Inside the Artist’s Process with Beau Dahler

Analog photographer Beau Dahler brings an uncommon sensitivity to the natural world, shaping images that feel both intimate and expansive. For the Mad Agriculture Journal, he created two bodies of work for the stories Mycelium: Nature’s Recyclers and It’s All Woven Together. Each project explores the quiet intelligence of ecological systems and the people who care for them. Beau works entirely on film, which shapes his practice with patience, curiosity, and a respect for processes that unfold slowly over time.

For the mycelium project, Beau spent days with Zach Hedstrom and the Boulder Mushroom team, documenting their work to regenerate fire-scarred soils using fungal networks. Much of that story unfolds underground, unseen by most people, yet Beau’s photographs make the invisible feel vivid. The contrasts, textures, and transformations taking place beneath our feet become clear through the way he composes and observes. His second project, which centers on the interconnected nature of regenerative agriculture and generational knowledge, extends this idea by highlighting how land, people, and biological systems continuously shape one another.

Beau processed many of these images by hand in the darkroom at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center. This method mirrors the material, chemical, and time-based processes he seeks to honor. The result is a collection of photographs that feel alive, grounded in place, rich with emotion, and attentive to the subtle exchanges that define ecological life.

In this conversation, Beau reflects on curiosity as a catalyst, the role of emotion in environmental storytelling, the parallels between film and fungal regeneration, and what it means to witness a small team carrying out work with the potential to reshape entire landscapes.

JONNAH
What drew you to this project with Boulder Mushroom? Did the philosophy or science of mycelium influence how you approached photographing it?

BEAU
Curiosity was the main element that drew me to this project. Before working with Zach and his team, I wasn’t educated in the world of mushrooms and mycelium was a foreign term to me. The idea of using fungi to mitigate wildfires and revitalize barren soil was fascinating and I wanted to be involved in documenting and sharing this incredible practice with others. As I learned more about these magnificent mushrooms and the people using them to change the world, I decided I would approach the project in a cyclical way that celebrated regeneration – showcasing these wonders of nature from beginning to end, and back. 

JONNAH
The work of mycelium happens largely underground, unseen by most of us. How did you translate that invisible process into something visual and evocative through your photography?

BEAU
To make this process visible, it was important to highlight the results of mycelial composting in the environments that Zach and his team had previously introduced this process to. He brought us to sites that had sections of soil yet to be covered and others already visibly thriving within less than a year since inoculation. To be able to capture this abutting contrast, with Zach walking across for reference all in the same frame was gratifying. I also strived to bring the micro into the macro by emphasizing the textures, colors, and makeup of both the mycelium and the organisms it was affecting. 

JONNAH
Your images carry a profound sense of place and mood. How do you bring emotion into your work, especially when photographing subjects as nuanced as nature and regenerative agriculture?

BEAU
Emotion is key to having a meaningful impact on environmental and regenerative agricultural efforts. People must care about what they are seeing or experiencing to want to act on it and affect change. The best way I can bring emotion into my work is by curating images that evoke something transcendent within the viewer. Through place, mood, composition, color, and scope, I can aim to funnel what I’m feeling in that moment in time from behind the camera through the image and onto the viewer. Even if the emotions aren’t the same, the image remains impactful. 

The emotions emitting from the subjects are just as important, if not more important for the viewer than my own. For example, aside from one’s facial expression, I focus on body language, personal possessions and spaces, and interactions with their environments. Photographing someone in a space that they care for deeply can be an intimate and vulnerable experience, especially when you’re steeped in wilderness. I have great appreciation and respect for anyone willing to show their emotions with not only myself and the camera but the viewer as well. 

JONNAH
Mycology is such a science-driven field, but it also feels deeply philosophical. How did you balance documenting the technical aspects of Boulder Mushroom’s work while also highlighting its poetic or symbolic resonance?

BEAU
This nuanced balance requires an acute level of listening and absorbing. The technical aspects are less challenging to document, but tuning into the philosophy and symbolism of the project requires a deep understanding of how the Boulder Mushroom team interacts with not only each other but with these highly intelligent organisms–which they visibly show a deep reverence for.   

I had the pleasure of witnessing a seemingly small team of four to six people work together to spread fungi across acres, which will soon cover and regenerate hundreds to thousands of acres of soil. The power of these few humble individuals compounding on the power of such a miraculous organism is profound. 

As I shadowed Zach and his colleagues, I overheard philosophical conversations about the complexities of life, love, outer space, our planet, and our purpose. I was surprised to hear this dialogue happening so casually, as sweat dripped and sharp shovels struck the topsoil; but it made perfect sense once I understood the scope of what is being done. It gave me a deeper sense of the people who care enough to dedicate their lives to this feat, which guided my artistic vision as I framed these beautiful scenes.

JONNAH
As a photographer, how does spending time in nature shape your creative process? Did this project shift or deepen your relationship with the natural world?

BEAU
I’m always chasing light. Natural light is a gift and ever-fleeting, changing. A camera allows me to capture that light and freeze it in time. Being in nature is a constant reminder of how lucky I am to be alive, at any moment, in this space and time. It’s a reminder of how special it is that I am able to feel the wet ground under my feet, see the sun painting the mountains as it sets, and hear the waves of the ocean crashing against the sand conducted by the maestro Moon glowing above. 

These reminders are the artworks of the miracle of life. I am extremely grateful when I get to capture them through my lens and create my own art from their beauty. Movement, light, sound, and texture shape my creative process and inspire me to make images that can not always be captured with the human eye. 

This project has shown me that the obstacles and challenges faced by our natural world, seemingly so far out of reach for one person, can still be impacted by ingenuity, love, determination, and community in collaboration with nature to combat our current climate crises.  

JONNAH
Every photograph tells a story. When you were shooting this project, what narrative were you most drawn to, and how did you strive to convey it visually?

BEAU
My priority while shooting was to accurately represent Zach, his fungi, and the land. His story is one of passion, immersion, leadership, and entrepreneurial spirit at a very young age. Documenting the fine details, organization, scientific precision, and his relationships with his team and partners was crucial to visually conveying the narrative of devotion, investment, and urgency in this project.

JONNAH
What challenges did you encounter in capturing the essence of this project? Were there any unexpected moments or discoveries that shaped your approach?

BEAU
I think the biggest challenge was finding ways to capture the sheer amount of time that has gone into this project since its inception, as well as the time it takes for these mycelial networks to completely transform entire ecosystems. Where the passage of time really shines for this project is in the photographs focused on Boulder Mushroom’s facilities, methods, and infrastructure. They showcase the efficiency that Zach and his team use to turn this brilliant idea into a scalable project with measurable success.

It’s a regenerative process that plays the long game, but it is incredible the differences that can be seen in just a few months to a year after inoculation. These efficiencies and highly calculated executions naturally shaped the way I documented the mini-miracles taking place. Although the science happening below the ground is slow, the work to put it into action is extremely swift and deliberate.

JONNAH
Why is film photography, as opposed to digital, so important in telling this story? What is it about the medium that you feel resonates with the themes of resilience, regeneration, and interconnectedness?

BEAU
Just like mycelium, film photography is a scientific miracle. A chemical miracle. And just like mycelial regeneration, shooting and developing film is a slow process, but a very rewarding one. It’s also hidden. One has to build confidence in their intuition and ability to choose the right film, settings, and moments for the desired result, while also trusting in themselves and their process. 

Analog is resilient because it has made a comeback within popular culture after becoming an obsolete medium. We are in a digital age where so many of us long for tactile, imperfect, and nostalgic experiences. Film has seen a global resurgence in cinema, commercial photography, and print and digital media. It has garnered enough popularity for brands like Kodak, Pentax, Polaroid, and more to manufacture new professional-level film cameras and film stocks. It’s connecting a new generation of photographers with the old and thus fostering communities that support and encourage returning to our roots, taking a breath, and slowing down. 

JONNAH
You processed some of your photographs in a dark room. What was that experience like for you?

BEAU
Processing parts of this project in the dark room was extremely rewarding. I had complete control over my images from start to finish, placing pressure on myself to deliver the results I envision when pressing the shutter. 

Similar to Zach’s work with mycelium, developing film is an extremely precise methodical process. There’s a huge margin for error, especially when dealing with exposure to light and time-sensitive chemical baths. I thrive under pressure and crave a challenge, so having the chance to develop my own film for a print publication was ultimately a great deal of fun. Once the strips of film finish drying, the reward comes when I get to inspect the negatives through a loupe, and again after scanning and converting them to positives.

JONNAH
When you look at the images you’ve created for this project with Boulder Mushroom, what do you hope viewers take away? What larger story do you feel this project is part of, and how do you see your role in documenting it?

BEAU
I hope they will take away a deeper understanding of how powerful our natural world truly is. There are many people using our greatest assets and natural resources to create solutions to problems that can only be solved with immensely creative and ingenious solutions. Ideas born out of scientific observation and evolving to biomimicry to heal our hurting home in its greatest time of need. 

This project tells a larger story of optimism and action. I want people to see these unique photographs and feel hope. It’s my wish they will inspire others to build an intimate relationship with nature and find ways to support its preservation, at any scale. We are at a crucial point in human history in which our actions will drastically change the course of our planet’s future. There is no backup Earth. It’s easy to be cynical and feel there are no ways for just one human to have a meaningful impact, but it is our collective responsibility to collaborate in preserving and regenerating our wondrous planet.

Documenting Boulder Mushroom’s innovative accomplishments has been a great honor in my career and has inspired me to become a greater ally in regenerative agriculture and environmental solutions that create real change.