Thoughts on Infrared Photography

Infrared Photography is the STUDY and CAPTURING of NEAR INFRARED light. Normal photography contains all elements of the visible spectrum including some infrared energy. Normally most digital camera systems filter out 99% of this energy and let you concentrate on the VISABLE SPECTRUM.

When we photograph in the NEAR INFRARED, we are capturing light energy in the deep red end of the spectrum including heat! Normal subject matter will record with the warmer subjects as white and the cooler subjects as black!  This is counter to how most of us think about our subjects and tends to produce very white, ethereal images that grabs the viewers imagination and forces one to re-evaluate how we think about the world around us!

Digital SLR camera bodies can be converted to Infrared by removing the internal hot mirror  (Infrared Blocking) and replacing it with a Visible Light Blocking Filter!  The camera can then shoot Infrared as it shot Visible!  The internal focusing can also be adjusted to compensate for the focus shift required by Infrared!  There are several companies that do this conversion.  The 2 best known are LDP (www.maxmax.com) and LifePixel (www.lifepixel.com)  When you convert a SLR for Infrared you then have the capability of using all of your lenses!  The costs for this service will run between $300 and $500.

Digital Point & Shoot cameras can also be converted to Infrared by removing the internal hot mirror  (Infrared Blocking) and replacing it with a Visible Light Blocking Filter!  The camera can then shoot Infrared as it shot Visible!  The internal focusing can also be adjusted to compensate for the focus shift required by Infrared! The costs for this service will run between $250 and $300. This can be a low cost alternative to getting into Infrared photography plus having a small Infrared Point & Shoot in your car will mean that you will ALWAYS have one handy! Many of the new cameras on the market like the Canon G9 have the same control and capabilities of many SLR’s!

As you can see from the charts above, the 700nm range of Infrared or near Infrared is really just inside of the visible spectrum.  But as you move up to 715nm and higher you are starting to get into the true Infrared range.  When you decide upon what type of Infrared modification you wish installed within your digital camera you must give this serious thought.  I find that the 715nm range gives both pleasing B&W as well as FAUX color images.  At 850nm you can forget any type of FAUX images but the B&W images are beautiful beyond words!  They are more saturated, darker and express great mood!  Both of the major Mod Companies have sample images on their web sites to show you exactly what the different Infrared filters will create.