Getting started with UV induced florescence ?

[Jim Lloyd]

Someone has asked me to produce some UV fluorescent image of Flourspar. I have been concentrating on getting to grips with reflected UV photography and not looked at this area yet. Get anyone give me some quick tips to get started - I guess the key is that I need a suitable lamp? - then take visible image with standard camera?

 

Many thanks in advance

[Andy Perrin]

Jim, I think we have a sticky for this somewhere?

 

ETA:

Ahah!

http://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php/topic/1456-sticky-uv-induced-visible-fluorescence/

[Jim Lloyd]

Perfect !

Thanks Andy

[dabateman]

You have the right idea.

I would say the cheapest route is to get a Convoy S2+ flash light around $25. Add the u340 20mm filter $35. Use your BG40 filter with a normal camera that doesn't see into uv or get a wratten 2A or GG 420 filter to be safe. Then use a spoon to know if your seeing any uv light from the flashlights.

 

I set something up with Canon 199a flashes. But much more expensive and didn't work well. I think best to use good cheap uv flashlights. Alternative you can also use 365nm Led light bulbs from Amazon. They also work well. I got the Lixada one and it too works well, was $22 when I bought it and it is 365nm, not 405nm like my other led black light.

[Jim Lloyd]

Thanks dabateman

 

How critical is it to exclude ambient light - do you really need to use something like a photographic dark room ? - or just a normal room with reasonable blinds ?

[dabateman]

I think how critical the background light is, will be up to you. The Convoy flashlights are really bright, you can place them 2 feet away from subject in blacked out room. The led bulb, I mentioned is not nearly as strong, even though 7W vs 3W for convoy. For the bulb I have it in a desk lamp 4 to 6 inches away from subject.

If your uv source is strong than, it will over power the ambient room. But if weak you may need total darkness. Test out what you have, see what you can see.

 

Also depends on how critical it is to know its from the subject matter, than just an art photo. Not to put art down at all, but for artistic intent you can do anything. Also having other lights, artistically may look better, but not be correct to subject.

 

Also may depend on what your photographing. Some things will fluorescence strongly, while others not at all. So will depend on subject matter.

You can look through the amazing photograghs here to get an idea.

[otoien]

Perhaps sometimes overlooked, it is just as important to keep other objects that fluorescence strongly away from the target zone for the UV-LED source (even if out of the frame) to avoid that emitted light being reflected off your object of interest.

[Jim Lloyd]

Is there a common object / material with a predictable level of fluorescence that might be used as a standard kind of test object to check things are working ?

[Shane]

Not unless you buy expensive standards, however tonic water will work well to show whether your setup is working well.

[otoien]

A good examples of that and several other objects in the stickie of the dedicated forum section:

http://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php/topic/181-examples-of-uv-induced-fluorescence/

[Jim Lloyd]

Thank you both

 

Thumbs up, smiley face

[Jim Lloyd]

First attempt

 

UV soure was windfire UV flashlight (I would say "torch") - UG1 2 mm UV pass filter in front of that (just hand held - need to find a way to fix it). d3300 unconverted camera with standard hoya uv block filter (UV©)

 

There was quite a bit of ambient light - visible reference iso 400 f/8 1.3 sec UVIVF iso 100 f/20 2.5 sec. I deliberately went for long exposure on later so I could move the torch light around a bit.

 

I think this will work well eniough for my purposes - just need a bit of a darker room - and to get hold of some fluorspar for this project ...

 

 

[Andrea B.]

You clearly did photograph fluorescence from the tonic water. This stuff is fun! Walk around your house at night with the UV torch and look for all the fluor-y stuff. It's both fun and sometimes scary. Like when you fluor up the kitchen or bathroom. :blink: Last night I did that here in our summer place and actually scared myself when one of my jackets fluor-ed up and it looked for half-a-second like someone was standing in front of the coat rack! Too funny.

 

If you are not blocking ambient light, then it is hard to know with some subjects in some locations just how much reflected light you are recording versus how much emitted light. Certainly not likely to be the case with your tonic water photo above. But, the point is, the ambient light can sometimes interfere. So do not claim pure fluorescence unless you really are ensuring that. After all, you don't want to incur any flak from those picky scientific types who like to look at fluor photography and will call you on its purity or lack thereof.

 

The big problem we have all tried to deal with in fluor work is the white balance issue. How color accurate is your fluor photo? (Many posts on that here!) If it does not match what you saw -- more or less -- then be sure to note that also. I use some vague statement like "fluorescent colours have not been profiled" or some such. For artistic purposes, of course any color scheme goes for fluor work. But - a slightly big but in this case - visible fluorescent colours are often known. So if they are not as expected, then expect questions.

 

I do sound as though I am advocating some version of full disclosure in art. Perhaps I am? But mostly I'm trying to give you the various points of view that you might encounter.

These days here on the sad side of the Pond, we have so very much outright lying going on that I've been trying to uphold some ideal of the truth, whatever that might actually be. Politics is one thing, lying is quite another altogether. Sigh.

[Andrea B.]

Postscript: I looked through your UV flower book. So very cool. I really want to make one too!!!!

[Jim Lloyd]

“We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies.”

 

 

― Pablo Picasso

[Andrea B.]

B)

Love this, Jim!

 

*****

 

Can you tell me a bit about the software with which you made your UV floral "book"? What are its requirements for use? Do you find it easy to use? Thanks in advance for a few pointers.

[Jim Lloyd]

For books I use the book module in Lightroom.

 

If you already use Lightroom I would definitely recommend it. If you are not already familiar with Lightroom then maybe another option would be easier. It depends a lot on exactly what you want to do. The Lightroom option is good for simple layouts selected from templates. because of this you can very quickly produce something nice from a collection within Lightroom . I have used it a lot (all examples on my website made with this) so can certainly give guidance if needed.

[Jim Lloyd]

UVIVF of Fluorite from mines in Weardale (North pennines, UK)

 

Used "wilndfire" UV torch stated to be 365nm

 

Nikon d610 (unconverted) camera - 100 ASA f/16 around 2 sec exposure

 

Used Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens and Nikkor EL 80 mm lens - I experimented with and without UV blocking filter and I couldn't see any difference. I found that for what I wanted it was actually better to allow some background visible light - to give some context to the UVIVF.

 

Not sure where to go next with this - it interests me so far - but don't feel I can get over excited about it ...