+ Intended audience for this information + Cotton, nylon, and other fabrics in NIR + Dark Makeup Remains Dark in NIR + Clothing Thread in NIR + Lipstick appearance in NIR + Skin Penetration and tattoos in NIR + Unflattering eye appearance in NIR + Hair tone in NIR + Shaving stubble in NIR + Leather appearance in NIR
Photographers and glamour models can benefit from this information because near infrared (also called NIR) shows a view of the world entirely different than the one seen with normal vision. Knowing common NIR appearances and probabilities will help to more accurately predict, prepare for, and create the visuals with better photo-shoot results! Who else may like this information?
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Photographers new to NIR modeling may learn new ways to push their art predictively
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People who love seeing near infrared images but want to know more about behind the scenes work
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Scientists studying skin and materials may find some overlapping insight to their work in field use, instead of laboratory theory
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Many fabrics appear bright in the NIR. Since trees appear bright in the NIR also, having a contrast in outfits during a photographic shoot can be important so the model doesn’t blend too much with the background
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Some materials will be hard to predict in tone until the time of they are photographed with the NIR camera. However, many are known
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Cotton usually appears bright in the NIR despite how dark black or other colored it appears to normal vision
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As a general rule synthetic fabric consists of long polymer molecular chains. These synthetic materials vibrate at the molecule level and repel long waves of NIR. For this reason synthetic fabrics appear white in the NIR.
Visible Image
Near Infrared
Cotton clothing reflects NIR appearing bright
Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado Š
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Dark makeup remains dark in the near infrared. For this reason when darker skin models pose for NIR they must fade their makeup evenly.
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Touchup makeup on dark skinned models can appear as splotchy skin for the same reason
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If desired one could use the darker makeup for a face paint design that would only show up in the NIR
Visible Image
Near Infrared
Dark Makeup Remains Dark in NIR
Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado Š
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Thread can be made of many materials depending on what is sewn.
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Sometimes thread appears brighter and easy to see when it was perfectly matching in the visible (notice the leather jacket in the illustration)
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Similarly, the undergarments in the illustration were black as was the thread. In the NIR the thread remains black while the laced bottoms look much brighter than visible.
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Seeing dark thread can cause one to think they are seeing through the underwear when they are not. Most of the time panties and other undergarments have threads sewn in such a way that the view does not reveal female private parts
Near Infrared
Visible Image
Threads Appear Bright in NIR
Threads Appear Dark in NIR
Clothing Thread in NIR
Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado Š
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Lips without makeup blend into the rest of the face in NIR. This makes it harder to see expressions we might normally enjoy. Red lipstick specifically vanishes in the NIR causing the same often washed out appearance of the lips as no lipstick at all.
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If black powdered makeup is mixed with red lipstick, a quick makeshift black lipstick can be created on-scene for the near infrared photo-shoot contrast. With a ratio of black one could fade the lipstick into the shot as desired
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Jet black lipstick shows up wonderfully in NIR but does have Gothic looking overtones
Model wearing red lipstick
Black lipstick shows in near infrared
Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado Š
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NIR penetrates the skin because of its long waveform. In computer post production, performing an “equalization” on the image helps bring out the human veins. Equalization means when a computer program equalizes all the color channels
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When the photographic subject is in the shade veins are more visible in NIR due to infrared light bounce. Harsh sun on the subject will often preclude seeing veins. Also raising the exposure to bright will get rid of many veins.
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Red-heads and blondes seem to be the most skin penetrated and show the most veins with contrasting features. Their often lighter skin looks very vampire like in near infrared. Very dark skin subjects appear light as well but not always as vein displaying
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Tattoos show fantastic contrast in NIR! NIR literally goes millimeters under the skin before returning. Older tattoos can often be recognized because the NIR shows slight ink bleed under the skin compared with more crisp edges of new tattoos
A blonde fit model displays veins in the NIR not visible to the eye normally
Tattoos gain wonderful contrast in NIR
NIR goes a few millimeters under the skin for vein showing and tattoo contrast
Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado Š
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The portion of the eye normally white, appears gray in the NIR. This could be one reason our photographic ancestors remained using far off photographs of models such as in fine art of infrared
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The inner skin on the inner eye nearest to the bridge of the nose, appears dark on many subjects. This is particularly true with light skinned models. Since glamour shots often airbrush away the bags under eyes, blemishes and sometimes scars, it is not that difficult to airbrush out the “black eye” appearance of the NIR image
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Contact lenses often appear very bright and well defined. This can give the eyes in NIR a demonic like appearance. For art images this can be desirable and dramatic
Whites of eyes appear gray
Inner-eye appears dark
Contact lenses make eyes appear more defined
Human Eye Appearance in NIR
Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado Š
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One key idea is that if the hair is dyed in color it will be NIR reflective. The dyes make dark or blonde reflect NIR light
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Blonde hair even when dyed raven black will show light toned in the NIR. In NIR dark hair will be very dark toned, blonde hair will often be mid-toned, and bleach blonde will often be very bright and reflective
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Because NIR does penetrate the skin deep and also makes the skin look pale, shaving stubble shows up due to the contrast
A clean shaved face still Shows stubble due to contrast On top the subject is normally Blonde while the subject below is normally dark haired
Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado Š
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Leather predictably comes out dark. While this can be one of the most reliable materials to absorb NIR light, it can also be an expensive one. Few models have leather dresses for instance. Most of the NIR absorption is thought to be the dyes used in leather manufacturing and not the leather itself
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Leather boots can be made to balance a portrait if dark hair is already present. Having elements such as dark hair, leather jacket, and then leather boots will keep the photographic subject from blending with bright backgrounds seen in NIR
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Many imitation materials that are made to look like leather will show of bright toned in the NIR.
Leather absorbs NIR light for a predictably dark appearance
Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado Š
Gray scale Traditional image
Near infrared
Dark skin looks light in the NIR with these simultaneously taken images
Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado Š
Near Infrared
True Color
Many metals like these chains and buttons keep their silver-gray appearance in NIR
Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado Š
An artistic view of a true-color image cutaway with the NIR image on top
Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado Š
Red lipstick seems transparent in NIR
Eyeliner and black makeup remain dark
Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado Š
+ Intended audience for this information + Cotton, nylon, and other fabrics in NIR + Dark Makeup Remains Dark in NIR + Clothing Thread in NIR + Lipstick appearance in NIR + Skin Penetration and tattoos in NIR + Unflattering eye appearance in NIR + Hair tone in NIR + Shaving stubble in NIR + Leather appearance in NIR
By Tracy Rose of Aquiline Photography of Colorado Springs, Colorado
AquilinePhotograph@comcast.net https://www.facebook.com/AquilinePhotography http://instagram.com/aquiline_photography http://aquilinephotography.tumblr.com/