Convert 35mm SLR Film Camera to Digital

It is a fairly easy and inexpensive project to mount a Sony Nex onto a spare SLR camera back to convert your old film camera into a multispectral digital camera that will produce high quality images comparable to modern DSLR's. This Instructable is just a condensed version of the project. For full comprehensive details on this go to SLR Conversion Details

You will need to check the suitability of your SLR. The film back needs to be removable. You need to be able to slip a filter holder up behind the SLR mirror against the shutter frame. The focussing screen can be removed to mask it to a smaller viewing size. The camera I have used is a Nikon FE. I could do the same to a Nikon FE2 and a Canon A1. Many other high end 35mm SLR cameras will be suitable. Rangefinders may be easier as they don't have a mirror.

Disassemble your Sony Nex. Look this up on google as there are a few sites showing the different models.

Cut out the rectangle area for the sensor on your camera back. You can make your own camera back quite easily. These details are on the link above.

Prepare the sensor by

Use a diamond knife sharpener to grind back the lower sensor covering glass to a width that is less than the distance between your film rails.

Remove the IR Filter combination from the sensor.

Rebate the sensor on some 80 grit sandpaper down to the critical film plane measurement. You need to get this exact to within 0.02mm to get perfect focus.

Attach the sensor to the inside of the new film door with "Tarzan tape"

Mount the Sony Nex to the outside of the camera door. The sensor ribbon cables will need to now loop over the shutter to plug onto the motherboard. See the above link.

Make up the filter holders that will slip the filters up behind the SLR mirror. You will reuse the original infra red filter combo which will give you the RGB colour pictures. The other filter make out of glass from a microscope slide. You will use this for infrared photography. Slip this filter in behind the mirror and use black tape to hold it in position.

Remove the SLR focussing screen. Using light grade painters masking tape, mark out the area about the same size as the sensor on the smooth convex side. This takes a bit of experimentation to get it in the right position.

Once it is working, experiment with your camera on a tripod taking photos at varying distances to check the focus accuracy. If you follow my measurements of the sensor rebate this will be exactly the same for all cameras. You will just need to blueprint it a bit. Final sanding can be done with the sensor in place but watch the dust from getting into your sensor connections.

This is a very rewarding and satisfying project. You will end up with a high quality SLR able to take digital photos comparable to new DSLR's worth $thousands. My Nikon FE with Tamron SP lens cost $60 and the Nex $100. What a great way to revive old cameras and they are so much nicer to use than those plastic ones!

For information on this project from inception to completion and for tips on using your new SLR/DSLR go to X Over Cameras blog

By the way, your converted SLR is easily changed back to a film camera, so has lost none of it's collector value. I hope you have enjoyed this Instructable and if you do build this project please send me details to Xovercameras Email

Robin Guymer

Source: Convert 35mm SLR Film Camera to Digital

Watch these 10 fruits chopped up under UV light

Going out of the visible light spectrum isn't something most photographers think to try. But for a select few, seeing the invisible has become an integral part of their photography. Infrared conversions are common for DSLRs these days, and prices have come down greatly. What's not seen so often, though, is UV photography.

Mathieu Stern delves into that realm a little with his latest video. Teaming up with fellow photographer Pierre-Louis Ferrer, Mathieu chops up some fruit under a UV blacklight. It's an interesting look at how different surfaces react to different wavelengths of invisible light. The inside a pineapple, for example, become a rich purple flesh. The skins of tomatoes, however, turn jet black, reflecting nothing.

To shoot the video, Mathieu used a full spectrum converted Canon EOS 6D with 50mm f/1.8 lens and a Omnilux UV blacklight bulb. As the camera is full spectrum, a filter is also placed at the end of the lens to block everything in the visible light and infrared spectrums.

It's a very surreal look at fruit, and it does very crazy things to human skin, too. I think the tomatoes surprised me the most, though, when I was watching it through for the first time.

I've been thinking about maybe converting over one of my old DSLRs to infrared for a while. It looks like I might have to take a good look into ultraviolet conversions, too.

Do you use a UV converted camera? Do you shoot UV with a filter? Have you been thinking about getting an old body converted? What about infrared? Which do you prefer? Let us know your thoughts, and show us some of your IR/UV shots in the comments.

Source: Watch these 10 fruits chopped up under UV light

LUMAS Opens New Gallery in SoHo, New York

The German Gallery LUMAS will open a new flagship gallery in SoHo, with Special Exhibition and Artist Talk by Paolo Pettigiani on November 10, 2016.

Located at 474 West Broadway, the new LUMAS gallery is a contemporary space with aninnovative ambiance akin to being in an art collector's home.

To mark the special occasion, new works by Italian photographer Paolo Pettigiani will be showcased. The artist will be present on November 10 to give a selected audience exclusive insight into the making of the series. "I love the majesty and the contrast of nature between the Big Apple skyscrapers and the park. I wanted to highlight this using infrared photography to invite viewers into a world unseen," said Pettigiani, who was born in Turin in 1992. Having already photographed the Italian city Avigliana using an infrared filter, he brought the technique to one of the most photographed locations in the world - putting it in a whole new light! He confronts the viewer with surprising and unseen perspectives on New York, transforming the city into a surreal landscape. Central Park appears in radiant red hues, the sky and water in luscious turquoise.

In over 40 galleries around the world, LUMAS offers museum-quality art editions at affordable prices. Depending on the size and framing, art enthusiasts can aquire editions starting under $400. More than 2,000 works by 230 established artists and many promising newcomers deliver a comprehensive look into the contemporary art and design scenes. The works are available in hand-signed limited editions of 75-150.

Source: LUMAS Opens New Gallery in SoHo, New York

Insight: What You Need to Stop Doing in Photoshop CC and other How-To Guides

Once upon a time — that is, before the internet — you had to put some work (and money) into finding photography tutorials and guides.

Now the abundance of advice, insights and tips online is nothing less than overwhelming, which is why we occasionally gather together a number of how-to articles and spotlight them here. Today's collection features a beginner's guide to astrophotography, an introduction to digital infrared photography, Instagram tips for photographers, a tutorial on different ways to mount a camera overhead, and a guide to framing a video long shot like a pro cinematographer.

Tutvid: 10 Things You Must Avoid Doing in Photoshop CC

Photoshop offers so many creative possibilities, it's no wonder that people screw up. "We all know about the Photoshop faux pas, techniques like trying to smooth skin by blurring it, or the good olde Over Retouching of the eyes that will so often leave our subjects looking like they've been subjected to the most awful of death-ray-esque LASIK eye surgeries," notes Nathanial Dodson at Tutvid. His short video highlights 10 other things you should stop doing in Photoshop CC. DIY Photography  expands on the discussion.

sympathink: A Beginner's Guide to Night Landscape and Astrophotography

Photographer and blogger Lisa Row has created a five part series for shooting the night sky and nighttime here on Earth. She covers planning (find a location to use as a foreground, as in photo at top); gear; camera settings; ideas for composition and more.

Makify1: How to Build an LED Light Panel for Under $200

If there's one thing you can find plenty of on the internet — well, actually, there are plenty of things you can find plenty of on the internet — it's articles about how to build DIY LED light panels. (Just Google.) A new video from Makify1 offers an updated build you can do for under $200. You'll need aluminum channels with diffusers, quick-set epoxy and some other stuff.

Rick Battle: A Introduction to Digital Infrared Photography

"The human eye is incapable of seeing infrared light, so Infrared photography is truly a way to show your audience something they can never see with their own eyes," writes landscape photographer Rick Battle in his primer on the subject. He covers everything from filters and lenses to shooting methodology and post-processing.

KINETEK: Cool Trick for Pulling Focus at High Speed

Pull focusing makes for cool video shots. So does slow motion. A video from director/cinematographer Matthew Rosen shows you how to bring the techniques together. Rosen explains how he shot an ad by capturing detergent powder at 1500 frames per second with a Phantom Miro camera. See PetaPixel.

PremiumBeat: How to Frame a Long Shot Like a Cinematographer

In filmmaking, long shots often show the scale, distance, and location of a scene. They don't always feature characters, but if they do, the subjects traditionally are framed from head to toe. However, notes cinematographer Conrad L Hall in a tutorial at the PremiumBeat blog, that is a rule he frequently breaks.

Medium: 10 Instagram Tips for Photographers

"Quite often other photographers tell me, 'I don't have time for another social network and I don't need Instagram.' Yet they spend hours posting on Facebook, 500px and Flickr where almost zero potential clients will see their work," writes.Samuel Zeller, a Geneva, Switzerland-based photographer and Fujifilm brand ambassador. Zeller says you need Instagram and explains how to make the most of it. Tip one: Remember that Instagram is not your portfolio.

Wistia: Three Ways to Mount a Cam for Overhead Stills and Video

Mounting a camera overhead can be a difficult task if it's not something you need to do regularly. A new video from  Wistia offers three different ways to help you get the overhead shot with minimal extra kit. Method number one: Putting the camera on a tripod and aiming it straight down. Option two combines a light stand and a monopod. But option three may be the best of all, notes DIY Photography.

Ryan Prawiradjaja: Creating a Panorama Without a Wide-Angle Lens

Some how-to guides show you how to take your craft to a new level. Others show you how to recover from mistakes, because, as Ryan Prawiradjaja notes, "s**t happens." A photographer currently based in Austin, TX, he describes what happened when he traveled to Rocky Mountain National Park, the highest-altitude national park in the lower 48 states, with sweeping views of the Continental Divide, and forgot to bring a wide-angle lens.

Koldunov Brothers: Use an Old Point & Shoot to Light Paint Products and Portraits

Do you have an old film camera or point and shoot lying around? A video from the Koldunov Brothers shows you how to use the camera's flash to light product shots and portraits on the cheap. "[I]'s not going to be groundbreaking or totally revolutionize the way you shoot. But if you find yourself in need of some artificial light for product shots or portraits, they suggest turning out the lights, setting your camera to take a long exposure, and using the flash on your old point and shoot to light paint the scene," notes DIY Photography.

Source: Insight: What You Need to Stop Doing in Photoshop CC and other How-To Guides

Horizontal or Vertical... Plus Tons of Infrared Info

What's Up?

I am somewhere in South America. I hope that you are well. Jim and Jen are at the office most days to help you with your mail order needs and Instructional Photo-Tour sign-ups. I still need folks for San Diego, Japan, Galapagos, the Palouse, and the Bear Boat (Grizzly Cubs) trips. Among others 🙂 Please e-mail for couples and discount info for all of the above. Click here for complete IPT info.

I will have relatively decent internet access for all but 22 OCT thru 11 NOV while I am on the Sea Spirit. Best and great picture making, artie

Please remember that the blog is intended to be interactive; the higher the number of folks who participate, the more everyone learns, including you. And me.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

The Streak: 359!

Today's blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what's wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 359 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major gear purchases. For best results use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.

This image was created on the first 2016 Palouse IPT with the hand held Canon 24-105mm zoom lens (at 82mm) and the EOS-5D Mark II converted to Infrared by Kolari vision. The old 24-104 is being replaced by the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/8. Custom IR WB.

Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the house and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Prairie farmhouse/Infrared vertical Kolari Vision Infrared

Whenever I am headed to a location with big skies and when the potential for dramatic white clouds exists, I make sure to bring along my Kolari Vision infrared converted 5D Mark II along. If you are replacing your 5D Mark III body with the new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR, converting your old 5D Mark III to IR is a great option.

See several more Palouse infrared images and learn a tone about IR conversions by Kolari Vision in the Infrared Fun & Infrared Camera Conversions Info blog post here.

This image was created on the first 2016 Palouse IPT with the hand held Canon 24-105mm zoom lens (at 82mm) and the EOS-5D Mark II converted to Infrared by Kolari vision. The old 24-104 is being replaced by the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/8. Custom IR WB.

Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the house and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Prairie farmhouse/Infrared horizontal Dealing with the 720nm Infrared Raw Files

I am not a big fan of the slight sepia tones that come with 720nm infrared images, but I like the look a bit better than the look of the 850nm conversions, the Deep Black and White Filter as the images from that conversion are a bit too contrasty. So I take my DPP 4 converted RAW files into Photoshop and then bring them into Nik Silver Efex Pro and run through my favorite pre-sets. For todays' Image #1, I used High Contrast Harsh. For Image #2 I used High Contrast Smooth. The differences between those two are very small.

Image Design Question

Which of the image designs to you feel is stronger, the vertical or the horizontal? If you do leave a comment, please let us know why you made your choice. Thanks!

Kolari Vision Infrared Camera Conversions

If you are ready to join the fun and have a body converted to Infrared, use the Kolari Vision logo-link above to order your conversion and I will send you my simple guide to properly setting a Custom White Balance for infrared photography at 720nm. Simply e-mail me your receipt and I will be glad to shoot you the PDF.

Kolari Vision prides themselves on their fast turnaround times and excellent customer service; they are getting better and faster as they employ several full time technicians to service everything as quickly as possible. The filters they use have been specifically designed for each camera and filter combination to be the optimal thickness for best autofocus performance between lenses, and the best corner sharpness. The filters also fit directly into the frame making the conversion non-damaging and reversible if needed. Others uses a few standard-sized thick filters that they calibrate the camera around. Doing this reaches accurate autofocus with their test lens. But when a filter is too thick for what the optics were designed for, the sharpness can suffer, particularly in the corners, and other lenses will not consistently focus accurately. Some other IR converters glue their filters directly to the sensor; that makes it almost impossible to revert back or to change the filter.

Kolari offers a comprehensive shop for infrared bodies; customers can order converted cameras directly from KV. Their focus on optical quality built from the ground up has allowed them to recently offer a service that improves the performance of Sony A7 series cameras to the level of the Leica M240 cameras. Content-wise, Kolari has a very comprehensive article list and an exhaustive lens performance database chock full of technical details. Soon, KV will feature an interactive gallery that will showcase different camera/filter picture combinations to get rid of some of the mystery of picking a camera to convert.

Learn more about infrared and infrared conversions here and here or try a search for "Kolari" or "infrared" in the little white box on the top right of each blog post.

Palouse 2016 Horizontals Card Why Different? Announcing the 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour

In what ways will the 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour be different from the most other Palouse workshops?

There are so many great locations that a seven-day IPT (as opposed to the typical three- or five-day workshops) will give the group time to visit (and revisit) many of the best spots while allowing you to maximize your air travel dollars. In addition, it will allow us to enjoy a slightly more relaxed pace.

You will be assured of being in the right location for the given weather and sky conditions.

You will learn and hone both basic and advanced compositional and image design skills.

You will learn to design powerful, graphic images.

You will visit all of the iconic locations and a few spectacular ones that are much less frequently visited.

You will learn long lens landscape techniques.

You will learn to master any exposure situation in one minute or less.

You will learn the fine points of Canon in-camera (5D Mark III, 5DS R, and 7D II) HDR techniques.

You will be able to share a variety of my exotic Canon lenses including the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens and the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM lens, aka the "circle lens."

You will learn to use your longest focal lengths to create rolling field and Urbex abstracts.

You will learn when and how to use a variety of neutral density filters to create pleasing blurs of the Palouse's gorgeous rolling farmlands.

As always, you will learn to see like a pro. You will learn what makes one situation prime and another seemingly similar one a waste of your time. You will learn to see the situation and to create a variety of top-notch images.

You will learn to use super-wide lenses both for big skies and building interiors.

You will learn when, why, and how to use infrared capture; if you do not own an infrared body, you will get to borrow mine.

You will learn to use both backlight and side-light to create powerful and dramatic landscape images.

This trip will run with one participant.

Palouse 2016 Verticals Card The 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-TourJune 8-14, 2017. Seven full days of photography. Meet and greet at 7:30pm on Wednesday, June 7: $2,499. Limit 10/Openings: 9.

Rolling farmlands provide a magical patchwork of textures and colors, especially when viewed from the top of Steptoe Butte where we will enjoy spectacular sunrises and at least one nice sunset. We will photograph grand landscapes and mini-scenics of the rolling hills and farm fields. I will bring you to more than a few really neat old abandoned barns and farmhouses in idyllic settings. There is no better way to improve your compositional and image design skills and to develop your creativity than to join me for this trip. Photoshop and image sharing sessions when we have the time and energy…. We get up early and stay out late and the days are long.

Over the past three years, with the help of a friend, we found all the iconic locations and, in addition, lots of spectacular new old barns and breath-taking landforms and vistas. What's included: In-the-field instruction, guidance, lessons, and inspiration, my extensive knowledge of the area, all lunches, motel lobby grab and go breakfasts, and Photoshop and image sharing sessions. As above, there will be a meet and greet at 7:30pm on the evening before the workshop begins.

To Sign Up

Your non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to hold your spot. Please let me know via e-mail that you will be joining this IPT. Then you can either call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 during business hours to arrange for the payment of your deposit; if by check, please make out to "BIRDS AS ART" and mail it to: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail: artie.

Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options. You can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

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Typos

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Source: Horizontal or Vertical... Plus Tons of Infrared Info

The nose knows but the ears tell

Many of us may be most familiar with infrared thermography from its least valuable (I'd argue) use — ghost hunting.

It serves many far more sophisticated purposes, though, than providing fodder for those shaky-camera paranormal TV shows — from assessing medical conditions to military reconnaissance, from finding missing children to sensing mood changes in humans.

And, no big surprise, dogs.

In the latest post on Dog Spies, her blog on Scientific American, Julie Hecht recounted a recent study at the Animal Behavior, Cognition and Welfare Research Group at the University of Lincoln in the UK.

Researchers found, through infrared thermography, that the ear temperature of dogs decreased (turning blue on the camera) when they were isolated, and warmed backed up (turning red) when they reunited with people.

It's similar to findings in studies of human stress levels — except in humans it's the nose, instead of the ears, that is the most common giveaway.

As Hecht explained, infrared thermography picks up changes in surface temperature. When frightened, stressed or placed in unfamiliar surroundings, blood rushes away from your extremities, in dogs and humans. They get cooler as your core gets warmer and ready to react to whatever threat may be ahead.

The tip of a scared person's nose gets cooler in such situations, just as rat paws and tails have been shown to do in experiments. In rabbits and sheep, the ears are the most obvious indicator.

Stefanie Riemer and colleagues placed dogs for brief periods in an isolated and novel environment. As the researchers expected, thermographic images of the dogs in isolation showed their ear temperature increasing, then rising when they were reunited with people.

The study appears in the current issue of Physiology & Behavior.

Six dogs were included in the study, and several were found to be unsuitable for study because their fur was too dense to get a good reading.

It seems like a technology that could be put to good use when it comes to studying dogs, and in learning more about those with behavioral issues and what triggers them.

That seems to me a better pursuit than chasing ghosts who aren't really bothering anybody. Non-invasive, physically, as it is, even infrared photography has the potential for being cruel.

In a study in Italy two years ago, 20 bank tellers who had been robbed at gunpoint were shown a series of faces — happy, neutral, angry, etc. On the fifth face, the researchers exposed them to a loud and unexpected blast, and recorded, thermographically, how the blood left the noses and face.

Half of the tellers had already been diagnosed with PTSD.

Whether the researchers ended up giving PTSD to the other half is not addressed in the study.(Photo: S. Riemer / Physiology & Behavior)

Posted by John Woestendiek November 4th, 2016 under Muttsblog.Tags: Animal Behavior Cognition and Welfare Research, animals, behavior, change, cognition, dog spies, dogs, ears, emotions, eyes, fear, fearful, ghosts, infrared thermography, intrared, julie hecht, moods, nose, pets, photography, physical, reactions, research, scientific american, sensing, stress, stressed, study, temperature, uk, university of lincoln

Source: The nose knows but the ears tell

An Introduction to Infrared Photography

The human eye is incapable of seeing infrared light, so Infrared photography is truly a way to show your audience something they can never see with their own eyes. This guide serves as an introduction to getting started with digital infrared photography.

Prerequisites

Before you get too excited, there is a bit of a barrier to entry to digital infrared photography. First, you have to decide which method you'd like to pursue.

Camera Conversion

This is the most expensive route. It involves shipping your camera off to a specialty lab where they'll take apart your sensor and modify it to only capture infrared light. I certainly wouldn't recommend this method if you only have one camera. Most people interested in this method either have an older second body, or buy a cheap used one on eBay. The biggest name in infrared conversion is LifePixel. I didn't go this route, so I can't comment on their services.

IR Filter

This is the cheapest route, but won't work for everyone. I went with the Hoya R-72 filter. It works just like any other screw-on filter and acts just like a thick ND filter. It, however, comes with 2 (potentially) huge drawbacks. First, some cameras have a built in IR filter that blocks all IR light from reaching the sensor. For those people, you're stuck. Conversion is your only choice. Google your camera model and see if anyone has tried to do IR with it. I got lucky. The Nikon D800 has no such filter, so I'm able to use the Hoya.

The second potential drawback of this method is that every picture will be a long exposure. On a typical day, you can expect exposure times of 30-120 seconds. Not everyone likes to take ultra long exposures. So if that's not for you, conversion is your only choice.

Find a lens

Not all lenses are good for infrared photography. There's a lot of optics involved in why some lenses produce hotspots when shooting in IR and other don't, but I won't go into that here. All you need to know is whether you have a lens that will work or not. Kolari Vision maintains the best IR lens compatibility charts. When I first got interested in IR photography, I didn't have any lenses that were on the "Good Performers" list, so I picked up a cheap 20mm on eBay. The lens was actually older than I am, but it still works fabulously!

Shooting Methodology

Still with me? Great. Since I went with the filtering method, for the purposes of this section, I'm going to assume you did too.

Set your camera to shoot RAW.

The amount of editing required for IR photographs mandates RAW. If you still shoot JPG, please, stop whatever you're doing and go set your camera to RAW mode right now.

Find an interesting subject.

What makes IR photography really compelling is that vegetation reflects IR light. This means it'll be a more prominent feature of your image than in a normal color photograph. You'll also find the sky has been darkened. Seascape photography can also be quite compelling since water doesn't reflect IR light well, leaving any churn bright, but the body of the water dark. Beyond that, all of the rules of composition and subject selection still apply.

Focus

This is where things can get tricky (or not if you avoid the problem like I do). IR light has a longer wavelength than visible light, so it focuses at a different point. Older lenses have an IR focusing scale on them because infrared film was quite popular back in the day. Modern lenses generally exclude them since digital IR photography is such a small niche. To get around this problem, I choose my subjects such that I'm always focused at infinity and use a small aperture. When focused at infinity and around f/8 – f/11, everything comes out sharp.

Take a color exposure

This step is entirely optional, but I like to so I can compare the results to the IR version later.

Install the filter

Be careful not to bump the focus ring while installing the filter. You don't want to know how many times I've knocked the lens out of focus trying to screw in a filter.

Cover your viewfinder

IR leakage can still occur through the viewfinder and looks just as bad in an IR long exposure as it does in a color long exposure.

Dial in your exposure

Utilize the High ISO test shot method to attain a proper exposure. (It's described in the Nighttime Long Exposure section, but the methodology applies here.) Be sure to check for blown highlights (when part of your preview is blinking at you) and check your histogram. Make sure it's as far to the right as possible without blowing your hightlights. If you're not sure you've gone as high as you can, bump your ISO up again to see if the highlights blow out. If they don't, you're good. If they do, just take it back down a notch.

Check your focus

Zoom in to 100% on your test image and make sure your subject is in focus. The last thing you want to do is wait for a 2 minute long exosure to cook, just to find out you were slightly out of focus. If adjustments are needed, switch to live view, zoom to 100%, and work your focus from there.

Take the picture

Set your ISO back down to its lowest native value, doubling your shutter speed for each stop. Take a deep breath, and actuate your shutter. Then find something to occupy yourself with for the next 30-120 seconds.

Note 1: Since you're shooting RAW, you don't need to worry about white balance. I leave my white balance in auto and adjust in post.

Note 2: You may or may not want to use Long Exposure Noise Reduction. The internet is full of lively debate over whether or not it should be used. I personally use it, but whether or not you should is a long discussion that I won't get into here.

Note 3: Most cameras top out at 30 seconds when selecting a shutter speed. To go beyond that, you need a Remote Shutter Release. Set your camera to bulb mode and set your remote shutter release for the desired shutter speed.

Post Processing in Photoshop (2-Channel Swap)

Infrared images, straight out of the camera, aren't terribly exciting.

Central Park in Infrared (SOOC)

The first thing you need to do is adjust the white balance. Do this using the White Balance Selector (eye dropper next to the White Balance sliders). Select a spot of foliage. The result should look something like this:

Central Park in Infrared (Corrected White Balance)

Next, import the image into Photoshop and swap the Red and Blue channels:

1. Open the Channel Mixer

2. Swap the Red channel

3. Swap the Blue channel

Note 1: Under no circumstances should you close the Channel Mixer prior to making both swaps.

Note 2: Doing a full 100% swap is just a starting point. Feel free to play around with the percentages to achieve different looks.

Central Park in Infrared (Channel Swapped)

The final step is make any final adjustments you'd like to in Lightroom. Infrared images tend to be pretty low contrast, so the first thing you'll probably want to do is set the black and white points to get a full range of contrast.

Here are the settings I went with for this image:

And, here's the final image:

Post Processing in Photoshop (3-Channel Swap)

Lets assume for a second that you don't like pink foliage. This is a perfectly fine opinion to have, so lets revisit the channel swap to get white foliage, but keep the blues.

Do the same red/blue swap describe above, but this time, swap the green channel as well.

Now the image looks like this:

Central Park in Infrared 2 (Channel Swapped)

Then, just like before, apply a little Lightroom magic … and, your final result looks a little more like this:

Central Park in Infrared 2 (Channel Swapped, Final)

Post Processing in Lightroom

Channel swapping in Photoshop is relatively trivial. In Lightroom, it takes some doing, so hold on to your hats!

1. Adjust your Camera Calibration to match what you see below.

2. Adjust your Basic settings, paying special attention to the White Balance.

3. Adjust your Tone Curve. IR images are notoriously finicky when it comes to tonality, so don't be surprised when your basic adjustments aren't enough.

4. Find the color tones you're really looking for in the Split Toning panel.

And, after all that, here's the result:

Central Park in Infrared 3 (Channel Swapped, LR)

Ok, this one didn't really come out the way I wanted it to. Here's an image from Boston that worked better (processed with similar settings):

Boston Esplanade in Infrared (Channel Swapped, LR)

Note 1: When channel swapping in Photoshop, the sky is blue while the foliage is pink. When channel swapping in Lightroom, the sky is pink while the foliage is blue.

Note 2: The numbers above will absolutely not work in all situations. Expect to have to play around considerably to find settings that work for your image.

Post Processing (B&W)

Don't forget, with infrared, black and white is always an option!

Central Park in Infrared 4 (Black & White)

I did this edit in Color Efex Pro, but you can use whatever you like to do the black and white conversion.

Which version do you like best?

About the Author

Rick Battle has been photographing the American landscape since 2009. He gained international appeal through social media, amassing tens of thousands of followers. His evocative portraits of Earth's beauty draw from his deep love of nature, while his vivid portrayals of the urban sprawl demonstrate his appreciation for the achievements of man.

You can find out more about Rick on his website, follow his work on Instagram or reach out to him through Facebook. This article was also published here and shared with permission.

Source: An Introduction to Infrared Photography