Soul Gaze Photography

 This page is information about infrared photography.

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This page is copyright Amber Flowers of Soul Gaze Photography. You must ask permission to use any of the following contents. You are allowed to link to this page.

Email me if you have any questions about infrared not in this guide.  

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Topics covered Below:

What is Infrared?

Conversion Vs. External Filter

Manual

What you need

Infrared Tips

Recommended Cameras 

Post Processing (under construction)

Before and After Photos (under construction) 

My IR settings (under construction)

(Q.) What is infrared photography? What do i need to try it?

(A.) Infrared is by far my favorite style of photography besides photomanipulations and vintage. It can be challenging at times, but the end result is worth it. There are many websites that can explain the 'scientifics' of infrared such as wikipedia.  Basically by using an external filter or converting your camera to IR only, you can capture images that our eyes can't see. Infrared is all around us, but camera's purposely block the light so we can have 'normal' photos. Currently I use a Hoya RM72 Infrared Filter attatched with an adapter to either my Canon S5IS or Canon A70. Older cameras pick up infrared alot better than the newer models. You can use infrared film if you can find it, but digital is MUCH cheaper and easier. I prefer a digital camera with liveview and manual functions like: custom white balance, exposure, iso and aperture.  A sturdy tripod is also VERY important too unless you convert your camera to infrared only through Lifepixel, Maxmax or another company.

Whether or not you spend the money to convert is up to you, but there are several differences:

Conversion VS. External Filter

 Conversion:

PROS: Easier to focus, usually don't need a tripod, better quality images and the ability to 'point and shoot' infrared without waiting for a long exposure times

CONS: voids camera warranty, can permanently damage camera, costs as much as a cheap DSLR, and can't take 'normal' photos (although Fuji makes a camera that can do both), harder to sell if you decide you don't like infrared photography.

External Filter:

PROS: removable, doesn't harm your camera, cheaper than a conversion ($50 for my 58mm from Adorama VS. $400 on average for a conversion

CONS: Breakable (made of glass), can be scratched if not cleaned properly

Manual Options

ISO: Infrared photos are grainy compared to normal ones, but you can reduce that by keeping your ISO setting low. Some cameras will need a higher ISO for better infrared's so you'll have to practice different settings. Do your best to balance ISO, shutter speed and aperture. 

White Balance (WB): VERY important! If you want your trees and things to be white like they should be, you need your WB set correctly. The easiest way is to set the WB is by taking a photo of the grass (cause that's what we want the camera to pick up as white). If you dont have the WB set correctly the trees can end up green, yellow or another color and ruin the infrared. Some cameras are different though. This method worked for both of my point and shoot cannons, but not for my Nikon. The trick with my Nikon was to change my white balance to Incadescant. 

Exposure: You're camera will determine how long you need to set your exposure. My oldest camera (A70) only needs a 1 second exposure. My newer camera (S5IS) takes between 5-15 seconds for the best quality. 

Aperture: My photos usual turn out the best at around f5.0 but that will vary with your camera and it's infrared ability.

 What do I need?

That depends on your preferences and money...also on your camera. You need to know if your camera is sensitive to infrared. If it's not you will be wasting your money on a filter. There are several websites that list what models are able to pick up infrared. I will make a list as I have time. Some cameras that I've heard are great for infrared are: 

 Nikon: D40, D50, D70 and D80

Canon:  A70, S3IS, S5Is, 30D 

Any older digital camera with manual settings is worth a try though.

• Sunlight: Noon is the best at giving you bright and clear infrared images and is easiest to get used to when you first start out. I've gotten used to adjusting my camera for infrared and can now get photos at different times of day, but I still prefer to try to arrive at my subject by noon. 
• Tripod: VERY helpful with long exposures. Without it the blur will ruin your photos.
• Filter: I prefer my Hoya RM72, but some filters work better with certain cameras. This is the most used filter though so try it first.
• Adapter:Most of all older point and shoots will need one to hold the filter onto your camera. If you have a DSLR you need to find out what the filter size is of the lens you are using. Most manufacturers stamp the thread size on the back of your lens cap, but if it's not you can go online and look it up.
• Photoshop: VERY usefull! The infrared photo will look red or orange depending on your filter and will have to be 'post-processed' in order to be pleasing to the eye. There are many ways you can edit infrared photos and it's possible to even have false color infrared, but I prefer my trees the basic white. You could just convert the IR image to black and white, but I've always preferred some color. It's all up to you and your style. 

I'll add more to this and correct errors as I have time, but for now this should get you started. Good luck and contact me with your questions!

Here's some instructions for post processing in Photoshop to get you started. These steps work to suit my needs, but may be different for you. 

• Upload your images to your computer and save in a folder. I usually save the origionals and after I've edited them I save them seperately incase I choose to post process them differently later.
• Use a program such as Picasa 3 or Adobe Lightroom 2 to organize and choose the photos that were the best quality and most appealing to you
• For my Nikon D40, I shoot in RAW rather than JPEG. If you don't currently use RAW and know your camera has the ability, take the time to learn how. Alot of photos can be recovered if taken in RAW that you couldn't if they were JPEG. My infrareds converted with much better quality RAW vs. JPEG too. I open Capture NX2 and using the select gray point option change the white balance in the photo so that the overall red in the image becomes sepia with mostly white foliage. It sometimes takes a few clicks with the dropper until you learn where it works best to click without the trees going green. It's easier than it sounds.(There are other RAW conversion programs, but Capture NX2 is really handy for RAW files. It even has an awesome feature: u-point techology. Trust me, that is beyond awesome! Check it it out here: Capture NX2) 
  
  
• Open your white balance adjusted image into Photoshop.  Crop, rotate and adjust as needed. In my case I created a one-click action to process the bulk of my infrareds, but this doesnt always work for certain photos. I plan to have my custom infrared action purchasable. If you are interested, email me and I'll add you to the waiting list. 
  
  
  Below is the basic order to convert your photo to the popular white/blue infrared: 
  
  
  (FULL INSTRUCTIONS COMING ASAP- Last Update 12/12/09)