A microscopy technique for viewing regions where a sample absorbs, as opposed to emits, fluorescent light. The technique includes illuminating a sample with an exciter light in order to generate fluorescent light from the sample and filtering light received from the sample such that fluorescent light is substantially attenuated. Regions that primarily emit fluorescent light will then be black, but regions where the exciter is primarily absorbed but where there is little emissive fluorescent activity can be viewed as a darker shade of the background color.