunning images and groundbreaking exploration.
A chance encounter with a purple mushroom in the forest utterly transformed photographer Stephen Axford’s worldview. He became obsessed with documenting this largely unexplored fungal realm, and together with his partner, Catherine Masion‑Niac, he ventured to some of the planet’s most remote corners to capture the beauty and diversity of fungi, earning themselves the title of true “fungi hunters.” Neither plants nor animals, these remarkable organisms constitute their own kingdom. Scientists estimate that between two and five million fungal species may exist worldwide, yet only about 155,000 have been described so far, leaving vast unknown territories still waiting to be explored.
Stephen Axford’s breathtaking photographs are paired with his partner Catherine Masion‑Niac’s engaging scientific writing, enriched by the expert insights of mycologist Dr. Tom May—collectively unveiling the captivating world of Earth’s fungi. From bioluminescent mushrooms in ancient forests to bizarre, otherworldly forms, these extraordinary organisms will challenge your very conception of the natural world!

Catherine Masniak
Catherine Masniak is an award‑winning documentary filmmaker, director, cinematographer, screenwriter, and journalist, with over 80 hours of television content, multi‑screen exhibitions, and numerous articles to her credit. She co‑wrote the IMAX documentary “Fungi: The Web of Life,” directed and co‑produced “Chasing the Rain,” which explores the world of fungi, as well as “Himalayan Visions,” “Who Do You Think You Are? Season 5,” “The Kingdom of Fungi Season 2,” “The Mysterious Kingdom of Fungi,” “The Wine Saint—Ducru‑Beaucaillou,” and “Hospital—An Unhealthy Industry.”
As a senior feature journalist at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Catherine has produced more than 40 short documentaries for ABC Television and ABC iview. Her work on the documentary project Leagueability earned her a place in the finals of the 2019 Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism, while her NSW ABC team was awarded the Walkley Prize—the highest honor in Australian journalism—for its coverage of the 2019/2020 bushfires.
Like Stephen, she has always been passionate about the outdoors. She seamlessly combines filmmaking with a deep love of nature and an insatiable curiosity about the essence of human life. Over the past four decades, Catherine has also mentored and trained hundreds of emerging film and media creators across Australia, the Pacific region, Southeast Asia, and her home community on the Northern Beaches of New South Wales.


Stephen Axford
Stephen Axford is renowned worldwide for his macro photography of fungi, with his work featured in publications and exhibitions around the globe. His time‑lapse footage of fungi has appeared in multiple award‑winning documentaries. His mushroom photographs and time‑lapse videos have been published in leading scientific and natural history magazines and broadcast on television, including his latest film, “Chasing the Rain,” which captures the intricate beauty of fungi on a global scale.
Stephen is an ordinary man who worked in the IT industry until his mid‑50s before retiring to pursue photography. He developed a keen interest in photographing mushrooms, which also fulfilled another passion of his—spending time in the forest. Stephen’s fungal images, celebrated for their aesthetic appeal and scientific precision, have captivated media outlets, fungal experts, and the general public both at home and abroad, amassing millions of online followers from Patagonia to Vladivostok. Subsequently, Stephen teamed up with his partner and filmmaker Catherine Masniak to capture the wondrous world of mushrooms through time‑lapse photography. A stunning time‑lapse sequence of a bioluminescent fungus, Mycena chyphala, caught the attention of the BBC, which filmed it and included it in David Attenborough’s award‑winning series “Planet Earth II.” From that moment on, Stephen was truly discovered.
Stephen Axford’s time‑lapse photography of fungi has been featured in numerous nature documentaries, including:
1. The Netflix documentary “Chasing the Rain,” created by Stephen Axford and Catherine Masniak. Selected for international film festivals, tickets for its Australian theatrical run sold out. “Chasing the Rain” has garnered numerous accolades, such as:
• Official Selection, Los Angeles Cinematography Awards (LACA) 2024
• Official Selection, Nature Without Borders International Film Festival 2024
• Official Selection, Canadian Cinematography Awards (CaCA) 2024

2. The IMAX documentary “Fungi: The Web of Life,” hosted by Merlin Sheldrake and narrated by Björk, screened in museums, cinemas, and festivals worldwide.

3. The Netflix series “Our Planet,” in collaboration with Sir David Attenborough.

4. The BBC Earth series “The Green Planet,” also featuring Sir David Attenborough.

5. National Geographic’s documentary “Planet Earth II” and the miniseries “One Strange Rock,” both with Bear Grylls.

6. The Netflix documentary “Fantastic Fungi,” narrated by Brie Larson, the acclaimed actress known as “Captain Marvel,” among others.


Dr. Tom May
Dr. Tom May has served as a mycologist at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria for nearly three decades, with an outstanding record of research achievements and a deep commitment to fungal outreach and education. He has chaired Fungimap, the national fungal mapping initiative, and co‑authored “FunKey” and “Wild Mushroom Foraging: A Guide for Collectors.” His contributions to science and citizen science have been recognized with the Nancy T. Burbidge Medal and the Australian Natural History Medal, awards that honor those who have made long‑term, significant contributions to Australian systematics and natural history.

Author’s Note
Disclaimer
Acknowledgments
About the Author

1. How Fungi Changed My View of the World
Confronting mortality served as the catalyst for Stephen Axford’s passion for fungi and his journey to become a fungal hunter.

2. Merchants, Funeral Homes, and Executioners
Observing the unique roles played by different fungal organisms.

3. Fungus Enthusiasts
In the mist-shrouded mountains of Southern China, a fungal feast awaits you.

4. The Love of Lichens
Lichens cover eight percent of the Earth’s surface, like a living mosaic.

5. Hunting at the Ends of the Earth
Exploring the rugged landscapes of Chilean Patagonia.

6. Glowing in the Dark
Under the cloak of darkness, bioluminescent fungi paint a picture of the night.

7. In the Shadow of the Himalayas
Beneath the towering peaks of the Eastern Himalayas lies a vast expanse of unknown forests and fungal treasures.

8. New Discoveries
For a daring fungal hunter, stumbling upon a new specimen is thrilling; for a mycologist, it is merely the beginning of unraveling an often mysterious identity.

9. Everything Is Connected
Without fungi, the life we know would not exist, yet our naming and understanding of them have only just begun to scratch the surface.

Glossary
Endnotes
Index