Thursday, January 04, 2007

I See In Infrared

I have started exploring the world of IR photography. My camera already has an IR filter that can swing away from in front of the sensor for doing night-vision work or for composing and focusing in total darkness while taking regular flash photos. I have done this with deer in my yard, and it works.
All digital cameras have an IR-blocking filter, but only a rare few can remove it with the flick of a switch. (You can also have your camera modified.)
By adding a screw-on filter in front of the lens that blocks visible light, you can shoot pictures in the daytime that capture the infrared spectrum, which gives you greenish tinted but almost black and white results that have a few changes.
Vegetation registers in a range that is much brighter than it would look in a normal B&W picture, for example.

It's an interesting 'look' that's full of surprises.
IR has become popular enough that I've even seen some framed art prints for sale in mainstream stores like Target™ that were made this way.

These were from my first infrared tests, and I liked them well enough to post 'em here.
You'll be seeing more stuff like this, but hopefully better as I gain experience both in selecting suitable subjects and with the Photoshopping associated with monochrome and tinted and false-color images.

For much better examples please visit my friend Bruce's photoblog, Enlightenment & Compositions.
He's always got something new in both IR and color.
In fact, now's a good time to visit because his main page still has some of his favorites from 2006, and of course you should look through his archives, too.
He hooked me up with the filter that got me started in IR, so Thanks Again, Bruce!

1 comment:

Bruce said...

Thanks for the plug, buddy.