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Blackberries

article and photographs by Ben Lincoln

 

I have a theory that one of the reasons certain plants are so successful at spreading throughout an ecosystem is that their flowers are particularly attractive to pollinators like bees (who see into the ultraviolet). Blackberry blossoms were one of the first examples of one of these ubiquitous plants that I photographed with my UV gear.

Blackberry Blossoms 01
[ R - G - B ]
R - G - B
[ NIR ]
NIR
[ UVA ]
UVA
   

This was the first time I shot a UV photo of blackberry blossoms, and this "survey" picture was what convinced me to get more detailed shots due to the odd appearance of the petals.

Date Shot: 2011-07-01
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: EL-Nikkor 80mm f/5.6 (metal-bodied) at f/?
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2011-07-03
Version: 1.0

 

When I went back and got a more detailed shot of some other blackberry blossoms miles from the others and saw the same web-like pattern, I knew I was on to something special. Bjørn Rørslett tells me this is due to conical cells on the surface of the petals, which are believed to provide a more sticky surface for insects, as opposed to pigments in the petals. This type of cell is present in a wide variety of flowers.

Blackberry Blossoms 02
[ R - G - B ]
R - G - B
[ NIR [Grey] ]
NIR [Grey]
[ UV-A ]
UV-A
[ NIR - 87C Grey [Tinted] ]
NIR - 87C Grey [Tinted]
[ UVA 360nm - Neon Pink [Tinted] ]
UVA 360nm - Neon Pink [Tinted]
[ NIR - G - B [3C] ]
NIR - G - B [3C]
[ NIR - B - UVA 380nm [3C] ]
NIR - B - UVA 380nm [3C]
[ B - UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm [3C] ]
B - UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm [3C]
[ Calculated: (Absolute Difference: G - UVA 360nm) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 360nm) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Absolute Difference: G - UVA 360nm) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 360nm) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - G) - (Absolute Difference: R - B) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 380nm) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - G) - (Absolute Difference: R - B) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 380nm) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - R) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - B) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - UVA 380nm) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - R) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - B) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - UVA 380nm) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - R) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - G) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - B) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - R) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - G) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - B) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - R) - (Absolute Difference: R - G) - (Absolute Difference: G - B) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - R) - (Absolute Difference: R - G) - (Absolute Difference: G - B) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - UVA 360nm) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 360nm) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - UVA 360nm) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 360nm) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - UVA 360nm) - (Absolute Difference: R - UVA 360nm) - (Absolute Difference: G - UVA 360nm) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - UVA 360nm) - (Absolute Difference: R - UVA 360nm) - (Absolute Difference: G - UVA 360nm) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Absolute Difference: R - G) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 380nm) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Absolute Difference: R - G) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 380nm) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Difference: NIR - G) - (Difference: G - B) - (Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Difference: NIR - G) - (Difference: G - B) - (Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Difference: NIR - R) - (Difference: R - G) - (Difference: G - B) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Difference: NIR - R) - (Difference: R - G) - (Difference: G - B) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Difference: R - G) - (Difference: R - B) - (Difference: R - UVA 360nm) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Difference: R - G) - (Difference: R - B) - (Difference: R - UVA 360nm) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Ratio: G To R) - (Ratio: UVA 380nm To B) - (Ratio: UVA 360nm To UVA 380nm) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Ratio: G To R) - (Ratio: UVA 380nm To B) - (Ratio: UVA 360nm To UVA 380nm) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Ratio: NIR To G) - (Ratio: R To B) - (Ratio: B To UVA 360nm) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Ratio: NIR To G) - (Ratio: R To B) - (Ratio: B To UVA 360nm) [3C]
[ Calculated: (Ratio: NIR To UVA 360nm) - (Ratio: R To UVA 360nm) - (Ratio: B To UVA 360nm) - Inverted [3C] ]
Calculated: (Ratio: NIR To UVA 360nm) - (Ratio: R To UVA 360nm) - (Ratio: B To UVA 360nm) - Inverted [3C]
[ Calculated: (Ratio: UVA 360nm To NIR) - (Ratio: UVA 360nm To B) - (Ratio: UVA 360nm To UVA 380nm) [3C] ]
Calculated: (Ratio: UVA 360nm To NIR) - (Ratio: UVA 360nm To B) - (Ratio: UVA 360nm To UVA 380nm) [3C]
[ All Bands (ADev) Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: R To NIR) - (Ratio: G To R) - (Ratio: UVA 380nm To G)) Colour [L/C] ]
All Bands (ADev) Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: R To NIR) - (Ratio: G To R) - (Ratio: UVA 380nm To G)) Colour [L/C]
[ All Bands (ADev) Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: R To NIR) - (Ratio: UVA 380nm To R) - (Ratio: UVA 360nm To UVA 380nm)) Colour [L/C] ]
All Bands (ADev) Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: R To NIR) - (Ratio: UVA 380nm To R) - (Ratio: UVA 360nm To UVA 380nm)) Colour [L/C]
[ All Bands (Skew) Luminance - (UVA 360nm - Neon Pink) Colour [L/C] ]
All Bands (Skew) Luminance - (UVA 360nm - Neon Pink) Colour [L/C]
[ NIR Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: R To G) - (Ratio: G To B) - (Ratio: UVA 380nm To UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C] ]
NIR Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: R To G) - (Ratio: G To B) - (Ratio: UVA 380nm To UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C]
[ NIR Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: R To NIR) - (Ratio: G To R) - (Ratio: UVA 360nm To B)) Colour [L/C] ]
NIR Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: R To NIR) - (Ratio: G To R) - (Ratio: UVA 360nm To B)) Colour [L/C]
[ R G B (Luma) Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: G To R) - (Ratio: B To G) - (Ratio: UVA 360nm To UVA 380nm)) Colour [L/C] ]
R G B (Luma) Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: G To R) - (Ratio: B To G) - (Ratio: UVA 360nm To UVA 380nm)) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: G - B) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 380nm) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: G - B) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 380nm) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - B) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 380nm) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - B) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 380nm) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - R) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - B) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - R) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - B) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - R) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - G) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - B)) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - R) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - G) - (Absolute Difference: NIR - B)) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - R) - (Absolute Difference: R - G) - (Absolute Difference: G - B)) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: NIR - R) - (Absolute Difference: R - G) - (Absolute Difference: G - B)) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: R - G) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 380nm) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: R - G) - (Absolute Difference: B - UVA 380nm) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: R - G) - (Absolute Difference: G - B) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Absolute Difference: R - G) - (Absolute Difference: G - B) - (Absolute Difference: UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (ND (Pos): NIR - B) - (ND (Pos): G - UVA 380nm) - (ND (Pos): UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (ND (Pos): NIR - B) - (ND (Pos): G - UVA 380nm) - (ND (Pos): UVA 380nm - UVA 360nm)) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: G To R) - (Ratio: B To G) - (Ratio: UVA 380nm To B)) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: G To R) - (Ratio: B To G) - (Ratio: UVA 380nm To B)) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: R To G) - (Ratio: G To B) - (Ratio: B To UVA 380nm)) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: R To G) - (Ratio: G To B) - (Ratio: B To UVA 380nm)) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: R To NIR) - (Ratio: G To R) - (Ratio: UVA 380nm To G)) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (Calculated: (Ratio: R To NIR) - (Ratio: G To R) - (Ratio: UVA 380nm To G)) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (NIR - B - UVA 380nm) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (NIR - B - UVA 380nm) Colour [L/C]
[ UVA 360nm Luminance - (R - B - UVA 380nm) Colour [L/C] ]
UVA 360nm Luminance - (R - B - UVA 380nm) Colour [L/C]
[ Absolute Difference: NIR - UVA 360nm [Grey] ]
Absolute Difference: NIR - UVA 360nm [Grey]
[ All Bands (Skew) [Grey] ]
All Bands (Skew) [Grey]
 

 

Date Shot: 2011-07-09
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: EL-Nikkor 80mm f/5.6 (metal-bodied) at f/?
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2011-11-26
Version: 1.0

 
 

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Last updated: 03 December 2011

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