Every day, cameras capture some of the most breathtaking sights on earth. The ripple of water as it cascades down cliffs, a fire engine-red rose in full bloom, a leaf floating on a puddle – these images are preserved in memory and in colored prints, thanks to cameras. The same cannot be said of infrared cameras, however.
Infrared cameras do not capture images the way we see them in real life. In fact, the pictures that infrared cameras produce may even appear odd, disfigured, or even ugly. Some even think the random splashes of bright color indicate that the camera is broken. Once you understand how infrared cameras are used, however, these images begin to make sense, and even become beautiful in an indefinable way.
Somewhere Outside the Rainbow
Infrared light includes a range of radiation that we cannot see. Red is the brightest color on rainbows, and infrared radiation is just a little bit beyond it. On the other end, infrared radiation is positioned only a little bit below microwave radiation. For infrared light to be captured, nothing should block the object that is “viewing” the radiation. Infrared transmissions are used in audio...