Autoluminescence or Lens Bloom or Subject?

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Sym P. le
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Autoluminescence or Lens Bloom or Subject?

Post by Sym P. le »

I need some help with this one. I captured some photos of a Damsel Bug several years ago but as I was looking through the images again I noticed a red aura around some highlights along the perimeter of the abdomen. It doesn't seem to depend on the orientation or lighting. The scene is lit with a flash and a homemade paper snoot. For more context, the bug is posted on bugguide here. Any opinions would be appreciated.

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rjlittlefield
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Re: Autoluminescence or Lens Bloom or Subject?

Post by rjlittlefield »

My first thought is that this looks like normal pigment-based coloration that was not noticed earlier. When I blow up the image at BugGuide I can see it there also.

There is a possibly related effect that I run into frequently with darker chitin, in which the camera captures a color that is much more red than what my eye sees. See panel #3 at https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=37664 for illustration. I attribute this to metamerism, perhaps more sensitivity by the camera in the deep red. But I do not know for sure.

What makes you think autoluminescence or lens bloom?

--Rik

Scarodactyl
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Re: Autoluminescence or Lens Bloom or Subject?

Post by Scarodactyl »

Yeah, this is those white zones showing theough the reddish shell.

Sym P. le
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Re: Autoluminescence or Lens Bloom or Subject?

Post by Sym P. le »

Thanks for your responses, they are intriguing. Somehow my mind associates stark pale spots with a potential of light emission. I haven't come across any discussions about it but if a critter were in the business of emitting light, it would not diminish its function by hiding the ability behind a dark membrane, think fire flies with their pale abdomens. A number of Ptenothrix species (springtail) I've come across have stark white patches amongst their multi colored patchwork or behind their heads and I've always found that intriguing.

When I noticed the red auras, my first thoughts went to chromatic aberrations however there aren't any of significance across the image so that would be ruled out. This leaves me to imagine what else it might be, basically an interaction of light source, subject matter and image receptor. These three alone are complex, but if there were a some response from the subject to being interrogated, and I know my camera lens has been attacked more than once, that could allow for further explanations.

I'll add another image that sparks my curiosity, Empicoris culiciformis (bugguide link), which I took two days prior. The spiracles are in sharp contrast to the integument and there is no aura to be seen. I was using a different lens so the system response is not comparable. :-k

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Scarodactyl
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Re: Autoluminescence or Lens Bloom or Subject?

Post by Scarodactyl »

Presumably those are just on the surface, while the white zones on your first bug go in.

MarkSturtevant
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Re: Autoluminescence or Lens Bloom or Subject?

Post by MarkSturtevant »

The spiracle openings can be reflective in a flash.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

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