In an engaging presentation at the International Photography Festival ‘Xposure’ yesterday (Tuesday), renowned filmmaker, Samir Syriani , highlighted the creative potentials as well as the challenges of infrared black and white cinematography.

Syriani has been working in the industry for over 14 years and fell in love with everything related to the camera and lighting.

Speaking at Stage-X, he told his audience that he started as a cinematographer as he believed that one frame can tell a whole story. The artist, however, was also very keen on directing. After working on commercial and high profile projects, he gained the confidence to put full trust in his work and his vision.

He showed the audience a couple of small clips from his film, “Contact”, to exemplify infrared black and white techniques. He explained that he chose to shoot the film in black and white to create something universal that wouldn’t box it into a specific time or place. He also wanted to tell the story in a poetic way that was both surreal and approachable.

Speaking on one of many challenges they faced while shooting with infrared, Syriani  said, “One problem we had while shooting with infrared cameras was that people’s eyes looked strange, so we ended up experimenting with different coloured contact lenses.”

Syriani and his team also hacked the camera to shoot in 12-bit raw format, which made the files huge and caused problems with the camera processing. However, Syriani believed that it was worth the trouble, and the experimenting paid off, giving the film a unique feel and look.

Syriani ‘s film garnered him worldwide acclaim in the film industry and an authority on shooting in the unique format of infrared. He has a unique ability to create evocative and emotionally charged images using Infrared B&W cinematography.

The talk was well-attended by photographers and filmmakers interested in exploring the technical and creative potential of using the Infrared B&W format.