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UltravioletPhotography

Tree Fungus Multispectral Views


OlDoinyo

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In late July, a showy fungus appeared high on a tree trunk near a family residence in Minnesota. Not wanting to waste an opportunity, I photographed it in three wavelength ranges and produced four images. The position of the specimen precluded close approach, so long optics were used.

 

The visible image was obtained with a Sony A99V and a Minolta 200mm lens stacked with a Kenko teleconverter. Exposure was 1/125 second at f/6.7 and ISO 100.

The other images were obtained with the Sony A900 at ISO 100 and the Makowsky 500mm mirror optic at f/32. The infrared image was obtained with a Hoya R72 filter at 1/6 second. Display intent is BGR. The ultraviolet image used the Baader U2 filter at 30 seconds. Display intent is BGR. The IRG image employed the Tiffen #12 filter at 1/20 second and a Pixelbender workup. Correct parameters proved tricky to set for this last image, but the appearance is approximately correct, I believe.

 

post-66-0-30806800-1536280631.jpg

 

The visible image shows the cream-and orange color scheme seen by the naked eye. The infrared image is not terribly interesting--the specimen did not absorb infrared light at all to any discernable degree. The IRG image is also not terribly informative, showing a washed-out and shifted version of the visible pattern.

 

The ultraviolet image is the most revealing: it shows that the tips of the fruiting body reflect shorter UV wavelengths preferentially, giving them a cyan cast similar to that on some ray flowers. The significance here is unknown. Some portions of the fruiting body show dark, perhaps a sign of incipient decomposition, though this is speculation.

 

If there are any mycologists who read posts on this board, perhaps the specimen can be identified and some of the details explained.

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The BGR presentation is really throwing me here. I had to convert it back to be able to see the colors. It looks nearly monochrome to my eyes. (I suspect that my red-green colorblindness issue is the main culprit, so probably it's less of a problem for others.)
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If this was in the UK I would say it is a young Chicken of the Woods fungus (Laetiporus sulphureus). Not sure if you have the same species in the US?
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L. sulphureus is known in North America, but all the pictures I can find of it look very different, more lamellar in form and not so much the shape seen here.
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