Comment Request - DPChallenge Forums

10/13/2002 10:56:28 AM · #1

Verbum Sapiente II

This is my first attempt at digital infrared photography. I know that the lighting is not quite correct and the composition is slightly tilted... I'm not really looking for critique on this one... just comments on the techinque....

The originals are here:

Original Infrareds

The first one is what the image looks like right out of the camera... The second is what it looks like after level adjustments... The third is after bw conversion and color toning...

10/13/2002 11:21:34 AM · #2

This might sound strange but I've never seen infrared come out so....well...erm...RED before. They're normally almost black and white with a maybe a touch of colour bleed depending on the sensitivety of your CCD and the cut-off point of your filter.

I have a R72 and in my very limited understanding of the science of all this, it's very near to the visible wavelength, maybe that's why it was so red.

I tried to dabble a bit as I love the IR effect. Unfortunately my camera isn't the best. I'm not sure it's that sensitive but the worst is that the lens configuration leaves a glaring hotspot in most of my images due to the way the final lens is shaped. I have a few photo's on the web here which are some of the more succesful attempts. Generally I have to keep the lens on it's widest otherwise, with more depth of field it almost focuses on itself and the hotspot is more in focus - same thing if I use any kind of zoom.

As far as technique goes, well, just shoot whatever looks good like any other photo. Have to say that I think IR photography likes foliage and clouds. Your camera looks really sensitive to this and given your obvious talent for taking great images I am looking forward to seeing more of them - just shoot more greenery and clouds :-)

Roy

Oh BTW - most comments I've ever had on IR images tend to revolve around "gothic, surreal, ghostly, fairytale, etc" so try to choose a subject that will play on that look.

* This message has been edited by the author on 10/13/2002 11:23:14 AM.

10/13/2002 11:51:23 AM · #3

Lamedos, those are nice images :) I epsecially like the cemetery shot...

I have been reading some about IR and everything I have read says to take the shot in color mode with the camera. I took these in color, hence the red tinting from the filter.

10/13/2002 12:14:39 PM · #4

I agree - take them in colour mode. Sometimes the slight colour bleed looks great.

All those shots were made in full colour but still don't come out RED like yours. Like I said I've never seen that before.

Now, I'm a rank amatuer at this but I'm wondering if you have quite a powerfull IR filter on your camera(i.e one that STOPS IR light from reaching the CCD). Your image certainly has that IR quality i.e white foliage, dark skies etc but, thinking about it, that much red could have only come from visible light, coloured red because of the red colour of the filter (does that make sense?)

Was that a really bright day? What shutter speed and f-stop would you have used for a normal shot? It cetainly looks bright from the sky - if so, 4 secs at f/3.2 seems to be a very long exposure even for IR.

My thinking is that you didn't actually get a huge amount of IR light here and more than your share of visiable light. As the R72 is one of the basic IR filters, it does let a lot of visiable light through compared to others that cut off much higher in the spectrum.

I'm probably way off here though because I really don't have a clue - just guessing :-)

Roy

* This message has been edited by the author on 10/13/2002 12:13:35 PM.

10/13/2002 03:41:36 PM · #5

This Link shows some infrared images that have the same tint as mine. These look similar to my image after the level adjustments were made...

10/13/2002 04:19:52 PM · #6

Cool - I recognise that site. I guess I didn't realise the images had been leveled etc, thought it was just standard colour bleed. Mine look more like the ones on that page but from the Wratten filter which has a higher cut off point. Interesting how two cameras can take such wildly differing images with the same filter.

10/13/2002 05:45:29 PM · #7

Originally posted by lamedos:
Cool - I recognise that site. I guess I didn't realise the images had been leveled etc, thought it was just standard colour bleed. Mine look more like the ones on that page but from the Wratten filter which has a higher cut off point. Interesting how two cameras can take such wildly differing images with the same filter.

As described on that site, it's all relevant to the CCD sensitivity to IR light. The Hoya R72 filter is red, but it's such a deep red, it appears black. Light that does pass through it above the 720 nanometer frequency does appear red to my CCD. In the link I posted to the three images, the first one is what mine looked like right out of the camera. Once I level it out and convert to bw, I get images like you mention...

10/13/2002 06:10:03 PM · #8

AHA - just went and re-read the section about colour contamination and now I understand - just never seen it to quite the extent in your picture before.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

10/13/2002 07:10:24 PM · #9

When everything is said and done with the image tho, it looks ok... I'm gonna keep playing with it when the conditions are right for it...

Zeissman

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

10/13/2002 07:45:34 PM · #10

Could the color tint be because you took them in daylight?

Something about the composition of these images seems a little flat to me. I think it may be the brightness of the upper steeple, and the blankness of the sky on the upper portion.

It seems like these were taken with the zoom fully extended? Am I right? Maybe a wider angle, and in closer?

Have you played with perspective shift in PS?

* This message has been edited by the author on 10/13/2002 7:44:35 PM.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

10/13/2002 07:55:51 PM · #11

I don't think you can do much infrared in the dark... i suppose i could do that with the nightshot mode, but that's not really what i'm looking for... this photo is not well composed and it is not zoomed fully either but its close...

This was just a test shot for my first use of the filter.

HBunch

HP PhotoSmart 315

10/13/2002 08:25:27 PM · #12

hey john, I critiqued some photos awhile back on sig from a guy that had some really awesome IR shots. the site is down right now, but when it comes back up again, I'll try to get you his name. I think you might find his shots very interesting. I don't know HOW he did it, but the shots look like everything is iced over with ice and show, even though the shots were taken in the summertime. maybe if you like his work, he might be happy to share a few pointers?
I'm no help cause I've never seen IR photography until recently, and have never even seen a camera that takes ir photos. lol. Someday...just someday.
:)
~Heather~

Zeissman

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

10/14/2002 01:50:03 AM · #13

IR works well in the dark. That is what some nightvision devices use, and the reason it is a feature on some cameras and camcorder (used to be anyway, until the whole see through the clothing thing came about)

But aside from that, I read a review of the F707 recently, and it says it is one of the best cameras for IR photography in the digital world. The night setting does some addiional filtering, and the way the author recommended it for truest results, was to use the nightshot mode, and then use an ND filter if you are shooting during the day to get your expure right, and I think they said to also use an IR filter.

You may still be picking up visible light, and that is the reason for the color shift.

It may be worth a try if you are really interested in IR. Almost all CCD are sensitive to IR, but the night mode somehow enhances it, I can't remember the details, and I cannot remember if it was a Shutterbug, or Popular Photography magazine.

Originally posted by jmsetzler:
I don't think you can do much infrared in the dark... i suppose i could do that with the nightshot mode, but that's not really what i'm looking for... this photo is not well composed and it is not zoomed fully either but its close...

This was just a test shot for my first use of the filter.

* This message has been edited by the author on 10/14/2002 1:48:56 AM.