Those are some great shots, but ultraviolet induced visible fluorescence photography isn't all that hard to do. All you need is a good UV light source and a room with very little visible light and you can do it. No special lenses or filters are required on your camera since you're just capturing visible light. I've messed around with it a little bit.
and a few more here -- https://365project.org/tags/uvivf
Reflected ultraviolet photography is a lot harder since you're actually capturing ultraviolet light and no visible light. What makes it so hard is most lenses block 90%+ UV light, then most sensors have another filter on them that blocks UV and IR. So special lenses, and modified cameras are usually need to get good reflected UV photos.
I've gotten a couple reflected UV shots, but nothing all that great. Here's the reflected UV light from a dandelion.
Josh, I'm delighted you shared your work with us here! I thought it must be something impossibly magical, but it's good to see that if one of our own has done it, it's not out of the realm of possibility! I wonder if, without all the information about it, one might think it was "just" an alteration in post processing! Your camera photo REALLY tells a story that's pretty amazing! I had no idea what was happening to things our eyes can't see...and I better understand what some insects and animals are seeing in the dark!
Great article Louise! Thanks for sharing that info and your pics with us @sudweeks Josh. The sunflower is awesome! Hmmm...now where can I find a UV light source...? (o;
@olivetreeann - I started with just a $10 365nm UV torch from amazon. It worked ok, but it had quite a bit of bleed in the visible range, so I picked up a B+W 403 UV bandpass filter to put in front of the flashlight. That filter blocks the visible part of the light from the flashlight and allows just the UV. It required a lot more time to expose the image, but really helped. I then picked up a more powerful UV flashlight, and still used the filter. I got a NightSearcher UV flash light -> https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01HFAH7NU.
Be sure to use UV safety glasses when working with UV, keep the flashlights away from kids, and never look directly into these lights. UV can quickly damage your eyes.
@olivetreeann I had that same question, Ann...Thanks for asking!
@sudweeks Very interesting information, Josh. Thanks for the admonitions as I might never have known that! Honestly, I'm unlikely to invest in it, but my son in law teaches at a private boarding/high school, and I think the art teacher who also teaches photography might be very interested in trying this with the high school students! I can also imagine the science teacher getting involved! Thanks so much...can't wait to share this with them!
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and a few more here -- https://365project.org/tags/uvivf
Reflected ultraviolet photography is a lot harder since you're actually capturing ultraviolet light and no visible light. What makes it so hard is most lenses block 90%+ UV light, then most sensors have another filter on them that blocks UV and IR. So special lenses, and modified cameras are usually need to get good reflected UV photos.
I've gotten a couple reflected UV shots, but nothing all that great. Here's the reflected UV light from a dandelion.
Be sure to use UV safety glasses when working with UV, keep the flashlights away from kids, and never look directly into these lights. UV can quickly damage your eyes.
@sudweeks Very interesting information, Josh. Thanks for the admonitions as I might never have known that! Honestly, I'm unlikely to invest in it, but my son in law teaches at a private boarding/high school, and I think the art teacher who also teaches photography might be very interested in trying this with the high school students! I can also imagine the science teacher getting involved! Thanks so much...can't wait to share this with them!