Infrared Vision: October 2009

In October, I learned that digital cameras pick up infrared light – light in a color we can’t see. This blew my mind. It still does. I discovered I could make a homemade infrared filter out of nothing but a shortened cardboard paper towel tube and a couple layers of exposed film. I had plenty of that lying around in film school! It was opaque to my eye, but let only infrared light pass through to the camera lens.

The following photos are a sample of my experimentation with a consumer digital camera (a Canon PowerShot) and the homemade filter, getting the lens to focus correctly through it, capturing the light in the best ways possible, and slowly gaining proficiency. 10/4/2009 – 10/6/2009.

the only photo here not through the filter. ordinary tv remote.

first shot out my window through the filter

color experimentation

speed experimentation

plant tissue reflects infrared light especially well. taking photos of plants is a good way to see how well the filter works.

getting better

sunlight contains a broad spectrum of all colors, including plenty of infrared

this is a dark green tree

this is a line of grubby little dark brown and green weeds in a sidewalk crack

the white layer is dark green grass