Traditionally, many of us who have been in the paranormal investigation field for a while have always had to wait for nightfall to come before we could expect to get any sort of decent paranormal photos. I had surmised, as early as 2002, from research I had been working on that the paranormal anomalies we had been photographing were on the IR (infrared) portion of the Electromagnetic Spectrum. I knew this was the key, but I had not found the lock that this figurative key would fit. That would change in the summer of 2007. Five years after I began to solidify my theories on the paranormal / IR connection I had the fortuitous experience of meeting Scott Crownover and Patty Wilson, both experienced and well known paranormal investigators in their own right. As we talked shop about paranormal projects and experiments we had been working on Scott explained that he had been working on a photography technique that allowed paranormal investigators to take photos of anomalies in the day time. For me that was no big thing, I had taken 1000’s of pics during both the day and evening hours and occasionally I would get an anomaly here and there – no big revelation. This, however, was not what Scott was referring to. He showed examples of his technique: several photos of fully formed apparitions – taken in broad daylight! This was not a fluke, it was not a fraud, it was the real thing.

             I asked Scott how to get these types of photos and the answer was so simple you may be as surprised as I was. Scott explained that all you have to do is get an IR lens for your camera (the camera must have a threaded lens adapter ring), a tripod and a camera with night shot – that’s it. Set up the camera as you normally would to take photos, put the IR lens in place, set the camera on nightshot mode, hook the camera up to the tripod and start taking pictures*.

            Naturally, I was slightly skeptical that something so simple would work so well –
I had always believed that if something is too good to be true it usually is, but excitement would override all cautionary skepticism – and in this instance I do not regret that it did. I asked Scott what brand of lenses that he used as well as the Nm (nanometer wavelength) range, he gave me the specifics and from there I began shopping around. There are many photography websites that offer numerous individual and package deals on lenses that range from 630 Nm to 1000 Nm. I settled on a set of four (4) lenses that were 780 Nm, 850 Nm, 930 Nm and 1000 Nm. I figured that with a good range of IR lenses I would be able to work in just about any circumstance.

             Why is there such as vast difference in the anomalies captured in IR photographs vs. those captured in flash-assisted photos? How can such a simple adjustment, a tweak of the light filtration change the outcome of a photo so drastically? I’m not going to lie to you – at this time I am not completely sure as to the mechanics of the process but I speculate that a camera taking a photograph of an anomaly in a visible light assisted
situation (such as with a flash) creates an effect akin to when you view a mirage. The visible light source masks the form of the anomaly and thusly the “signature,” the true identity of the anomaly, is camouflaged by the photons of the IR light matrix being partially washed out by the visible light intrusion from the flash, thusly only the densest core particles of bioelectric energy from the anomaly are captured in the photograph.

             At this point, rather than continuing with rambling on about how great this technique works or expounding on how you can use it I will present some basic information on the IR filters themselves and leave the rest to you.

IR Lens Technical Specs:

• Manufacturer: Hoya Optics (many other manufacturers are available)

• Lens ring or filter adapter sizes commonly available are 25, 25.5, 30, 37, 58, 67, 72, 75, 77 and 82 mm

• Commonly available nm (nanometer) configurations are 630, 665, 715, 780, 830, 850, 1000 nm

* You must have the IR lens installed before you put the camera into nightshot mode otherwise you risk serious damage to the CCD in your camera. Individuals results will vary and neither Brian Schill, Scott Crownover or any other affiliated party with the publication of this article assumes any responsibility or liability for damages that may be incurred stemming from the use of this photographic technique.
           

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