The Eternal Question

[Andrea B.]

What to do next?

 

I'm very tempted to take off for the Arizona and California Deserts during bloom time to get some sunshine and warmth. But I might have shot enough floral UV-signatures already to provide processing material for the entire rest of my life. I don't have to shoot flowers, there are always lizards to look for. Hard to catch those critters in a shot, but fun to try.

 

Maybe a local IR odyssey is called for? Shooting Infrared always brings out a creative (well, maybe) streak for me. I was updating the various cameras last night and realized I had not been shooting with the lovely Pentax K1-broadband for quite some time. The K1 would be fun to use for IR, so I put together an IR box with an IR flash, an IR-Led array and all the IR-pass filters. Ready to go IR.

 

Then there is the box of fluorescent minerals, gathering dust. I never did get around to shooting all those. UVIVF is so interesting and fun to shoot. The shooting closet for UVIVF in the front hall is full of winter boots, but I could stash those behind the sofa for a few days.

 

What about you? Spring is springing in the Northern hemisphere and Summer is winding down for our Southern hemisphere friends. What are your plans for the upcoming season?

[Guest]

Wow - I haven't even considered spring/summer yet. There's still a foot of snow here in my backyard! - and they say there's still more to come. I like the idea though, of planning in advance for some kind of adventure. Some forethought can minimize the amount of gear packed and lugged on a long distance trip. Clear objectives. I like it. Although... I also like being open to the unexpected. And there are plenty of places to shoot nearer to home. I'm sure I'll wind up shooting at home, and abroad.

 

Great... now I can hardly wait for spring to arrive!

[enricosavazzi]

Spring is still far where we live, in fact the worst part of the winter might still be ahead. So it may still be a couple of months before I will go outdoors with a camera, but I have a couple of indoors projects.

 

One thing I am planning is an update on Stella, my daughter's pet. She is growing fast, and changing in unexpected ways. Last time she was visiting, we noticed that her fur coat now has three layers. She always had a black outer layer, then grew a gray deeper one, but now there is a new black layer developing closest to the skin. The father is black and the mother white, so she may still not have decided which way to go. Some IR imaging might show better what is going on. Some UV imaging may also be possible, if I can persuade her to wear dog sun goggles.

 

Over at photomacrography.net, a few users have been trying a cheap "365 nm" flashlight (Convoy S2+), said to use Nichia 3W LEDs, for fluorescence microscopy. I decided to look into these 20-25 USD potential competitors of our multi-hundred-USD MTE torches, and one thing followed another ... so I am now waiting for three of these torches, a UV meter, a new USB spectrometer (my old one is a bit too limited) and other bits and pieces. It will make for some interesting indoors testing.

[JCDowdy]

The other day I was looking across my back yard and noticed the first few bright yellow dandelion heads popping up. Of course I thought of UV photography and wondered what I might want to try. I came down to a simple realization that, like the Nike logo, I need to "Just Do It!"

 

Enrico - I have 4 of those Convoy S2+ and I think you will be rather pleased with them. I don't have an MTE with which to compare but I have measured the Convoy and based on what has been posted here I have the impression it is as good or better. I keep meaning to find time to post my evaluation of the Convoy. Another "Just Do It!" moment!

[Andy Perrin]

I'm doing more SWIR experiments while I'm caught indoors, and this spring I will get out walking and shoot more houses and things in UV. No flowers yet here in Boston! We're still getting the white sky dust.

[Hornblende]

I should receive my full spectrum mod canon 6D next week.

I can't wait to play with my new toys :

• The Baader U for shooting UV (obviously :D ). First thing I will do is take a good quality UV picture of my face.
  
• The Lifepixel Super-Blue filter for yellow leaves and blue sky + making NDVI pictures (not in winter!).
  
• The Lifepixel IR 830nm filter because I love IR and I want to find IR patern on flowers!!!
  

+ many multispectral experiment with various objects including my gemstones.

 

I can't waiiiiit!!

[Andy Perrin]

You will have a hard time finding IR patterns on flowers! Have you seen Andrea's pics? She does a lot of them in IR as well, and flowers seem to be on the boring side in IR. But almost nothing is universal...

[Hornblende]

I remember seing a flower with IR pattern in one of Andrea's picture. Indeed IR patterns in flowers are very uncommon, but I love finding very rare stuff :D

[Andy Perrin]

Oh, link? (Or just tell me which species.)

[Alex H]

Gazania

[Andrea B.]

I also have a Sunflower somewhere which has showed some IR-dark bits in the center. I'll look for it.

 

Gazanias are definitely a fun flower in either UV or in IR.

Gazania rigens [Gazania]

 

 

It was nice to hear from you all !! :D

[Andrea B.]

Here is an un-posted Helianthus petiolaris = Prairie Sunflower.

The anthers are IR-dark. It's not much of a "pattern", but it somewhat unusual.

 

You will also see IR-dark anthers in some other Asteraceae like Hieracium or Pilosella.

 

 

 

[nfoto]

The bracts of the dandelions are IR-dark.

 

[Alex H]

Spring is still far where we live, in fact the worst part of the winter might still be ahead. So it may still be a couple of months before I will go outdoors with a camera, but I have a couple of indoors projects.

 

Enrico, the first blooms of Winter Aconite are already opening along the south facing walls of Naturhistoriska. I am sure they can be found in other places too.