A collective interest

Plans can change quickly when she is working.

There was one time, for example, that Zhou planned to photograph one type of fungus, but she suddenly noticed something new next to it. She dropped the original plan and changed tack, shifting her focus onto the unknown growth. She felt as if she was exploring a new land, which in a way she was.

"That fungus grew so fast that I stayed up all night to record its evolving stages, as I had to change my focus as it grew," she recalls.

It's not easy to find the right fungi to cultivate, and the hardest thing is to have a fungus that is in its prime. To find the best young fungus, Zhou would often explore in the mountains.

Rotten wood is a favorite hunting ground as it provides the perfect breeding conditions for fungi. She will often return home with bags full of rotten wood.

This treasure trove of mulch, of course, comes with things other than fungi, such as creepy-crawlies, like bugs, centipedes and cockroaches. "One night I woke up to find a centipede on my quilt and I was terrified," Zhou recalls.