However, some cameras produce images that you will not likely want to print or treasure. For instance, an infrared camera will never produce images that you will value for their aesthetical or visual appeal. But, these cameras are not ordinary cameras. They return images based on the heat emitted by objects. To the average person, these images might appear to be random splashes of colour. But, in reality, these images can be of great importance in specific applications. They can highlight the presence of objects even in poor visibility conditions. This is of great importance in security and law enforcement applications.
No one can see infrared light. People can usually see a range of colours from red to violet. Each of these colours has a specific wavelength or frequency of light. The range of wavelengths beyond violet feature ultraviolet rays. Similarly, the range of wavelengths beyond red feature infrared rays. Warm objects create and radiate heat. They typically emit this heat in the form of infrared rays in all directions. Infrared cameras serve to collect these rays and convert them to images. These images could be black-and-white or in false colour. For the uninitiated, false colour images utilise software for representing different levels of heat in a myriad of colours. A legend or key enables the user to identify the quantum of heat that an object is emitting.