Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia hirta in reflected ultraviolet photography and simulated bee vision II

Today shots of a flower originating from the USA Prairie, a Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia hirta 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 UV-Nikkor 105mm quartz flourite lens. Light source was a modified Xenon flash. All shots were done at 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:  

Triptych of the above images:  


This flower shows a very prominent UV bullseye pattern, as its petals are very UV bright (around 365nm) to about the middle and its center is very UV dark, and all this gets nicely visible also in simulated bee vision.

I have previously written about that flower HERE.

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

North Carolina Botanical Gardens Bee Exhibit with reflected ultraviolet (UV) photography II

The North Carolina Botanical Gardens (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) had a four months long exhibit about the importance of Bees in 2015 with some of my works included.

(c) NC Botanical Gardens + Dr Schmitt, Weinheim Germany uvir.eu

Since it was such a great success and well received by its visitors, it will now be shown at other botanical gardens in the US. Be on the lookout for it, certainly worth visiting!

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

Treasury flower - Gazania rigens in reflected ultraviolet photography and simulated bee vision XVIII

Today shots of a long blooming spring flower, a pink variant of a Treasury flower - Gazania rigens in reflected ultraviolet photography and simulated bee vision. All shots were done at f8 in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U filter, as well as my XBV filter for simulated bee vision. Lens was a UV-Nikkor 105mm quartz fluorite lens. Light source was sunlight, background was gray.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Human vision:
 

Reflected UV:
 

Simulated bee vision:
 

Triptych of human vision, UV and simulated bee vision (left to right):
 

This Gazanias' outer petals massively reflect UV around 375nm, contrasting strongly against its dark UV center, all invisible to us humans, but all this gets nicely visible, in simulated bee vision also.

I have written about Gazania previously 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