The InfraRed List

Invisible spectrum pictures of disappearing animals

Since 2017 I’ve been documenting our planet’s disappearing animals in the invisible spectrum. This project is pulling together processes and practice from my MA in Photography and portraying a selection of wild animals in their natural habitats who are being pushed to the edge of existence; as featured on the IUCN RED LIST.

I have recorded full spectrum and natural IR sources, as well as light-painted invisible radiation on top of some frames to record my images; some made in complete darkness (to my eyes anyway).

The initial focus has been on hacking together and field testing various system combos and using them to capture vanishing creatures on the African continent. My last trip for this project was to Nyere, Ruaha and Katavi in November 2023. From this, I’m hoping to branch out to Central and Eastern Asia in 2024/25 to continue recording creatures in areas of tragically high biodiversity loss.

The camera systems have been ever-evolving as I have learned about the immense restrictions of trying to work in this way. I have been through 5 different bodies (some now completely bricked) and a figurative ton of lenses, flood lights, IR hand torches, mounting solutions, and accessories. After years of work, I think I’ve now perfected my telephoto full spectrum, full frame, nightvision and IR equipment for practical field use. Having said that… I’m sure developments will continue and I’ll ‘perfect’ it again next year too! It’s just turning out to be one of those things, sadly.

From a technical point of view, the cameras are more light-dependent than any I’ve ever used. Signal-to-noise ratios are torturous at higher shutter speeds. Necessary hardware customisations to the sensors prevent proper viewfinder use, autofocus, image review, motion tracking, and mechanical image stabilisation; all things a wildlife photographer finds useful in the field. Many of the long lenses on the market either over or under-refact the desired wavelengths of ‘light’ causing crazy anomalies on sensor. Microcoatings can be another wildcard and have encouraged the use of older glass. In short, the ongoing process of work has provided a vast learning experience and involved a lot of trial and error (≈ 99% error) compounded with all the foibles of traditional wildlife photography, like weight restrictions, long days, animal tracking, and luck with shooting conditions.

As it is a fairly otherworldly medium by nature, I’m fascinated by the surreality of the images. Unlike my visible spectrum work where I mostly focus on environmental portraiture, I find myself actively pursuing abstraction in some conditions as it makes for a more striking image.

I’ll be sharing some favourites below and minting new pieces from this ongoing series on the Ethereum blockchain as tokenised assets for collection. I’ll also be publishing an NFT Field Journal of the ongoing project including gear, kit, customisations, and fieldcraft notes. This planned e-book will be airdropped to collectors’ wallets as a thank you for supporting this work.

Follow along with the project and find out more about the minting schedule on my Twitter.

Project Subjects for African Continent: Black Rhino, Southern White Rhino, African Elephant, Lion, Leopard