So what the heck is this you say, and why should we care. I don’t know why you should care, but the technique is interesting: the camera has been modified to read infrared light (that in itself is not a big deal these days) but I am using it with a Vivitar flash which only emits infrared light in the wavelength which the camera can read.
In short, the user doesn’t see a flash unless they are looking directly at the camera, and it feels very much as if you are shooting in complete blackness. The idea goes back a long way, at least to Weegee who did this sort of thing with infrared bulbs. But this is a hell of a lot easier, and more fun since you can tell quickly whether you’re exposures are close or not.
Another advantage is that, as in this case where the woman was running past me, you can have the benefits of flash photography (stopping motion) without using the flash which has a tendency to have authorities tell you that there is no flash photography in the subway (which is true) but not usually enforced.
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