Shugborough in Infra-Red

Last week we visited the National Trust property of Shugborough. For this visit I took my infra-red converted camera. As I take more photos with this camera I learn more about what works and what doesn’t. Here are a few of the photos I did take including some that didn’t work out:

This is a infra-red panoramic view (stitched from 2 images) showing some of the trees in the parkland

What is interesting about this view is the different shades of white for the foliage – most growing stuff goes white (both leaves and flowers) but here we have different tones – I suspect this is caused by them being in different stages of growth. The tree below is different in the way it stands out from the other trees and the sky makes a good backdrop:

Infra-red view of a tree with a bold sky backdrop

Shugborough, at this time of the year, has some outstanding wisteria in flower. However, this doesn’t show well in infra-red – leaves and flowers both show as white:

Wisteria in infra-red doesn’t show well

I am coming to the conclusion that buildings can work well in a landscape when viewed in infra-red:

This infra-red view is of a cottage on the estate surrounded by trees
This 2-image infra-red panorama of the Chinese House works quite well with the trees, bridge and river
I like this 2-image panoramic view of the mansion – The infra-red makes the sky and clouds stand out
But the building doesn’t have to be large – this shows the ‘Hadrian’s Arch’ folly as a focal point in the landscape. This is a 2-image stitched panorama.
I haven’t yet managed to show animals in the landscape with infra-red except for this view which has a swan on the river. Although small it does add something to the image

Each time I use the camera and process the images I learn more about the techniques…

Author: Paul L.G. Morris

I am an amateur photographer whose photography is mostly of gardens, nature and the rural environment. My specialities are close-ups, panoramic views, or a combination of both that I call 'Nearscapes'. I work mostly for my own interest having closed my business PM Studios Ltd.