Orange coneflower - Rudbeckia fulgida in reflected deep ultraviolet photography and simulated butterfly and bee vision X

Today lab shots of a decorative summer flower which started to bloom on my balcony, Orange coneflower - Rudbeckia fulgida in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U, Jupiter-U, Saturn-U and Uranus-U deep UV filter, as well as in simulated butterfly and bee vision using my proprietary XBV filters. Lens was my CERCO 94mm quartz flourite lens. Light source was a modified Xenon flash. All shots were done at about 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):  

UV image using Jupiter-U filter (approx. 280-385nm, effective peak approx. 365nm):
 

UV image using Saturn-U filter (approx. 300-350nm, effective peak approx. 325nm):
 

UV image using Uranus-U filter (approx. 270-320nm, effective peak approx. 315nm):
 

Simulated butterfly vision image using XBV3 filter:  

Simulated bee vision image using XBV6 filter:  

Quadriptych of the above (with bee/butterfly vision):
 

Quadriptych of the above (with deep UV):
 

This attractive flower shows its very prominent UV bullseye pattern, its petals have an UV dark bottom and very UV bright tips (around 365nm), invisible to us humans, and all this gets nicely visible.


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

Flare reduction and sunshade use in reflected UV ultraviolet photography

Today about flare redction when shooting reflected UV and the dedicated UV transmitting filters, like the Baader-U filter, my "work horse", for that. I'm using here my CERCO 94mm quartz fluorite lens, but in principle this method is applicable for any such lens. However, keep in mind, that quartz fluorite lenses for reflected UV are often single or even uncoated or show hotspotting, so it gets even more important to control flare efficiently, resulting in much higher image contrast and sometimes even removal of the hotspot. All images have been done at identical manual exposure settings, which were tested for correct exposure upfront.

Similar methods using such hoods have been used by others, I'm not claiming anything here, this just documents what I have done to further optimize my own setup.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Test images at nearly infinity (left to right) using (optimized for my camera's sensor size, other sensor sizes will require different sizes)

1) just the UV filter, no sunshade at all

2) a 40mm long sunshade with 50mm free diameter

3) a 50mm long sunshade with 21mm free diameter

The difference gets quite obvious, the longer and narrower the sunshade is, the better flare gets controlled.

Now some closeup shots, using the same method and sequence:

Also here shooting flowers at closeup, it gets pretty obvious, how much flare is present if using no or a simple sunshade, whereas a specilized deep and narrow sunshade results in much improved flare control, hence greatly improved image contrast.

Let me summarize:
Whenever shooting reflected UV (or other multispectral work), make sure to use the deepest and most narrow possible sunshade, that does not vignette, to achieve the best flare control and resulting in best possible image contrast. It is also suitable to control or even remove the effect of hotspots, some of those highly specialized lenses unfortunately show.

I have previously written about filter leakage HERE.

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

Creeping Zinnia - Sanvitalia procumbens in reflected deep ultraviolet photography, simulated bee and butterfly vision III

Today shots of a spring flower, developed from RAW files, Creeping Zinnia - Sanvitalia procumbens in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U filter, my Jupiter-U and Saturn-U deeper UV filters, as well as my XBV filters for simulating butterfly and bee vision. Lens was a CERCO 94mm quartz fluorite lens. Light source was a Xenon flash. All shots were done at about 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):
 

UV image using Jupiter-U filter (approx. 280-385nm, effective peak approx. 365nm):
 

UV image using Saturn-U filter (approx. 300-350nm, effective peak approx. 325nm):
 

Simulated butterfly vision (UV - VIS) using XBV3 filter:
 

Simulated bee vision (UV - VIS) using XBV4 filter:
 

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

Triptych of the above (with bee/butterfly vision):
 

Triptych of the above (with deep UV):
 


Sanvitalia has a strong UV pattern, its petal tips are UV bright around 365nm and its center is quite UV dark, 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

Treasury flower - Gazania rigens in deep reflected ultraviolet photography, simulated butterfly and bee vision XII

Today shots, developed from RAW files, of a different orange colored specimen of that long lasting I have written about before Treasury flower - Gazania rigens in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U filter, my Jupiter-U and Saturn-U deeper UV filters, as well as my XBV filters for simulating butterfly and bee vision. Lens was a CERCO 94mm quartz fluorite lens. Light source was a Xenon flash. All shots were done at about 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):
 

UV image using Jupiter-U filter (approx. 280-385nm, effective peak approx. 365nm):
 

Simulated butterfly vision (UV - VIS) using XBV3 filter:
 

Simulated butterfly vision (UV - VIS) using XBV4 filter:
 

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

Quadriptych of the above (with bee/butterfly vision):
 

This orange Gazania's outer petals reflect strongly UV around 385nm, all invisible to us humans, and there are also highly UV reflecting marks inside around a dark UV center and all that gets even nicelier visible developed from RAW.

The images developed from jpg are HERE.

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

Treasury flower - Gazania rigens in deep reflected ultraviolet photography, simulated butterfly and bee vision XI

Today shots of a different orange colored specimen of that long lasting I have written about before Treasury flower - Gazania rigens in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U filter, my Jupiter-U and Saturn-U deeper UV filters, as well as my XBV filters for simulating butterfly and bee vision. Lens was a CERCO 94mm quartz fluorite lens. Light source was a Xenon flash. All shots were done at about 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):
 

UV image using Jupiter-U filter (approx. 280-385nm, effective peak approx. 365nm):
 

Simulated butterfly vision (UV - VIS) using XBV3 filter:
 

Simulated butterfly vision (UV - VIS) using XBV4 filter:
 

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

Quadriptych of the above (with bee/butterfly vision):
 

Quadriptych of the above (with alt. bee/butterfly vision):
 


This orange Gazania's outer petals reflect strongly UV around 385nm, all invisible to us humans, and there are also highly UV reflecting marks inside around a dark UV center and all that gets nicely visible.

The images developed from RAW are HERE.

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

Hawksbeard - Crepis in reflected ultraviolet photography, simulated butterfly and bee vision VIII

Today shots of another species of Hawksbeard - Crepis sp. in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U filter, as well as my XBV filters for simulating butterfly and bee vision, today now also using the reworked XBV4 filter. Lens was a CERCO 94mm quartz fluorite lens. Light source was a Xenon flash. All shots were done at about f8. Here now developed from RAW files.

[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 butterfly vision (UV - VIS) using XBV4 filter:
 

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

Quadriptych of the above (with bee/butterfly vision):
 

Hawksbeards outer petals reflect strongly UV around 365nm, there is a dark UV center and anthers, all invisible to us humans, and all that gets nicely visible from RAW files also using the new XBV4 filter.

The version from in-camera developed jpg files is HERE

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

Hawksbeard - Crepis in reflected ultraviolet photography, simulated butterfly and bee vision VII

Today shots of another species of Hawksbeard - Crepis sp. in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U filter, as well as my XBV filters for simulating butterfly and bee vision, today now also using the reworked XBV4 filter. Lens was a CERCO 94mm quartz fluorite lens. Light source was a Xenon flash. All shots were done at about 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 butterfly vision (UV - VIS) using XBV4 filter:
 

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

Quadriptych of the above (with bee/butterfly vision):
 

Hawksbeards outer petals reflect strongly UV around 365nm, there is a dark UV center and anthers, all invisible to us humans, and all that gets nicely visible also using the new XBV4 filter.

The version developed from RAW files is HERE

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