Photographing the hidden world of slime mould

4 hours ago

Victoria CookBBC News

Barry Webb A close up image of some slime mould. The sporangium have red and white heads, and there are water droplets stuck to them. Barry Webb

Barry Webb's "Glistening Slime Mould" won the people's choice in the macro category of the British Photography Awards 2025

Welcome to the world of slime mould.

These images, captured by photographer Barry Webb, provide a close-up view of single-celled slime mould organisms. A view that would not be possible with the naked eye.

Using a high-powered macro lens, and a composite of stills, Barry is able to reveal the tiny structures, which can grow anywhere from forests to deserts.

Barry has won awards for his work, which is mainly focused west of London, including the recent people's choice award in the macro section of the British photography awards.

Barry Webb An extremely close-up photo of slime mould. It appears as five yellow spheres on bent brown stalks Barry Webb

Barry Webb A orange and black slime mould sporangium with two pink mites on the top Barry Webb

If you shrink yourself down to the size of a mite, and take a walk through the forest, this is how you would see slime mould.

When Barry was photographing this slime mould, he thought it had dust on the top. It wasn't until he started to create the composite image at home that he realised he had captured two tiny mites reaching skyward.

Barry said he "didn't know they existed" before he was introduced to the world of slime mould in 2019.

A gardener by trade, but a keen hobby photographer - the Covid lockdown saw Barry spend more time outside hunting for these organisms.

"It's not fungi, it's not a plant, it's not animal. It's more closely related to an amoeba," Barry explains.

His photography focuses on the fruiting bodies of the slime mould, where the colour and drama are most intense, and from where spores are released.

Barry explains how the slime mould feed off bacteria, algae and types of fungi and are an important part of the ecosystem.

The RHS says slime mould has been used in some "incredible practical applications", including urban transport mapping simulations and in the search for dark matter.

Barry Webb kneels on the forest floor amongst the leaves and branches looking into his camera, and explaining the process to reporter Victoria Cook who is kneeling next to him

Showing me how it works - Barry's small set up involves a small camera, tripod and kneeling pad. (This reporter must remember a kneeling pad in future)

Taking photos of slime mould is not a simple process, although technology has made it much easier in recent years.

Barry explains that due to the size of the subject, "one picture would not do them justice, you can get virtually nothing in focus".

He describes how he uses a technique called focus bracketing, where dozens of photos are taken.

"You take multiple pictures, sometimes over 100 and it takes tiny little slithers of focus, and then you put all those into software, and that creates your final image."

Years ago Barry would have to adjust the focus for each of those 100 photos, but now it does it for him.

"It's all clever stuff," he tells me.

RETRUI

RETRUI

Photographing the hidden world of slime mould

Photographing the hidden world of slime mould