Creative Thermal Photo Tips for Shooting Plants

A thermal photo can be interesting. Taking these types of photos of plants can add another layer of interest entirely. While thermal photography is most often used in medicine and other specialty fields, an increase in popularity at their uniqueness has created a surge of thermal photography as art. There are several things you can do to ensure that your thermal photography turns out.

Find the Heat

In order to take great thermal photos you need to understand where the heat is the greatest in plants. The root systems tend to hold more heat than the leaves or blooms. These elements will still show up as hot in thermal photography, but it will be a different spectrum. Play around with photographing plants with a focus on the root system. If you can get down on the level of the plant and use a wide angle lens, you will have an effect that is unbelievable. The heat from the root system will become the focal point, while cooler images will surround the plant.

Take Advantage of Cold Weather

Even in cold weather the earth is going to provide heat to plants. You can take advantage of cold weather by taking interesting thermal photographs. The effect will be a warm appearance from the plant, with drastically colder images in the spectrum. If you are lucky enough to be able to shoot in the snow or a cold rain, the effect is enhanced. You can find special camera covers that will protect your camera and lenses from excessive cold or moisture.

Use Different Plants

If you have a garden with several different types of plants try to take some thermal images of them next to each other. Not all plants transfer heat in the same way, and taking photos of different types of plants in a row will really showcase this. Vegetables can create awesome photos if they are taken in the same frame with a flower. The root vegetables will hold more of their energy under the ground, while a flowering plant will hold more energy in the leaf system. Take some photos of vegetables planted in front of a wood fence with vine flowers, you'll be impressed with the result.

Understanding the Color Spectrum

Once you have taken some thermal photos, inspect them. Find the patterns. You will soon learn exactly how heat transfers on film. Once you understand this technology you will be able to apply that to future photography. Taking photos of inanimate objects near plants can create a thermal image using a whole new color in the spectrum. You can do the same thing with animals in fields. You don't have to go on a photo safari for this either. Just head out to a local zoo and photograph the animals as they interact in lush fields. The color images will blend and bleed in with one another, and the results may surprise you.