On hot, hazy summer nights, fireflies take centre stage as they fly through the night air, punctuating the darkness with flecks of yellow light.
But Japanese photographer Tsuneaki Hiramatsu captured their beauty in a whole new light, using time-lapse photography.
The result - lush images that show patterns of light that looks more like celestial figures than arthropods.
The images were taken throughout Japan; the effect was achieved by using different exposures and apertures on his Nikon camera.
The unique phenomena of lightning bugs being able to light up come from bioluminescence, which is created when a pigment and chemical react.
It is most often seen in sea creatures. According to io9.com, up to 90 per cent of marine life use bioluminescence. The astounding feat is often seen in deep sea trenches and other parts of the ocean where sunlight does not reach.
Fireflies use two chemicals – luciferase and luciferin. The former glows when combined with the latter, which is an enzyme that triggers light emission.
According to firefly.org, even firefly larvae glow in the dark, and have been known to respond to such external stimulants like mild vibrations.
These photographs by Mr Hiramatsu were captured in the wilds of the Okayama Prefecture – none of the artist’s photographs were captured with camera flashes or artificial light.
He snapped them between 2008 and 2011.
