New FLIR Software Provides Filtering Modes

by Mike Chapman

New FLIR software allows us to enhance, filter and view FLIR thermal camera images with several different options. The advantage of doing this is to better view the image in varying contrasts to see if anything unusual was captured within the image. Just two examples are shown below, among many options.

The following photos are of the same image - taken a couple of years ago on an investigation at Elizabeth Academy on the Old Natchez Trace (around mile-marker 5). The top photo is the original FLIR i7 image in its typical mode (known as "Iron mode").

The second photo is the exact same photo in gray-scale mode, which is a VERY common photo filtering technique used to provide contrast. Many things will "pop-out" in this mode that you don't ordinarily see in typical photos of any kind - whether FLIR thermal images, deep IR (infrared), full spectrum or normal photos in the visual light range. So - use it often!

The bottom photo is the same photo in "artic mode."

This post shows you how interesting photo filtering can be - and gives you some familiarization with the use of the thermal imaging camera in different photo modes.