A popular and sometimes inexpensive method for performing night vision is by near infrared illuminations. In this mehtod, a standard high power lamp that is covered by the near infrared filter designed to pass the lamp's near infrared radiation and block the visible light component is used. Providing supplemental infrared illumination of an appropriate wavelength not only eliminates the variability of available ambient light, but also allows the observer to illuminate only specific areas of interest while eliminating shadows and enhancing image ontrast.