Chapter 1. INTRODUCING INFRARED LIGHT
Infrared (IR) light surrounds you — you just can't see it. However, when you use a special filter on your digital camera, it is capable of recording IR light. The camera can capture this invisible light to transform ordinary landscapes into something magical and ethereal. Compare what you see in normal light in 1-1 to what the camera sees in IR in 1-2. You can see how incredibly beautiful the world is in this different light.
Figure 1-1. ABOUT THIS PHOTO A winding path in North Carolina's Craggy Gardens creates an inviting composition in color. Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/6 sec. with a Nikkor 28–70mm lens.
Photographers from the novice to the professional can photograph in IR. And although you can't detect IR light in your surroundings, you can learn to envision its behavior and effects — see it in your mind's eye — to help you create surreal photographs that utilize its marvelous qualities.
Figure 1-2. ABOUT THIS PHOTO Photographed in IR, the same path shown in 1-1 creates a magical composition. Taken at ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 sec. with a Nikkor 24–70mm lens.
WHAT EXACTLY IS IR LIGHT?
Like sound, light travels in waves. When its wavelength is measured in nanometers (nm) or billionths of a meter, the light you typically see ranges only from around 400nm (the ...
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