Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Apache beggarticks - Bidens ferulifolia in reflected ultraviolet photography, simulated bee and butterfly vision XIX

Today in 2021 more shots of a long blooming spring flower Apache beggarticks - Bidens ferulifolia in reflected ultraviolet photography and simulated bee and butterfly vision. All 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 a modified for high UV output Studio flash.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Human vision:
 

Reflected UV:
 

Simulated butterfly vision:
 

Simulated bee vision:
 

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

Bidens has a strong visible UV "bullseye" pattern, its petal tips are UV bright around 365nm, its center is quite UV dark, so this gets quite nicely visible, also in simulated butterfly and bee vision.

Here I was testing a new black backdrop, as it is rather difficult to find materials which really are "UV black", but this Japanese material seems to work very well, with approx. 0.7% reflection from UV to IR!

I have written about Bidens 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