20 Flower Photos That Look Other-Worldly, Captured With UV Light By Debora Lombardi
Debora Lombardi, an artist based in Italy, has been creating some wonderful flower photos in her new photo series called “literally”. Her stunning works are captured using ultraviolet lights that highlight the beautiful patterns which are not usually visible in the daylight. The vibrant flowers appear as if they came straight out of a fantasy book.
In a note shared with DeMilked, she reveals, “Ultraviolet induced visible fluorescence photography (UVIVF) is a technique that captures the fluorescence of flowers and plants hit by UV light—and which makes visible what is generally invisible to the naked eye”
The artist started this project during the pandemic, and the idea of ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence photography came to her when she came across a biologist’s blog that illustrated the fascinating phenomenon of fluorescence of flowers and plants hit by ultraviolet light. “I immediately thought that it would be interesting to decline this natural phenomenon into something large, and so I started wandering with the mind while the world was “stopped”. At first, I collected plants and flowers from the condominium garden (because I wasn’t able to go outside), experimented with the strangest ones that could trigger the visual idea of the virus in the imaginary of those who looked at them.” Check out some of her most fascinating works in the gallery below.
#1
Image source: Debora Lombardi
The artist says that photography is an indispensable means for her to give voice to alternative visions of reality. She further elaborates, “I started experimenting with Ultraviolet induced visible fluorescence photography (UVIVF) in the darkness of my studio, during the pandemic lockdown of March 2020, making it my main outlet in that equally dark period.”
#2
Image source: Debora Lombardi
“Plants and flowers, when solicited by UV light, emit a fluorescence that makes them mysterious, monstrous, and fascinating at the same time; it’s a bit like seeing the virus under an electron microscope,” mentioned the artist.
#3
Image source: Debora Lombardi
Describing her creative process, Debora says, “I am always looking for interesting subjects to photograph, usually I collect my flowers in the surroundings (in the fields, in the condominium garden, in the neighbors’ flower beds), or I buy them at the market where everyone knows me by now or (which I prefer) friends and acquaintances give them to me, precisely because they are curious to see how that flower “would look if photographed with my technique”.”
“I usually photograph at night, in the darkness of my studio, because silence, in addition to darkness, also helps me interact with my flowers. In summary (but the procedure, actually, is not very short), I take my photos in a totally dark environment, I illuminate the subject with a UV torch (like those usually used in crime scenes).”
#4
Image source: Debora Lombardi
“I use my Nikon Full Frame camera with a macro photography lens (Sigma 105mm), using shutter speeds ranging from 10 to 30 seconds, and applying technical measures resulting from various experiments,” she adds.
#5
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#6
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#7
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#8
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#9
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#10
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#11
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#12
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#13
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#14
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#15
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#16
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#17
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#18
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#19
Image source: Debora Lombardi
#20
Image source: Debora Lombardi
Got wisdom to pour?