Mexican Zinnia - Zinnia haageana in reflected ultraviolet photography, simulated butterfly and bee vision

Today shots of some decorative flowers, all Zinnia haageana - Mexican Zinnia in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U filter as well as my XBV filters for simulating bee and butterfly vision. Lens was a CERCO 94mm quartz fluorite lens. Light source was a modified Xenon flash. All shots were done at about f5.6.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Visible light image:
 

UV image using Baader-U filter (approx. 320-395nm, effective peak approx. 375nm):
 

Simulated bee vision (UV - VIS) using XBV6 filter:
 

Visible light image:
 

UV image using Baader-U filter (approx. 320-395nm, effective peak approx. 375nm):
 

Simulated bee vision (UV - VIS) using XBV6 filter:
 

Visible light image:
 

UV image using Baader-U filter (approx. 320-395nm, effective peak approx. 375nm):
 

Simulated bee vision (UV - VIS) using XBV6 filter:
 

Hexaptych of some of the above:
 


These Mexican Zinnia flowers have a very specific UV pattern, its petals are very UV dark on the middle and bottom, but its petal tips are very UV bright, reaching much deeper into UV as any other flower I know, reflecting UV in the greenish appearing region below 345nm, and in the yellow areas around 360nm and all this gets nicely visible.


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