Steve Homer Photography

Infrared Photography

Infrared films "see" light of slightly longer wavelengths than the human eye can perceive. The eye sees objects as dark when they absorb most visible light -- but that same object might reflect most infrared light (and if it did, it would look white in an infrared photograph). Even the darkest green leaves of plants look bright white in an infrared photo. In a nutshell, things look different when photographed with infrared film. Exactly how different -- well, that's often a surprise, and that's part of the fun of using infrared film.

The film I use -- Kodak Infrared Aerographic 70mm film -- is typically used to photograph forests and farms from airplanes. It's the same kind of infrared film as a lot of art students use -- but I use it in a much larger size, so it's a lot less "grainy." I use special camera and darkroom equipment to expose and process this film.

Below are some samples (actual size) of a negative and a contact print from this film.

Why Do I Use It?

The "message" of my nude photography has always been: look at the body a bit differently, and a bit more carefully. Infrared photography distorts the body in interesting and unpredictable ways and encourages the viewer to "think twice" about bodies. Infrared film obliterates skin detail, and focuses our attention on the form (and the person).

How You (and Your Clothes) Will Look in Infrared Photos

With the wrong clothes and makeup, anyone (no matter how beautiful) will look awful in an infrared photo. Keep these points in mind:

Infrared film makes silk, nylon, and rayon look white no matter what color it's dyed. Cotton usually looks about the same as it does in normal photos. Keep this in mind as you are selecting your wardrobe.
Hair always looks blonde if you bleached it before you colored it. Dyed hair almost always looks blonde even with a dark dye. Naturally dark hair, on the other hand, gets even darker.
Pimples, freckles, moles, tan lines, red colored tattoos, and most scars will usually disappear.
Veins sometimes show through the skin, but it's a hard effect to predict. Sometimes pale white people don't show their veins, and sometimes light-skinned Africans look very vein-y. It's one of the unpredictable quirks of the film.
Makeup that looks great in a conventional black-and-white photo can look awful (or goofy) in an infrared photo. Makeup is really unpredictable, so don't wear any. Clear lip gloss is especially sneaky: it often looks black in infrared pictures. Don't wear it!

More Information About Infrared Photography

If you're a photographer and are interested in the film I use, read my 70mm Notes.

Willem-Jan Markerink in Holland has assembled a great collection of information about infrared photography. I highly recommend his photography page.

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