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Firefly


Firefly
Photo Information
Copyright: Ron Warner (tuslaw) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 201 W: 7 N: 511] (1609)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-06-12
Categories: Insects
Exposure: f/13.0
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-06-14 9:59
Viewed: 372
Points: 20
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
As a young boy every summer there was an adventure just waiting to happen. One of these these annual events was the return of the Fireflies, or to us kids (Lightning Bugs).

I would get a used jar of peanut butter, mayonaise or whatever mom had in the kitchen, wash it out and punch some tiny holes in it's lid with a hammer and nail. I would then wait for that magical hour (sundown) to come.

As darkness arrived so did the lightning bugs. They had an almost mystical aura to them as they flashed their yellowish green lights on and off, while flying low over the fields and back yards.

I would run about capturing them as they gave away their positions by momentarily lighting up. After I had around fifty or so I would retire for the night. I then would place the jar of twinkling lightning bugs on my bedroom dresser where I would imagine they were some kind of bottled up stars. I would stare at them until I finally fell fast asleep.

In the morning I would release all the lightning bugs and wait for sundown to come once more, for another group to display their nightly light show.
bobcat08, eng55, goldyrs, SueThomson, marhowie, Ken52, jpdenk, eqshannon has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To eqshannon: Fireflytuslaw 2 06-18 17:28
To jpdenk: Fireflytuslaw 1 06-16 13:36
To marhowie: Fireflytuslaw 1 06-15 03:57
To Ken52: Fireflytuslaw 1 06-14 19:49
To SueThomson: Fireflytuslaw 1 06-14 19:20
To goldyrs: Fireflytuslaw 1 06-14 19:18
To mariki: Fireflytuslaw 1 06-14 19:16
To batu: Fireflytuslaw 1 06-14 19:15
To eng55: Fireflytuslaw 1 06-14 19:10
To bobcat08: Fireflytuslaw 1 06-14 19:09
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Ron,

Finally I see how a Firefly really looks. I see them before during nighttime in New Zealand, but never in this way. Thanks for posting this beautiful insect. Nice close-up. Beautiful colors and sharp. 1 point of critiques, the firefly is a bit out of focus. But that doesn't matter because the other part is simply good. Thanks for sharing. Have a nice weekend and TFS BOB

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 353 W: 3 N: 375] (1123)
  • [2008-06-14 11:14]
  • [+]

Hi Ron,
Very nice capture.POV,sharpness,clear details and composition are wonderful.
Thanks for posting.

  • Great 
  • batu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 990 W: 282 N: 3243] (10714)
  • [2008-06-14 11:31]
  • [+]

Hello Ron,
this is a pretty good picture of the beetle contrasting nicely against the smooth green of the leaf.
With f/13, you achieved a great depth of field. Most parts of the insect, including the antennae,
are shown with excellent sharpness.
Best wishes, Peter

What an awesome shot, Ron!
Very well seen, framed and captured...
Love the POV you've chosen!
Goldy

Hi Ron
Enjoyed reading your note! TFS this lovely close up image of the Firefly. Good POV and DOF and sharpness.
Cheers
Sue

  • Great 
  • Ken52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 660 W: 98 N: 1249] (4153)
  • [2008-06-14 19:42]
  • [+]

Hi Ron,
Outstanding sharpness and detail with excellent light. Your story about catching "lightning bugs" brought back memories. I did the same thing growing up in the country. I would put them in a paste jar with holes in the lid.
Ken

Hello Ron,

Excellent sharp picture of this beetle. Very good POV, DOF and light. Great colours.
Cheers,
Mariki

Excellent macro Ron,
Nice use of the ambient light, with great color & exposure.
Very good sharpness/detail/DOF as well.
Good POV showing the topside coloration & the insect doing some destructive munchin' too :)
Nice story from your childhood, reminds that we all should keep in touch with that child-like wonder within us all..
Howard

Hi Ron,

An excellent close-up of this insect. Whipping out my ever-present copy of Kaufman's Field Guide to Insects of North America, looks to be a member of the Photuris genus, 22 known species and 28 more species waiting to be formally described in North America. A good example of how it's pretty much impossible for us amateurs to ID many (most) insects beyond the genus level.

Anyway, a really nice shot, perfect exposure, good and sharp and a nice composition.

I saw my first Lightning Bug for this year just last night, so they'll be going good here too within a week or so. As you mentioned, seeing them always brings back memories of catching them and putting them in a jar when I was a kid. They used to be abundant around my home, and there are still a lot of them here, but not as many as back in the old days.

Thanks,
John

Surprising how local they are...I rarely saw them in all of my trips west. Fascinating....Memories? I guess! We used to catch them in a jar and had a cloth top on it so they didn't die....watched for hours in the sweltering humidity...:-) Life's funny that way....You are a good man Charlie Brown!
Bob

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