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2863
2864

Long exposure of fireflies just before dark (imgur.com)

submitted ago by Proteon

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[–]WiiNotFit 354 points355 points ago

This is actually a very short exposure or more likely a series of short exposures compressed into a single image. If it was a long exposure there would be trails, unless every single bug in that frame decided to stand/fly still for the duration of any long exposure shot, so my guess is it's just a high ISO shot, possible multiple layers of high ISO regular shutter speed shots, because that's just soooo many bugs for one shut, hence my guess at a composite.

Either way, despite my nerd photog rant, this is a stunning photo and I love it. Did you take this OP? What's the original source if not?

[–]myrpou 78 points79 points ago

Like so: http://img.izismile.com//img/img3/20100812/640/the_beautiful_lights_640_10.jpg

[–]ChoTai 170 points171 points ago

No, the photographer of that photo has said that was done by running around with a green light. Fireflies flicker so they would leave dots along a path more like this.

[–]victore992 61 points62 points ago

Actually it could be more of a combo of the two, since they're still moving when they flicker. Like this. Like little glowy worms. If they were really slow fireflies they'd look like dots, or if there is some sort of different type of firefly.

[–]Kelvara 35 points36 points ago

Too many photos of fireflies, I don't know what to think any more.

[–]YHofSuburbia 51 points52 points ago

WHICH ONE SHOULD I PUT AS MY WALLPAPER!?

[–]Greenlimer 9 points10 points ago

It may depend on what species the firefly. Depending upon what fireflies were captured and if in the same amount of time, I wonder if they could cause different patterns. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly

[–]LutetiumJ 1 point2 points ago

Use ALL the pictures!

[–]TremendousPete 1 point2 points ago

Are any of them even real man? I can't handle the ambiguity. Back to my pineapple hookah.

[–]ChoTai 8 points9 points ago

That is actually really cool looking. It looks like tons of flying glowing silkworms.

[–]devedander 2 points3 points ago

Actually streakiness would depend on exposure length. At a fast enough speed the camera would freeze the motion assuming the sensor could handle the low light high ISO acceptably.

[–]iEATu23 63 points64 points ago

This picture is much more impressive.

[–]overtoke 8 points9 points ago

fireflies actually glow all the time (at least while active during the night). they just increase the intensity while flashing.

[–]ChoTai 7 points8 points ago

Is it noticeable to the human eye? Because from my memories of catching them as a kid, they would blink but they seemed pretty dark in between. Maybe I just wasn't paying that much attention.

[–]overtoke 5 points6 points ago

yes you can definitely see it.

you can squash their bodies on your arm and the 'smear' will glow (don't be cruel!)

[–]ChoTai 6 points7 points ago

Oh that's what you mean. Then I've seen that. Me and my cousin were cruel children, drawing on the road with that glow, squashing countless fireflies.

[–]overtoke 3 points4 points ago

well, you can see it w/o killing the firefly

[–]ChoTai 5 points6 points ago

Yeah, we weren't very bright children.

[–]Greenlimer 2 points3 points ago

I used to go out and hit them with wiffle bats then smearing them with my shoe. If i seen myself doing that I would instantly think the same thing.

[–]Sojournerr 2 points3 points ago

I did this as a child. My sister and I even squished their glow'iness on our finger and claimed we were married! =]

[–]Cendeu 1 point2 points ago

Yeah, you can see it. Go out on a cloudy night. You'll see very dull yellow spots, which brighten into lights.

You can't really see it when it's dusk, because it's too light out to tell.

[–]Cendeu 2 points3 points ago

Not dots, but small lines. The person below (Victore992) did it perfectly.

Fireflies do flicker on and off, but not near fast enough to make dots like that.

[–]Mugros 1 point2 points ago

If there are many fireflies you wouldn't see the trails that clearly and it would look like the OPs picture.

load more comments (9 replies)

    [–]RundieMC 11 points12 points ago

    Original Source.. I think..

    [–]jimbojonesFA 12 points13 points ago

    Couldn't it also be that the fire flies "lights" flicker they sort of blink on and off therefore they don't leave streaking light trails since the don't move fast enough for the speed of the blink, there is another photo this man took where you can see individual trails of dots of light (if that makes sense) which would mean it was a single long exposure shot. I'm not 100% sure though but it makes sense to me

    [–]MeisterX 13 points14 points ago

    Nope. I'm a photographer and I've tried this exact shot :P

    [–]niutecrowe 3 points4 points ago

    I think it's from the synchronous fireflies in the smoky mountain national park. in which case they actually do blink rapidly on and off and appear in the bajillions. There are tons of photos just like this one.. if i'm right about the location it's just after dark.

    load more comments (1 reply)

      [–]yomimashita 1 point2 points ago

      yes, there are different kinds of fireflies, some just strobe for a very brief instant

      load more comments (2 replies)

        [–]SubtlePineapple 7 points8 points ago

        Also if it was just a long exposure, wouldn't the scene appear to be well-lit?

        [–]geareddev 6 points7 points ago

        Not if you closed down the iris or used a filter. When shooting long exposures, you can control the exposure with the iris and neutral density filters.

        [–]eyedears 2 points3 points ago

        but closing down the iris would make the light from the firefly insignificant in comparison to the steady available light. i came to the comments to investigate other opinions, because in my mind, the title doesn't describe the photo taken. the title describes the image the photographer meant to create.

        [–]SubtlePineapple 3 points4 points ago

        Right. I've tried to take long-exposures of firefly stuff, and the fireflies are actually quite dim to begin with. Human eye is far more effective than a camera.

        [–]eyedears 0 points1 point ago

        it's the film that's the problem. our eye registers each frame and starts a new as with a motion picture. one and done at the exposure level. the case of film the light chips away at the available emulsion and the brighter spots win, smushing the light of many moments into the frame space of one. obvious perhaps, but i explain to myself as well.

        load more comments (3 replies)

          [–]airmasszero 2 points3 points ago

          Very useful analysis, thank you.

          [–]lcbug78 0 points1 point ago

          In that case it could just be one really busy firefly. Love the photo btw

          [–]calmdrive 4 points5 points ago

          that teleports

          [–][deleted] ago

          [deleted]

          [–]Sluisifer 1 point2 points ago

          Looks like a composite / multiple exposure. You can see several patterns in the foreground where many dots form a trail of a moving firefly. Also, I don't see how the rest of the scene could be so bright relative to the fireflies if it wasn't.

          [–]Semajal 1 point2 points ago

          May not need to be that high, considering it was shot with an F1.8 lens and the Bokeh is crazy :D So guessing f1.8

          [–]yomimashita 1 point2 points ago

          there are different kinds of fireflies, some just strobe for a very brief instant

          load more comments (12 replies)

            [–]Proteon[S] 51 points52 points ago

            The photographer is Rei Ohara from Japan

            [–]kuroyaki 3 points4 points ago

            Actually, it looks a lot like Tsuneaki Hiramatsu's pictures of Genji-botaru fireflies that took off in February. Including the lentil-shaped bokeh. There were also pictures with the more familiar, brush-stroke trails in the same set, so it looks like the pulsed trails are multiple-exposure.

            [–]yomimashita 1 point2 points ago

            genji do the usual slow fade in and out, these are hime-botaru, which strobe

            [–]kuroyaki 1 point2 points ago

            If the photograph is also from Japan, then it narrows down the number of species it could be.

            [–]Rufflin 32 points33 points ago

            I love pictures like this. Makes me think that there's still magic in this world.

            [–]Daylow 10 points11 points ago

            Wonderful post.

            [–]Magnesus 1 point2 points ago

            They remind me on the other hand Grave of Fireflies. And it makes me really sad. :( Fuck war!

            [–]Cptn_Hook 46 points47 points ago

            Multiple exposure, actually. Not long exposure. Like so.

            Otherwise you'd end up with a bunch of wiggly lines, and you could tell which fireflies were drunk.

            [–]Zizizizz 14 points15 points ago

            you can do that in one photo, all i do is turn on a stobe light and leave the lens open :)

            [–]livication 8 points9 points ago

            Never thought to do this, but I've used multiple flashes from different directions before. Obviously this wouldn't work for the firefly shot though since they are the light and there is no flash.

            [–]eyedears 5 points6 points ago

            i don't see the fireflies showing up in that scenario, and strobing would just light the whole scene. i think she painstaking walked around with a pen light either with individual shots, overlaying and wiping the new exposures in photoshop, or some sort of raw hdr with one exposure, targeting the ever fading bursts of light and bumping them up, leaving the low-lit scene the same.

            [–]Zizizizz 1 point2 points ago

            I know it was referring to the picture of the man juggling the balls, the main picture of the fireflies was multiple exposures. Sorry for not clarifying

            [–]goatsonfire 3 points4 points ago

            Fireflies blink on and off. Different species have different patterns. Some species have very short blinks which would result in individual spots like in the photo. Think of each blink as an individual exposure. That is why you get the same effect that you do from the multiple exposures of the person juggling the balls.

            [–]Sluisifer 4 points5 points ago

            The blinks would need to be extremely short. You get motion blurring from objects moving at that speed at 1/50sec exposures. I'd shoot for 1/120 to get something as crisp as that shot.

            I'm sure some species do blink quickly, but there's no way they're doing it that fast. Chemiluminescense simply isn't that fast.

            [–]justabrickinthewall 1 point2 points ago

            Man, I wish there were fireflies where I'm from. I'm so curious about how this was shot and I can't picture (heh) how the photographer did it. The only solution would be to experiment for myself and report back with results. But I can't. :(

            [–]yomimashita 1 point2 points ago

            some fireflies strobe

            [–]yelaina 12 points13 points ago

            Reminds me of the Fireflies Level on We Love Katamari. VERY cool.

            [–]annamatic 5 points6 points ago

            Ha, just coming to say that very thing.

            [–]multifunctionomical 3 points4 points ago

            Same, looking at this made me want to just roll them all up.

            [–]gunner85 11 points12 points ago

            You would not believe your eyes...

            [–]nachtmere 9 points10 points ago

            1,000 hugs from 10,000 lightning bugs

            This guy has a pretty low hug to bug ratio. Also I hate this song.

            [–]HatesWhenThatHappens 10 points11 points ago

            Yeah, I remember being in denial about loving the song too.

            [–]-Nikolaus- 9 points10 points ago

            I did this too! Only had one good night though, was hoping for another to perfect the focus.

            It's here if you want to look.

            [–]rxgator 2 points3 points ago

            was this one long exposure? if so, why not stack multiple long exposures to get more trails?

            pretty cool picture

            [–]OriginalJ 10 points11 points ago

            Glad to see fireflies are still out there in the world

            [–]StudioTuba 5 points6 points ago

            This is definitely going in my "to paint" folder.

            [–]Corbo1985 4 points5 points ago

            My eyes just came.

            [–]wait_a_tick 1 point2 points ago

            Oh, my, god. Day made for a displaced kid from the midwest.

            [–]Vishis271 2 points3 points ago

            Amazing! I haven't seen fireflies outside in years :(

            [–]TigaW00 2 points3 points ago

            I've had this as my phone wallpaper for like a year...YOU'RE TELLING ME I COULD HAVE MADE THE FRONT PAGE!?!

            [–]Daylow 2 points3 points ago

            Starry, starry night. Paint your palette blue and grey, Look out on a summer's day, With eyes that know the darkness in my soul. Shadows on the hills, Sketch the trees and the daffodils, Catch the breeze and the winter chills, In colors on the snowy linen land.

            Now I understand what you tried to say to me, How you suffered for your sanity, How you tried to set them free. They would not listen, they did not know how. Perhaps they'll listen now.

            Starry, starry night. Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,

            [–]hawtblondemom 1 point2 points ago

            Swirling clouds in violet haze, reflect in Vincents eyes of china blue. colors changing hue, morning fields of amber grain, weathered faces lined with pain, are smoothed beneath the artists loving hand...

            [–]SpammityCalamity 2 points3 points ago

            I am saving this for my desktop. This is absolutely gorgeous.

            [–]DlSCONNECTED 1 point2 points ago

            Look like lemons!

            [–]headspins 2 points3 points ago

            I moved from where we lived when I was nine and there were lots of fireflies, moved back when I was twenty nine and no fireflies. A company harvested them :( Firefly luciferase is used in forensics, and the enzyme has medical uses..

            [–]Hurriquake 2 points3 points ago

            Hey that's pretty damn cool guy!

            [–]Sunflwrstarz 2 points3 points ago

            It's so beautiful!

            [–]stoicspoon 2 points3 points ago

            This image reminds me of Van Gogh's "The Undergrowth #2"

            http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1414&bih=710&tbm=isch&tbnid=9Hv4CNP5Q_6ddM:&imgrefurl=http://www.wonderwallcanvas.co.uk/old_masters_canvas_prints.php%3FCanCode%3D989&docid=EPwWFkhYP2dw1M&itg=1&imgurl=http://www.wonderwallcanvas.co.uk/canvasses/large_canvasses/lg_8910155426.jpg&w=500&h=500&ei=UP9LUO-VF-iriQKZ9YCwBA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=631&sig=107133651657277327724&page=1&tbnh=150&tbnw=177&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0,i:87&tx=107&ty=59

            [–]zeamaize 1 point2 points ago

            That is one of the most beautiful images I have ever seen.

            I miss fireflies.

            [–]the_fern386 2 points3 points ago

            Reminds me of that level in one of the Katamari games where you had to roll up "bright" stuff. There were fireflies everywhere!

            [–]progressive_peregrin 2 points3 points ago

            I went out to the forest and caught 100,000 fireflies. As they ricochet 'round my room they remind me of your starry eyes.

            [–]MJsdanglebaby 2 points3 points ago

            I'd like to believe that's roughly 10 million fireflies.

            [–]Boatsnbuds 2 points3 points ago

            You folks that live where fireflies live are freakin' lucky bastards. I live on the west coast (of Canada), and there are none. I visited family in Manitoba several years ago where we went camping on Lake Manitoba somewhere, and I saw my first fireflies. That beautiful blue-green light floating around, seemingly unencumbered by physical form, was one of the most mesmerizing things I've ever seen, and I've been totally envious ever since.

            [–]Magnesus 2 points3 points ago

            Grave of the Fireflies. It makes me sad every time.

            [–]pizzarules1000 2 points3 points ago

            This has been my desktop for four months! (I knew about this desktop before it was cool...)

            EDIT: It was actually this one, but it's by the same guy.

            The photo is by Tsuneaki Hiramatsu.

            [–]j-whiskers 2 points3 points ago

            that is really wonderful; thank you for sharing

            edit: it is interesting that they don't fly to far/fast when lit so we see smudges instead of lines. this is a really fascinating picture!

            [–]raskalz 2 points3 points ago

            how do you do exposures like this?

            [–]dsgm1984 2 points3 points ago

            Beautiful boke, no HDR, correct color and exposure. YOU WIN

            [–]SCAtheMom 1 point2 points ago

            Wow, my jaw literally dropped. That is fantastic. Perfect background, too.

            [–]soaringrooster 1 point2 points ago

            Stunning. Thank you! LOVE THIS.

            [–]nbenzi 1 point2 points ago

            That's quite mesmerizing

            [–]Troyhw 1 point2 points ago

            Awesome photo. I'm definitely going to try this later

            [–]iphonephotog 0 points1 point ago

            Don't try a long exposure. It's high ISO and multiple images stacked

            [–]LoneWave 1 point2 points ago

            How does a long exposure work exactly?

            [–]Jonathan-O 5 points6 points ago

            This photo isn't actually long exposure, it's a whole bunch of short exposure shots layered on top of one another.

            However, to answer your question, long exposure keeps the camera constantly capturing... Imagine playing a film, but each frame stays on screen and layers up, so anything moving will create a blurred effect and lights will appear brighter, like this.

            [–]Zizizizz 2 points3 points ago

            Lenses are just like eyes, when they open they take in a set amount of light and the light captured in that instance is reflected onto an image. Everything gives off light, so if you leave the shutter open in low light levels, you can effectively capture light in great detail. Anything moving is giving off light while the shutter is open though, so you can follow the trail the object took during the photo depending on the exposure time because the camera is capturing the light of the moving object constantly.

            [–]football2106 1 point2 points ago

            Can someone define "long exposure" please.

            [–]Zizizizz 4 points5 points ago

            when you take a picture the lens opens and closes relatively quickly in most cases especially on point and shoots and camera phones, but slr's are much more customizable in exposure times, so for instance you could push the shutter button to open, but not have it close for ten or fifteen seconds (whatever time you set) in that time the camera takes in light constantly so it often shows a trail of an image that is moving while the frame is open. Here is an example. http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000A6VdX5YQhIY/s/900/900/Davenport-Ocean-Landscape-Monochrome-05.jpg the rocks aren't moving so they are crystal clear, but the water is constantly moving so the image is blurred in areas of motion. Light being captured on the water is constantly changing so it won't look like it's still.

            [–]vaginasaurus_rex 2 points3 points ago

            Nice of you to take the time to explain this so thoroughly. Kudos to you.

            [–]EtherGnat 2 points3 points ago

            It's a relative term, where the shutter on the camera is left open anywhere from a few seconds to several hours; even days or years in extreme cases. It can be done for any number of technical or artistic reasons.

            [–]obscure_renegade 1 point2 points ago

            Very cool. 8)

            [–]texastim 1 point2 points ago

            Great pic

            [–]DIRTY_CRAPPED_BRIEFS 1 point2 points ago

            back in june 2010 i hung out with an old childhood friend in shenandoah valley va... we drove down to the river with his gf and watched the fireflies in the willow trees. must have been thousands of them. also the first time i got really really high

            [–]Rake_and_Roustabout 0 points1 point ago

            Eric Carle was really onto something.

            [–]Kommandant45 0 points1 point ago

            Reminds me of this

            [–]starkeffect 0 points1 point ago

            I have a mandolin/I play it all night long/It makes me want to kill myself

            [–]BennyFresh 1 point2 points ago

            Would you believe your eyes.... If ten million fireflies......

            [–]fireballfashion 0 points1 point ago

            I demand the RAW info.

            [–]DOWNVOTE_AND_REPORT 1 point2 points ago

            This is really pretty it looks like flowers

            [–]mhfc 1 point2 points ago

            This reminds me of the end of the video for Mew's "Am I Wry? No": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-S0qJS9mG4

            [–]Phantogram -1 points0 points ago

            This reminds me of Phantogram's cover for their album Eyelid Movies. Since I already feel like I'm indirectly pimping the band, here is a link to a Phantogram song for those of you unfamiliar with their awesomeness.

            [–]paxiscameleon 1 point2 points ago

            I like this.

            [–]bookreader47 1 point2 points ago

            Beautiful. Reminds me of my childhood with all the fireflies.

            [–]Zim_Roxo 0 points1 point ago

            I...I can't believe my eyes O.O haha xD

            [–]frieda1983 0 points1 point ago

            This needs to be in /r/ExposurePorn

            [–]alonebut4thecat 0 points1 point ago

            Quick q: Who took this photo? Because your photo credits Rei Ohara. But this one credits Tsuneaki Hiramatsu

            Edit: Either way, my reaction was Whoooooaaa

            [–]Gesepp 1 point2 points ago

            If you guys like this, /r/ExposurePorn is a thing.

            [–]saucybrit24 0 points1 point ago

            "You would not believe your eyes, if 10 million fireflies...."

            [–]sabreteeth 1 point2 points ago

            This makes me happy. Thank you for sharing.

            [–]Steve_the_Scout 1 point2 points ago

            Just a heads up OP, the full album was posted before. However, this is a repost I can get behind.

            [–]falcofox 1 point2 points ago

            I had this exact same idea for a picture to do but you beat me to it. lice shot though,looks great.

            [–]Maisie-s 1 point2 points ago

            Wow... I've never seen fireflies but I'm sure they are amazing.

            [–]Gracen 0 points1 point ago

            I live in a fairly rural part of South Carolina and I always remember watching fireflies on warm nights as a child. I never see them anymore. Does anybody have a possible explanation as to why that is? I really miss them..

            [–]AroundTheSunWeGo 2 points3 points ago

            The mosquito control efforts of humans. We kill their main food source. They don't just hang around our grassy areas in abundance as they used to. You have to go near the edges of forest areas, creeks, places with plenty of nectar and mosquito.

            load more comments (1 reply)

              [–]69swaglord420 1 point2 points ago

              We all know this is clearly a demonstration of your passion for owl city

              [–]lurking_my_ass_off 1 point2 points ago

              Damn... that's like the most haunted section of the woods I have ever seen.

              [–]3284390584 0 points1 point ago

              Must have used the Van Gogh filter.

              [–]krowface 0 points1 point ago

              You know a bunch of people are going to complain this is a repost.

              I'm happy to see this again. Thank you.

              [–]gogo_giants -1 points0 points ago

              That looks like a shit ton of fireflies. I'd get the hell out of there!

              [–]Ebelglorg 0 points1 point ago

              This is very...odd

              [–]ShortNeckGiraffe 1 point2 points ago

              I've always dreamed of seeing something like this one day. I've never seen a firefly in real life; I'm going to squeal like a child the day I get a chance to actually see some.

              [–]astraway 1 point2 points ago

              Here is the link to the full album at that Photographers website: http://www.reiohara.com/hotaru.html

              [–]Thepogschampion 0 points1 point ago

              where is this?

              [–]trinitysun 1 point2 points ago

              They're called Lightning Bugs.

              [–]auritus 0 points1 point ago

              I've always wanted to shoot fireflies!

              [–]fs200vids 1 point2 points ago

              This is awesome. I got a similar pic but with fireworks last weekend. Long exposures are fun

              http://imgur.com/ZY5N2

              [–]raphenuke 1 point2 points ago

              alas they are in decline

              [–]Kbman 1 point2 points ago

              How long of an exposure was this shot?

              [–]KGrimesF08 1 point2 points ago

              I don't see how anyone can downvote this.

              [–]missa11003 1 point2 points ago

              my wallpaer

              [–]inm8num2 1 point2 points ago

              "Why do fireflies die so soon?"

              T__T

              [–]jennifo14 1 point2 points ago

              This is my favorite reddit thread of the year so far. SO MUCH PRETTY

              [–]manuel_robot_cleaner 1 point2 points ago

              This isn't long exposure. Me and my dad drew stuff with penlights and long exposure, and it left trails.

              [–]Vapoureon 0 points1 point ago

              Original Post

              Photographer's Blog

              [–]REDheadedAPPLE 1 point2 points ago

              Really beautiful photo. Thanks for sharing!

              [–]DHuffer 1 point2 points ago

              First thought after playing slender...NOOOOOOO!!!!!

              [–]katelegendre 1 point2 points ago

              Pretty picture...this would make an amazing painting if anyone were to try to recapture it on a canvas~

              [–]ArtistCeleste 1 point2 points ago

              Magical.

              [–]jp_in_nj 1 point2 points ago

              That's gorgeous.

              [–]DoctorSteve 1 point2 points ago

              I would like a camera that can do things like this, but I also don't think I would look good with a DSLR. I need a happy medium.

              [–]zdiggler 1 point2 points ago

              I took Long Exp of fireflies. Not enough of the around this year., they looked like lints.

              [–]momstart 1 point2 points ago

              looks pretty cool fireflies or not

              [–]love2bakez 1 point2 points ago

              So amazing

              [–]supergrover2_0 1 point2 points ago

              People may be disputing about how the picture was taken; however, I appreciate that you put the capture data in the lower right.

              [–]thesimpletoncomplex 0 points1 point ago

              bokeh bokeh bokeh

              [–]greyjackal 0 points1 point ago

              We don't get these beasties in the UK. any chance they're prevalent in Massachusetts, where I am now? Would love to see them

              [–]biaggio 1 point2 points ago

              Then Sam went up, and Gus went after him. When Sam went down, down went the firefly too. Where Sam went, Gus went.

              [–]dedfink 1 point2 points ago

              Beautiful <3 I was actually talking about fireflies the other day. I moved out west a couple of years ago and fireflies (along with trees and grass) is one of the things I miss. I mentioned them off hand and learned that most of my friends have never seen a firefly before.

              [–]Jaxxxi 1 point2 points ago

              Long exposure, short exposure, I don't care, I still really want a print of this :X

              [–]nerys71 1 point2 points ago

              fake shopped real or rigged this picture is spectacular and I am pleased to have seen it.

              [–]Sir_Bagel -1 points0 points ago

              Just how many times have I seen this picture...

              [–]NeedaIight 0 points1 point ago

              When I was a kid, I used to grab a couple, wait till they lit up and squish them on my skin and clothes. I would be lit up for a while.

              [–]HelloWuWu 1 point2 points ago

              Best photo I've seen on here in a while. Title is incorrect though. It's not a long exposure or there would be trails of light.

              [–]dope_dough 0 points1 point ago

              when i was little i would squish them and they would glow

              [–]siglug 0 points1 point ago

              I don't get what makes these long exposure photos so popular, they're about as natural as splashing paint on a paper. Might as well photoshop the whole thing

              [–]CakeRaider 1 point2 points ago

              So beautiful. It's like magic fairy dust covering the ground.

              [–]iMythD 1 point2 points ago

              Don't suppose it's possible to get this in an iPad retina format?

              [–]kenetha65 1 point2 points ago

              Very nice. But I saved it under "lightning bugs.jpg"

              [–]blondzio 1 point2 points ago

              this is unbelievable beautiful

              [–]LettersFromTheSky 1 point2 points ago

              I wish the Pacific Northwest had fire flies.

              [–]Celeste-Ception 1 point2 points ago

              Setting this to my wallpaper.

              [–]suzythevukgarian 1 point2 points ago

              doesn't look like fireflies. looks more like photos of one of Bruce Munro's Field of Light installations:

              http://www.fieldoflight.co.uk/

              I don't know that the amout of light a firefly emits could be caught in this manner by a D300 with even an f/1.8 lens.

              [–]Alwaysafk 0 points1 point ago

              That is goddamn beautiful. You've made the world a better place. Thank you.

              [–]veruca420 1 point2 points ago

              Can I buy a copy of this photo?

              [–]AnimalKingTurret 0 points1 point ago

              Are you sure they're not airplanes or shooting stars?

              [–]slacker0 1 point2 points ago

              https://www.mos.org/fireflywatch/

              [–]slacker0 1 point2 points ago

              http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2012/02/japanese-firefly-photos-and-the-anatomy-of-a-viral-spread

              [–]99bibin 1 point2 points ago

              Amazing..

              [–]Soggydoughnuts 1 point2 points ago

              I have never seen a firefly. I must fix this problem.

              [–]slacker0 1 point2 points ago

              http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/world/asia/20iht-fireflies.1.17990392.html

              [–]slimeking 1 point2 points ago

              Looks like a Van Gogh.

              [–]hanma 1 point2 points ago

              So beautiful. New wallpaper

              [–]KillerJupe 1 point2 points ago

              Yes, different species, different patterns. Also a cold night they will fly slower or not at all, it appears most are on the ground crawling

              [–]TwattFace -1 points0 points ago

              Down vote the repost!!

              [–]CrispyPudding 1 point2 points ago

              Anybody else remembering Katamari?

              [–]Fitsie 1 point2 points ago

              Bout 10 million

              [–]Jazzer008 1 point2 points ago

              Just about to doze off and then I saw this. Couldn't beleive my eyes! There's like 10 million of them!

              [–]Hiiyoko 0 points1 point ago

              Looks like a place from Miyazaki movies.

              [–]tikidreq 0 points1 point ago

              I haven't seen this picture for a very long time, thanks for sharing.

              [–]damnmypenisbrain 1 point2 points ago

              My new background.

              [–]marypoppinsasshole -1 points0 points ago

              "I put a firefly in my butthole to make my farts glow"

              [–]copperhair 1 point2 points ago

              I miss fireflies. Wish spraying for mosquitoes didn't wipe them out, too.

              [–]isaac-newton 1 point2 points ago

              Just found my new iPhone wallpaper.

              [–]palabrah 0 points1 point ago

              That's gorgeous

              [–]RudegarWithFunnyHat 0 points1 point ago

              remind me of

              [–]lisacis66 1 point2 points ago

              I'm new to Reddit and I was wondering if making a print of this to put on my desk would be allowed. It just makes me feel good by looking at it, I could definitely use some stress relief at work.

              [–]Coco92144 1 point2 points ago

              There's a paintbrush on MyPaint that will give you this exact effect. I've drawn pictures that look a lot like this just to mess around with the different brushes that look like leaves, grass, and trees. Much cooler using actual photography though.

              [–]KMcVey 1 point2 points ago

              Oh bejeesus, I love this so much.

              [–]frosted_dirona 0 points1 point ago

              Thank you for my phone's new background

              load more comments (13 replies)

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