Infrared photography

Common card · No. 364169

In infrared photography, the photographic film or image sensor used is sensitive to infrared light. The part of the spectrum used is referred to as near-infrared to distinguish it from far-infrared, which is the domain of thermal imaging. Wavelengths used for photography range from about 700 nm to about 900 nm. Film is usually sensitive to visible light too, so an infrared-passing filter is used; this lets infrared (IR) light pass through to the camera, but blocks all or most of the visible light spectrum. These filters thus look black (opaque) or deep red. When these filters are used together with infrared-sensitive film or sensors, "in-camera effects" can be obtained, false-color or black-and-white images with a dreamlike or sometimes lurid appearance known as the Wood effect, an effect mainly caused by foliage (such as tree leaves and grass) strongly reflecting infrared in the same way visible light is reflected from snow. There is a small contribution from chlorophyll fluorescence,...

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