The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
Infrared photography, the process of recording images on film by capturing the near-infrared radiation emitted from objects, was invented in 1880 by Sir William Abney (l843- 1920). Abney is said to have produced a photograph of a boiling tea kettle by using a special collodion emulsion to capture the near-infrared radiation emitted by the kettle. For years many others were unable to produce the same results. It wasn't until 1903 that the first real infrared sensitizer was discovered, an emulsion known as Dicyanine, a chemical containing special dyes that responded to near-infrared radiation, thus producing an image of objects that emitted such radiation.
The problem with the sensitizer and the ones that followed was that the exposure time necessary to produce the image was far too long, making the use of such photography impractical. However, in 1942 Kodak solved this problem by developing an infrared photographic film sensitive enough to make quick exposures. Available in both black-and-white and color, the new film usheredin the age of infrared photography. Since 1942, infrared photography has found a variety of applications. It has been used for observing camouflaged troops and for detecting tumors and other medical ailments. Because infrared radiation is not scattered by atmospheric haze, as is light, infrared photography is used to find distant objects, including those in space. This has not only enabled astronomers to discover stars too dim to be detected visually, but also to determine the temperature and movement of certain planets and stars. Infrared photos are also used in meteorology, farming, criminology, and industry.