anwarsalim

“There are many way to Rome”

In Infrared Digital Photography, there are many way (method) to get there. But definitely we need infrared filter
1. Most common people know with Infrared Filter attach in front of the lens
These method cheapest than the others, your camera still can capture natural photo (natural visible light). But there are few concerns such as : Need long exposure, very hard to do composition, can’t hand held photography, photo mostly not sharp (miss focusing point).

Stop reading and thinking for a while please, that’s minus point doesn’t change your mind to do infrared digital photography right?
I’m still do this filter attach in front of lens method, and will free to share tips and trick base on my experience.

2. Because of that few “minus” point, some people try to remove “blocker” from the camera. As we know in Basic Concept#1, in each camera there is Hot Mirror.

This method is still combine with infrared filter in front of the lens. Sony “Night Mode” do automatically these process.

Copyright of this image belong to Margaret Brown (photoreview.com.au)

People get short exposure, infrared photography expand into another field of photography such as photo of animal, human, macro, etc. At that time, there isn’t many glass company can create custom size of infrared filter. The minus point of this method is grainy image, so much loss detail, less sharpness

3. Expand from method no 2, people change the hot mirror with type of glass (filter / clear glass). Perhaps you realize these day are many website offering this, lifepixelcom, beyondvisiblelight.com, Advanced Camera Services in Norfolk, etc for example.

Few people DIY this method, they can change hot mirror with Cokin P007, Hoya R72, B+W, Heliopan or other common filter. This is why they get bubble effect. See this image bellow for more detail

Bubble effect will show you black dot, in certain condition will show like big transparent dot. Hard to clear this effect with clone stamp/ spot healing in post production

B+W, Heliopan or Tiffen claim they using Schott glass, This is kind of glass that reduce the bubble effect in your photo. Better density of filter for easy acceptance of your mind. But we have to know that even they using Schott glass. There are few quality (A/B/C/D) in the market. Most quality is just C or D class which will give you bubble effect if you swap hot mirror with this one.

Overall minus point of this #3 method is your camera can’t be normal again, very hard to re-adjust focusing point. Continue read to get what i mean by re-adjust focusing point

At this point, i just want to make clear that I’m not a person who looking for money profit by sharing this information. I’m not a marketing support of infrared conversion company, also I’m not the one who accept service to remove hot mirror, and change it with infrared filter.
The reason i tell you this information, so you can see which company or person are extremely the best to do conversion of your camera. Am i recommend lifepixel.com? base on the website, i can see many minus point. Which make me think twice..

Let’s continue then, if you want to do infrared conversion. There are another few list of question you can ask
a. What type of glass they are use? learn about the characteristic of this glass for get what you want in infrared photography. Some company combine glass of Infrared with another type of glass such as UV, etc to increase the effect of Infrared
b. Lens Focus Diffraction (miss focus point), how can they adjust it for us. Most of case, photographer have to do focus shifting or small diafragma above F8.0. Another case they have to depend on 1 lens only. That lens usually expensive High Grade lens, too expensive to afford it
c. How they re-adjusting focus point of camera? Most of the case is “back Focus” with your camera

d. Are they offering adjustment guarantee if the result doesn’t achieve my expectation?

hints : Never ask about the tone of infrared (false color), frankly speaking what i mean is whatever type of infrared filter inside your camera. The natural infrared color is Black , Red tint , White.

Time-Out please!, is your mind asking why in false color it seem bluish, or Tree, Grass look Yellow or White. Is not that dreamy? Is not that fact? I see raw color of infrared is bluish? am i wrong?

The color bluish, reddish, or whatever raw infrared color you get from your camera is the effect of Custom pre-set White Balance before. The Yellow, dreamy tone (false color) is post processing you can get from post-processing software. People can get what ever color they want such as Grey-Scale/Monochrome (B/W) or coloring through post processing software. You can learn much more in Naomi Frost Journal in
http://www.redbubble.com/people/florentinepogen/journal/2491254-how-to-do-infrared

Will continue in another topic(false color), please feel free to ask or discuss. For clearly concept, i suggest better you read Infrared Digital Photography – Basic Concept #1

Copyright images belong to the owner, attach in this journal not for profit information
Best regards,
Anwar Salim