Psychedelic Spiders of Okinawa by Shawn Miller

I have been photographing fluorescence for over five years now. Mainly underwater but lately I have been testing the technique on land.  I often find insects, spiders, and plants that fluoresce using a specialized Light&Motion Sola Nightsea light.  Some of the micro-spiders fluoresce brightly under blue light, the challenge is to get an acceptable photograph.

Below are some comparison photographs of spiders. The first photograph was taken under blue light and the second under white light using on-camera flash. All the spiders were photographed in their natural habitat on the beautiful Island of Okinawa.

Jumping spider

Jumping spider -Fluorescence © Shawn Miller

Jumping spider - flash

Jumping spider – flash © Shawn Miller

Yanbaru jumping spider

Yanbaru jumping spider

 spider - flash

Spider and fluorescence© Shawn Miller

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Spider under white light © Shawn Miller

Onomustus kanoi © Shawn Miller

Onomustus kanoi

Onomustus kanoi © Shawn Miller

Onomustus kanoi shadow

Onomustus kanoi & shadow © Shawn Miller

The custom Light & Motion fluorescence setup for these land-based subjects.

Fluorescence photography setup -Shawn Miller

Fluorescence photography setup © Shawn Miller

The giant wood spiders (Nephila maculata) of Okinawa fluoresce under UV light.

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giant wood spiders (Nephila maculata)

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Giant wood spiders (Nephila maculata)

I used my nauticam underwater setup with NIGHTSEA’s fluorescence excitation filters to photograph the wood spiders.

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Nauticam Fluorescence setup

 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

Light&Motion exploration lights – https://www.lightandmotion.com/the-perfect-light

 

 

Cherry blossoms of Okinawa by Shawn Miller

The Cherry blossoms are generally in full bloom mid-January through February. Mt Yaedake and Nakijin castle are the most popular viewing locations for the Cherry blossoms. Some of the most beautiful trees can also be found in residential areas and public parks.

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Cherry blossoms – Mt Yaedake © Shawn Miller

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Nakijin castle blossoms © Shawn Miller

Cherry blossoms -Kume Island

Cherry blossoms -Kume Island © Shawn Miller

Natures art by Shawn Miller

Natures Art © Shawn Miller

Every year I try to create an original photograph of the Cherry Blossoms. Something that has not been done before. Below are some of my favorite photographs using specialized blue lights during the night.

Cherry blossum under blue light

Cherry blossoms under blue light © Shawn Miller

Cherry blossum under blue light

Cherry blossoms under blue light © Shawn Miller

People often ask me what kind of camera setup do I use to create these images.

Fluorescence photography setup -Shawn Miller

Fluorescence photography setup -Shawn Miller © Shawn Miller

Psychedelic cherry blossoms

Psychedelic cherry blossoms © Shawn Miller

Cherry blossoms -zakimi castle

Cherry blossoms -zakimi castle © Shawn Miller

Cherry blossoms - Yomitan Okinawa

Cherry blossoms – Yomitan Okinawa © Shawn Miller

Lightpainting with the Sola nightsea.

cherry blossoms

Lightpainting cherry blossoms © Shawn Miller

I did some light painting comparisons using UV 385nm instead of 450nm. I used my sons Nike shoe as a background. The shoelaces fluoresced bright orange and the heal fluorescence bright green. I wanted to create something unique.

Cherry blossom under UV 385

Cherry blossom under UV 385 © Shawn Miller

It can be challenging to photograph the animals that feed on the blossoms. I have photographed fruit bats, birds and insect feeding on the sweet-smelling blossoms.

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Fruitbat feeding on Cherry blossoms © Shawn Miller

The Japanese White-eye  (Mejiro) is the most popular animal to photograph in the trees.  

Birds of okinawa

Japanese White-eye – Mejiro © Shawn Miller

Hummingbird hawk-moth

Hummingbird hawk-moth © Shawn Miller

The tree with grow fresh green leaves and produce sweet-smelling cherries. The animals feed on the fruit and help out with seed dispersal.

Cherry tree fruit

Cherry tree fruit

The Okinawa rail is a flightless bird endemic to northern Okinawa. It is currently listed as an endangered species. This was my first time documenting this behavior.

Okinawa rail feeding on the sweet fruit

Okinawa rail feeding on the sweet fruit © Shawn Miller

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

 

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!

 

 

Capturing fluorescence – Fluorescence enhancement photography by Shawn Miller

Featured

All photographers experience a time when their work becomes redundant and lose vision. The Light & Motion Sola Nightsea has opened up a new style of photography for me. Recently I have been blending the Light&Motion Nightsea blue light with ambient light underwater and getting beautiful vibrant results.

Some of my Fluorescence enhancement coral images were featured in The Blue Planet 11 publication. It’s always nice to see years of hard work finally pay off.

Underwater fluorescence - Shawn Miller featured Blue planet 11

Underwater fluorescence – Shawn Miller featured Blue planet 11

Here are some basic lighting examples using different techniques.

Fluorescence examples

Fluorescence techniques © Shawn Miller

Here are some of my favorite images using this fluorescence enhancement technique. All Images I used Light&Motion Sola lights to achieve these beautiful vibrant results.

Fluorescence .021

Fluorescence enhancement © Shawn Miller

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Underwater fluorescence © Shawn Miller

Fluorescence .023

Fluorescence photography © Shawn Miller

Nightsea and Sola 600 blended-  fluorescence

Nightsea and Sola 600 blended- fluorescence© Shawn Miller

My fluorescence camera rig for underwater

Shawn Miller fluorescence setup

Shawn Miller fluorescence setup © Shawn Miller

Friends and supporters – Save 20% off your first Light & Motion purchase https://prz.io/648x6bGC1

Know your nature with Shawn Miller

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!