True Fluorescence – Underwater photography by Shawn Miller

” Fluorescence is the absorption of electromagnetic radiation (light) at one wavelength and its re-emission at another, longer wavelength ” Dr Charles Mazel. I attached a link to his website at the bottom of the page for more info.

In order to photograph fluorescence you will need a excitation source (blue light), barrier filter and a camera.

Shawn Miller fluorescence setup

Shawn Miller fluorescence setup

Underwater equipment used – Night dive at Kadena north, Okinawa.

  • Canon 70d * Canon 100macro lens
  • Ikelite underwater housing
  • 2 x Light&Motion Sola Nightsea blue lights
  • 1 Light & Motion Sola 1200 red * 1 Sola 3800
  • Light&Motion barrier filter and mask

Some of my favorite photographs from our night dive with the crew

True fluorescence

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True fluorescence

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True fluorescence

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True fluorescence

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True fluorescence

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

Palythoa heliodiscus under blue light © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True fluorescence

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True fluorescence

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True fluorescence

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True fluorescence

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

True underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

* Please check out my older posts on Fluoro-diving, Capturing fluorescence and Fluoro fingerprinting 

* Learn more about fluorescence with Dr Charles Mazel  https://www.nightsea.com/

**Light&Motion Dive lights https://www.lightandmotion.com/choose-your-light/sola

Have a great day!

 

 

Fluoro fingerprinting by Shawn Miller

On February 16th 2015, I went out reef walking at night during low tide. I brought my Light and Motion Nightsea blue light in search of marine life fluorescence. I stumbled upon an interesting find in the world of science. I call it Fluoro fingerprinting.

I flipped over a rock, a small sea cucumber fell off and began to fluoresce under blue light. I found another sea cucumber and photographed it using the blue light and yellow excitation filter but it did not fluoresce.

Holothuria (Platyperona) difficilis under blue light

Holothuria (Platyperona) difficilis under blue light

I gently touched it with my finger and it fluoresced bright green, leaving the print of my finger on the surface of the sea cucumber.

Fluoro fingerprinting. Okinawa-Japan

Fluoro fingerprinting. Okinawa-Japan

I checked my finger and noticed it fluoresced light green under blue light.

fluoro fingerprinting

Fluoro fingerprinting

I was excited about this find and posted it Flickr for some Identification help and explanation. Curt Fieldler emailed the photograph to Dr. Alexander Kerr from the University Of Guam Marine lab and he was kind enough to assist.

 Dr. Kerr stated that the species is known to have green pigment that I have seen in other Sea cucumbers. As far as the fingerprint, It seems to indicate that touching the surface of the Sea cucumber exposes the underlying carotenoid, perhaps by mobilizing the the melanin pigments. So I think you have made an interesting find. 

The next step was to photograph Holothuria (Platyperona) difficilis in a studio aquarium using the Meet your neighbours isolation technique.  I wanted to show the animal stretched out displaying the tube feet and feathery feeding tentacles.  

Holothuria (Platyperona) difficilis  -MYN

Holothuria (Platyperona) difficilis -MYN

The last step was to photograph Holothuria (Platyperona) difficilis in its natural environment during the daytime.

Holothuria (Platyperona) difficilis

Holothuria (Platyperona) difficilis in natural environment

Learn more about capturing fluorescence https://www.nightsea.com/

Learn more about the lights used https://www.lightandmotion.com/

Learn more about Meet your Neighbours Project https://meetyourneighbours.net/

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link  paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines.  Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

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Fluoro-diving in Okinawa, Japan -Underwater Fluorescence by Shawn Miller

The Light & Motion Sola NightSea blue light will enhance your night diving experience like nothing before. It Is an underwater blue light that allows you to see fluorescence. The NightSea blue LEDs cause proteins and minerals to fluoresce brightly underwater. If you want to photograph fluorescence you will need a yellow barrier filter over your camera lens. The barrier filter will block the reflected excitation of light and transmit the fluorescence to deliver a psychedelic experience.

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Underwater fluorescence by Shawn Miller

Below is a photograph of my underwater rig. This is the setup I use to capture the underwater fluorescence in Okinawa. I am currently using one Light & Motion Sola Nightsea and one GoBe nightsea blue light.

Dive Team Miller- Underwater rig

Dive Team Miller- Underwater rig © Shawn Miller

Below is a photograph of the Light & Motion Sola NightSea Underwater blue light photographed in the studio. I wanted to capture the blue light rays coming out of the light. No previous photos displayed this and I had to do it.

Sola NightSea underwater blue light

Light & Motion Sola NightSea underwater blue light © Shawn Miller

Some cases the fluorescence is so strong it can be photographed during the day without any specialized lights or filters. This red heart coral was photographed at a depth of Seventy-five feet.

Red Fluorescence -ambient light ,75feet

Red Fluorescence -ambient light, 75feet © Shawn Miller

In 2017, Some of my fluorescence enhancement photographs were published in Blue Planet 11.

Underwater fluorescence - Shawn Miller featured Blue planet 11

Underwater fluorescence – Shawn Miller featured Blue planet 11

Most of the marine life will fluoresce a beautiful green. I photographed this sea anemone in a submarine cave at Maeda Point, Okinawa.  (Nightdive)

Sea anemone (Dofleinia armata) Okinawa- Japan

Sea anemone (Dofleinia armata) Okinawa- Japan © Shawn Miller

Corals that fluoresce orange are much harder to find here in Okinawa. (Nightdive)

Lobophyllia hermprichii

Coral of the Ryukyu Islands – Lobophyllia hemprichii © Shawn Miller

Corals that fluoresce red are scarce in Okinawan waters. (Nightdive)

Bio fluorescense - Coral of Okinawa, Japan

Bio fluorescence – Coral of Okinawa, Japan© Shawn Miller

I decided to experiment using the nightsea and custom filters over my strobes to give it an original look. I call this technique fluoro blending.(Nightdive)

Anemone hermit crab (Dardanus pedunculatus)

Anemone hermit crab (Dardanus pedunculatus)© Shawn Miller

More fluoro blending using the nightsea and custom filters. (Nightdive)

Large mouth triplefin (Ucla xenogrammus) on coral

Large mouth triplefin (Ucla xenogrammus) on coral

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I had this eel in my aquarium for a long time and had no idea it fluoresced until I exposed it to the Sola NightSea light.

eels that fluoresce in okinawa

Eels that fluoresce in Okinawa – Gymnothorox sp © Shawn Miller

The NightSea also provides a beautiful background color to complement the marine subject. This technique is becoming very popular in Japan.(Nightdive)

firefish with nightsea backlit ,okinawa

Fire fish ( Pterois antennata) Back lit with the Sola Nightsea © Shawn Miller

Glowing hydroids were recently discovered in 2015 by marine researchers in the Red Sea. I photographed these fluorescing hydroids in Okinawa-Japan.

Vexillum exasperatum with glowing hydroids

Vexillum exasperatum with glowing hydroids © Shawn Miller

Niotha albescens with glowing hydroids

Niotha albescens with glowing hydroids © Shawn Miller

If you would like to know more about the Light & Motion Sola series visit.  https://www.lightandmotion.com/choose-your-light/sola

All underwater images were photographed using an Ikelite underwater housing. Check out my previous post on why I use an Ikelite Underwater housing.

Have a Psychedelic day!