Ultraviolet-induced fluorescence (UVIF) occurs when molecules in an object are excited (energized) by high-energy ultraviolet wavelengths (from our UV flashlight) and as a result, emit longer wavelengths in the visible portion of the spectrum (red, green, and blue). These emitted longer wavelengths are what we are photographing.
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) orbiter has captured some incredible ultraviolet images of the Red Planet taken at two different points along its orbit around the Sun.
A researcher has used ultraviolet (UV) photography to locate a lost fragment of Biblical text nearly 1,500 years after it was originally written. UV photography equipment has looked beyond layers of text to find a "new" ancient translation of the Gospels.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new celestial image that depicts two objects, described as "glowing clumps," that are found around some newborn stars.
Photographer Cody Cobb has a knack for shifting the perception of a familiar landscape photo into an entirely new experience. His ongoing photo series Spectral takes viewers through environments that feel like something out of science fiction.
DIY-er Sean Billups has transformed his old Google Pixel 3A into a multispectral camera that can view in Ultraviolet (UV) and Infrared (IR) wavelengths that are not normally visible to the human eye.
UV photography has been used by dermatological laboratories since the era of film photography. This technique was then used by the R&D centers to show the protective properties of dermatological and cosmetic products against UV radiation from the Sun.
Did you know that Scorpions glow when you put them under an ultraviolet light? Ecological artist The Butterfly Babe (Sarah Folts) has shared a video showing a mother scorpion with her young gathered on her back and glowing a bright blue and purple under ultraviolet light.
My name is Pierre-Louis Ferrer, and I am a professional French photographer specialized in photography beyond visible for ten years now, including infrared and ultraviolet techniques. I spend a large part of my free time reading, experiencing, testing, and talking with experts in various domains linked with these techniques.
The Seoul gallery Blackmarket recently created a blacklight print of a photo by Seoul-based cyberpunk photographer Noe Alonzo. This 3-minute behind-the-scenes video shows how the print is made using screenprinting.
Photographer and "mad scientist" Don Komarechka is back for a DPReview TV episode on ultraviolet light. Specifically, he explains how a modified camera-and-filter combination can reveal hidden ultraviolet patterns that are invisible to the human eye, but crucial for pollinators like bees.
UV photography has many obstacles. Ultraviolet light, or light from 200nm – 400nm in wavelength, is notoriously difficult to image with normal camera equipment. A normal digital camera will record images in the visible light spectrum, or 400nm – 700nm in wavelength. To unlock sensitivity to those shorter wavelengths, a camera has to be physically modified to allow passage of light below 400nm.
For my latest project, titled RAW, I shot a series of UV portraits revealing the true appearance beyond the visible. Composed of twenty photographs divided into ten diptychs, the series illustrates the raw and natural character of the human being, revealed by the technique of ultraviolet photography.
Ultraviolet photography is something that relatively few photographers explore, but it’s a fascinating realm to explore with less of an investment in equipment than most people think.
Using a modified DSLR, ultraviolet light bulbs, and a custom-built massive UV ring flash, Mathieu Stern teamed up with UV photographer Pierre-Louis Ferrer to capture some fascinating portraits and side-by-side video.
Just when we thought there was no possible way someone could capture flowers in a fresh and unique way, we stumbled across the work of Craig Burrows. Burrows uses a technique called ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence (UVIVF) to capture flower photos the likes of which we have never seen before.
Did you know there's such a thing as UV wool? There's also UV liquid, UV bubbles, and UV holi powder, and in this quick tips video COOPH shows you how you can use all of these to capture some really interesting photography.
In 2014, filmmaker Tom Leveritt used an ultraviolet camera to show people their skin like they'd never seen it before. Now, you can do the same thing with the Sunscreenr: a tiny, waterproof UV camera that is meant to keep you slathering on sunscreen by showing you when you've used enough and where it's worn off.
Back in May, a body painter offered to collaborate with me for a photo shoot with airbrushed models. This offer gave me a reason to finally experiment with black light photography, which I've wanted to try for years now.
Fujifilm has announced the X-T1 IR, a variant of their flagship X-Series camera that can capture infrared and ultraviolet portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Nearly identical to the original X-T1, the new X-T1 IR utilizes infrared technology allowing it to view light not normally visible to the human eye.
The camera is aimed at professionals who may have a need for infrared technology, citing crime scene investigators, fine art photographers, and healthcare, in addition to other “scientific and technical applications.”
Brazilian sports photographer Marcelo Maragni likes to do experimental photography in addition to his "ordinary" sports photography. Earlier this year, he decided that he wanted to try to capture action shots at night with ultraviolet flashes and colorful paint.
It's safe to say photographer Fabian Oefner -- whose many projects have never failed impress us -- has a thing for paint and physics.
Usually this means spraying, spinning and otherwise manipulating it to create colorful, abstract images against a black background. But when Ferrari asked him to capture the essence of their new California T in images, he took his signature art/science hybrid photography to new heights to get the job done.
Artist Tom Leveritt recently ventured out into the world of ultraviolet photography -- or more specifically videography -- to help us take a closer look at the skin we’re in and how sunscreen is a vital tool towards protecting it.
Have you ever come across an artist’s work and thought, "Wow, I would love to work with them!" Well, that is exactly what went through Benjamin Von Wong’s mind after seeing Michael Rosner’s work.
Fast forward two years and Von Wong finally got his wish, creating some beautiful and inspiring untraviolet photographs in the process.
Typical photography exists around the visible spectrum (think of the rainbow), but cameras are also able to pick up other wavelengths of radiation. Ultraviolet radiation, as the name suggests, comes after the violet section of the visible spectrum so is not visible to our eyes. However, some animals (birds, for example) are able to see UV.
UV reflectance photography essentially is recording the UV radiation which is reflected back from a UV source. A UV source emits UV radiation, and this is often referred to as UV light. However UV light does not exist, since light is visible and UV is not! UV reflectance is a fairly involved and arduous process without specialized equipment, however the results can be very rewarding.
Ultraviolet fluorescence is a mechanism in which UV radiation excites chemicals in an object and causes them to release visible light. There are many household objects which fluoresce, such as some washing detergents (anything that ‘makes your whites whiter), soda water (it contains a chemical called quinine which makes it taste bitter, and also causes the fluorescence), the dyes found in highlighters, the bacteria found on the face (which cause spots and acne), bodily fluids (including urine) and much more.
NASA's Curiosity rover quietly accomplished another photographic first today. This time it was the first nighttime photographs captured on the surface of the Red Planet.
You may have heard that digital cameras can be made sensitive to infrared light by removing the IR filter found inside, but did you now that something similar can be done with the human eye? People who have aphakia, or the absence of the lens on the eye, have reported the ability to see ultraviolet wavelengths. Claude Monet was one such person.
Solaroids are unique prints created by photographer Jeff Mclane by exposing large format (4x5 in) Fuji instant film to direct UV light for long periods of time.
Future generations of photographers may one day look back and wonder why we often blinded each other with painfully bright flashes of light for the sake of proper exposure.
NYU researchers Dilip Krishnan and Rob Fergus are working on a dark flash that eliminates the "dazzle" effect of regular flashes in a low-light room. They've created this camera rig that combines common infrared photography techniques with an ultraviolet flash that produces a dim purple glow instead.
The team placed an infrared filter on the lens of the Fujifilm S5 Pro, which is has a modified CCD sensor that specializes in IR and UV photography. To supplement existing UV light, the team created a modified filter on an external flash to emit only UV and IR wavelengths.