Stunning Flowers Seen in Ultraviolet Light by Craig Burrows

Craig Burrows shows us flowers in an entirely new light. Literally. Photographing flowers with ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence, we are able to see blooms in a neon, otherworldly look.

Not all plants give off this ultraviolet light, but the ones that do look like they’re magical, giving an electric current of color and energy. Really fascinating and captivating shots, giving the plants almost an alien, outer space look and feel.

To see more of Burrows’ work and order prints, check out his website and Instagram.

Images © Copyright Craig Burrows.

The otherworldly beauty of ultraviolet fluorescence. 

Burrows describes what UVIVF is:

“Ultraviolet-Induced Visible Fluorescence (UVIVF) is a process in which given wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation are absorbed by a material’s molecules, causing them to achieve an excited state.

Through this, fluorescent materials reach an unstable excited state and lose small amounts of energy through other mechanisms until they can drop to a suitable ground state by releasing a photon of a specific energy and wavelength.

Since energy was lost before the remainder was released as a photon, the wavelength of that photon is longer than the stimulating source, which means an ultraviolet light is able to produce dramatic visible fluorescence.”