UV fluorescence – a quick experiment with a terrarium

My wife has a large, almost spherical, glass bottle or bowl that she uses as a terrarium. She suggested that I should use this as a subject. So, after completing the insect photography, I gave it a try.

There is nothing sophisticated about the technique. I used a small LED daylight torch for the daylight exposure by poking it through the neck of the bottle and wiggling it about. I used the same technique for the UV fluorescence exposure. Both the basic exposures were nothing special, especially as the glass was a bit misty and grubby but when I blended the exposures in Photoshop I got something more interesting. Here are the results:

Terrarium with daylight torch exposure
Terrarium with UV torch exposure

And this is the blended result:

Terrarium image formed by blending the previous two images

A bit more colourful…

Author: Paul L.G. Morris

I am an amateur photographer whose photography is mostly of gardens, nature and the rural environment. My specialities are close-ups, panoramic views, or a combination of both that I call 'Nearscapes'. I work mostly for my own interest having closed my business PM Studios Ltd.

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