Photography Topics

Ultraviolet Photography

Ultraviolet Photography refers to the branch of photography that captures pictures using ultraviolet light, a form of light undetectable by the human eye. While the colors that the eye can detect have wavelengths ranging from 400 to 750 nanometers, ultraviolet light can have wavelengths anywhere between 200 and 400 nanometers.

Ultraviolet photography is produced when a photographer takes pictures under ultraviolet light using a special ultraviolet lens that is attached to the camera’s head.

While the sun is a natural source of ultraviolet light, the most common source of artificial ultraviolet light is a “black light” lamp that is composed of fluorescent tubes that channel ultraviolet rays.

Additionally, ultraviolet photography turns out best when the pictures are taken in a darkroom. Any light tends to distort the impression of ultraviolet light rays.

Although some photographers have used ultraviolet photography to artistic ends, it is more often used for practical purposes in the medicine and criminology. For example, medical researchers use ultraviolet light to track radiation or particular cell growth; similarly, crime scene investigators use ultraviolet photography to capture images of blood or semen splatters.