The Wonder of Infrared Photography

Normal black-and-white photographs can bestow their subjects with a moody atmosphere, but the infrared version of the craft would do even Tim Burton’s fairytale landscapes proud.  Here we have a watchful cat sitting regally in one picture while a walk in the woods is spiced up in the others. The tree root (bottom right) is highlighted perfectly within the blue-green grass.

Wonder and enchantment are two words that spring to mind when viewing the world through an infrared lens.  Whatever your personal photography taste, there’s no question that infrared imagery spices up bland everyday life with a touch of the serene, and the surreal.

Buildings in Black and White

Most black-and-white infrared photography is achieved by using orange, red  or visually opaque filters over the lens to block blue visible light from the exposure. The aim is to block blue wavelengths and allow infrared to pass through.  The effect is a dreamlike and slightly otherworldly twist on traditional black-and-white photography.  The buildings and full moon above illustrate this wonderfully.

Buildings in Colour

Colour infrared films have three sensitized layers that reproduce infrared as red, red as green, and green as blue. All three layers are sensitive to blue, requiring the use of a yellow filter to block blue light while allowing the remaining colours to reach the film.  The colour of foliage on trees can be determined from the relative strengths of green and infrared light reflected.  And as the pictures above show, the results can be stunning!

Parks and Gardens

Green-as-blue and yellow skies are depicted perfectly in the photographs above.  They transport the viewer into what could be a parallel universe – or, if nothing else, a colourful departure from what is in reality pleasant but ordinary urban parkland.

Abandoned Trains and Railway Lines

Abandoned railway lines and rusting trains always present interesting subjects for photographers, especially those trying to freeze in time the swift onset of urban decay.  But such scenes are still dreary, dull and melancholy.  Infrared photography helps package this material in ways that drive its appeal beyond those with an affinity for abandoned industrial scenes.  After all, pleasant blue grass sprouting from between purple and golden sleepers helps cast the scene in a whole new light.

Sun through the Trees

The top picture in this group conjures up images of U2′s “blood red sky“.  The deep red sky creeping through the blue foliage gives the sense of an ethereal sunset, although these pictures most likely capture the sun some time during the afternoon.  The bottom right image looks slightly more conventional, with green leaves on the trees, but set against the backdrop of an exaggerated fiery sky.

A Walk in the Woods

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