Spring Flowers 2014: Tussilago farfara - Coltsfoot - 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, the well known Tussilago farfara - Coltsfoot . 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:  

And here shots of the whole plant:
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 Coltsfoot flower has a well known bulls-eye UV pattern, its center is UV dark, whereas its petals strongly reflect around 365nm, making it aan easy target for the first bees in spring. This older quartz fluorite lens is reproducing this quite well and all that gets nicely visible.

There is another thread with studio images of that flower HERE

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