Seawall Aug 30 2012 03a Second Beach Cove

Seawall Aug 30 2012 03a Second Beach Cove, a photo by VancouverDoug on Flickr.

Infra red light is not as sensitive to atmospheric scattering as human visible light is. Scattering, aka haze, is caused by the optical refraction of light bouncing off of water particles in the air and, in a nutshell, is why our sky is blue.

Since IR is less prone to scattering photographs taken in those wavelengths wind up being more in focus, over long distances in particular, than what you would see in a photograph taken in normal, scatter sensitive light.

Since our brain also uses haze, especially over a long distances as an aid to depth perception to it less haze = less distance. As such IR photography, among it's million other reasons why its so cool a media, shines at turning a big scene into something more intimate and closer to you the viewer.