# Miscellaneous Herp Interests > Photography >  Advice on uv photography?

## dr del

Hi,

I'm trying to see hidden patterns on my BEL similar to the MAballs videos over at NERD.

I have either bought the wrong bulb or my camera isn't up to it. I think it's the bulb as it is an energy saving blacklight and throws a lot of visible light too.  :Sad: 











The camera is a Samsung WB500 just in case.

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## Mephibosheth1

BEL??


Do all snakes have UV patterns in them??  I figured some may have IR patterns, since they see in IR as well, but it would be cool for the UV thing too...

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## dr del

My little Blue eyed leucistic girl. 



(Some idiot forgot to turn the flash off at the start.  :Embarassed:  )

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## Neal

Very nice Derek.

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## MrLang

Is it a fluorescent tube or a coil or incandescent? Back in my days of trippy neon poster owning, I found the tubes to be most effective at making things glow without lighting up the room.

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## TJ_Burton

That looks extremely blue for a black light. You want a fluorescent tube and the bulb itself should throw little visible light, and glow a dark purple rather than blue.

Nice BEL either way!

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## satomi325

The patterns only show up if there is a pattern morph(like spider or pinstripe) in the BEL combo.

On a regular BEL, typically only a dorsal stripe may show up.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

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## dr del

It's a compact tube thing;  :Hmm: 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1610869504...84.m1497.l2649 

It does seem as though I have the wrong type of light. Just wish I knew which one to buy.  :Taz:

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## Badgemash

And to make it even more complicated, you also have to differentiate between longwave and shortwave uv. Some things will flouresce with one wavelength and not the other.  :Sad:

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## dr del

I thought I had found the right type of bulb ( though I have no clue on the wavelength point  :Sad:  ) but they just emailed me to say it was discontinued and offering a replacement.

This is getting expensive in useless bulbs.  :ROFL:

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## Alexis111

That looks extremely red for a black mild. You want a neon pipe and the light bulb itself should throw little visible mild, and shine a dark violet rather than red.

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## Sekani

I tried this with my blizzard corn on a cheap little csi black light to no avail, would this work with blizzards do ya think? Love Leucy btw!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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## Raven01

> It's a compact tube thing; 
> 
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1610869504...84.m1497.l2649 
> 
> It does seem as though I have the wrong type of light. Just wish I knew which one to buy.



Around here they are listed as "BLB Fluorescent tubes" I believe.  As opposed to a "BL Flourescent Tube).  The difference being the BLB filters most of the visible spectrum out so the blacklight effect in much improved.
 Not sure if the same holds true where you live.   But, I hope that helps.

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dr del (01-09-2014)

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