Infrared 100 on the BBC

The Viewfinder blog on the BBC web site features infrared photography today, with a copious quote from me. This, coupled with a recent press release from FLIR, should help raise awareness of the centenary and the technique. (It was even featured on the front page of the BBC News web site for a short while.)

The top of the page shows the double-page spread from the Illustrated London News in 1911 that was published to coincide with Wood's lecture at the Royal Institution and his appearance in the RPS 1911 exhibition. Besides a Kodak HIE shot of mine there is a great colour infrared image of Bob Dylan, taken in 1968 by Elliott Landy.

One interesting thing: Phil Coomes, who authors the blog, also includes an infrared photo of a space shuttle taking off. When you look closely you can see what appears to be the notorious infrared hot-spot right in the centre. This hot-spot is something that appears in digital infrared photographs, not film, and is 'best' seen with the lens stopped down and with something bright towards the centre of the shot. Not all lens/sensor combinations suffer from it, but most do. I have not seen any scientific analysis of the cause of this but it is a bane of digital infrared photography. 2010 must be the year that the hot spot is vanquished!

A Brace of Exhibitions

I've been sent info on two exhibitions featuring infrared photography, one on either side of the Atlantic.

To New York first ...
In a Different Light, with work by Theresa Airey, Susan Ruddick Bloom, Jill Enfield and Elizabeth Opalenik runs from today (Jan 28th) to Feb 27th at Umbrella Arts, 317 East 9th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. (I make that the East Village.) After today's launch the show is open Thursday to Saturday 1 to 6. Details on the Umbrella Arts web site. I am trying to persuade the ladies to make this exhibition an Infrared 100 event. How about it? [Later: see the first comment]

And thence to the UK ...
Simon Marsden will be showing some of his infrared photos of English gardens at Blenheim Palace from Feb 15th to March 28th. This is part of a group show with 10 photographers and only Simon uses infrared film. (Simon's web site.)

Fingerprinting and Infrared

John Smith from the University of Westminster will be presenting an Infrared 100 paper to the Fingerprint Society's annual conference, which will be held at University College London in April. The paper is called Infrared Photography’s 100th Birthday and, as John says ...

This presentation celebrates the pioneers of IR photography, whilst demonstrating some of the latest developments in this ever-more accessible area of fingerprint imaging.

More info (eventually) on the conference web site.

Johns Hopkins Professor to Keynote Infrared 100 Symposium

The joint RPS/RAS symposium in London in October will be keynoted by respected astrophysicist Professor Paul Feldman. Paul will be talking about Robert Williams Wood's life and work and will no doubt also touch on his own current research at JHU which has recently been in space ultraviolet astronomy and spectroscopy. (Although we're concentrating on infrared, let's not forget that Wood was also a pioneer of UV photography.)

The October symposium will take place in and around the RAS's premises in Burlington House. This complex of historic buildings in Piccadilly, central London, is best known as the home of the Royal Academy. If you have an interest in any application of infrared - photographic and thermal - then these are dates for your diary. We're also delighted to acknowledge the financial support of FLIR Systems.

Infrared 100 logo available

2010 is almost upon us and it's time to start thinking about what events you can hold to celebrate infrared imaging.

I have produced versions of the Infrared 100 logo (as seen top-right) for web and print use. They are available for download and are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported licence. The only terms/restrictions are that ...

1. use is to promote the centenary of infrared imaging and that the logo will either link to http://www.infrared100.org or be accompanied by the string www.infrared100.org if a link is not appropriate ... this is the 'attribution'
2. the logo is not changed in any way other than in size but the aspect ratio of the logo must be maintained.

You don't need to sign anything to use the logos; download and use of the logos implies agreement to the licence terms.

Four versions are provided through the link, zipped together for convenience.

• EPS and PNG for use on a light background
• EPS and PNG for use on a dark background

You should choose which works for you.

Links:

• Infrared 100 logo set
• Licence terms

Don't forget, if you're doing something, let me know and we'll promote it on this blog as well.