Forest Fairies – Synchronous Fireflies of the Great Smoky Mountains

Forest Fairies – Synchronous Fireflies of the Great Smoky Mountains

click on the above to see the image and read the entire article!

Tips for photographing fireflies:

1. Avoid the tourists – get a permit to go backpacking.
2. Second week of June is best in a typical year, for the Smoky Mountains fireflies.
2. If you don’t own any, rent some fast (f/1.4) glass from www.BorrowLenses.com. I found a 35mm f/1.4 to be perfect.
3. Try some long exposures, anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour – consider the amount of noise you will accumulate, especially at high iso, though.
4. Careful timing and exposure planning will let you capture the landscape and fireflies together, but you only get one good chance on any given night (before it gets too dark)!

Pixie Hollow : Prints Available

Synchronous Fireflies illuminate the lush forests of Tennesse’s Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Tech: Canon 5D2, Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4, tripod
Exposure: iso 400, f/1.4, 15 minutes
Notes: a single exposure with minimal processing... timed just right!