InfraRed

There is an underlying mystery to Infrared photography where nothing is as it seems. There is darkness where before there was light; black skies are punctuated by startling white clouds; still water sits like a black cloth. And, light emerges where there was dark; foliage glows white. And, biggest surprise of all, skin tones take on a luminescent glow. Sometimes veins show through the skin and undergarments become visible. InfraRed images reveal a world that is imperceptible to our eyes. Even an exposure meter is tricked by the overwhelming light that surrounds us.

Decades ago I took IR pictures at Machu Picchu, Peru hoping to capture a sense of the ambiguity in those old stone ruins. More recently I tried Infrared in ancient Egyptian temples. In the old days, I loved the warm heat glow of the old film InfraRed. Several years ago a friend sold me a Nikon converted to digital IR. I began playing with it for the softness and mystery of the images.

Wanting to learn more, I took a short intensive workshop with Nevada Wier at the Santa Fe Workshops. I loved the subtle colors she teased out of her InfraRed converted camera. I have also been intrigued by the compelling Black and white InfraRed work of Elizabeth Opalenik. So, I dragged an extra InfraRed camera to play with at Elizabeth Opalenik’s workshops in Cuba and Tuscany. And, it still is the second camera I’ll pack for high-noon shoots under a ruinously harsh sun. I’ve been fortunate to play with InfraRed not only in the Sedona Red rocks, but also in New Mexico and Nevada.  Recently I shot old church ruins and live oaks in South Carolina, particularly Dufuski Island.  

I’ve also been working in post-production to recreate that film version heat glow as well as experimenting with combining InfraRed images with straight color images.

NevadaWier.com

ElizabethOpalenik.com

Location shots: Chaco Canyon New Mexico, Great Basin Nevada

Arizona Models: Bronwyn Bosman, Juanita Bosman, Ruthann Braccini, Pash Galbavy, Nicole Wilson, JaguarMary X

Santa Fe models: JB Pena, Las Golondrinas re-enactors

Cuba: Yanara Pupo Perez, Neibis Rosa Duvergel Vela, Lezandra Gomez de la Torre

Tuscany: Serena Mordini & Marcos, Alessandra Ponticelli, Maya Tithayas