Gordon Buchanan, a freelance cameraman who sometimes works for the BBC, claims Bosch’s AEGIS UFLED infrared illuminators have revolutionised night-time filming.
Lost Land of the Volcano is a three-part nature documentary series that follows a scientific expedition to New Guinea. During filming an international team of scientists, cavers and wildlife filmmakers ventured deep into the heart of the remote tropical island of New Guinea to explore a giant extinct volcano – Mount Bosavi. The team lived deep in the rainforest and searched for rare and endangered species.
Using Bosch’s AEGIS illuminators, the team found a previously undiscovered species of cuscus in the crater, where it has developed in isolation from its other relatives, in time becoming a sub species of the silky cuscus family. Identified as it left its daytime hideout and went in search of food in the forest at night, the Bosavi cuscus – which looks like a small bear – is a marsupial that lives in trees, feeding on fruits and leaves.
Having struggled for more than a decade using what he describes as ‘Frankenstein’ like lighting contraptions ranging from rally car headlights and hunting spotlights, Gordon has welcomed the advances in infrared technology that enable him to capture broadcast quality night-time footage. “Every lighting method I have used up until recently has had a drawback – carrying heavy acid batteries on my back and only having two hours filming power being just one of them,” he says. “Now the team is able to access more remote areas as transporting compact infrared units is no longer an issue. The battery packs last for several hours and are interchangeable with our cameras.”
Field of view was another issue for Gordon. Historically illuminators have provided an uneven blanket of light causing ‘hot spots’ in the captured image but, as Gordon explains: “The AEGIS UFLED units give the most consistent covering of light of any I have trialled. The distance the infrared light travels is also second to none. Whenever I am planning a shoot, Bosch’s IR units will be one of the first pieces of kit in my bag.”
