As I learned more about the ecology and the changing landscape effecting the decline of firefly populations around the world, I developed different techniques for photographing each unique environment. In Malaysia, where fireflies collect in mangrove trees near tidal rivers, they are best approached by boat in total darkness. By synchronizing my trips to the seasons, lunar cycle, and the short life cycle of the firefly, I could photograph with little to no moonlight, which might otherwise overpower the firefly flashing. The best moments occurred when the boat engine stopped, allowing small night sounds to come forward in the darkness: the soft rowing of water, the quiet voices speak- ing a melodic language. In Thailand, my aging eyes were sometimes aided by my daughter Fiona, whose younger and sharper vision could spot the fragile firefly pulses in the trees and help guide my camera. Days later I would have similar yet contrasting difficulties orienting myself in the middle of a bustling city of millions of people, who are drawn to the lights of endless shining mega malls. It is this complex intertwining of nature and technology and the many worlds we inhabit at once that I hope to show in these photographs.

Elijah Gowin

Born in Dayton, Ohio in 1967 and received his MFA in Photography from the University of New Mexico in 1997. Presently, he is a Professor in the Department of Media, Art and Design at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he directs photographic studies. He founded Tin Roof Press to publish his books on art and photography including Maggie in 2009 and his monograph Of Falling and Floating in 2011. His awards include the John S. Guggenheim Fellowship in 2008 as well as grants from the Charlotte Street Foundation and the Puffin Foundation. His photographs are in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Center for Creative Photography, among others.