No matter what you’re photographing, infrared filters are recognized for producing a strange, frightening ambiance. That’s why applying a filter like that to a spot like Chernobyl, which already has a scary appearance, may make the scenic photos you capture seem even more spectacular.
On a journey to the Ukrainian village where the tragic nuclear tragedy occurred, photographer Vladimir Migutin did precisely that. “It’s difficult to express the entire vibe I encountered throughout this journey,” he said, adding that it left a delightful impression at the end. “It seemed as though I was in a sort of paradise on another planet.”
The use of an infrared filter to photograph Chernobyl enhanced the post-apocalyptic atmosphere. The photographs stand out from the others due to their unusual color schemes and subtle blur induced by the extended exposure required for infrared photography. Nature seems to be dazzling as well, as the infrared light reflected by leaves creates a distinct enchanting glow that seems to permeate the air. All of this adds up to a sequence of one-of-a-kind images.
#1 Simon – a human-friendly fox, who often approaches groups in the exclusion zone, asking for food.
#2 Bumper cars in Pripyat’s amusement park.
#3 The monumental trail with the evacuated villages’ names on either side.
#4 A trolleybus in one of Chernobyl’s scrapyards.
#5 The Nuclear power plant sarcophagus, Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
#6 The ghost town of Pripyat, Ukraine
#7 The rotting grand piano in the concert hall of the abandoned town of Pripyat
#8 The iconic 26 meters tall Ferris wheel in Pripyat’s amusement park
#9 The Azure Swimming Pool in Pripyat, Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
#10 Butterflies and flowers in the forest, Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
#11 The Bucket (machine part) that was used to clean the roof of the failed reactor after the fallout, Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
#12 Abandoned farm in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
#13 Pripyat Sports hall, Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
#14 A lake within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
#15 “Duga” radar system, used as part of the Soviet anti-ballistic missile early-warning network
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