Tuesday, May 29, 2012

[UV] Old Achromatic Quartz Fluorite Lens for Ultraviolet Photography (II)

I had mentione before, that I had taken apart some older equipment, as it had some quartz fluorite optics in it. Here now more pictures using it, all closeup shots were done at approx. f11.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Gazania, visual shot:


UV using Baader-U filter:


UV using Jupiter-U filter:


Sanvitalia, visual shot:


UV using Baader-U filter:


UV using Jupiter-U filter:


Not that bad, especially since it has a very small focus shift of only about 1/2mm when shooting macro. I am no having a professional mount made for it.

That Gazania flower I had shot earlier here, which may serve as a comparison.

More about that used quartz fluorite lens is  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

Friday, May 25, 2012

[UV] Gazania splendens: Baader-U vs Jupiter-U filter for reflected UV ultraviolet photography

Again more about that new Jupiter-U filter of mine. This time it is about a yellow Gazania splendens flower, that I bought at a nursery (Huben, Ladenburg, Germany)

[click on image to see a larger one]

All triptychs are presented VIS left, Baader-U middle, Jupiter-U right:



The petal tips of this flower reflect strongly around 365nm (yellow), but also the inside has some surprises, a ring of UV bright white dots (also visible for us humans) set against a very dark petal ground. There are a few more UV colors visible that indicate soem reflection around 385nm (purple) that the longer wave Baader-U filter as well as a to a lesser amount also the Jupiter-U is able to reveal.

Here more details of that flower (VIS, Baader-U, Jupiter-U in that sequence):







A very pretty species and surely attractive to its pollinating bees!


Might it be that the unusual high UV reflection of its leafs aims at protecting it from too much UV radiation?

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

[UV] Sedum flower: Baader-U vs Jupiter-U filter for reflected UV ultraviolet photography

Again more about that new Jupiter-U filter of mine. This time it is about a yellow Sedum spathulifolium flower, that I bought at a nursery (Huben, Ladenburg, Germany)

[click on image to see a larger one]

All triptychs are presented VIS left, Baader-U middle, Jupiter-U right:



Although this one has an overall 365nm main reflection, inside that flower is some long wave (around 385nm I'd say) UV reflection visible, that only the longer wave Baader-U filter is able to reveal.

Here details of that flower...

using the Baader-U filter:


and the Jupiter-U:


Overall this interesting plant looks like this (VIS, Baader-U, Jupiter-U)







Might it be that the unusual high UV reflection of its leafs aims at protecting it from too much UV radiation? Here how that looks like in closeup (VIS / UV):



Mother nature has quite good ideas!


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

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

[UV] Cinquefoil or Potentilla flower: Baader-U vs Jupiter-U filter for reflected UV ultraviolet photography

Again more about that new Jupiter-U filter of mine. Also those shots were taken at the wonderfully blossoming Hermannshof, Weinheim, Germany. This time it is about a yellow Potentilla flower.

[click on image to see a larger one]

All triptychs are presented VIS left, Baader-U middle, Jupiter-U right:



Potentilla has a very strong UV reflection around 365nm, so much that it actually overpowers all around.

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

[UV] bog-bean flower Menyanthes trifoliata: Baader-U vs Jupiter-U filter for reflected UV ultraviolet photography

Again more about that new Jupiter-U filter of mine. Also those shots were taken at the wonderfully blossoming Hermannshof Park, Weinheim, Germany. This time it is about a white marshland bog-bean flower Menyanthes trifoliata.

[click on image to see a larger one]

All triptychs are presented VIS left, Baader-U middle, Jupiter-U right:



It is UV reflective but quite long wave and does so around 385nm.

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

[UV] Bidens flower: Baader-U vs Jupiter-U filter for reflected UV ultraviolet photography

Again more about that new Jupiter-U filter of mine. This time it is about a Bidens ferulifolia flower.

[click on image to see a larger one]

All triptychs are presented VIS left, Baader-U middle, Jupiter-U right:



The separating greenish ring between the UV bright tip and the UV dark petal part captured my attention and needs further research.

Bidens is one of my "standard" UV photography targets, as it has a very prominent bright UV petal tip reflection:



It peaks quite prominently around 365nm which my spectral reflection measurement clearly has proven.


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

Monday, May 21, 2012

[UV] Gazania flower: Baader-U vs Jupiter-U filter for reflected UV ultraviolet photography

Again more about that new Jupiter-U filter of mine. This time it is about a yellow Gazania flower, most likely Gazania rigens.

[click on image to see a larger one]

All triptychs are presented VIS left, Baader-U middle, Jupiter-U right:



Center detail (different shots):


and even more detail:


Here the difference between the results of these two UV filters is not great, since the main UV reflection is around 365nm, which both filters transmit equally well. The petal tips and bottoms, as well as the stamens in the center reflect UV quite strongly around 365nm and create quite distinct UV nectar guides for their pollinators.

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

Sunday, May 20, 2012

[UV] Iris flower: Baader-U vs Jupiter-U filter for reflected UV ultraviolet photography

Again more about that new Jupiter-U filter of mine. Also those shots were taken today at the wonderfully blossoming Hermannshof, Weinheim, Germany. This time it is about a yellow Iris pseudacorus.

[click on image to see a larger one]

All triptychs are presented VIS left, Baader-U middle, Jupiter-U right:



A quite surprising find, since Iris' are usually not much UV reflective. This one however does quite strongly around 365nm.

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

Saturday, May 19, 2012

[UV] Dianthus flower: 340nm Jupiter-U vs Baader-U for reflected UV ultraviolet photography

Again more about that new Jupiter-U filter of mine. Also those shots were taken today at the wonderfully blossoming Hermannshof, Weinheim, Germany. This is about Dianthus ("Coronation") and its specific UV reflectance.

[click on image to see a larger one]

All triptychs are presented VIS left, Baader-U middle, Jupiter-U right:

Dianthus plumarius ("Carnation"):


another Dianthus type:


Overview, again different ones:


The Jupiter-U filter reveals quite a bit more details than the longer wave Baader-U filter obviously.

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

[UV] Crab Spider on Geranium flower: Baader-U vs Jupiter-U filter for reflected UV ultraviolet photography

Again more about that new Jupiter-U filter of mine. Also those shots were taken today at the wonderfully blossoming Hermannshof, Weinheim, Germany. This time it is not only about flowers, also about an insect, a crab spider in that case.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Triptych: VIS left, UV using Baader-U filter middle, UV using Jupiter-U filter right:



Quite interesting how dark that spider looks like in UV on that flower. I would assume it uses its dark UV pattern to even enhance the attraction of that flower to its pollinators, hence directing its prey right to it!

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

Friday, May 18, 2012

[UV] more on Baader-U vs 340nm Jupiter-U filter for short wave reflected UV (2)

Again more about that new Jupiter-U filter of mine. Also those shots were taken today at the wonderfully blossoming Hermannshof, Weinheim, Germany.

[click on image to see a larger one]

All triptychs are presented VIS left, Baader-U middle, Jupiter-U right:

Hemerocallis xx ("Day Lilly"):


Dictamnus albus 'purpureus' ("burning Bush"):


Dianthus xx ("Coronation"):


The former two images are about similar, but the latter one shows some significant difference in the UV reflectance patterns in my opinion.


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

Monday, May 7, 2012

[UV] recording deep reflected UV for 300-325nm using a Bidens ferulifolia flower

Well, here it is what I was eagerly looking for, the first sub 325nm reflection recorded in deep UV. This relates to my previous posting about reflected deep(er) UV recording with the effective peaks: 375nm, 365nm, 350nm, 325nm. But today that result takes it even deeper, to the 300 - 325nm sub UV band.

[click on image to see a larger one]

The UV image(s) here also uses my standardized false UV color normal + high intensity palette:



Bidens ferulifolia in 300-325nm UV using a special bandpass filter:


I had to pull back the predominant green and enhance the blue channel to make it visible. But it is there and it can be recorded.

That turquoise color was the last color I was missing for my standardized false UV color palette, that I have shown above.

Just for comparison, following the visual (VIS) image and the UV image using my Baader-U filter:

VIS:


UV using Baader-U filter (320-390nm):


And a triptych as an overview image:


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


Sunday, May 6, 2012

[UV] filters for recording deep(er) reflected UV for peak 375nm, 365nm, 350nm, 325nm

Here a comparison of the false UV colors to expect using the Baader-U white balance setting when using specific short wave filters for deeper reflected UV recording with the effective [*] peaks: 375nm, 365nm, 350nm, 325nm. It includes that new Jupiter-U filter of mine.

[click on image to see a larger one]

The UV images here also uses my standardized false UV color normal + high intensity palette:





top left: Baader-U (effective peak approx. 375nm), top right: Jupiter-U (effective peak approx. 365nm)
bottom left: filter stack I (effective peak approx 350nm), bottom right: filter stack II (effective peak approx. 325nm)
[ignore quality issues please, these latter three are experimental versions]

Interesting to note, that the red channel looses on intensity when the wavelength gets shorter, the green channel stays about constant, the blue channel declines first, then later on (325nm) recovers slightly.

Note that the exposure of these 4 images are not the same; I tried to get about equal exposed results.

[*]In that context "effective" means what the combination of filter, lens, sensor results in (for a given light source: sun / Xenon in that case) as a peak wavelength for that combination (lens is a flat transmitting quartz fluorite lens, Cerco 94mm in that case) as per my simulation system.

So, now the question arises of course, if such deep UV explorations is only for the the priviledged owners of a quartz fluorite lens. Well, have a look at that following test result using a common 35mm lens and the same filter sequence as above.



Of course there are differences, especially in exposure, but in principle, it seems doable. Don't get too excited, please, the exposure difference is a massive one.

I will reveal more about these experimental filters of mine here later, once they have proven their usefulness and when acceptable photographic quality has been achieved.

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

Saturday, May 5, 2012

[UV] 340nm Jupiter-U filter for short wave reflected UV (2)

Again more about that new Jupiter-U filter of mine. Shots taken today at the wonderfully blossoming Hermannshof Park, Weinheim, Germany.

[click on image to see a larger one]

All diptychs are presented VIS left, Jupiter-U right:

Gazania xx:


Rhododendron xx:


Pulsatilla vulgaris:


Taraxacum officinale:


That new filter renders quite differently; nicely golden actually.


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

Thursday, May 3, 2012

[UV] more on 340nm Jupiter-U vs Baader-U filter for short wave reflected UV

Today more about that new Jupiter-U filter of mine vs. the Baader U (Venus) filter. Shots taken today at the wonderfully blossoming Hermannshof, Weinheim, Germany.

[click on image to see a larger one]

The Jupiter-U is a shorter wave filter (center is 340nm) and its transmission is this, as compared to the Baader (Venus) U filter (red line):


Here now some results of today:

Baader U2 left, Jupiter-U right:


VIS left, Baader U2 right:


VIS left, Jupiter-U right:


and another one:

Baader U2 left, Jupiter-U right:


VIS left, Baader U2 right:


VIS left, Jupiter-U right:


very subtle tone differences get visible in comparison to the Baader-U filter.


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