Swathed in creamy reds and blues, infrared photography has helped Paolo Pettigiani transform Central Park into a surreal dreamscape. The Italian photographer began experimenting with the technique two years ago near his hometown of Turin, but it’s his #InfraredNYC series that has catapulted his work to another level.
“Talking about infrared, this is the first real project as a means of artistic expression,” Pettigiani shares. “What I like about this kind of photography is making visible something invisible. My aim is to show something recognizable under a new unexpected and personal point of view.”
Central Park proved to be the perfect location for Pettigiani’s vision, as the lush green trees and grass transform into milky, cotton candy pinks. The metamorphosis is owed to the fact that healthy vegetation absorbs blue- and red-light energy to fuel photosynthesis and create chlorophyll. Thus, the park’s hearty plant life reflects high quantities of infrared light that can be captured using special filters.
New York’s iconic architecture looms in the background, unmoved by infrared light, creating a juxtaposition between the cheerful pink vegetation and stoic urban cityscape. “I have chosen Central Park because I wanted to capture the unique environment of this park, that for me is like Paradise Island within the city,” Pettigiani explains. “Central Park is the place where people go to have a break from the busy routine of the city, or you can just sit there and it seems that you enter in a new peaceful world”
Limited edition prints of the series are available via Lumas Gallery.
Infrared photography transforms New York into a cotton candy dream.
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