Film colour reproduction

[Guest Allyn Laing]

Hello,

 

I am just wondering what colour a UV 'Black light' comes up on film?

I have shot a piece once where a miner was using one to find opals in australia and it came up green

on my Canon XL1s, obviously I know that film is a completely different format and encompases a broader spectrum of colours but i am interested in mainly the effect, if any?

 

Allyn

 

Student Dp

Melbourne

Australia

[K Borowski]

Since silver halide crystals are natively sensitive to blue UV end of the spectrum, my guess would be that it would appear more bluish than it would appear to the human eye. You'd probably have to test. I know that photographers have to do a lot to KEEP UV from showing up on film. Standard operating procedure for me when I am shooting candids with a 35mm SLR involves slapping a UV filter on in front of the lens, or else the film will see haze that my eye doesn't. Hope this helps.

 

Regards,

 

~Karl Borowski

[Matthew Buick]

Just recolour it in post production if you're not happy.

[John Pytlak RIP]

Hello,

 

I am just wondering what colour a UV 'Black light' comes up on film?

I have shot a piece once where a miner was using one to find opals in australia and it came up green

on my Canon XL1s, obviously I know that film is a completely different format and encompases a broader spectrum of colours but i am interested in mainly the effect, if any?

 

Allyn

 

Student Dp

Melbourne

Australia

 

As Karl Borowski notes, all films have some "native" UV sensitivity, so best to use a UV-blocking filter (e.g., Skylight, Wratten 2B, etc.) when shooting under "black light". You want the film to "see" the fluorescent colours, not the UV that excites them.