Infra-red photography
Discussion
Kind of you to say (cheque in post).
If you have a digi SLR that you can set to manual then it's quite easy. Actually it's a LOT easier with an SLR digital than with film... all you have to do is attach an infrared filter to the lens (finding one is actually more difficult than you think, I got mine shipped in from the USA) about £15. Then you set up the camera on a tripod (without filter), set everything to manual - focus, compose the shot (It's really important to get this JUST right ... you'll see why soon) - set to black and white if you can, THEN put the filter on (you can't see through the lens from now on). If you have a shutter on the eyepiece, close that (if not mask it with your hand to stop any light getting in).
Then the easy bit... if you have the aperture set mid way (f8 ish) simply take half a dozen shots at say 3 seconds, 4 seconds etc to 8 seconds...then have a look at your results on the screen - it's pretty obvious where the exposure is best (usually about 5 - 6 seconds in sunlight) let's say it looked best at 5 seconds. I then I take another half dozen shots set at 5 seconds and either bracket to f11 etc and f5.6 etc (or on my camera I can do it in 1/3 of a stop at a time, so might take another dozen or so shots).
Then it's back to the computer to find the best shot. If you can't set your camera to B&W, then you need to change it to greyscale on your computer.
I then have to spend a few mins touching up the pic (to get rid of the shadows of bits of dust - which look FAR worse on long exposures).
That's it really - obviously the infrared sees hot things as white, so trees always have that ghostly frost thing going for them. Fast moving clouds also look great... but wind will blur the trees! Heres one on a still spring day www.stevecarter.com/infraweb/infra1.jpg
Steve
If you have a digi SLR that you can set to manual then it's quite easy. Actually it's a LOT easier with an SLR digital than with film... all you have to do is attach an infrared filter to the lens (finding one is actually more difficult than you think, I got mine shipped in from the USA) about £15. Then you set up the camera on a tripod (without filter), set everything to manual - focus, compose the shot (It's really important to get this JUST right ... you'll see why soon) - set to black and white if you can, THEN put the filter on (you can't see through the lens from now on). If you have a shutter on the eyepiece, close that (if not mask it with your hand to stop any light getting in).
Then the easy bit... if you have the aperture set mid way (f8 ish) simply take half a dozen shots at say 3 seconds, 4 seconds etc to 8 seconds...then have a look at your results on the screen - it's pretty obvious where the exposure is best (usually about 5 - 6 seconds in sunlight) let's say it looked best at 5 seconds. I then I take another half dozen shots set at 5 seconds and either bracket to f11 etc and f5.6 etc (or on my camera I can do it in 1/3 of a stop at a time, so might take another dozen or so shots).
Then it's back to the computer to find the best shot. If you can't set your camera to B&W, then you need to change it to greyscale on your computer.
I then have to spend a few mins touching up the pic (to get rid of the shadows of bits of dust - which look FAR worse on long exposures).
That's it really - obviously the infrared sees hot things as white, so trees always have that ghostly frost thing going for them. Fast moving clouds also look great... but wind will blur the trees! Heres one on a still spring day www.stevecarter.com/infraweb/infra1.jpg
Steve
Marshy said:
It's important, by the look of it, to have a filter system that allows you to install filters without wrecking your carefully focused shot! Which filter system is good for this?
Lenses that focus internally will help - 'IF' - it means the front doesn't rotate as you change focus.
EF stands for "electronic focus".
You should be able to find infrared filters in a square format that will fit a Cokin filter holder. That's what I would look for. That way you could slide in the filter without disturbing anything. A screw-in would still work though, you'd just have to be a bit more careful.
You should be able to find infrared filters in a square format that will fit a Cokin filter holder. That's what I would look for. That way you could slide in the filter without disturbing anything. A screw-in would still work though, you'd just have to be a bit more careful.
beano500 said:
Yes - what happened to lenses which had useful info like dof markings!?
Snappers don't know about DOF and enthusiasts/pros have cameras with DOF preview or they guess it!
beano500 said:
The Series 1, a classic, of course!
It was £119 - and stonkingly well built - not like the plastic stuff that even the Big Five put out these days! Unfortunately Vivitar have since lost the plot and seem to have been replaced by Sigma as the 'best' indy lensmaker.
beano500 said:
(You're not one for these modern-fangled things are you Simpo!? )
Well the laws of physics haven't changed, light still travels in straight lines and a camera is still a box with a hole in it. But you'll be pleased to hear I usually let the camera worry about exposure and focus. I can never bring myself to sell old kit so the Vivitar is retired and the job is now done by a Nikkor 70-300 f4-5.6 D. Even so, the Vivitar gave a constant f3.5 from 70mm right up to 210mm - you'd have to spend a lot to get that in these days of AF!
getcarter said:
"Presumably auto-focus doesn't work once you've got the filter on then?"
Nope
Not sure about digital I/R, but for photography with I/R films you don't have to use an opaque filter. You can use a dark red filter and get the same effect with a suitable I/R film e.g. Kodak. This allows you to compose, focus and meter with the filter on the lens. Other I/R films such as Konica and Ilford give more subtle effects with red filters.
The following is a good link if you'd like to find out more about I/R film photography.
<www.cocam.co.uk/CoCamWS/Infrared/INFRARED.HTM>
I can also recommend Hugh Milsom's Infrared Photography book if you want to dig deeper.
simpo two said:
Presumably auto-focus doesn't work once you've got the filter on then?
Here's a pic of my venerable Series 1 Vivitar lens from circa 1982. The curved reddish line shows how much the focus varies from normal light to IR.
Ive got a Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm - paid about £60 for it a couple of months ago. Cracking lens, if a little cumbersome compared to some of the more modern lenses.
Mad Dave said:
Ive got a Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm - paid about £60 for it a couple of months ago. Cracking lens, if a little cumbersome compared to some of the more modern lenses.
When I ordered the S1 lens (Dec 82!) I'd seen pictures of it - chunkier with little tabs on the side, I think to do with macro - and was surprised when this completely different one turned up. By coincidence I saw its predecessor yesterday in Cash Converters. £59 - nearly bought it as the lens I planned to get 20 years ago!
GetCarter,
Considering your collection of cars and suitable driving avenues, have you tried setting up for an IR shot of some of your cars then, going for a quick blast around and taking shots of the car with the resultant hot brakes/tyres/exhausts?
Not sure if it would work, just reading the part where you mentioned the hot sections being white made it seem like a good idea.
Considering your collection of cars and suitable driving avenues, have you tried setting up for an IR shot of some of your cars then, going for a quick blast around and taking shots of the car with the resultant hot brakes/tyres/exhausts?
Not sure if it would work, just reading the part where you mentioned the hot sections being white made it seem like a good idea.
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