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PHOTOS: Discovering The Hidden World Of Fungi In Western North Carolina

WUNC | By Elizabeth Baier

Published August 31, 2016 at 4:39 PM EDT

"I was drawn to these Mock Oyster Mushrooms by their beauty and their smell, reminiscent of rotten eggs," said E.J. Dwigans, an Asheboro resident who also works as a North Carolina State Park Ranger at Gorges State Park.

For E.J. Dwigans, the intersection of nature and photography is where he most likes to be.

"My favorite place to take photos is the forest, any forest," said Dwigans, 26, of Brevard. "There are so many hidden facets of nature that many people never get the opportunity to see."

Instagram: @shroomiej

Dwigans has always been interested in photography but became more serious about it five years ago when he started taking photos of fungi and plants to identify when he got home after hiking.

Luckily, he often finds himself outdoors as a North Carolina State Park Ranger at Gorges State Park.

"While I don't get paid for my photos, my reward comes from teaching people about things they never knew existed that can be found right in their own backyard," he said. "I am often able to fuse my love of nature photography with my work, teaching visitors about the hidden and unseen world around us."

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Dwigans sometimes uses a Canon EOS t3i for his photography but more often than not, he shoots on his iPhone6.

His advice for people: "Make time for nature. Walk through the woods and when you do try to slow down, notice the little things because what you discover might astound and inspire you."

Note: This is the third installment in an occasional series profiling North Carolina photographers.

"This edible Cauliflower Mushroom often looks more like flower than fungi," said E.J. Dwigans.

Shaggy-stalked Bolete (Heimioporus betula). This bizarre looking mushroom is common in the mixed pine-oak forests of Southern Appalachia.

Mushrooms like this Oak Bracket Polypore exhibit guttation, in which excess water is excreted through their pores.

False Turkey Tail mushroom. The true Turkey Tail mushroom is a powerful medicinal with anti-tumor properties.

This soft, fluffy slime mold is known as Chocolate Tube Slime.

Honey Mushrooms after a short-lived rainstorm.