Having recently worked with glow-worms in a conservation role, I decided to return to the sand dune site where I had discovered my first larvae in 2022. This location is one of the remaining strongholds for the European glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca), a nationally scarce species in the UK. On a clear, warm night, I spent six hours searching for and photographing these beetles, combining technical macro work with environmental storytelling.
The highlight of the session came near the end, when I found a female glow-worm perched atop a small ragwort flower. I captured macro images and experimented with a fisheye setup to include more of the surrounding dunes. Windy conditions threatened long-exposure shots, so I brought two large MDF sheets as a windbreak, which worked perfectly and allowed me to achieve stable, sharp images.
The visit was motivated by both professional interest and personal fascination. I wanted to observe glow-worms in their natural habitat, document their behaviour, and explore creative photographic techniques. The timing in July coincided with their peak adult activity, increasing the likelihood of encountering active, glowing individuals.
The trip produced high-quality macro and environmental photographs, capturing both behaviour and habitat. These images added a unique dimension to my portfolio, combining nocturnal invertebrate photography with technical experimentation in challenging low-light conditions.
