InfraRed Austin FAQ
Welcome to the InfraRed Austin FAQ. There are a lot of questions about infrared photgraphy and related topics and we even have a few answers...

What is Infrared photography?
Infrared photography is the art (and/or science) of taking visible photos of the light reflected in the infrared ("below red") portion of the spectrum

Huh? What is Infrared light?
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation (as is visible light), but is of a low enough energy that you cannot see it. There are two main ranges of infrared, near-infrared (close to the visible spectrum which is viewable by some cameras) and far infrared (usually perceved as heat).

So, how are you taking photos of invisible light?
By using a infrared filter which blocks out almost all visible light and allows only infrared to get to the film or CCD.

I thought infrared filters blocked infrared light.
That's the other type of infrared filter. Terminology can be a pain in the butt.

So, why are you taking photos in infrared?
Because is allows different details to show up that may not be visible under visible light. It also allows for some really cool effects. Grass and leaves reflect very brightly in infrared and appear white, whereas trunks and branches reflect very little and therefore appear dark. People's eyes also look really odd.

And because I can.

I thought infrared photos were Black & White. Most of yours are in color. What's with that?
I use a digital camera and my infrared photos actually start as a very odd looking "redscale" (various shades of red, ranging from red to black). Using Photoshop, I convert most of them to Black & White (grayscale) and then manually "tint" them.

What about night vision goggles and infrared stuff like that?
That's actually the "far-infrared" or heat portion of the spectrum being viewed. My camera cannot detect far-infrared, but it can pick-up near infrared (like your TV remote).