Common Purslane - Portulaca oleracea in reflected ultraviolet photography and simulated bee and butterfly vision

Today in 2022 shots of a beautiful flower, now offered as an ornamental + edible plant, a Common Purslane - Portulaca oleracea in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U filter, as well as in simulated bee and butterfly vision using my XBV filters. All shots were done at f11. Lens was a UV-Nikkor 105mm quartz fluorite lens. Light source was a modified Xenon flash.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Human vision:
 

Reflected ultraviolet (UV):
 

Simulated butterfly vision:
 

Simulated bee vision:
 

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

This flower shows a very prominent and strong UV reflection around 365nm, and all this gets nicely visible, also in simulated bee and butterfly vision.
 
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

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

Today in 2022 shots of a beautiful 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 and butterfly vision using my XBV filters. All shots were done at f11. Lens was a UV-Nikkor 105mm quartz fluorite lens. Light source was a modified Xenon flash.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Human vision:
 

Reflected ultraviolet (UV):
 

Simulated butterfly vision:
 

Simulated bee vision:
 

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

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

I have previously written about that flower 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

"Wandelmut" Exhibit at Museum Sinclair House, Bad Homburg

There is currently an exhibit in Germany at the Museum Sinclair-House, Bad Homburg within the "Wandelmut" (willingness to change) series, which has some of my multispectral works on display. Visible here is a Rudbeckia hirta flower in human vision, simulated bee and butterfly vision, showing the "landing platform" only bees and butterflies can see, as they have the ability to see ultraviolet light (300-400nm), which we humans cannot see.

(Human vision vs. simulated Bee + Butterfly vision; left to right) 

I have written about that Rudbeckia hirta flower HERE before,

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

 

 

Nectar Mimicry at Lewisia cotylodon made visible using multispectral photography II

Today more about Nectar Mimicry. This Spring 2022 I got a bright white, long blooming, perennial flower Cliff maids - Lewisia cotyledon and took photos in reflected ultraviolet photography and simulated bee and butterfly vision. And it was in 2021 when I had discovered a highly reflective ring in visible and especially reflected UV photographyI I then talked to Prof. Klaus Lunau, whom I know since years, and he revealed that he has just recently discovered and published about this Nectar Mimicry!

This clearly visible UV reflecting ring, formed by those shiny petals which is especially visible in reflected UV had been discovered by Prof. (em) Klaus Lunau of the University of Duesseldorf, Germany and he had published about that in NATURE 2020 here: Lunau, K., Ren, ZX., Fan, XQ. et al. Nectar mimicry: a new phenomenon. Sci Rep 10, 7039 (2020). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-63997-3

All these shots were done at f11 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 Xenon light from my UV enhanced studio flash.

[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):
 

Lewisia has a visible UV pattern, its petal tips are UV bright around 385nm, its center is UV dark, so this and this highly reflecting ring structure gets quite nicely visible, also in simulated butterfly and bee vision.

I have written more about that flower 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