Mexican Zinnia - Zinnia haagenea in reflected ultraviolet photography and simulated bee vision XVI

Today more shots of a different type of that decorative flower, Mexican Zinnia - Zinnia haagenea in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U filter as well as in simulated bee vision using my XBV6 filter. Lens was my CERCO 94mm quartz flourite lens. Light source was sunlight. All shots were done at about f5.6. I have previously written about those Zinnias HERE.

[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 image using experimental XBV filter:  

Triptych of the above images:  


Mexican Zinnia flowers have a very specific UV pattern. Their petals are very UV dark in the middle and bottom, but their petal tips are very UV bright, reaching much deeper into UV as any other flower I know (< 345nm), and all this gets nicely visible in this presentation.


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

Three-leaved Coneflower - Rudbeckia triloba and Zinnia in reflected ultraviolet photography and simulated bee vision III

Here comparative shots of that decorative Three-leaved Coneflower - Rudbeckia triloba and a red Zinnia flower in reflected ultraviolet using Baader-U filter and in simulated bee vision using my XBV6 filter. Lens was my CERCO 94mm quartz flourite lens. Light source was sunlight. 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 image using experimental XBV filter:  

Triptych of the above images:  


This attractive R. triloba flower has a very specific UV pattern, its petals are bright on the petal tips (reflecting around 365nm), have a UV dark bullseye pattern invisible to us humans and also the flower center is quite UV dark. Compared to that that bright red Zinnia flower (to us humans), looks rather dull and dark in UV, except some central parts, so all this gets nicely visible.

I have previously written about that flower HERE.

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