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UltravioletPhotography

A Very Brief History of Ultraviolet Floral Photography


Andrea B.

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1891: P. Knuth recorded UV reflections from flowers.

  • Knuth, P. (1891a). Die Einwirkung der Blütenfarben auf der photographische Platte. Biol. Centralbl. 48, 160-165.
  • Knuth, P. (1891b). Weytere Beobachtungen uber die Anlockungsmittel der Blüten von Sycos angulata L. and Bryonica dioica L. Biol Centralbl. 48, 314-318.

1924: F. E. Lutz makes pinhole photos of floral UV-signatures.

  • Lutz, F.E. (1924) Apparently non-selective characters and combinations of characters including a study of ultraviolet in relation to the flower visiting habits of insects. Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 29, 181-283.

1924: A. Kühn related UV reflections from flowers to UV sensitivity in insect vision.

  • Kühn, A. (1924). Zum Nachweiss des Farbunterscheidungsvermögen der Bienen. Naturwissenschaften 12, 116.
  • Kühn, A. (1927). Über den Farbensinn der Bienen. Z. Vergl. Physiol. 5, 762–800

1925: H. Wolff demonstrated UV sensitivity in minnows. (A fun but non-floral fact.)

  • Wolff, H. (1925). Das Farbunterscheidungsvermögen der Elritze. Z. Vergl. Physio. 3, 279-329.

[some of the preceding history from references in: Kevan, P.G., Chittka, L., Dyer, A. (2001). Limits to the salience of ultraviolet – lessons from color vision in bees and birds. Journal of Experimental Biology, 204: 2571-2580.]

 

{humor alert}

1992: B. Rørslett takes up the cause with purchase of her first UV-Nikkor.

Bees cheer.

 

2007: A. Blum buys her first UV-Nikkor.

And uses the Baader-U backwards for the first year. Bees roll their eyes.

 

03.31.13: UltravioletPhotography.com founded.

Bees sound huzzah!

{humor alert/}

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Hi Andrea,

... I guess these are the only dates that really matter ... ;-)

Good for me that the first papers are in German. In the third reference (Kühn 1924) it should be “Bienen” (bees) instead of “Beinen” (legs). I guess that my English typos lead to similar confusions ;-)

By the way: Interesting to see that Bjørn started UV-photography several years before I was born (but in the same decade).

Anyway: Many thanks for this compilation.

Best,

Nico

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Well, a bit optimistic about the date of my entry into the world of UV photography.

 

To be precise, I did my first photography in the early '60s. I purchased my first UV-Nikkor in '92.

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oh la!

"Legs' ability to distinguish between colours" has me and the bees laughing.

I cannot spell ie/ei words in any language!!

 

I corrected my spelling errors and also the dates on the latter bits of History there.

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