Laurie Klein - Infrared Photography: Digital Techniques for Brilliant Images (Pro Photo)

Copyright 2020 by Laurie Klein, Kyle Klein, and Shelley Vandegrift.

All rights reserved.

All photographs by the authors unless otherwise noted.

Published by:

Amherst Media, Inc., P.O. Box 538, Buffalo, N.Y. 14213

www.AmherstMedia.com

Publisher: Craig Alesse

Associate Publisher: Katie Kiss

Senior Editor/Production Manager: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt

Senior Contributing Editor: Michelle Perkins

Editor: Beth AlesseAcquisitions Editor: Harvey Goldstein

Editorial Assistance from: Carey A. Miller, Rebecca Rudell, Jen Sexton-Riley

Business Manager: Sarah Loder

Marketing Associate: Tonya Flickinger

ISBN-13: 978-1-68203-459-0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020935315

Printed in The United States of America.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.

Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the authors experience and opinions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

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Contents

Introduction

Our intent is to bring you, our reader, not only the how but also the art of infrared photography in one book. We hope to guide you in creating infrared imagery that surpasses the simply unique and achieves the artistically exceptional. The majority of the educational material currently available on infrared is highly technical. However, composition and artistic expression are also essential in making truly powerful infrared images. This book will help you to both understand infrared technology and learn the aesthetic properties of digital infrared photography.

Infrared Discovered

The word infrared comes from infra, Latin for below, and the common color name red. It refers to where infrared light falls on the total light spectrum below the red portion of the light spectrum visible to the human eye. Infrared radiation was discovered by astronomer William Herschel in 1800. While measuring the temperature of light passing through a prism, Herschel noticed that the temperature of the area just past the red on the visible spectrum contained more heat than any of the colors on the visible spectrum. His experiment led him to conclude that there was an invisible form of light beyond the visible spectrum.

Infrared Photography Takes Hold

In 1910, an American physicist named Robert W. Wood sensitized his own experimental photographic plates and produced the first known infrared photos. These images were published in the Royal Photographic Societys October 1910 Photographic Journal.

Walter Clark is considered the father of infrared photography and was involved in the development of infrared film with Eastman Kodak. He worked with the US Army Air Corps to create infrared-sensitized recording material for aerial surveillance.

Infrared photography became an important tool for astronomers. Many celestial objects that cannot be seen by the human eye are visible with an infrared camera. Astronomers continue to use infrared in deep-space cameras to this day.

Infrared photography achieved artistic popularity in the 1960s. The unexpected colors and effects infrared film produced appealed to the psychedelic aesthetic of recording artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Donovan, Frank Zappa, and the Grateful Dead. All of whom issued albums with infrared cover photos.

Aesthetics of Infrared Photography

When we think of infrared photography, we typically picture dreamlike landscapes with big, puffy clouds and glowing white trees. These characteristic results were first achieved with infrared films such as Kodaks black & white HIE high-speed film and Ektachrome EIR slide film, which produced psychedelic results with false colors and unexpected color shifts. Neither HIE or EIR film is available today. Instead, photographers now adapt digital cameras to capture infrared.

In this age of ubiquitous phone and digital cameras, dedicated photographers seek ways for their work to stand out from the evergrowing crowd. Infrared is a perfect medium for meeting that goal. This book takes you from understanding the technical basics to mastering key compositional strategies unique to infrared capture. Finally, it presents workflow and software considerations for creating masterful infrared images ready to post, share, or print.

About the Authors

Laurie Klein is an award-winning fine art, wedding, and portrait photographer. She is the author of Photographing the Female Form with Digital Infrared and Handcoloring Black and White Photography. Her images have appeared in numerous national magazines. Laurie has an MFA in photography from Ohio University and a BFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). A gifted photographic educator for over 30 years, Laurie teaches classes and workshops throughout the United States as well as internationally.

Laurie is recognized worldwide for photographing almost exclusively in the infrared spectrum. Her work embodies a soft, passionate style that most often depicts the feminine experience, relationships, and landscapes. She began photographing with infrared film as a biomedical photographer, using the medium for diagnostic and research purposes. After studying with Ansel Adams in the mid 1970s, she realized there were other applications for infrared and began her journey into fine art photography. Visit her at www.laurieklein.com.

Kyle Klein is the tourism photographer for the City of Boston and photographer for the City of Cambridge. A graduate of Tufts and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Kyles role is to capture beautiful imagery of Greater Boston to promote the region and businesses to visitors. Youll often see Kyle front and center at concerts, events, openings, or blocking your sunset view with all of his cameras. Kyle began his photography career capturing weddings and portraits while working for his mothers studio. After finishing college, he shifted to corporate photography and now covers meetings and conventions for his clients all over the world.

Shelley Vandegrift began her love affair with photography at age ten, learning the magic of creating in her fathers darkroom. Digital photographys advent married her twin loves: photography and technology. Following a successful corporate career designing, developing, and working with a wide-range of computer technologies, Shelley now teaches the technical aspects of photography and post-production alongside Laurie Klein. Together, they guide photographers in achieving their own artistic vision in photography tours and workshops around the globe. Shelleys award-winning fine art photography has been featured in