Infrared, or IR, refers to light that is beyond the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation that we can see. We can however feel it as heat, and the warmer something is, the more infrared radiation it emits. For this reason, infrared has many interesting uses in science, astronomy, archeology, forensics, medicine, military surveillance, and many more.
Color infrared film was originally developed by Kodak for military surveillance use in the 1940s to detect camouflaged enemy forces on the ground. Since plants full of chlorophyll emit far more infrared light than camouflaged military vehicles, it made once hidden enemies easy to spot. The film worked by converting invisible infrared light into a pink or red color that was visible in an image, allowing this invisible spectrum to be seen. The results are bubble-gum pink forests and crimson red plants layered into an otherwise typical-looking landscape.
Infrared film was later released as a consumer product in the 1960s where it found fertile soil in the emerging psychedelic movement. A few iconic album covers from and famously used infrared film to create their psychedelic colors.
Perhaps the most famous use of infrared photography is documentation of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Seeking to show the devastation of a civil war that is invisible to most of the world, he used recently discontinued Aerochrome film to create arresting images of war in pink jungles for his book in 2012, and later with video film.
Nowadays, color infrared film is discontinued, but infrared photography is very much alive. By removing the infrared blocking filter in digital cameras, modern photographers are still creating beautiful, other-worldly infrared images.
How the New Filters Work
This, however, brings up the question: “If my camera blocks infrared light, how will VSCO’s IR filters create this look?” The answer is that they are an approximation of the most common visual features of real infrared photos without actually having access to infrared information. Greens and yellows are turned to pink and red, blue skies are darkened, and brightness is especially influenced by the red channel.
You no longer need the app for these to work. Includes IR1, IR2, and IR3!!
Enjoy them natively in ACR or Lightroom!!!
