This is one of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. This guide explains when it would be useful to set up an Infrared Garden Experiment, and how you would do it. Basically, an infrared photograph of the same type of plants growing side by side can reveal unseen differences in plant health. Possible causes vary widely, but could include differences in cultivation methods, drainage patterns, soil chemicals, among others.

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This poster shows how an infragram camera can be used to take a picture of the same type of plants side by side to reveal which are photsynthesizing more:

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Planning this event

Do a bit of exploration into infrared photography:

• Read about infrared cameras, watch a fun video and connect to the community email list here: http://publiclab.org/wiki/infragram
• Consider if your question can be answered by this type of investigation:
  • Are you testing different cultivation methods with a single kind of plant?
  • Want to find out as early in the season as possible if your plants are thriving evenly?
  • If you are asking a question about plant health, then, yes, this experiment is for you! Continue reading... :)
    

Materials to gather ahead of time:

• Make, borrow, or purchase an infragram camera. There are two types:
  • a hand-modified camera that someone opened up and modified themselves, or
  • a factory-modified "point-&-shoot" that can do individual photos, multiple timelapse photos, or video (less useful, but cool)
• Whatever type of infragram camera you end up holding, it's either going to have a blue filter (as on the original infragram edition ~2013) or red filter (~2014 and newer) inside. Ask the person you got it from which it is:

• Depending on what kind of filter your Infragram has, print out a matching red or blue square from these color squares below or from this note:

Materials that you need to bring out to the site you wish to photograph:

• the infragram camera
• SD card that fits the camera
• charged battery / batteries
• The appropriate red or blue piece of paper that matches the color filter inside your camera
  

Materials that you need to have back inside:

• internet connection
• computer that can read the picture off your SD card, or a card reader
• if using the Point & Shoot, have the miniUSB-to-USB cable that came with it

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Activity 1: setting up your camera to take high quality images

PLEASE NOTE: This activity has one set of steps for the hand-modified cameras and another set of steps for the factory-made Point-&-Shoots

Follow the steps in this video to white balance your hand-modified camera. Important: Light conditions dictate everything, so do this step outside in the same light conditions as the plants you want to photograph (i.e., don't stand in the shade if you want to photograph plants in the sun):

Follow these steps if you are using a factory-made Infragram Point and Shoot. This camera should have arrived already white balanced, otherwise check out the information here: http://publiclab.org/wiki/infragram-point-shoot, and email the list with any questions.

Picture of Infragram Point and Shoot:

Once you've set the white balance, choose a good vantage point and take a picture or five. Success! You've completed this activity. Time for a refreshing beverage!

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Activity 2:

This activity will walk you through uploading your pictures to the online site infragram.org for processing, and will assist you in understanding what the finished image reveals about the health of your plants.

• Put the SD card in your computer and upload it to infragram.org (requires internet connection)