UV Photography
Aug 19, 2016 12:48:50 #
I recently stated shooting Ultra Violet photography using paints and cosmetics from Amazon on my models. For lighting I'm using a fluorescent tube and a 40 watt incandescent light. A fried told me that someone makes a filter for a flash that will turn it into UV. He thought it was Edmund Scientific Laboratory but I can't find anything in their on-line catalog. Any information and experiences with UV shooting will be great appreciated.... as in the past. I shoot totally Canon and their flash
Don
Don
Aug 19, 2016 12:54:11 #
http://petapixel.com/2015/08/31/diy-an-ultraviolet-flash-for-black-light-photography/
google is your friend.
--Bob
google is your friend.
--Bob
Aug 19, 2016 13:06:30 #
A xenon filled flash will generally have a decent output in the UV range, depending on the pressure and current density (although I could not easily find a spectral distribution for your flash). A UV filter, if available, would not increase the UV output, but rather diminish the output of the longer wavelengths (visible and IR).
Aug 20, 2016 08:05:06 #
DTCOP wrote:
...Any information and experiences with UV shooting will be great appreciated.... as in the past. ..... Don
Of course, Halloween is coming..... lot of UV bulbs, lots of paints and make up.
Thanks for the stimulus to research the problem: Superman was sensitive to Krypronite because in a flash "Krypton emission : U.V."...
www.flashlamps-vq.com/CatalogueVQF.pdf
one man has researched the problem and will custom make a filter for you... even for one of those over priced Canon units.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/An-UV-Flash-for-Black-Light-Photography-UV-transmitting-visible-absorbing-filter-/302024242103?hash=item46520c33b7:g:ygkAAOSw~oFXDZJh
Aug 20, 2016 21:32:27 #
Ron SS
Loc: Silver Spring, MD
Fluorescent lights contain mercury which is energized into excited electronic states. These excited atoms then 'relax' by emitting ultraviolet radiation (UV). The lights are called 'fluorescent' lights as they have an internal coating of chemical salts that absorb the UV and reradiate (fluoresce) light in various lower energy wavelengths. See below.
For UV light to excite fluorescent paints, dyes, and other fluorescers (there are typically blue fluorescers used in the northern hemisphere in detergents so your whites 'look whiter than white', which is why your white T-shirts will fluoresce under UV light), you should use a so called 'black light' which is a fluorescent tube without the fluorescers coating and thus emitting the UV light. Do be careful and do not look at the UV source. Some black lights will have a filter to absorb the more energetic and more harmful UV light. UV can damage eyes. This is a serious issue. Don't play with them more than necessary. Take care for your subjects.
I take this opportunity as a spectroscopist to 'shed some light' on light. Apologies to those for whom this is already basic.
Fluorescent tubes use a variety of fluorescer chemicals to produce "white" light from the mercury emitted UV. But it really is a mixture of different wavelength light depending on the fluorescer chemicals in the mix; also residual mercury atomic emission lines. This is how you get 'warm', cool, white, etc 'colors' from different fluorescent tubes. This is also why there is no unique color temperature. In fact, color temperature is not well defined. Ergo, the problems in white balancing with fluorescent lighting, especially when combined with other types of lighting.
FYI, LED lighting has its own unique characteristics and can be operated at different color temperatures or non-standard 'color temperatures'.
While blue fluorescers are typically used in American detergents, South and Central America detergents frequently use redish fluorescers. Culturally, the preference there is more for warm colors over cool white. You may want to keep this in mind when finishing photos for different clients.
For UV light to excite fluorescent paints, dyes, and other fluorescers (there are typically blue fluorescers used in the northern hemisphere in detergents so your whites 'look whiter than white', which is why your white T-shirts will fluoresce under UV light), you should use a so called 'black light' which is a fluorescent tube without the fluorescers coating and thus emitting the UV light. Do be careful and do not look at the UV source. Some black lights will have a filter to absorb the more energetic and more harmful UV light. UV can damage eyes. This is a serious issue. Don't play with them more than necessary. Take care for your subjects.
I take this opportunity as a spectroscopist to 'shed some light' on light. Apologies to those for whom this is already basic.
Fluorescent tubes use a variety of fluorescer chemicals to produce "white" light from the mercury emitted UV. But it really is a mixture of different wavelength light depending on the fluorescer chemicals in the mix; also residual mercury atomic emission lines. This is how you get 'warm', cool, white, etc 'colors' from different fluorescent tubes. This is also why there is no unique color temperature. In fact, color temperature is not well defined. Ergo, the problems in white balancing with fluorescent lighting, especially when combined with other types of lighting.
FYI, LED lighting has its own unique characteristics and can be operated at different color temperatures or non-standard 'color temperatures'.
While blue fluorescers are typically used in American detergents, South and Central America detergents frequently use redish fluorescers. Culturally, the preference there is more for warm colors over cool white. You may want to keep this in mind when finishing photos for different clients.
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