ABSTRACT
Ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence is a form of luminescence. Luminescence is the visible light emitted from a subject not caused by heat. Visible light, often in the blue-green region of the spectrum, may cause invisible fluorescence, or luminescence in the infrared (IR) region, which needs to be photographed with an IR-sensitive camera to record it. The basic principle of UV fluorescence photography is about the photography of the visible light emitted from a subject when stimulated, or 'excited', by invisible UV radiation. Electronic flash is a very convenient source of UV, particularly for photographing moving subjects. There are several applications of fluorescence photography within the field of medical imaging. Art historians often use UV fluorescence techniques to examine paintings before restoration, for example, or to validate the age or authenticity of a painting. Forensic photography makes great use of fluorescence techniques, often using specialist sources of very specific wavelength.
