In mid-April, I embarked on my very first firefly photography adventure. I chose several renowned firefly viewing spots in Taiwan: Dongshi Forest Garden, the Water Alley of Sun Moon Lake, Sansheng Yuan Area, and Changyuan Canal Ecological Trail. These locations not only offered abundant firefly populations but also provided open views to capture the starry night sky.
The weather was exceptionally clear on these nights, with no clouds obscuring the twinkling stars above. To my delight, there weren’t many visitors at the shooting locations, allowing me to calmly compose my shots and adjust my equipment while focusing on capturing these natural wonders.
As a newcomer to firefly photography, watching countless tiny green lights flickering in the darkness filled me with novelty and excitement. I attempted to simultaneously capture the dancing green lights on the ground and the rotating star trails overhead, hoping to present nature’s multi-layered nocturnal beauty in a single frame.
While shooting at the Water Alley of Sun Moon Lake, an interesting incident occurred. During a long-exposure shot, a car passed through my shooting area. At that moment, I thought, “Oh no, this photo is ruined.” However, when recently organizing my photos, I discovered that the car’s lights had left fascinating light trails in the image. These trails, together with a hint of firefly glow and the swaying shadows of trees in the night breeze, created a unique visual effect I had never anticipated.
Looking back on this photography experience, I realized I might have been too eager to include too many elements in one photo—fireflies, star trails, landscapes… Although the final results were satisfying, I learned that sometimes focusing on just one or two visual points might create more powerful work. Next time, I might try a more focused approach, letting the fireflies be the absolute stars of the show.
Nevertheless, this unexpected harvest—the photo combining car light trails, subtle firefly glow, and tree shadows—reminded me that in photography, sometimes accidents become the most beautiful gifts. I look forward to the next firefly season, bringing along this experience and reflection to create even more stunning works.
