Discovering Hidden Worlds: Autumn Macro Photography with the OM System 90mm Lens

The forest after rain holds a special magic. As droplets cling to moss and mushrooms emerge from the damp earth, autumn transforms the woodland into a photographer's paradise. Armed with my OM System 90mm macro lens, I embarked on a journey that would completely shift my perspective on wildlife photography—one tiny subject at a time.

I started the day with grand ambitions: sweeping woodland landscapes, majestic tree compositions, perhaps some bird photography. But as the crowded forest refused to cooperate, I made a decision that would make the day count.

I switched from my wide-angle lens to the OM System 90mm macro lens and literally changed my point of view.

Macro photography demands something different from us. It requires getting down to ground level, peering into a world most people walk right past. This shift mirrors a deeper change in how we see nature. Suddenly, a tiny mushroom barely visible to the naked eye becomes a towering subject worthy of artistic attention.

As I knelt among the fallen leaves, the 90mm macro lens revealed treasures invisible moments before. A delicate cream-colored mushroom stood like a tiny umbrella against golden autumn hues. The lens's exceptional sharpness captured every texture while beautiful bokeh melted the background into painterly swirls.

The OM System 90mm macro truly shines in these conditions. Its weather-sealed construction meant I could work confidently as light rain fell, capturing ice crystals on bark and intricate lichen patterns. The lens's 1:1 magnification ratio filled the frame with subjects smaller than my fingernail, revealing details invisible to the naked eye.

What I love most about macro photography is how it forces you to slow down. Unlike traditional wildlife photography, macro work demands a different patience—the willingness to sit with a single subject, studying it from every angle, waiting for light to shift.

I discovered vibrant orange mushrooms on a moss-covered log. Using the OM-1's focus bracketing with the 90mm lens, I captured multiple images at different focus points, ensuring tack-sharp results throughout the frame.

Adding side lighting transformed the scene. The ability to work with minimal natural light created dimensional shadows that emphasized the mushrooms' delicate features.

A Different Kind of Wildlife Photography

Macro photography is wildlife photography on a different scale. The same principles apply: understanding your subject, respecting its environment, being present. But working at this magnification teaches you to see differently. You become aware of tiny ecosystems beneath your feet: moss gardens, lichen colonies, mushroom networks that most hikers never notice.

The forest that seemed crowded at eye level became intimate and peaceful through the macro lens. The OM System 90mm macro became my tool for meditation, a tool that I use to stop the noise and focus on what’s right in front of me.

The lens's optical performance never ceased to impress. Even wide open, sharpness was exceptional where it mattered while background blur remained smooth. The close focusing distance let me isolate tiny subjects against distant backgrounds, creating images where a mushroom no bigger than a coin commanded the entire frame.

Finding Magic in the Details

Autumn in the forest offers endless opportunities for macro photography. From frost-kissed fungi to dewdrop-laden moss, from lichen patterns to crystalline ice, the season provides subjects and atmospheric conditions that elevate macro work from technical exercise to artistic expression.

The lesson? Sometimes the most powerful wildlife photographs don't require exotic locations or rare subjects. Sometimes magic lives in your local woodland, waiting for you to change your perspective, get down on the ground, and really look. With the OM System 90mm macro lens, my every forest walk becomes an adventure into hidden worlds, where patience and perspective reveal nature's most intimate details.

The series below is a snapshot of abstract patterns I found in a cold morning within the macro world: a collection of ice crystals and perfect intertwining lines (from a mushroom cap) nature delighted me with.