Sunday 6 April 2014

Using filters for bee-colour simulation

So far, I have been showing “bee-colours” (more accurately “false colour representations of the spectrum visible to bees”) that were generated by combining the UV-image with the blue and green channel of a second image taken with a filtration that passes visible light (e.g. UG40 or the Baader UV/IR cut filter.

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with filter stacks that pass UV, blue and green. It is interesting that both methods can result in quite similar images. I just want to show an example today. Within the next several weeks I’m planning to elaborate more on the topic.
Ranunculus ficaria, Bensheim 9 March 2014.

Camera: Panasonic Lumix broadband modified, with the EL-Nikkor 80mm/f5.6.

Visible light image (Filter: Schott BG40, 2mm)

UV image (Filter: Baader-U)


Bee-colours (Filter: Schott UG-5 + S8612, both 2mm), UV-flash


Bee-colours with channel swapping (blue->green, green->red, red->blue):


Image without any filters:


That's it for today. I will be posting more images and documentation on the method within the next several weeks.