23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Peek A Boo
This image captures an intimate moment of symbiotic feeding: a small snail diligently consuming a Termitomyces mushroom. The scene is elevated by the deliberate use of backlighting, which transforms the subtle details of the fungi into a vibrant spectacle. The light is strategically positioned to cause diffraction through the mushroom's dense veil of spores and gills. This phenomenon shatters the light, resulting in a radiating halo of vibrant, exhibited colors—pinks, blues, and golds—that give the entire fungal body a translucent, otherworldly luminescence.
Photo Detail
| Date Taken: | 07.2023 |
| Date Uploaded: | 11.2025 |
| Photo Location: | Pune, India |
| Camera: | Canon EOS R5 |
| Copyright: | © Indranil Basu Mallick |