On the last night everything came together. The weather cooperated. I had improved my method for focusing and composing in the dark with quick flashes from a powerful flashlight -- and I'd grown accustomed to insects on my face.
I was rewarded with the image you see here. Each speck of light is one of several bursts that a firefly makes as it travels within a 30-second exposure. You can trace the insects' paths: Some make small loops, like those in the bottom center of the frame, while others move steadily in one direction or another.