Infrared Photography: Tips on How to Get Started

You have always wanted to try infrared photography, but you've been lead to believe that this can only be done using expensive IR cameras? This article is for you! Read about how you can build yourself a digital IR camera for just a few dollars.

"Infrared in Sykesville, MD" captured by Sean Naber (Click Image to See More From Sean Naber)

Notes to the Reader

This article covers some of the basic principles of IR photography. It also tells the story of a project involving the modification of a number of digital cameras. The cameras were converted to be used as IR cameras. The aim of the project was to do the IR conversion as cheaply as possible.

Important disclaimer: Taking apart a perfectly good, fully functional, digital camera, is risky in more ways than one. There is the possibility of electrocution (through highly charged capacitors within the camera) and there is a real chance that the camera may never work again. I take no responsibility for any such mishap. The risk is yours completely; so are the rewards afterward if you get it right!

At the time of writing this, the NZ$ is worth about 70 cents American.

The Trigger and the Motivation

I am a simple man. I sometimes get involved in projects of a complex nature and may on the odd occasion fiddle with technologies which may be classed as "modern" or "advanced." By nature, though, I like to simplify things if at all possible. I also believe that many times we are precluded from doing worthwhile things by society telling us, "It's difficult," "It's too expensive," or "You'll never be able to do that. Only certain people can do that, and you are not one of them."

In this article I aim to prove to you that you too can do IR photography. In fact, you can produce stunning IR photos using a home-built camera on a very tight budget if:

You are prepared to invest a very modest sum of money in getting together the parts needed.

You have the practical skills needed to take something apart and put it back together again (or know someone who can help you with that).

You can cut and shape a small piece of glass (or get someone to do it for you).

You have any knack at all for taking decent photographs.

You are prepared to risk "getting it wrong" or "screwing it up."

Photo captured by Ruel Tafalla (Click Image to See More From Ruel Tafalla)

Resources

Before you set off on this journey, you may want to get some more information on the subject. Fortunately there is a lot of information accessible on the Internet.

For information on camera conversions:

"Greenwich Park" captured by Sean Nel (Click Image to See More From Sean Nel)

In some instances, the articles mentioned above will give you all the details needed to convert a specific camera. Some of them refer you on to other sites where once again modifications to cameras are described and detailed. Even if you do not intend to convert one of the cameras covered in these articles, it is worth the while to scan through them. You then get an idea of what a digital camera looks like on the inside and how they are constructed. You will learn a lot by just scanning through the articles contained in this list!

Some more information on IR photography (using digital cameras) can be found at LifePixel and other similar sites.

You can also search the Internet for sources of your own using phrases such as:

"infrared camera conversion"

"infrared photography"

"IR photography"

You may also go to a local library and ask about IR photography. Many libraries will only have books and references on IR film photography but you may be lucky and get info on digital photography from yours. It all depends on how modern and up-to-date your library services are.

IR Photography Concepts

I am going to assume that you have a basic grasp of the principles of IR photography. Even though you need not be an expert on these, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the following before you proceed with this article:

What is infrared light?

How does it differ from light in the visible spectrum?

Why is it we can not see it but digital cameras can ?

How does a digital camera capture a picture?

What is a CCD?

What does a camera's mega pixels(MP) value indicate?

What does a "hot filter" do, and why is it found inside most digital cameras?

Manipulating JPEG files on a personal computer

Utilizing graphics software

The mere fact that you are reading this article tells me that you have an interest in IR photography. You may also be keen on taking your own IR photos and manipulating them. I take that to be a good sign and trust that you will "fill in the gaps" around missing information where and when needed.

From experience I can tell you that:

You do not need a specialized IR camera costing hundreds (or thousands) of dollars to do IR photography.

You do not need to use a DSLR for infrared photography. A cheap digital camera that has been converted for IR photography can take stunning IR photos. It will most likely not suffer from long exposure times and can be utilized as easily as any other digital camera.

It is not that difficult to convert a suitable point-and-shoot digital camera for IR photography.

Suitable cameras and the materials needed to build your own dedicated IR camera can be sourced cheaply if you have access to the Internet and a reliable postal service. You may already posses some of the tools and/or may be able to get the components and tools in stores close to home.

"IR Queen's" captured by Reza (Click Image to See More From Reza)

What You Need

You will need the following during the construction phase of your IR photography project:

A suitable camera. There are numerous references to suitable cameras on the internet. You may want to read my comments on what I considered suitable cameras below. This will give you an indication of how I went about it. As you will most likely be buying second hand goods, ensure that the deal includes a memory card, charger for the battery (if applicable) and some software (good to have) for downloading the photo files. A carry case is good to have but not essential.

A suitable IR filter. You will most likely be able to get this from a photography shop, photographic retailer or the like. If you are able to source goods over the Internet and can have it delivered to your home, you will not find it difficult to get a suitable filter. Consider buying at least two or three different filters. If you do, the filters should be spaced far enough apart (in terms of their respective cut-off points) to allow you to experiment with different lighting conditions, more or less Woods effect etc. Note that you may not only have to buy filters for use as filter elements, but you may have to buy some filters to cannibalize for their parts.

Some basic tools. These include one or two jeweler's screwdrivers, a glass cutter, a diamond-impregnated file, masking tape, a fine-pointed semi-permanent pen, tweezers and blu tack. You may or may not want to use vernier calipers to measure the glass element that needs replacing inside the camera. More about that later.

A suitable workplace. The workplace should be clean, uncluttered and well-lit. It should preferably be set up such that you can leave the project there indefinitely while searching for, constructing or waiting for parts.

A few consumables like paper cloths, cleaning liquid, epoxy glue, earbuds and a clean handkerchief or two.

Enough time to complete the project. A typical build can take an evening or two of full-on work but may extend out to a week or two if you have to wait for delivery on goods which had been ordered

Basic Tools

Infrared Photography Tools

You may not need all of the tools shown in the two photos. Most are cheap and easy to find.

Additional Infrared Photography Tools Needed

Once you have completed your camera you will need:

A memory card suited to your camera. Some cameras have internal memory allowing you to store photo files on the camera itself. It is however always worth the while to get a memory card. The files are downloaded so much easier and the storage capacity is increased many times over.

Batteries, a battery pack, or power source for your camera.

If your camera allows for manual white balancing, you will need a gray card to allow for this action. You need not spent lots of money on this; see notes later in this article.

Suitable subject material for your photo shoot.

Sufficient light and suitable weather conditions for the shoot.

Means of getting the files from the camera on to the computer. You may transfer the information by means of a cable connection or by taking the memory card from the camera and slotting it into a suitable card reader. Consult the instruction manual for your camera for more information on how to do this.

Access to a personal computer and suitable software for image manipulation. Once again this need not cost you a cent. You can download GIMP from the Internet and use it to process our photos. There are Gimpuser tutorials which teach you how to take a color photo and convert it to grayscale or how to change around the colors for false-color photography. You will basically be doing one of these two actions to convert your IR photo into a stunning work of art. See http://www.gimpusers.com/tutorials/infrared-monochrome.html

A tripod is handy in that it allows you to take photos in poor lighting conditions.

Things to Keep in Mind About IR Photography

IR photography is as much an experimental process as it is an art form. You never quite know what you are going to get when you press the shutter release. You are for ever experimenting, always trying different things and you need to take lots of photos to maybe get the outcome you hoped for.

IR photo's need not be sharply focused, crisp and clear. In fact much of the allure of this art form is contained in its ghostly appearance, its dreamy atmosphere and sometimes surrealistic appearance. I will be referring to this later on within the article.

Digital IR photography has very real advantages over IR film photography. The old IR films had to be treated with great care to prevent fogging and had to be developed by experienced photo laboratory staff or dedicated amateurs. It was not easy and it was not cheap. Digital photography and the process of producing an IR image of your own does not cost a cent. That's right! Once you have modified your camera and added the bits needed to get it to do IR photography, the only real expenditure will be toward batteries for the shoot. You can upload your own photos, "process" them, and produce results without any real cost. This is especially important when you consider that you will be taking lots of photos to see which ones are useful and which ones are not.

Proceed to Part 2: My Own Infrared Camera Project

About the author:Pieter Albertyn is a self-confessed "tinkerer" and amateur photographer. He lives in Napier, New Zealand. Pieter has previously been involved in product development and systems engineering. He loves to modify utility products, enhance their features and develop basic logistical support systems for them. Though he works in an English dominated workplace, English is his second language.

Source: Infrared Photography: Tips on How to Get Started

Exposing the hidden secrets in skin with ultraviolet light and a UV-sensitive camera

by Jeremy Gray

posted Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 10:00 AM EST

Mathieu Stern teamed up with fellow French photographer Pierre-Louis Ferrer to showcase how a modified DSLR camera can show many details hidden in your skin. Ferrer is well-regarded for his ultraviolet and infrared photography and Stern wanted to work with Ferrer to see what they could do together in the studio.

Using ultraviolet lightbulbs, a large UV ring flash and a UV-sensitive DSLR, the duo showed how different we look when exposed to UV light using specialized camera gear. It's always fun to see familiar subjects in a new way. Many details you would never see under normal lighting conditions appear and the colors - or lack thereof - are distinct.

You can see high-resolution images from the above photoshoot here. If you are curious what other familiar subjects - in this case fruits - look like under UV light, check out the video below, which Stern produced with Ferrer last fall.

To see more of Pierre-Louis Ferrer's work, visit his website.

(Seen via ISO 1200)

Source: Exposing the hidden secrets in skin with ultraviolet light and a UV-sensitive camera

Infrared Photography: Tips on How to Get Started

You have always wanted to try infrared photography, but you've been lead to believe that this can only be done using expensive IR cameras? This article is for you! Read about how you can build yourself a digital IR camera for just a few dollars.

"Infrared in Sykesville, MD" captured by Sean Naber (Click Image to See More From Sean Naber)

Notes to the Reader

This article covers some of the basic principles of IR photography. It also tells the story of a project involving the modification of a number of digital cameras. The cameras were converted to be used as IR cameras. The aim of the project was to do the IR conversion as cheaply as possible.

Important disclaimer: Taking apart a perfectly good, fully functional, digital camera, is risky in more ways than one. There is the possibility of electrocution (through highly charged capacitors within the camera) and there is a real chance that the camera may never work again. I take no responsibility for any such mishap. The risk is yours completely; so are the rewards afterward if you get it right!

At the time of writing this, the NZ$ is worth about 70 cents American.

The Trigger and the Motivation

I am a simple man. I sometimes get involved in projects of a complex nature and may on the odd occasion fiddle with technologies which may be classed as "modern" or "advanced." By nature, though, I like to simplify things if at all possible. I also believe that many times we are precluded from doing worthwhile things by society telling us, "It's difficult," "It's too expensive," or "You'll never be able to do that. Only certain people can do that, and you are not one of them."

In this article I aim to prove to you that you too can do IR photography. In fact, you can produce stunning IR photos using a home-built camera on a very tight budget if:

You are prepared to invest a very modest sum of money in getting together the parts needed.

You have the practical skills needed to take something apart and put it back together again (or know someone who can help you with that).

You can cut and shape a small piece of glass (or get someone to do it for you).

You have any knack at all for taking decent photographs.

You are prepared to risk "getting it wrong" or "screwing it up."

Photo captured by Ruel Tafalla (Click Image to See More From Ruel Tafalla)

Resources

Before you set off on this journey, you may want to get some more information on the subject. Fortunately there is a lot of information accessible on the Internet.

For information on camera conversions:

"Greenwich Park" captured by Sean Nel (Click Image to See More From Sean Nel)

In some instances, the articles mentioned above will give you all the details needed to convert a specific camera. Some of them refer you on to other sites where once again modifications to cameras are described and detailed. Even if you do not intend to convert one of the cameras covered in these articles, it is worth the while to scan through them. You then get an idea of what a digital camera looks like on the inside and how they are constructed. You will learn a lot by just scanning through the articles contained in this list!

Some more information on IR photography (using digital cameras) can be found at LifePixel and other similar sites.

You can also search the Internet for sources of your own using phrases such as:

"infrared camera conversion"

"infrared photography"

"IR photography"

You may also go to a local library and ask about IR photography. Many libraries will only have books and references on IR film photography but you may be lucky and get info on digital photography from yours. It all depends on how modern and up-to-date your library services are.

IR Photography Concepts

I am going to assume that you have a basic grasp of the principles of IR photography. Even though you need not be an expert on these, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the following before you proceed with this article:

What is infrared light?

How does it differ from light in the visible spectrum?

Why is it we can not see it but digital cameras can ?

How does a digital camera capture a picture?

What is a CCD?

What does a camera's mega pixels(MP) value indicate?

What does a "hot filter" do, and why is it found inside most digital cameras?

Manipulating JPEG files on a personal computer

Utilizing graphics software

The mere fact that you are reading this article tells me that you have an interest in IR photography. You may also be keen on taking your own IR photos and manipulating them. I take that to be a good sign and trust that you will "fill in the gaps" around missing information where and when needed.

From experience I can tell you that:

You do not need a specialized IR camera costing hundreds (or thousands) of dollars to do IR photography.

You do not need to use a DSLR for infrared photography. A cheap digital camera that has been converted for IR photography can take stunning IR photos. It will most likely not suffer from long exposure times and can be utilized as easily as any other digital camera.

It is not that difficult to convert a suitable point-and-shoot digital camera for IR photography.

Suitable cameras and the materials needed to build your own dedicated IR camera can be sourced cheaply if you have access to the Internet and a reliable postal service. You may already posses some of the tools and/or may be able to get the components and tools in stores close to home.

"IR Queen's" captured by Reza (Click Image to See More From Reza)

What You Need

You will need the following during the construction phase of your IR photography project:

A suitable camera. There are numerous references to suitable cameras on the internet. You may want to read my comments on what I considered suitable cameras below. This will give you an indication of how I went about it. As you will most likely be buying second hand goods, ensure that the deal includes a memory card, charger for the battery (if applicable) and some software (good to have) for downloading the photo files. A carry case is good to have but not essential.

A suitable IR filter. You will most likely be able to get this from a photography shop, photographic retailer or the like. If you are able to source goods over the Internet and can have it delivered to your home, you will not find it difficult to get a suitable filter. Consider buying at least two or three different filters. If you do, the filters should be spaced far enough apart (in terms of their respective cut-off points) to allow you to experiment with different lighting conditions, more or less Woods effect etc. Note that you may not only have to buy filters for use as filter elements, but you may have to buy some filters to cannibalize for their parts.

Some basic tools. These include one or two jeweler's screwdrivers, a glass cutter, a diamond-impregnated file, masking tape, a fine-pointed semi-permanent pen, tweezers and blu tack. You may or may not want to use vernier calipers to measure the glass element that needs replacing inside the camera. More about that later.

A suitable workplace. The workplace should be clean, uncluttered and well-lit. It should preferably be set up such that you can leave the project there indefinitely while searching for, constructing or waiting for parts.

A few consumables like paper cloths, cleaning liquid, epoxy glue, earbuds and a clean handkerchief or two.

Enough time to complete the project. A typical build can take an evening or two of full-on work but may extend out to a week or two if you have to wait for delivery on goods which had been ordered

Basic Tools

Infrared Photography Tools

You may not need all of the tools shown in the two photos. Most are cheap and easy to find.

Additional Infrared Photography Tools Needed

Once you have completed your camera you will need:

A memory card suited to your camera. Some cameras have internal memory allowing you to store photo files on the camera itself. It is however always worth the while to get a memory card. The files are downloaded so much easier and the storage capacity is increased many times over.

Batteries, a battery pack, or power source for your camera.

If your camera allows for manual white balancing, you will need a gray card to allow for this action. You need not spent lots of money on this; see notes later in this article.

Suitable subject material for your photo shoot.

Sufficient light and suitable weather conditions for the shoot.

Means of getting the files from the camera on to the computer. You may transfer the information by means of a cable connection or by taking the memory card from the camera and slotting it into a suitable card reader. Consult the instruction manual for your camera for more information on how to do this.

Access to a personal computer and suitable software for image manipulation. Once again this need not cost you a cent. You can download GIMP from the Internet and use it to process our photos. There are Gimpuser tutorials which teach you how to take a color photo and convert it to grayscale or how to change around the colors for false-color photography. You will basically be doing one of these two actions to convert your IR photo into a stunning work of art. See http://www.gimpusers.com/tutorials/infrared-monochrome.html

A tripod is handy in that it allows you to take photos in poor lighting conditions.

Things to Keep in Mind About IR Photography

IR photography is as much an experimental process as it is an art form. You never quite know what you are going to get when you press the shutter release. You are for ever experimenting, always trying different things and you need to take lots of photos to maybe get the outcome you hoped for.

IR photo's need not be sharply focused, crisp and clear. In fact much of the allure of this art form is contained in its ghostly appearance, its dreamy atmosphere and sometimes surrealistic appearance. I will be referring to this later on within the article.

Digital IR photography has very real advantages over IR film photography. The old IR films had to be treated with great care to prevent fogging and had to be developed by experienced photo laboratory staff or dedicated amateurs. It was not easy and it was not cheap. Digital photography and the process of producing an IR image of your own does not cost a cent. That's right! Once you have modified your camera and added the bits needed to get it to do IR photography, the only real expenditure will be toward batteries for the shoot. You can upload your own photos, "process" them, and produce results without any real cost. This is especially important when you consider that you will be taking lots of photos to see which ones are useful and which ones are not.

Proceed to Part 2: My Own Infrared Camera Project

About the author:Pieter Albertyn is a self-confessed "tinkerer" and amateur photographer. He lives in Napier, New Zealand. Pieter has previously been involved in product development and systems engineering. He loves to modify utility products, enhance their features and develop basic logistical support systems for them. Though he works in an English dominated workplace, English is his second language.

Source: Infrared Photography: Tips on How to Get Started

Exposing the hidden secrets in skin with ultraviolet light and a UV-sensitive camera

by Jeremy Gray

posted Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 10:00 AM EST

Mathieu Stern teamed up with fellow French photographer Pierre-Louis Ferrer to showcase how a modified DSLR camera can show many details hidden in your skin. Ferrer is well-regarded for his ultraviolet and infrared photography and Stern wanted to work with Ferrer to see what they could do together in the studio.

Using ultraviolet lightbulbs, a large UV ring flash and a UV-sensitive DSLR, the duo showed how different we look when exposed to UV light using specialized camera gear. It's always fun to see familiar subjects in a new way. Many details you would never see under normal lighting conditions appear and the colors - or lack thereof - are distinct.

You can see high-resolution images from the above photoshoot here. If you are curious what other familiar subjects - in this case fruits - look like under UV light, check out the video below, which Stern produced with Ferrer last fall.

To see more of Pierre-Louis Ferrer's work, visit his website.

(Seen via ISO 1200)

Source: Exposing the hidden secrets in skin with ultraviolet light and a UV-sensitive camera

Infrared Photography: Tips on How to Get Started

You have always wanted to try infrared photography, but you've been lead to believe that this can only be done using expensive IR cameras? This article is for you! Read about how you can build yourself a digital IR camera for just a few dollars.

"Infrared in Sykesville, MD" captured by Sean Naber (Click Image to See More From Sean Naber)

Notes to the Reader

This article covers some of the basic principles of IR photography. It also tells the story of a project involving the modification of a number of digital cameras. The cameras were converted to be used as IR cameras. The aim of the project was to do the IR conversion as cheaply as possible.

Important disclaimer: Taking apart a perfectly good, fully functional, digital camera, is risky in more ways than one. There is the possibility of electrocution (through highly charged capacitors within the camera) and there is a real chance that the camera may never work again. I take no responsibility for any such mishap. The risk is yours completely; so are the rewards afterward if you get it right!

At the time of writing this, the NZ$ is worth about 70 cents American.

The Trigger and the Motivation

I am a simple man. I sometimes get involved in projects of a complex nature and may on the odd occasion fiddle with technologies which may be classed as "modern" or "advanced." By nature, though, I like to simplify things if at all possible. I also believe that many times we are precluded from doing worthwhile things by society telling us, "It's difficult," "It's too expensive," or "You'll never be able to do that. Only certain people can do that, and you are not one of them."

In this article I aim to prove to you that you too can do IR photography. In fact, you can produce stunning IR photos using a home-built camera on a very tight budget if:

You are prepared to invest a very modest sum of money in getting together the parts needed.

You have the practical skills needed to take something apart and put it back together again (or know someone who can help you with that).

You can cut and shape a small piece of glass (or get someone to do it for you).

You have any knack at all for taking decent photographs.

You are prepared to risk "getting it wrong" or "screwing it up."

Photo captured by Ruel Tafalla (Click Image to See More From Ruel Tafalla)

Resources

Before you set off on this journey, you may want to get some more information on the subject. Fortunately there is a lot of information accessible on the Internet.

For information on camera conversions:

"Greenwich Park" captured by Sean Nel (Click Image to See More From Sean Nel)

In some instances, the articles mentioned above will give you all the details needed to convert a specific camera. Some of them refer you on to other sites where once again modifications to cameras are described and detailed. Even if you do not intend to convert one of the cameras covered in these articles, it is worth the while to scan through them. You then get an idea of what a digital camera looks like on the inside and how they are constructed. You will learn a lot by just scanning through the articles contained in this list!

Some more information on IR photography (using digital cameras) can be found at LifePixel and other similar sites.

You can also search the Internet for sources of your own using phrases such as:

"infrared camera conversion"

"infrared photography"

"IR photography"

You may also go to a local library and ask about IR photography. Many libraries will only have books and references on IR film photography but you may be lucky and get info on digital photography from yours. It all depends on how modern and up-to-date your library services are.

IR Photography Concepts

I am going to assume that you have a basic grasp of the principles of IR photography. Even though you need not be an expert on these, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the following before you proceed with this article:

What is infrared light?

How does it differ from light in the visible spectrum?

Why is it we can not see it but digital cameras can ?

How does a digital camera capture a picture?

What is a CCD?

What does a camera's mega pixels(MP) value indicate?

What does a "hot filter" do, and why is it found inside most digital cameras?

Manipulating JPEG files on a personal computer

Utilizing graphics software

The mere fact that you are reading this article tells me that you have an interest in IR photography. You may also be keen on taking your own IR photos and manipulating them. I take that to be a good sign and trust that you will "fill in the gaps" around missing information where and when needed.

From experience I can tell you that:

You do not need a specialized IR camera costing hundreds (or thousands) of dollars to do IR photography.

You do not need to use a DSLR for infrared photography. A cheap digital camera that has been converted for IR photography can take stunning IR photos. It will most likely not suffer from long exposure times and can be utilized as easily as any other digital camera.

It is not that difficult to convert a suitable point-and-shoot digital camera for IR photography.

Suitable cameras and the materials needed to build your own dedicated IR camera can be sourced cheaply if you have access to the Internet and a reliable postal service. You may already posses some of the tools and/or may be able to get the components and tools in stores close to home.

"IR Queen's" captured by Reza (Click Image to See More From Reza)

What You Need

You will need the following during the construction phase of your IR photography project:

A suitable camera. There are numerous references to suitable cameras on the internet. You may want to read my comments on what I considered suitable cameras below. This will give you an indication of how I went about it. As you will most likely be buying second hand goods, ensure that the deal includes a memory card, charger for the battery (if applicable) and some software (good to have) for downloading the photo files. A carry case is good to have but not essential.

A suitable IR filter. You will most likely be able to get this from a photography shop, photographic retailer or the like. If you are able to source goods over the Internet and can have it delivered to your home, you will not find it difficult to get a suitable filter. Consider buying at least two or three different filters. If you do, the filters should be spaced far enough apart (in terms of their respective cut-off points) to allow you to experiment with different lighting conditions, more or less Woods effect etc. Note that you may not only have to buy filters for use as filter elements, but you may have to buy some filters to cannibalize for their parts.

Some basic tools. These include one or two jeweler's screwdrivers, a glass cutter, a diamond-impregnated file, masking tape, a fine-pointed semi-permanent pen, tweezers and blu tack. You may or may not want to use vernier calipers to measure the glass element that needs replacing inside the camera. More about that later.

A suitable workplace. The workplace should be clean, uncluttered and well-lit. It should preferably be set up such that you can leave the project there indefinitely while searching for, constructing or waiting for parts.

A few consumables like paper cloths, cleaning liquid, epoxy glue, earbuds and a clean handkerchief or two.

Enough time to complete the project. A typical build can take an evening or two of full-on work but may extend out to a week or two if you have to wait for delivery on goods which had been ordered

Basic Tools

Infrared Photography Tools

You may not need all of the tools shown in the two photos. Most are cheap and easy to find.

Additional Infrared Photography Tools Needed

Once you have completed your camera you will need:

A memory card suited to your camera. Some cameras have internal memory allowing you to store photo files on the camera itself. It is however always worth the while to get a memory card. The files are downloaded so much easier and the storage capacity is increased many times over.

Batteries, a battery pack, or power source for your camera.

If your camera allows for manual white balancing, you will need a gray card to allow for this action. You need not spent lots of money on this; see notes later in this article.

Suitable subject material for your photo shoot.

Sufficient light and suitable weather conditions for the shoot.

Means of getting the files from the camera on to the computer. You may transfer the information by means of a cable connection or by taking the memory card from the camera and slotting it into a suitable card reader. Consult the instruction manual for your camera for more information on how to do this.

Access to a personal computer and suitable software for image manipulation. Once again this need not cost you a cent. You can download GIMP from the Internet and use it to process our photos. There are Gimpuser tutorials which teach you how to take a color photo and convert it to grayscale or how to change around the colors for false-color photography. You will basically be doing one of these two actions to convert your IR photo into a stunning work of art. See http://www.gimpusers.com/tutorials/infrared-monochrome.html

A tripod is handy in that it allows you to take photos in poor lighting conditions.

Things to Keep in Mind About IR Photography

IR photography is as much an experimental process as it is an art form. You never quite know what you are going to get when you press the shutter release. You are for ever experimenting, always trying different things and you need to take lots of photos to maybe get the outcome you hoped for.

IR photo's need not be sharply focused, crisp and clear. In fact much of the allure of this art form is contained in its ghostly appearance, its dreamy atmosphere and sometimes surrealistic appearance. I will be referring to this later on within the article.

Digital IR photography has very real advantages over IR film photography. The old IR films had to be treated with great care to prevent fogging and had to be developed by experienced photo laboratory staff or dedicated amateurs. It was not easy and it was not cheap. Digital photography and the process of producing an IR image of your own does not cost a cent. That's right! Once you have modified your camera and added the bits needed to get it to do IR photography, the only real expenditure will be toward batteries for the shoot. You can upload your own photos, "process" them, and produce results without any real cost. This is especially important when you consider that you will be taking lots of photos to see which ones are useful and which ones are not.

Proceed to Part 2: My Own Infrared Camera Project

About the author:Pieter Albertyn is a self-confessed "tinkerer" and amateur photographer. He lives in Napier, New Zealand. Pieter has previously been involved in product development and systems engineering. He loves to modify utility products, enhance their features and develop basic logistical support systems for them. Though he works in an English dominated workplace, English is his second language.

Source: Infrared Photography: Tips on How to Get Started

Exposing the hidden secrets in skin with ultraviolet light and a UV-sensitive camera

by Jeremy Gray

posted Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 10:00 AM EST

Mathieu Stern teamed up with fellow French photographer Pierre-Louis Ferrer to showcase how a modified DSLR camera can show many details hidden in your skin. Ferrer is well-regarded for his ultraviolet and infrared photography and Stern wanted to work with Ferrer to see what they could do together in the studio.

Using ultraviolet lightbulbs, a large UV ring flash and a UV-sensitive DSLR, the duo showed how different we look when exposed to UV light using specialized camera gear. It's always fun to see familiar subjects in a new way. Many details you would never see under normal lighting conditions appear and the colors - or lack thereof - are distinct.

You can see high-resolution images from the above photoshoot here. If you are curious what other familiar subjects - in this case fruits - look like under UV light, check out the video below, which Stern produced with Ferrer last fall.

To see more of Pierre-Louis Ferrer's work, visit his website.

(Seen via ISO 1200)

Source: Exposing the hidden secrets in skin with ultraviolet light and a UV-sensitive camera

New report: Color infrared aerial photography negatives global market research for 2017

This report studies sales (consumption) of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions

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Notes:

Sales, means the sales volume of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives

Revenue, means the sales value of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives

This report studies sales (consumption) of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, covering

Company One

Company Two

Company Three

Company Four

Company Five

Company Six

Company Seven

Company Eight

Company Nine

Company Ten

Company 11

Company 12

Company 13

Company 14

Company 15

Company 16

Company 17

Company 18

Company 19

Company 20

Market Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), like

United States

China

Europe

Japan

Southeast Asia

India

Split by product Types, with sales, revenue, price and gross margin, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided into

Type I

Type II

Split by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives in each application, can be divided into

Application 1

Application 2

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Table of Contents

Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Sales Market Report 2017

1 Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Overview

1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives

1.2 Classification of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives

1.2.1 Type I

1.2.2 Type II

1.3 Application of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives

1.3.1 Application 1

1.3.2 Application 2

1.4 Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Market by Regions

1.4.1 United States Status and Prospect (2012-2022)

1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)

1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)

1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)

1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)

1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)

1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives (2012-2022)

1.5.1 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)

1.5.2 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)

2 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application

2.1 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Market Competition by Manufacturers

...CONTINUED

List of Tables and Figures

Figure Picture of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives

Table Classification of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives

Figure Global Sales Market Share of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives by Type in 2015

Figure Type I Picture

Figure Type II Picture

Table Applications of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives

Figure Global Sales Market Share of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives by Application in 2015

Figure Application 1 Examples

Figure Application 2 Examples

Figure United States Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)

Figure China Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)

Figure Europe Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)

Figure Japan Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)

Figure Southeast Asia Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)

Figure India Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)

Figure Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)

Figure Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)

Table Globa

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Source: New report: Color infrared aerial photography negatives global market research for 2017

Olympus E-PL5 Infrared conversion

For a bit of fun (and also to use for astro photography) I thought that I'd have a go at doing an IR conversion on an E-PL5. Why the E-PL5? Mainly because it's cheap, capable, compatible with all my lenses and telescope adapters and also because there is a rather nice guide to follow:

Life Pixel – Olympus E-PL5 DIY Digital Infrared Conversion Tutorial - LifePixel Digital Infrared Photography IR Conversion

I bought the E-PL5 from London Camera Exchange for £150 body only complete with original box, manuals, charger and a spare battery thrown in.

For my conversion I am removing the "hot mirror filter" which consists of the IR filter and also I believe the anti-aliasing filter. I decided the retain the dust reduction filter to provide some protection for the sensor. I am not replacing the IR filter with a visible light cut filter, so technically this is a full-spectrum plus IR conversion. The tear-down went reasonably well and the removal and reassembly was trick y, but without any significant incident!

The back removed

Lots of bits

The IR filter and gasket

No-one was more surprised than me when it started up first time and I got an image on the screen! I took some test photos with my 12-40 Pro lens and can confirm that AF seems to be working well (it is a little slower to lock on), so overall a good result. Below are a few test images that I took to confirm that everyth ing was working OK. All images are OoC jpgs with no additional processing except for white balance changes as indicated.

Auto White-Balance

With custom White-Balance

With Hoya R72 (visible light cut) filter Daylight White-Balance

With Hoya R72 (visible light cut) filter Custom White-Balance

Apart from the terrible test photos (it's a rubbish overcast day) I'm really please with the end result. I just need to wait for a nice clear sky to give it a proper testing.

Source: Olympus E-PL5 Infrared conversion

Surreal Infrared Landscape Photography by David Keochkerian

David Keochkerian holds a PhD in human physiology, and when he's not rehabilitating the human body, he's creating dream worlds with natural landscapes and a large dose of creativity. The surreal images that you see are thanks to infrared photography.

Wait, what's that?

Infrared light is all around us. It's not visible to the naked eye, but sure doesn't escape the camera, which uses it to create interesting and sometimes haunting images.

If you've already got a camera that gives you that function, filters, a decent lens for landscape photography, and a tripod, then you could take inspiration from David and create your very own universe.

Learning this unique style of photography will help to set you apart and stand out in a unique and creative way. Infrared photography initially required a specific and expensive type of infrared film, but now with this course by Jack Davis, you can learn how to create spectacular images that capture visual elements invisible to the naked eye.

Jack will guide you through the technology choices, in-field options and post-processing secrets that will help you incorporate the jaw-dropping beauty of infrared into your photography.

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Source: Surreal Infrared Landscape Photography by David Keochkerian

Seeing York in a whole new light...

THE locations are familiar – York city centre, Strensall Common and the Yorkshire Arboretum – but we think you'll agree there's a distinctly unearthly quality to the photographs on these pages today.

That's because you're literally seeing these scenes in a different light.

All the photos were taken by Peter Bayliss, president of the York Photographic Society, using a camera modified to capture infrared light – and an eye for the unusual and bizarre.

Normally cameras block out infrared light with a filter on the sensor, Peter says. "But a camera with the sensor removed will capture the full spectrum."

When images are captured the colours will be red. But the colour palette can then be "shifted" using special software.

By playing around with the images and swapping some of the colours it is possible to get some genuinely unearthly "false colour" effects.

Peter took a series of photos at Strensall Common, of which we reproduce two here. One shows clumps of grass beneath silver birch trees. Red and blue colours have been swapped, which leaves the grass looking almost blue-tinged.

COLOUR FIELD: Silver birch trees at Strensall Common with clumps of grass beneath. Photo: Peter Bayliss

In a second photo, taken with a filter which removed most of the red light, the grass and the leaves of trees are left looking deathly white, while the sky glimpsed between clouds is a striking dark blue.

Fade to grey: trees and grass at Strensall Common in an image taken with red light filtered out. Photo: Peter Bayliss

Two photos of the same tree at the Yorkshire Arboretum show the striking effect of using infrared. One was taken in infrared, and the leaves show up as an an icy blue. The other was taken in normal light, and the leaves are a deep autumnal orange.

The same tree in infrared (left) and normal light. Photos: Peter Bayliss

It is the photos of York that many readers may find most arresting, however. The Old White Swan in Goodramgate is as orange as Donald Trump's permatan – but the green foliage in the hanging baskets looks white.

The Old White Swan, Goodramgate. Photo: Peter Bayliss

In another photo, the East End of York Minster has been bleached to a bone white colour, while the leaves of trees and the clothing of passersby has become yellow.

York Minster. Photo: Peter Bayliss

A similarly colour-swapping effect, meanwhile, has turned the clothing of people sitting outside Crumbs cafeteria in College Street bright yellow. They almost look as if they've all been daubed with paint from the same tin.

Outside Crumbs, College Street. Photo: Peter Bayliss

There's an icy, wintry look about St Mary's Church in Coppergate thanks to the swapping of red and blue.

St Mary's, Coppergate. Photo: Peter Bayliss

But perhaps most unearthly of all is the view of The Ouse from Tower Gardens (top). The water is a burnt orange, the leaves of the trees overhanging the river a frosty white.

You almost imagine this might be how an alien with differently-structured eyes might see York...

Peter Bayliss will be giving a talk entitled Altered Reality at the Poppleton Centre on April 26 at 7:30pm. The talk will include a section on infrared photography.

Source: Seeing York in a whole new light...

See All of Rome in Under 3 Minutes in this Super Speedy Video Portrait

Screenshot via

There are whirlwind tours of a city and then there's filmmaker Alex Soloviev's whirlwind editing, which he's used to capture the eternal city of Rome. This isn't your average travelogue, because Soloviev has shot the Italian capital in a kinetic, fast-paced style. From the lives of the locals to the tourists to the sights, the film zooms along the city streets, through fences, over walls, in and out of churches, past markets, cafes, roads, river, and lounging sunbathers. Rather than your standard travel video Soloviev wanted to create a short portrait of the city, capturing its mix of chaos and quiet, of splendor and everyday. It means we never focus on one place for too long, instead through a complicated sequence of images and edits, a variety of camera techniques—time ramping, short hyperlapses—get synced with music and sound to invoke the city's frenetic pace.

"When you come to Rome the first thing you see is how chaotic it is," Soloviev explains to The Creators Project. "People who talk about this city as sweet and chilled are not fully honest. Every city is quiet in the morning, but not every city has such massive motion in the daytime. And everything is packed with ancient architecture, narrow streets, and endless crowds. But suddenly amid all this chaos you can find, say, a really chill church without tourists. Trying to catch this mix of different feelings that lingered after a visit to Rome was behind the concept of this video. As you can see my camera, most of time, moves and zooms—the idea of using these techniques was to give the viewer the feeling of how solid this city is amongst all the chaos and short chill moments."

See more of Alex Soloviev's work at his Facebook and Vimeo pages.

Related

Berlin's Backstreets in Three-and-a-Half Minutes

Infrared Photography Turns Rome into a Pink Paradise

Paris Short Film Is a Quick Fix for Your Wanderlust

Source: See All of Rome in Under 3 Minutes in this Super Speedy Video Portrait

New Petition Asks Kodak to Revive Kodak Infrared Ektachrome Film

Lead Photo by Steve Harwood. Used with Creative Commons Permission

A new online petition on Change.org is appealing to Kodak to bring back yet another film emulsion: Kodak Infrared Ektachrome. This film is not to be confused with Kodak Aerochrome–which we've featured very prominently on this website. Kodak discontinued the film along with a lot of their infrared films due to people just not buying it–as is the case with lots of films being discontinued. However, with a new generation of photographers starting out in digital and then picking up film afterwards coming to the fore, Infrared film may have a new home soon.

The petition reasons that since Kodak Ektachrome is coming back, that this film should too.

According to the petition:

With film sales continuing to rise, film manufactures reviving older films which were previously discontinued, and the announcement of Kodak's re-release of Ektachrome for 2017, photographers worldwide are taking an interest into more analog processes for their image making. Since Kodak's famous infrared color film IR-Ektachrome (an alternative stock: Aerochrome III) was discontinued in the 2000's, the use of infrared (IR) photography has had to be limited to using digital equipment, or only black and white IR film. The infrared Ektachrome produces an image unparalleled to any current IR film or digital equipment.

They make a good point: there are a lot of photographers using digital to get the infrared look but nothing and no amount of presets can really deliver that good old analog look. Kodak Infrared Ektachrome would be a nice addition though we understand it will be expensive.

So what's so special about this film? Infrared imagery is often rendered in black, white and grey; nothing more. But Kodak Aerochrome took greens and turned them into shades of purple, red and punk. Kodak Infrared Ektachrome did something similar. To process the film, the lab tech used the A-5 process or E-6. "Process AR-5 is recommended where comparisons to historical data are desired." states a Kodak Infrared Ektachrome PDF. "While Process E-6 will provide meaningful results, the higher contrast and color saturation may affect interpretation as compared to this film's predecessor."

The other problem is that the film is apparently delicate and is more easily affected by temperature and environmental changes. This sounds a lot like modern day CineStill film–especially with 800T.

Here's how Kodak Infrared Ektachrome works:

"As indicated in Figure 2, all three layers are inherently sensitive to blue radiation. To limit the exposure of each layer of color infrared film to only its intended spectral region, a yellow filter (minus blue), such as a KODAK WRATTEN Gelatin Filter No. 12 (or equivalent), is always used over the camera lens. With the yellow filter in place, the layers act as though they are sensitive only to green, red, and infrared (all blue radiation is absorbed by the filter). The grey areas in the top portion of Figure 2 illustrate exposed areas of silver halide from each of the spectral bands reflected from the original scene. Thus, three separate negative silver records are formed.

Where there is no exposure, reversal processing will yield cyan dye in the infrared-sensitive layer, yellow dye in the green-sensitive layer, and magenta dye in the red-sensitive layer. The amount of dye formed is inversely proportional to the exposure. The bottom portion of Figure 2 illustrates the dye formation and resulting colors after exposure and processing. Infrared radiation appears as red, which is the result of yellow dye formation in one layer, magenta dye formation in a second layer, and the absence of cyan dye. Green reproduces as blue—the result of cyan and magenta dye formation and the absence of yellow dye. Red reproduces as green—the result of cyan and yellow dye formation and the absence of magenta dye. Blue in the original subject has not been recorded because of the filter, and is therefore rendered as black. Numerous other colors will be formed, depending on the proportions of green, red, and infrared reflected or transmitted by the original subject."

Let's hope that this gets done!

You can check out the petition here if you're interested in also bringing back Kodak Infrared Ektachrome.

And if you'd like to know more about Kodak Aerochrome please check out our various interviews here. One of these photographers, Daniel Zvereff, will be featured in our upcoming analog photography zine: so please donate to our project!

Source: New Petition Asks Kodak to Revive Kodak Infrared Ektachrome Film

Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Market 2017 Trends and Review

This report studies Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer.

For more information about this report at http://www.reportsweb.com/global-color-infrared-aerial-photography-negatives-market-research-report-2017

Market Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast) , likeNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSplit by product type, with production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoType IType IISplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives in each application, can be divided intoApplication 1Application 2

Request a sample copy at http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001586320/sample

Table of Content                             

1 Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Market Overview

2 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Market Competition by Manufacturers

3 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)

4 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Supply (Production) , Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2012-2017)4.1 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Consumption by Regions (2012-2017)4.2 North America Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)

5 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Production, Revenue (Value) , Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)

6 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Consumption and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)6.2 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/Countries

7 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Manufacturing Cost Analysis

9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers

10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders

11 Market Effect Factors Analysis

12 Global Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Market Forecast (2017-2022)

13 Research Findings and Conclusion

14 Appendix

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Source: Color Infrared Aerial Photography Negatives Market 2017 Trends and Review