Can UV light make single cells visible?

A few shots today using the same target (Mexican Zinnia) and the UV Rodagon 60mm. I wanted to see if it would be possible to make indiviual flower cells visible since UV has a much higher resolution than normal white light (about double as compared to green light 546nm).

I also found it quite nice, that this lens performs quite well, even used outside its designed range, here at 3x magnification (design range 1:2...1:20).

Here now some results, first full image reduced to 1024 pics, the rest all 1:1 without compression in size [as usual click on images to see a large image]:




The UV shot indeed reveals quite some detail of the petal structure and yes, the single whiteish spots are individual cells which were made visible:




... and a bit more here:




... and here:




Here now another example using a Vanda coerulea (Blue Vanda orchid) as a target. First a shot using visible light:




This one now in UV, which reveals much more detail:





I find that not only pleasing to see but also interesting from a scientific standpoint that UV light resolves so much more fine detail. This is why UV light is also used in microscopy and to make computer chips. Technology today is down to 248nm and 193nm.

Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos>

A multispectral example using Mexican Zinnia

Just a few quick shots today using the UV Rodagon 60mm for multispectral analysis in visual light, UV, UV fluorescence and IR. As usual I used a Nikon D70, SB-140 flash w. SW-5UV filter, UV Rodagon 60mm, Baader 2" U- and UV/IR Cut- filter (for UV and UV fluorescence), B+W 092 filter (for IR).

Target was a Mexican Zinna; the little flower head is about 12mm in diameter, i.e. magnification was about 0.5x which still is within the 
design range of that lens. Here now the visual shot:




The UV shot reveals that special pattern this flower shows:




UV fluorescence shows the intensive light of the pollen:




IR finally looks quite transparent:




Quite interesting how the very same flower appears in different wavebands!

Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos>