Here are a few images where I'm experimenting with the manipulation of photographic sensitivities. You see, prior to around the early 1800's, all you could do was use the blue sensitivities in photography. This has changed as most people don't stick to only blue sensitive images or orthochromatic imagery (green & blue sensitive).
But being someone who likes to experiment with the science of things — especially the science of monochromatic imagery — I'm trying to find a way to blend the blue sensitive imagery with my regular contrasty style. Since I shoot in digital colour anyway, I still have a lot of control, but one thing I'm trying to do is to force the hand of the filtration methods I use to get the images out.
Case in point… UV light seems to do a pretty good job. I've experimented with it previously and now thanks to a new stronger UV light from Glen (thanks Glen!), I'm trying it again.
Chris Russell in "It Came From The AW"…
Normally, most skin turns into darkness when run through these filters as seen below. But by using a UV light to bring a different wavelength into the image, we can modify the depth of where the tone changes as seen above. The top left of Chris' forehead has that typical dark tonality to it but the rest of his face was where the UV light was shining onto and that's more typical of a regular contrasty black & white.
Wendell blows smoke in the crisp air…
As above, Wendell's blowing smoke into the line of the UV light. This — as far as I can tell — allows the smoke to be affected by the wavelength and turn it into the white light that you see.
As far as a scientific explanation, I probably have no idea what to accurately describe this as. But it seems to work for the moment, I guess.