Infrared photography centenary

Press Release:

In 100 years infrared imaging has evolved from a complex scientific exploration of what lies beyond red light in the electromagnetic spectrum to a pervasive technology with applications including science, industry, security, search & rescue, law enforcement, CSI, military, art conservation, agriculture, forestry and medicine. It even has an artistic side that almost anyone with a digital camera can try for themselves.

We have all seen infrared in action: on television, no self-respecting naturalist is complete without infrared to study the nocturnal behaviour of animals, programmes showing police pursuits are regularly brought to our living rooms through the lens of the thermal imaging camera ... and where would reality television be without its infrared cameras? This is just the tip of a fascinating iceberg.

2010 marks the centenary of the first published infrared photograph. In October 1910 the American scientist, Professor Robert Williams Wood gave a special lecture to the Royal Photographic Society in London on his work on 'Photography by Invisible Rays' and a paper was published in the RPS 'Photographic Journal'.  Wood holds the distinction of being the first to intentionally produce photographs using infrared radiation; a small part of a range of scientific achievements that put him on the cover of Time magazine in 1938.

The Royal Photographic Society is joining with the Royal Astronomical Society to present a keynote two-day Infrared 100 symposium on October 7th and 8th at the headquarters of the RAS in London. This will be under the stewardship of leading thermographer Professor Francis Ring and astronomer Dr Helen Walker. Among the speakers will be Professor Paul Feldman from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA, the career 'home' of Professor Wood. Professor Feldman is one of the senior experimental astrophysicists at Johns Hopkins and he will cover aspects of his own work as well as Wood's legacy.

The RPS will also be holding an exhibition of a hundred years of infrared imaging, from photographic to thermal, at its Bath headquarters during October 2010, and its prestigious annual publication 'Portfolio TWO' will include articles on both infrared photography and thermal imaging.

The majority of the thermal images featured at these events will have been taken using FLIR infrared cameras.  This company is a world leader in this technology.  It has developed systems that encompass the dedicated thermographic needs of specific application sectors and also, through the economies of volume manufacture, rolled out the technology to the wider market.

"FLIR is proud to sponsor the first day of the Infrared 100 Symposium," concluded the company's Sharon Cornwell. "Thermography continues to prove its value in important areas of lives and we look forward to celebrating its origins."

Andy Finney, convenor of the Infrared 100 working group, welcomes FLIR's support and explains "the symposium and exhibition are a part of what we hope people will do to celebrate this centenary. This is an opportunity for anyone with an interest in any aspect of infrared imaging. It could be a camera club showing members' infrared photos or an infrared edition of a scientific journal. Infrared lets us see the world in a different way and even lets us see the birth of stars: how exciting is that?"