My BLOG about my journey into the invisible world of ultraviolet UV photography, simulated bee, butterfly and animal vision photography and the special lenses, filters and lighting needed to make it work - also in HD video + 3D stereo.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
[UV] Rudbeckia hirta
[click on images to see larger ones]
Standardized reflected false UV "colors" according to the previously described "UV color palette" related to wavelength.
The normal intensity palette:
and this is the high intensity palette:
So here now the UV image of that flower:
So from that yellow UV color we may deduct that this flower UV reflection is from around 360nm.
And here the UV image of another flower and two young ones:
which shows quite different UV reflections (360nm region = yellow, but in the 385nm region = violet which the young ones exhibit)
For comparison here the VIS shot:
which shows quite different UV reflections (360nm region = yellow, but in the 385nm
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
Saturday, June 25, 2011
[UV] spectrometric vs photographic results using standardized false UV color palette
So from that above re-posted graph, which shows that GH1-UVIR sensor reaction to a monochromatic 5nm bandwith stimulus, for instance a 340nm "UV color" needs 4EV more exposure than one at 395nm and a 300nm needs even 6EV more.
This is why I found it so special to find a green response (340nm) and yellowish response (370nm) in the same image (Zinnias as shown; also the reason why the green is so dim and the whitish yellow so overexposed) as there is 3EV in between - and this is why I doubt to ever find sea-green (around 300nm) in such a photo (6EV difference) that would contain this violet (at 395nm) - except I use a special technique which already forms in my mind...
So if one wanted to simulate how the UV color would look like in a resulting photo, we could use the spectrometer output and would have to multiply it with the Baader-U filter transmittance actually and then look up the exposure values per intensity. Unfortunately the sensor also responds nonlinear over wide exposure ranges (so the above is valid for mid level exposures only), so that yields only a crude approximation. But at least one would get a clue why that petal tip appeared green - yellowish in that image as posted above.
Spectrometric result of such a petal of the following Zinnia variant, tip greenish, rest nearly black (in UV) and yellow tip, orange-red the petal rest in VIS:
Photographic result: VIS:left, UV:right
Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
[VIS, UV] mating frogs in UV
UV sensitive camera, Cerco 94mm lens, Baader-U resp. UV/IR Cut filter; standardized UV palette using my ReflectionDisc
[click on images to see larger ones]
Standardized reflected false UV "colors" according to the previously described "UV color palette" related to wavelength:
VIS:
UV:
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
[VIS, UV] Helianthus: new vs old flower made visible using ultraviolet light
UV sensitive camera, Cerco 94mm lens, Baader-U resp. UV/IR Cut filter; standardized UV palette using my ReflectionDisc
[click on images to see larger ones]
Standardized reflected false UV "colors" according to the previously described "UV color palette" related to wavelength:
VIS:
UV:
These yellow Helianthus tuberosus flowers on teh left side, clearly show age differences: top is in male stage (early), bottom is in female stage (late) but in UV things get much clearer! So I'm sure our beesies knew that way before us...
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
[VIS, UV] a first 340nm UV pattern?
UV sensitive camera, Cerco 94mm lens, Baader-U resp. UV/IR Cut filter; standardized UV palette using my ReflectionDisc
[click on images to see larger ones]
Standardized reflected false UV "colors" according to the previously described "UV color palette" related to wavelength:
I wonder if I may get that flower and make some spectrometric reflection tests...
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
[VIS, UV] Rudbeckia variants with nice UV patterns
UV sensitive camera, Cerco 94mm lens, Baader-U resp. UV/IR Cut filter; standardized UV palette using my ReflectionDisc
[click on images to see larger ones]
Standardized reflected false UV "colors" according to the previously described "UV color palette" related to wavelength:
and here one with hardly has any pattern:
I have much to show from that session later...
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
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
[VIS, UV] Rudbeckia inside out - different UV reflectances inside and outside
UV sensitive camera, Cerco 94mm lens, Baader-U resp. UV/IR Cut filter; standardized UV palette using my ReflectionDisc
[click on images to see larger ones]
Standardized reflected false UV "colors" according to the previously described "UV color palette" related to wavelength:
UV shot:
VIS comparison shot:
I have some theory about that different reflection: I think it makes no (biological) sense that a flower attracts an insect when the flower is not ready yet, nor has anything rewarding to offer i.e. sending out (UV-) signals that would rather lead to "frustrated pollinators" which would most likely quickly learn not to visit such flowers anymore. So, having the outside, less UV-reflective "shield" the opening flower, makes it less attractive to insects, unless the flower has fully opened and also has nectar, thus rewarding pollinators for their visit.
Interesting to see how that UV pattern will develop within the next days; let's see ...
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
Monday, June 20, 2011
[UV] influence of ray angle when using the Baader-U or classic UV filter
It has been argued that dichroic filters are sensitive to the angle of incidence of the light and that the filter pass-band would be shifting towards shorter wavelengths. What was argued is, that if using wide angle lenses (which hardly exist for transmitted UV anyway), rays may enter the filter at such a high angle of incidence, that the filter transmittance and overall filter characteristics would severely be altered.
That mentioned effect is there of course, but in practice (at least in mine), I have never noticed a negative effect, also since my shortest focal length was about 28mm only and the largest sensor used APS format. At much wider angles and using a full format sensor it would certainly have more impact.
But let's just see how much impact in practice that really has...
Here a spectrometric measurement done in my optical lab (at 0-degrees and 45-degrees incident angle) to show the influence the angle of rays has.
[click on image to see a larger one]
So we see that about 10% in transmittance are lost at 45 degrees, which equals about -1/8 EV and so that has no real relevance on the photographic result. There is also some shift towards shorter wavelengths, but actually it is more a broadening of the total transmission band towards shorter wavelengths of some 13nm (325nm --> 312nm) on the left filter shoulder, whereas the right filter shoulder nearly remains the same (390nm --> 388nm) using the 10% transmittance values - that actually being a positive effect.
In summary the total transmitted energy (= proportional to the area under that curve) should stay about the same, so no effect on the exposure time should be expected, but an ever so slightest change in colors towards the edges of the image might be noticed, if using a full format sensor and a wide angle lens for reflected UV photography - which I have never noticed in my photographic practice.
Well and then there was a thought in the back of my head and I wondered what a ray at an incident angle of say 45 degrees would have to suffer if it had to pass through much more ionic classic "normal" i.e. uncoated colored filter glass at that angle in comparison to a ray at 0 degrees angle...
Here's the result, same setup as with the previously tested Baader-U filter, using the same basic filter glass: SCHOTT UG11
Interesting 12% peak transmittance loss, but no broadening of the transmitted band and no change in shape. In total also only about -1/8EV loss of transmittance, so not really of photographic relevance.
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
[UV, VIS] Rudbeckia flower unfolding, part II
[click on images to see larger ones]
UV shot:
VIS comparison shot:
Interesting to see how that UV pattern emerges within days; let's see what's happening on the following days ...
[ssshh, did you see the guest?]
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
Friday, June 17, 2011
[UV, VIS] Cerco 28mm multispectral lens
Mechanically this lens is very tiny, about half the size of my thumb, c-mount and has a rare front filter thread. Register is quite short due to its defined use for an image intensifier, but meets c-mount lens standards and even focuses from beyond infinity to about 0.5m (so it cannot be used on Nikon bodies, to make it clear).
[click on image to see a larger one]
Transmission is quite good and as expected:[measurement valid from about 315 - 750nm]
That said, now to the UV and VIS test results. All shots done in sunlight, ISO640, f5.6, focus set in visible light, no focus adjustments done. ReflectionDisc in camera whitebalance, reduced to 1280pix, sharpened for web, contrast enhanced (UV).
1) Rudbeckia fulgida flower close-up (same camera position as in my shots shown in other thread here)
VIS:
UV:
2) Shot down to the city (infinity):
VIS:
UV:
3) Shot of our neighbors house (ca 30m):
VIS:
UV:
Especially from the last two shots it gets quite clear, that this lens was used outside its defined image circle and the loss of sharpness is evident. The close-up shots are much better (as could have been expected due to the much larger projected image circle). The image center is actually quite sharp and contrasty for such a lens and esp. when compared with a Noflexar 35mm, which it certainly beats in resolution and transmission (but the Noflexar 35mm has the benefit to cover a FF sensor). This lens was made for very faint light intensities, so no wonder that it shows some signs of flare if used at high light intensities (although proper shading was used), but I could not detect a prominent hotspot (which its brother, the Cerco 94mm has).
Overall a nicely performing lens for UV-VIS (I haven't tested it for IR) if used inside the specified range, but also quite an expensive one (UV-Nikkor range).
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
Thursday, June 16, 2011
[UV, VIS, BV] first Rudbeckia flower unfolding
[click on images to see larger ones]
UV shot:
Bee Vision (simulated using filter):
VIS comparison shot:
The idea is to see, how the UV pattern emerges within the next days when the flower totally enfolds ...
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
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
[UV] Hungarian Parliament building in reflected ultraviolet light
From a recent trip to Hungary, here a shot of the famous Hungarian Parliament building as seen from the Buda castle on the opposite side of the Danube river.
[click on image to see a larger one]
Reflected UV "colors" are according to the previously described "UV color palette" related to wavelength:
A visible comparison shot taken a few minutes from the one above looks like that:
Note the very different colors and especially the fogged background due to Rayleigh scattering of UV light which is much stronger for UV light than for visible or even IR light (this is why IR is so often used to penetrate clouds = make them transparent).
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