Lampyridae

is a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera, commonly known as fireflies. This is one of the three images I got from my shoot last month in Pittsburgh. I accidently double-exposed one image with a portrait. (Sometimes double exposures create magic but not that time.) The other two need to be scanned on a better Imacon than mine because they are so dark. I love the ambiance of this image, the suggestion of something mysterious and from another time.

That's good, cause this image is in fact about time. It was the result of a two-hour exposure with a 4x5 camera; the fireflies are the little green specs and lines. This is one of those photos that doesn't at all work on a small scale, click it to see a larger version that shows the chaotic beauty of their movement. And from a conceptual standpoint, I like how it fits as part of a series I've been sporatically working on called "decisions". The series has to do with being happy about time spent on whatever path you find yourself, instead of stressing as to whether you're on the "right" one. I mean, we can never know whether we're on the "right" one, so why is it so hard sometimes to appreciate things for what they are?

My current path has me back in Pittsburgh again, helping my Dad move from his house into an assisted living apartment. Actually he has made one move into a temporary apartment and will soon make another into his permanent one. In the meantime I'm dealing with the furnishings, accessories and memorabilia from a 3-bedroom house that don't fit into a 1-bedroom apartment. I'm glad that I have the flexible schedule that allows me to help him and since I'm staying in his comfortable suburban house while emptying it out, it's a nice break from the cement and sirens of Bushwick. An empty house presents some interesting photo ops and a new city makes it easier to see with fresh eyes.

The fireflies are almost all gone for this year, but I'm also looking forward to spending a week in the woods while I'm here to shoot green. Most people's eyelids flutter and they start tapping their watch when I tell them about that, but to me there's nothing better than a week alone in the woods taking pictures. More about that in a future post. For now, I gotta say that looking forward to the prospect of a month in Pittsburgh selling knick-knacks from a house in a retirement community as opposed to enjoying the sultry socializing of a languid New York summer, well, that sounds like progress on the "enjoying the ride" crusade to me.