Light My Way

My parents' yard is chock full of fireflies this time of year. I took on the challenge of trying to photograph them. I quickly learned catching images of fireflies is tricky, to say the least. One positive aspect: Fireflies are attracted to the flash of the camera (their "glow" is how they attract mates). So attracting them isn't the problem...snapping them when they're 1) in focus and 2) glowing is ridiculously difficult, especially when you factor in the fact that you're shooting in near darkness and when they're not glowing they're black. After some internet investigation I learned that capturing fireflies in photos is one of the most vexing and complex nature photography challenges.