Birefringence Photography – An Overlooked Photography Technique

The technical definition of birefringence has to do with a material that has a refractive index that varies with the direction of propagation and polarization of light. This often leads to light being refracted twice before you see it.

In photography terms, birefringence involves using a polarizing filter to take a picture of clear plastic that is already under polarized light. The result is photographs that show a liquid blend of colors instead of the normal clarity of light.

Birefringence photography basically involves the use of two polarizing filters: one between the subject and the light source, to polarize the light, and a second on the camera lens.

Ideally, the first filter should be linear, but the camera filter can be circular or linear. Polarized light sources are easy to find because most LCD television screens and computer monitors already have linear polarization. If you really prefer not to use a screen or don’t want those RGB pixels, try a light table that has tinted paper on top. If you don’t have a polarizing lens filter, you can use polarized sunglasses instead.

Here are some tips for getting the best results from birefringence photography.

Backlighting your subject gives photoelasticity (the runny appearance of colors) the best effect. If you’re using a computer screen, make sure it’s pure white. The easiest way to achieve this is to open Paint or Notepad and make the program full screen. Adjust the brightness as needed.

Then, put the polarizing filter on the lens. Rotate it to see how the appearance of the subject changes. If your camera has a “Live View” option, this is much easier to manage. Look at the LCD screen, and when your subject looks the way you want, take your picture.

If you want a stronger effect, apply more than one layer of plastic. To create a modern retro image of a cassette tape that would be a fun 80s party image for an Avoid, place the cassette against a completely white monitor screen. When the polarizing filter is in your camera, you can see the bands of color swirling across the clear surface of the cassette.

After taking the photo, you can edit the background from white to the color of your choice. Choosing black allows the bright colors on your cassette to stand out with the greatest contrast.

You will wow the people on your guest list with your photo magic!