Norman,
I like the 2nd picture. Especially near the top left where you can see a clear imprint of some form of logo or pattern, very crisp and clear.
What I would love to see is for you to do a IR video of one of your sessions. And then compare the results to the still images.
Also, is there a way to turn off the IR source on that IR camera. I'm thinking it may be acting as a "Flash" and saturating the picture with a bit too much IR. I would much prefer to see a separate IR source from a side angle. IR flashlights are fairly cheap and would make an excellent replacement light source.
Keep it up my friend!