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[BOOK] Exploring UV Photography by David Prutchi


Daniel Geiger

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Daniel Geiger

Exploring UV Photography

by David Prutchi

Amherst Press, 2016

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.c...tal-text&sr=1-2

[ultravioletPhotography.com has no monetary affiliation with Amazon.com or with the author. The link is for your information only.]


 

I searched the forum, but surprisingly could not find any reference to this book. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Not so. Please see Post #3 below.] Just got and read it. From a newbie perspective, lots of good and easily readable info. Covers intro to vision, dSLRs for UV (he seems to use Canons), lenses, filters, light sources, technique, animal vision, and science applications. The focus is on relatively low tech, low cost options, while pointing in the direction of "serious" options. Very readable, the 127 pages with lots of good illustrations are easily read in an afternoon. I liked very much that the images were pretty much straight out of camera examples without much post-processing to show what can be done at the level of taking the images. Lots of comparison shots help to appreciate the differences between the various options discussed. There is quite a selection of absorption/transmission curves provided.

 

He says that a filter adapter for the Nikkor EL 80/5.6 to Baader U is very difficult to find, but I recently bought one from a Russian vendor off eBay. It is an aluminum version, so tends to stick with the Baader U; a bit of WD40 (creeping oil in US) solves the problem.

 

He says that due to the unequal coatings of the two sides of the Baader U, for photography, the retainer ring should be un-screwed and the glass filter should be reversed. Anybody care to comment?

 

As a professional systematist, the genus Bidens was not capitalized (bidens), and the family Asteraceae was in italics (Asteraceae), p. 90.

 

There are a lot of good alternative photographic processing applications suggested, but I missed Affinity Photo as a solid alternative to PS, including channel mixer, and Aurora HDR for HDR processing.

 

I never thought of Amherst as a serious publisher (usually look at Focal Press), but this volume is a keeper. It may be too basic for senior contributors here, but for a newbie it is great.

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David is a member here, he made a number of post related to his forthcoming book. Why he did not announce his book on this forum? Only he can say.
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......the Baader U.....the retainer ring should be un-screwed and the glass filter should be reversed. Anybody care to comment?

 

Long ago in about 2007, Dr. Klaus Schmitt taught me that the pink side of the BaaderU should face the subject. And I have passed that teaching along ever since. Bjørn Rørslett also knew this and has taught it (although I don't have a date for him). So David is correct in what he has written.

 

This BaaderU reversal is done to prevent flare in certain circumstances. Flare will not always happen if the BaaderU is not reversed. And flare can happen even when the BaaderU is reversed. Flare from shiny filter surfaces is just part of the game in UV photography.

 

When such flare does happen it can be quite dramatic and ruins the photo. In the course of testing my converted Sony a7R using a Vivitar 35/3.5, I managed to produce some very strong flare as can be seen in the following post.

http://www.ultraviol...dpost__p__12015

 

 

 

.....filter adapter for the Nikkor EL 80/5.6 to Baader U

Here is another reference for EL-80 filter adapters. I have purchased from this source and found them quite well made.

http://www.custompho...ters-step-rings

 

 

 

David's website is referenced in our Sticky:

Look under UV Photography Links. His book is on the front page of that link.

Ultravioletphotography.com must be careful with promoting vendor products. We are an independent, non-profit forum. Vendors are welcome as members but may not offer to sell items. If requested, Bjørn and I will permit a one-time pre-approved announcement of a new product. David has made several very informative and welcomed posts here on UVP. And, of course, reviews of books or other items such as you have provided above are always welcomed.

 

 

 

......photographic processing applications

We have several Stickies in the Reference section covering basic information about UV photography. Although I have never tried to cover apps for converting or editing UV/IR files. Not enough time in the world for that!! :D

 

My own conversion and editing of documentary UV files is minimal. And I do mean minimal. Of course, for non-documentary work, anything goes.

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Daniel Geiger

Seems the Baader U reversal is in the "it depends" category. Will play with it.

 

Re EL 80 to Baader U: Saw that Portuguese site, inquired re some other possible adapters, but never got a reply, so went with eBay. SK Grimes is yet another source, but very pricey.

 

One more thing that I thought was odd is the recommendation for M39 accessories and helicoids. I find M42 much more diverse and plentiful. M42-M39 rings are easy and cheap to procure, while I have difficulty imagining M39-M42 adapters for enlarger lenses.

 

Agreed on the expanding universe of imaging apps!

 

I am looking forward to discussions of the book by some more seasoned people here.

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