Infrared Gorillas
Leaving the safety of digital photography behind, McElvaney chose the imaging technology of the now very rare, because no longer regularly produced, KODAK AEROCHROME III Infrared Film 1443 for his high-contrast photo series. Originally developed for military aerial reconnaissance and also used by science to visualise subtle changes in the landscape, infrared colour film reproduces the infrared spectrum, invisible to humans, in one or more specific colours.
The idea for "Infrared Gorillas" already came about at the end of 2019 on the first trip to Uganda. The landscapes and mountains reminded McElvaney of the famous "Infra" series by photographer Richard Mosse, who made the image technology world-famous. Equipped with an analogue camera and Kodak Aerochrome film with 27 exposures, McElvaney revisited the gorillas living in Mgahinga Gorillas National Park and Rushaga and Buhoma in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in 2022.
The idea for "Infrared Gorillas" already came about at the end of 2019 on the first trip to Uganda. The landscapes and mountains reminded McElvaney of the famous "Infra" series by photographer Richard Mosse, who made the image technology world-famous. Equipped with an analogue camera and Kodak Aerochrome film with 27 exposures, McElvaney revisited the gorillas living in Mgahinga Gorillas National Park and Rushaga and Buhoma in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in 2022.
