Deep UV Ultraviolet Reflected Light Photography at UV-B 313nm

Today a proof that reflected UV photography is doable at UV-B using a special, up to NIR blocked, peak 313nm, FWHM 9nm narrowband filter and my special UV camera. Lens used was my UV-Nikkor 105mm quartz flourite lens. All shots were done at f4.5.

[click on image to see a larger one]

313nm FWHM 9nm Filter transmission spectra:


Reflected UV-B image at 313nm, 0.8 sec exposure:


This was just a proof of concept that reflected UV imaging can be successfully done even at such deep UV-B wavelengths (OH* 313nm) showing the stainless steel combustion emission valves of a central heating system.

In case you were wondering how a flame of a gas torch would look like in UV...

Triptych (top to bottom) Visual light, emitted UV (320-390nm, Baader-U), emitted UV-B (313nm):


Triptych (top to bottom) Visual light, emitted UV (320-390nm, Baader-U), emitted UV-B (313nm) - morph. Gradient:


Diptych (black/white, top to bottom) emitted UV (320-390nm, Baader-U) vs emitted UV-B (313nm):


This reveals, that the broadband UV image shows a much broader, but less detailed gas flame, the 313nm image however, 313nm being the emission peak wavelength of the OH radical, shows a much more detailed flame image and is useful to judge how efficient the gas combustion process is.


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

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh - Tropism Exhibit including Simulated Bee and Butterfly Vision

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Sat 20 June — Sun 27 Sept 2015 will host the first exhibition in Scotland by artists from the Dutch art collective Tropisme. "Featuring photographs of plants taken with unusual, often scientific, visualisation techniques, the exhibition provides a surprising and spectacularly different view on plants. Botanical installations located around the Garden will fuse art, poetry and science and combine audio, video and classic museum displays." It includes a video animation "Insecta Spectra" created by long time animation artist Robin Noorda which consists of some of my best simulated butterfly and bee vision works.

Works such as these were included, as well as an explanation of the background of insect vision in comparison to our human vision. Here for instance Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke) in human vision, simulated butterfly and bee vison (left to right)


Insects (butterflies, bees, ...) and some animals are able to see in ultraviolet (UV) light. Bees for instance can see Green and Blue and UV, but no Red, but butterflies and birds can see Red, Green, Blue and UV, and both able to see what we humans cannot see - UV. To make that visible for us humans, I have developed a special color mapping method, which allows to simulate, how we would see the world, if we had such special receptive eyes.

I hope you enjoy the beauty of the exhibit!

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