Spring Flowers 2014: Iris reticulata - 80mm Quartz Fluorite lens for reflected ultraviolet photography

Well, spring finally seem to have arrived in Weinheim where I live, so here a few shots of some first spring flowers, like that Iris reticulata . Shots were done aside from visible photography in reflected ultraviolet using Baader-U filter and in simulated bee vision using my XBV6 filter. Lens used was my X80QF f3.2 / 80mm Quartz Fluorite lens. Light source was sun. All shots were done at approx. f8.

[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:  


This iris has a UV pattern, its petal "lips" are UV dark, wheras the rest of the petals reflect stronger around 380nm. This older quartz fluorite lens is reproducing this quite well and all that gets nicely visible.


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