Experimenting with digital infrared

[Nick De Marco]

I just received a R72 Infrared filter to put on my Nockton 35mm f1.2 lens for my Leica M8

Before taking it on holiday this Easter wkend (walking and photographing around bleak cold peak district) I wanted to experiment with infrared. I just took this shot from my living room window. It is not an interesting subject, or even one appropriate for IR, but wanted to test performance.



It is taken at 640 ISO at about f8 (I recall) with a reasonably long exosure and a steady hand. I then processed it sharpening in raw and using an alien skin clone of Konica 750 (worked beter on this shot than Kodak HIE), wihout grain.

Any comments or hints on what else/different I should be doing (apart from photographing more interesting subjects especially foliage which I will do) before taking the trip gratefully received.

 

[bmattock]

Forgive me, but it does not particularly look like an IR photo. How did you process it?



I took this photo several years ago with my Pentax *ist DS and the same filter as you. I shot in RAW, then used color mixer to grab just the red channel. I adjusted levels and desaturated - that's about it.

 

[KEH]

I have started the same experiment - this with a B+W092 on my M8 plus Leica 28/2.8 asph.

I need to work on focus issues, but this has definite potential for handheld IR.

Cheers,
Kirk

 

[POINT OF VIEW]

Ir / M8

Ir / M8

Infrared is one of those times when raw is over kill. Use JPEG shoot in B/W. No additional editing necessary. Your going for the abstract look. To add color use photo shop, spray paint, 25 percent.

 

[bmattock]

Infrared is one of those times when raw is over kill. Use JPEG shoot in B/W. No additional editing necessary. Your going for the abstract look. To add color use photo shop, spray paint, 25 percent.

I'm not going to tell you you're wrong, because clearly you're happy with the result, but that's not at all what I am looking for in an IR image. Different styles, I guess.

 

[ampguy]

Nick, it doesn't look IR to my eyes either, I think that living plants with a lot of chlorophyll generally show up as white, even with the partial IR range of the R72 filter.

A lot of IR photos are overdone IMHO, like HDR photos, but here are some muted ones, it's with an RD1 with R72 filter, but also with an 85C warming filter.

Are you sure you didn't have a stacked IR/UV filter on along with the R72 filter?

http://matsumura.smugmug.com/gallery/4509200_FuJBr#265441000

 

[Nick De Marco]

Thanks for the helpful reply
Only the 72 filter was on. I expect that it as the post processing where I went wrong. I have tried to process it slightly differently, but am restrained by the problems with the original shot.


I shall keep experimenting. Great photos bmattock by the way.

 

[ampguy]

may want to try other lenses too

may want to try other lenses too

Could it be that the CV 35/1.2 blocks IR range more than other lenses?

Can you capture the beam of a tv remote (pressed) easily through the CV?

Thanks for the helpful reply
Only the 72 filter was on. I expect that it as the post processing where I went wrong. I have tried to process it slightly differently, but am restrained by the problems with the original shot.


I shall keep experimenting. Great photos bmattock by the way.

 

[etrigan63]

Here are a couple of mine: