As part of our wider project with chef Derek Sarno, documenting the transition of a former chicken farm into a sustainable mushroom farm, we visited John Dorrian, one of the skilled mushroom farmers behind Smithy Mushrooms.

With a wealth of knowledge, John and his team generously shared their expertise to help guide the farm’s transition from chicken to mushroom.

We hadn’t set foot in a mushroom farm before being asked to document the project, but we soon felt on familiar ground. Talking to MD John Dorrian, it became clear that there are quite a few similarities between mushroom farming and photography. Specifically, lighting and timing. They are everything. Get those crucial ingredients right and you’re in business. Get them wrong and… well, you’re not.

It’s a delicate balance, one that takes focus and concentration.