Infrared Photography

Infrared Photography refers to the area of photography in which photos are taken with film sensitive to infrared light. In infrared photography, the filter only allows the infrared wavelengths, not the wavelengths of visible color, to pass through and produce an image. Visible color wavelengths range from 400 nm (nanometers) to 700 nm; infrared wavelengths range from 700 nm to 1200 nm. Most modern cameras have an infrared setting.

Although infrared photos can present everyday images in a new light, they can also highlight objects that aren’t commonly visible to the naked eye.

During the 1960s, infrared photography was especially popular in the designs of musician album covers. Jimi Hendrix was one of the more famous musicians who used the psychedelic feel of infrared photography to produce a trippy effect. However, professional photographers, such as Elio Ciol, have also used infrared photography for subtle aesthetic effect.

While people and animals can be subjects of infrared photography, cityscapes are more popular images rendered through an infrared lens. For example, top-down views that show the layout and infrastructure of the city are commonly shot through the infrared setting. Most often, infrared photography is a tool for professional photographers and scientific researchers, rather than hobbyists and amateurs.