Historical Context - IR film

Historically, IR film came into being around 1910, and was initially used by Robert Wood. It became a viable option once it was discovered that Silver Halide emulsions could be mixed with a dye to become sensitive to IR light. 

Both colour and B&W are available. The colour has been used extensively during the 60s by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, to reflect the psychedelic aesthetic of the time. B&W has been used extensively throughout and is well known as a fine art technique with high contrasts. Colour has also been used to detect the presence of people by recording heat generated by a living body.