Infrared Print Sale Coming Up

[Comments have been added.]

Infrared, infrared, infrared!

As you know, light is not light. Infrared is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) having a wavelength just greater than that of the red end of the visible light spectrum but less than that of microwaves. And therefore normally invisible to the human eye. Infrared radiation has a wavelength from about 800 nanometers to one millimeter (there is no universally accepted range), and is emitted particularly by heated objects. And by living tissue; green foliage is rich in infrared light. Sunlight is more than half infrared. [UPDATE: A slight correction from MikeR: "Infrared sunlight is highly reflected off of green foliage. This is not the same as emissive infrared, a longer wavelength emitted by heat." Thanks, Mike.]

And as you also know, we can make film and sensors that are sensitive to both the visible spectrum and also to the near end of infrared. In fact, some of them do this naturally and ordinarily have to be filtered to not show infrared.

Infrared EMR was discovered by William Herschel, Court Astronomer to George III, celebrated for his sensational discovery of the planet Uranus. And William was the father of John, the great man-behind-the-scenes in photography's pioneer days who discovered fixer and coined the words "photography" and "snapshot," the latter by analogy to a hunting term for a quick, reactive shot made without taking careful aim.

Quite apart from the scientific definitions and historical background, infrared has aesthetic properties, both in color and in black-and-white. Some people love these properties, and certain artists choose to work in this medium.

And wouldn't you love to have one exceptional example in your print collection box? Well, coming up.

Watch this space.

Mike

Book o' the Week

In Search of Elsewhere: Unseen Images by Steve McCurry. [On Special Limited Time Sale today, $25.60 marked down from $70.] The two Steve McCurry books I own—Looking East and The Unguarded Moment—are oversized (but not too oversized) and have some of the very best color photographic reproduction I've seen. I hope this will be the same, although it has a different publisher. Steve McCurry, although his career is not without blemishes, is a superb and accomplished photographer whose work is a joy to own and revisit. Note that he's a "visual storyteller," not a photojournalist.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

David Elden: "Looking forward to seeing this print offer (I've used the old Kodak HIE film in the past and taught courses on how to use it). As an aside re 'green foliage is rich in infrared light'; it might be more accurate to say (healthy) green foliage reflects (not 'is rich in' as if it emits it) IR. This effect probably arises because the chlorophyll (green pigment in green foliage) does not absorb IR so the IR is reflected by the tiny cavities in the leaf structure (similar to the way styrofoam reflects light)."

William Cook: "Wow! Has your opinion of infrared photography changed? Many years ago you wrote that you weren’t a fan (I think your wording was much stronger if memory serves me but I don’t want to embellish!). The reason I remember is that infrared photography was and is most of what I do and, because I’d always valued your opinion and insight, I was even a bit hurt! That remains to this day the only thing you’ve written that I’ve disagreed with, so you might imagine my surprise at this notice!"

Mike replies: The answer would be complicated. Maybe I'll write about it while the sale is going on, or after it. Sorry to have made you feel hurt all those years ago....

Comments

[Chris Kern]

Mike: Infrared, infrared, infrared! . . . And wouldn't you love to have one exceptional example in your print collection box?

Would you by any chance be planning to offer a photo of the first stars forming a few hundred million years after the “Big Bang?”

[Richard Tugwell]

Not directly connected to the post, but I was reminded that a few years ago I sold my Hasselblad 500 C/M to Hennrik Jokeit in Zürich - around 2014 I think. He said he wanted it primarily for infrared photography, so I decided to check back and he seems to have found quite a niche.

https://hennricjokeit.com/

Not sure if he's still doing film-based IR

[MikeR]

May I offer just a slight correction? Infrared sunlight is highly reflected off of green foliage. This is not the same as emmisive infrared - a longer wavelength, emitted by heat.

I have two IR-converted GF1 cameras, one with the standard IR filter (720nm) and one with what LifePixel calls "Super Color," (590nm).

I also have a FLIR-1 gadget that plugs into my smartphone, and is sensitive to emitted IR. It's good for really weird color effects, and can be used for DIY energy audits. This is a good time of the year to visualize where all that cold weather is making its way into your home. Resolution isn't that great.

[Patrick W]

If you are into infrared photography, you must be looking forward to what we get from the James Webb telescope.

[hugh crawford]

I photographed mostly with 35mm infrared film and a 25a filter for years. Later on in around 1980 I did a series of photos in rock ‘n’ roll clubs and discos using 70 mm infrared in a Hasselblad with an infrared flash (a Rosco congo blue and a red filter taped over a vivitar 283). Then I discovered Kodak aerographic film with an “extended red” sensitivity. Amazing for portraits. I should mention that the polyester base and lack of an antihalation layer was a big part of the look. I still have all the gear but the film is gone. Pretty depressing.

[John Camp]

I know this is an event of some seriosity for some, but would observe that there's be far less hysteria if our media center was in, say, Des Moines or Los Angeles rather than NYC. Most people would be quite safe, warm and happy if they simply sat inside and listened to music for 24 hours.