Wildlife & Nature Shortlist

These images were created using ultraviolet induced visible fluorescence photography (UVIVF), a technique that captures the fluorescence of flowers and plants hit by UV light – and which makes visible what is generally invisible to the naked eye. Photographing in this way reveals vivid, incandescent colours – a chromatic world not detected by our eyes, but that some animals (such as bees) can perceive. I started experimenting with this technique in the darkness of my studio during the lockdown of March 2020, making it my main outlet in that equally dark period. My experimentation then continued throughout 2021, making improvements and customisations, and this series represents an excerpt.

My name is Debora Lombardi, also known as BibaDesign. I studied Architecture at the Politecnico of Turin and now live in Asti, working in visual communication design. During the 2020 lockdown, I explored UV-induced visible fluorescence (UVIVF) photography, capturing plants' hidden beauty under UV light. Finalist at the 2022 Sony Awards, my work has been exhibited globally, featured in magazines, and in ArtLink's luxury cruise collection. In 2025, I’ll appear in an Arte France documentary.