Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia hirta in 3D reflected ultraviolet photography and simulated bee and butterfly vision XX

Today more shots of that beautiful flower, originating from the USA Prairie, here today again that commercially sold hybrid of a Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia hirta (possibly R. hirta x R. fulgida) in 3D STEREO (crosseye) in reflected ultraviolet photography using different filters aside from the Baader-U filter, but different ones today for simulated bee and butterfly vision but also part of my XBV filter set. All shots were done at f8-f11 on my balcony. Lens was a UV transmitting 35mm wide angle lens with an older Zeiss Jena Macro beamsplitter. Light source was direct sunlight. 

 
[click on image to see a larger one]

Human vision:
 

Reflected ultraviolet (UV - false color):
 

Simulated butterfly vision:
 

Simulated bee vision:
 

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 in 3D STEREO.

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

Partial Eclipse 2026 recorded in Germany in reflected ultraviolet light

A partial eclipse has happened August 12, 2026 visible in Germany - and on my new location in south-west Germany with around 86% visibilty I had decided last minute to try and record that. So I prepared a setup consisting of my modified Lumix GH4 plus a lens I found a while ago which surprisingly does transmit UV light: a f4/250mm catadioptric lens. A bit tricky is using a suitable UV transmitting filter with that lens, as it has to be mounted into the rear lens mount, which worked using a 25mm diameter UV filter stack (centered at 370nm) I found at a US seller years ago with rather good VIS/IR suppression.  

[click on image to see a larger one]

Reflected UV (370nm):

 
Surroundings in reflected UV (370nm):

Trying to white balance this last image lead to some interesting, bit eery effect:  

So this went rather well, even a sunspot got visible (click on the first image to see a larger one), so I was rather happy to have captured such a rare event, the last one visible here in Germany was 1999.
  
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

Common Sunflower - Helianthus annuus in reflected ultraviolet photography and simulated bee vision III

Today in my new location after the move more shots of a flower everybody has already seen, a common Sunflower - Helianthus annuus in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U filter. Lens was my UV-Nikkor 105mm quartz flourite lens. Light source was daylight through the windows plus some supporting 365nm UV LED light. All shots were done at f8.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Human vision:
 

Reflected UV:
 

This flower has a specific and unique UV pattern, its petal tops are brightly UV reflective around 365nm and the rest and its center is UV dark forming an UV bullseye pattern, and all this gets nicely visible here.

I have written about sunflowers before 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