Yes! I’ve followed along your lightning bug photography edification. And I greatly appreciate that. I don’t think I have the software to stack tho. I just use the basic Canon software still. And ya have to be inside here well before dusk or ya need to be covered in DEET and I’m just not there yet.😂
The process, in short, is set up early enough to get a background shot with some color, then wait until dark and run a stack. Start with f wide open, ISO 200, 10 seconds, and adjust as needed for exposure. Then stack the frames in photoshop. This is one frame at f 1.2, ISO 400, 6 seconds
The wide open aperture is to get the fireflies out of focus - big glowing blobs of light rather than pinpoints. Faster are lenses better. This article is a decent how-to, but ignore low light noise reduction. You don't need it. It includes how to process the stack.
petapixel.com/2013/06/05/h....
If it's too distracting then I'll clean up edges. Otherwise, I just leave the edges soft. I mean, if you're zooming in 200% or more, you are probably looking at a detail nobody but you will notice.
aaaa makes way more sense. ive tried to get shots like this for a long time in jersey when it gets humid and hot but could never get the settings right
I should add that adjust as needed for exposure is a bit misleading. The frames from the stack are quite dark, but using the lighten blending mode for the layers in Photoshop brings out the color from the base photo and the fireflies.
I have memories of watching fireflies on the porch drinking lemonade on the porch. No lights on in the house, no TV, no radio. A beautiful, calm experience in a turbulent childhood.
Beauty holds us together when life is trying to fling everything apart.
Thank you. I've made peace with it. Time doesn't heal, but life teaches us why if we're willing to listen. I understand my parents' problems in a way I could not get when I was younger
I'm trying to learn from their errors and trauma.
There's a meadow underneath the power lines near my house that's had really strong firefly numbers the past coupleof nights, I'm really tempted to go out there and see if I can get anything good
The PetaPixel article I linked earlier plus my comments should get you in the ballpark. To me, fireflies sparkle and using a stack is the only way to show just how many there are. Fast lens - 2.8 aperture or lower number - is the key to nice firefly orbs.
I just checked my native plant garden in MD and saw a few lightning bugs. Sadly, there is a lot of light pollution and many of my neighbors use chemicals on their lawns and shrubs. Thanks for your post and photo.
I live in north Texas and I'm seeing quite a few more lightning bugs as we call them, than I've seen in several years. And I'm so grateful. And earlier than usual.
