When an editor called to ask if I could photograph a story about fireflies in Mexico ... I hiked with my colleagues into the misty forest at dusk. I set up, and we waited, our banter dissipating ...

Light level is critical to the fireflies, so be aware of when the light of dusk gets low enough for them to “turn on.” This is why you’ll see them beneath trees, where the shade is darker ...

I couldn’t wait for sundown when I visited a small valley, a known habitat of fireflies. As dusk gradually deepened, the stage was set for the show I was awaiting. Flecks of light began to fly ...