Capturing the magic of the synchronized fireflies through photography

Imagine yourself in an dark, unfamiliar forest. In the brush, a single small yellow light buzzes through the air. A few seconds later hundreds more of these tiny lights blink around you, all the way from the tree canopy to the forest floor.

Fireflies blink through the woods during the Elkmont Fireflies viewing event at Elkmont Campground in Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee on Wednesday, June 13, 2018. The "Photinus carolinus" firefly is the only species in America that can synchronize their light patterns as part of their annual mating ritual.

This synchronous pattern of light is the mating ritual of the "Photinus carolinus" firefly.

Last night I photographed their breathtaking display for the third time.

This species of firefly can only be found in the Appalachian regions of North America, and the opportunity to photograph them in their larger pockets such as Elkmont is very rare.

People from across the globe come here every year to catch a glimpse of this natural wonder. There is nothing else in the world quite like it. Some call is magical, others call it enchanting. I call it hypnotizing. You seem to lose a sense of time and place as the forest lights up around you and then goes dark.

I am still trying my best to figure out the best camera settings, lenses and locations to photograph these fireflies. This year I used a Fujifilm X-Pro2 with a 35mm 1.2 lens, a Nikon D5 with a 70-200mm 2.8 lens and a Nikon D4S with a 35mm 1.8 lens.

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Fireflies blink through the woods during the Elkmont Fireflies viewing event at Elkmont Campground in Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee on Wednesday, June 13, 2018. The "Photinus carolinus" firefly is the only species in America that can synchronize their light patterns as part of their annual mating ritual.