“Switzerland” by Gavin Spooner. 1st Place, Landscape Infrared
Kolari Vision, known for their photography filters and infrared camera conversions, has just announced the winners of its biannual infrared photo contest. The 2024 “Life in Another Light” Infrared Photography Contest received over 3,000 submissions spread across 11 photography categories and one short film division. Through their work, these niche photographers prove the powerful visual storytelling possibilities that infrared photography provides.
From ultraviolet flowers to candy chrome landscapes, the winning images are a delightful look at the power of infrared photography. Judged by a panel of seven experts, including guest photographers Pierre-Louis Ferrer and Yann Philippe who helped with judging for the Candy Chrome and IR Chrome categories respectively, each image was evaluated based on technical execution, composition, and creativity in three rounds of judging before selecting the winners.
The contest isn’t just exclusive to infrared photographers, as there are several categories that also celebrate “visible light.” Seeing these photography techniques side-by-side is a fascinating look at how much the world changes depending the lens that you use.
“What changes when we switch to infrared, and which things remain constant? What beauty lies in the light that our eyes can’t see? What do new perspectives show us about our world that only photography can capture?” Kolari says. “Our contest isn’t just about capturing images; it’s about discovering new ways to see the world.”
Standouts include Gavin Spooner’s unique look at Switzerland’s mountains, which won him the Infrared Landscape category, and Michael Riffle’s look at a magnolia blossom under ultraviolet light.
Scroll down to see more of our favorites and then head over to Kolari Vision to see the full winner and finalist gallery.
These are the fascinating winners of the “Life in Another Light” Infrared Photography Contest.
“Vaulion” by Jonas Hangartner. 2nd Place, IR Chrome
“Bout to Bloom” by Ginny Taylor. 1st Place, Candy Chrome
“Magnolia Grandiflora” by Michael Riffle. 1st Place, Ultraviolet
“Fluorescent Lilium” by Troy Casswell. Honorable Mention, Abstract
With over 3,000 entries, the photo contest celebrates both infrared and visible light photography.
“Candy Landscape” by Robert Gajsek. 2nd Place, Candy Chrome
“Black Sand Beach” by Bobby Ritchey. 1st Place, Aerial
“WA1K345” by Jonas Hangartner. 2nd Place, Infrared Landscape
“The River Full of Sky” by Simone Marulli. 2nd Place, Long Exposure
“Borage for Courage” by Rain Hayes. 2nd Place, Ultraviolet
“Majestic Waterfall” by Simone Marulli. 3rd Place, Aerial
“People Mixture” by Dibakar Roy. 1st Place, Long Exposure
“Reflective Dawn” by Mike Lee. 2nd Place, Landscape – Visible Light
The biannual contest is run by Kolari Vision, which specializes in photography filters and infrared camera conversions.
“Meg With Scarf” by Rob Jemmett. 1st Place, Portrait
“Open Court” by Dan Waterman. Honorable Mention, IR Chrome
“Alligator in Morning Mist” by Carolyn Hinton Hutchin. 1st, Black & White
“The Galactic Tree” by Jürgen M Lobert. 3rd Place, Astro Landscape
“Merapi” by Yohan Raintung. 1st Place, Landscape – Visible Light
“Neowise” by Daniel Stein. 2nd Place, Astro Landscape
“Losing Track of Time” by Jonas Hangartner. 1st Place, Astro Landscape