Wednesday, September 4, 2013

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

Today shots of an attractive flower, brown-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. In the background R. triloba are visible. Lens was a 55mm Dialyte lens. Light source was sunlight. 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 bee vision image using experimental XBV filter:  

Triptych of the above images:  


This attractive flower has a specific UV pattern, its petals are bright on the petal tips (reflecting around 370nm), have a UV dark bullseye pattern invisible to us humans and also the flower center is quite UV dark, and all this gets nicely visible.

I have previously written about that flower HERE

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