Dahlia using Negative Space in reflected ultraviolet photography and simulated butterfly and bee vision

Today shots of a decorative flower of the Asteraceae family, Dahlia sp in reflected ultraviolet photography and simulated bee and butterfly vision. All shots were done at f5.6 in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U filter, as well as my XBV filters for simulated bee and butterfly vision. Lens was a UV-Nikkor 105mm quartz fluorite lens. Light source was sunlight.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Human vision:
 

Reflected UV:
 

Simulated butterfly vision:
 

Simulated bee vision:
 

Quadriptych of human vision, UV, simulated butterfly and bee vision (left to right, top to bottom):
 

This pretty flower has no specific UV pattern, its flower petals are UV dark, whereas the flower center is UV reflective, but this actually creates a negative space where the UV reflective center stands out against by massively increasing contrast - and all this gets nicely visible, also in simulated bee and butterfly vision.

I have written about that negative space concept HERE, California poppy and Bermuda buttercup uses that too! 
 
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