Hanging out down in UV (330nm - 400nm)

The UV range is a strange place to be. And one of the hardest to capture.

On my modified full spectrum Lumix I needed to have a number of filters.

First a 'hot mirror' that block all IR rays. Also, a very specific piece of black glass that

blocks visible light only. This glass also lets IR through so that's why I need the hot mirror too.

I couldn't find the glass in lens for so I ordered it from a scientific company.

I got a 2 inch square piece of glass that I hold over the lens when taking the pic.

http://www.hoyaoptics.com/color_filter/uv_transmitting.htm

You also need a very powerful UV source and in these pics the sun volunteered.

Even with both of those filters I was getting lots of colour information too so,

in Lightroom I had to alter the temperature until I go the classic UV face effect.

UV faces are not pretty. Nearly every freckle, scar or other damage to your skin

from the last few years will show. Most people look like they've been working down

a coal-mine and age seems to be amplified.

I wasn't sure if I was actually capturing UV only or something else at first but

I was able to confirm it using patches of sun block which showed up on my

my experiment but were not visible to the eye.

I really don't have any visible freckles. 

My girl : white as white can be.

My friend Ian-John had a beard for 2 years. He had shaved it off weeks before this pic but you can still see its legacy here.

Models come off the best. But I'll give her a few more years and try again :)

Because of the set up and post processing needed I found it impossible to do UV video which is a pity. It is something rarely seen. But here it's beautifully done by Thomas Leveritt, this video went viral for a while so you may have already seen it. Also, his set up is a lot less shoddy than mine!