This is What Infrared Photography Does to Freckles

Toronto-based cinematographer Jon Simo created this trippy portrait showing how an infrared camera sees things compared to an ordinary camera.

Simo shot the photos using a modified Panasonic GH2 that had its sensor’s infrared filter removed. For the portrait half on the left, Simo placed a blue infrared blocker (which filters out infrared light) in front of his lens to show what a normal DSLR would capture. The half on the right was shot with a 720nm infrared filter (which filters out visible light) to create an infrared photo.

“Infrared photography doesn’t show freckles,” Simo tells PetaPixel. “You end up with this beautiful porcelain-doll like effect and it’s a very unique look.”

This looks like it’s the opposite of what happens when you photograph subjects under ultraviolet light. Last year, artist Tom Leveritt showed how freckles and other skin features that aren’t seen in normal light can be captured with an ultraviolet camera setup.

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Image credits: Photograph by Jon Simo and used with permission