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\n\n<\/strong>Geoff is the Deputy and Online Editor of\u00a0Amateur Photographer and a keen travel, documentary and portrait shooter in his own right. He also loves black and white infrared photography, and two of his infrared shots have now made AP’s cover. So we guess he must be doing something right.<\/i>
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Infrared photography still divides opinion. For some, it\u2019s a great way to add mood and atmosphere to images, particularly black & white, while for others it\u2019s a distracting gimmick. I can see both sides of the argument, but some of my favourite photography has used infrared, such as Simon Marsden\u2019s haunting shots of Venice, or Richard Mosse\u2019s superb Aerochrome IR film project in the Congo. So, hearing that there had been an upsurge of interest in infrared during the lockdown, I decided to convert an eight-year-old\u00a0Olympus OM-D E-M5<\/a> mirrorless camera. Would I greatly extend the life of this old warhorse or hobble a perfectly good back-up?<\/p>\n Before going on, let\u2019s just recap the basic principles of converting a mirroless camera to infrared. Put simply, there are two options. One, add a glass IR filter inside the camera. There are a range of options, but 830nm, 720nm, 665nm, or 590nm glass filters tend to be the most popular (nm stands for nanometers, the measurement unit for infrared wavelengths). The longer wavelength conversions, such as 720nm and 830nm, are mainly used for black & white, as above 720nm there is very little colour information available.<\/p>\n Shorter wavelength IR conversions, such as 590nm, are popular for those \u2018false colour\u2019 effects you either love or hate (orange skies, bright red or bleached white foliage and so on). Or, for a similar price, you can go for a \u2018full spectrum\u2019 conversion (i.e. removing the internal hot mirror), which is generally more flexible as it doesn\u2019t involve fitting an IR filter inside your camera \u2013 just optical-quality clear glass to protect the exposed sensor. With full spectrum, the camera essentially gains extra light sensitivity, so it is able to capture infrared images, ultraviolet light images and more.<\/p>\n\t\t Lots of foliage and clear skies can look great when converted to mono \u2013 use a quality 720nm IR filter, such as the Cokin Nuances range<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n Don’t try this at home<\/strong> \u00a0<\/span>\u2018You can get an a shock if the camera has a built-in flash,\u2019 he explains. \u2018Some cameras are pretty easy to convert, such as the Nikon D70, but taking apart a mirrorless camera is usually complicated. Whilst DSLRs can indeed be converted, mirrorless are more flexible. With a DSLR if you opt for a full spectrum conversion you won\u2019t be able to see through the viewfinder when using an external higher nm filter so you\u2019ll have to set the exposure and composition first \u2013 you can use live view if your DSLR has it which makes things a little easier. If it is a dedicated IR conversion it makes no difference to the viewfinder \u2013 you can use as a standard camera as the glass IR filter is behind the camera mirror. Because a mirrorless camera focuses off the sensor you are focusing infrared light as opposed to visible light on a DSLR; additionally mirrorless cameras do not have to be adjusted for a particular lens as DSLRs would need to be. We convert many DSLRs, including for astro or scientific work, but lots of people are choosing to have mirrorless cameras converted as they may have a spare from an upgrade and the cameras tend to be a lot lighter if used as a second body.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t \u2018False colour\u2019 effects can be striking if used sparingly and further editing is easy in Photoshop<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n As mentioned, false colour infrared is not to everyone\u2019s taste, so if you just want to shoot black & white, Kelvin recommends a 720 or 830nm conversion. \u2018You don\u2019t have to faff about with lens filters, so you can see why not everyone goes for full spectrum.\u2019 If you want to experiment with false colour, Kelvin recommends a 590m conversion, which produces golden yellow leaves or bright blue skies, or 665nm as a good overall compromise. <\/span><\/p>\n Filter facts<\/strong> Blasty midday sunlight? Bring it on if you shoot infrared<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n \u2018They work, but whether a purist could tell the difference between something cheap off Amazon or a pricier filter, I don\u2019t know. Not everyone has the money for Schott glass B+W filters. You will get better quality glass if you pay more, and you have to be careful you don\u2019t end up with an acrylic filter. Definitely avoid variable IR filters that claim to go up from 590nm, as you can get streaking and lines on the image.\u2019 Another issue to watch out for is hot-spotting \u2013 a bright spot in the centre of the image that appears at narrower apertures. Some lenses are more susceptible than others, so check out the extensive database at kolarivision.com\/articles\/lens-hotspot-list. <\/span><\/p>\n Editing advice<\/strong> \u2018If there is a lot of IR light coming off the foliage and you expose for, say, a church, you may indeed notice the foliage blows out,\u2019 says Kelvin. \u2018You can compensate for this, but it\u2019s also a good idea to choose matrix metering rather than spot. Also, as you come down the spectrum, you will be getting more visible light \u2013 so a 720nm filter is more user-friendly than a 900nm, which requires a lot of light. Furthermore, with black & white, a 720nm filter will usually give you more \u201cbite\u201d than you\u2019d get with a 590nm which lets in more visible light so foliage appears softer.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n For editing, Kelvin always recommends setting a custom white balance when you add a lens filter (or have your camera converted with a specific IR filter). \u2018Shoot in JPEG and raw at the beginning, as if you put a JPEG in Photoshop you will see what you see on the back of the camera and can then play around with the Channel Mixer in Photoshop for various effects. Put a raw file into Photoshop and it will render the image pink, as it ignores the custom white balance \u2013 so you\u2019ll need to reset it.\u2019 So to sum up. This article probably won\u2019t convince committed IR-phobes, but I learned a lot getting my old Olympus camera converted, and it\u2019s certainly added another weapon to my creative arsenal \u2013 particularly when it comes to black & white.<\/span><\/p>\n Which cameras make the best conversions?<\/strong> A ‘full spectrum’ shot without lens filters (using a custom white balance)<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n A full spectrum of possibilities<\/strong> Further reading![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/infrared-main-300x400.jpg\")
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\nYou then add IR filters to your lenses for specific effects, such as black & white at 720nm, or 590nm for false colours. Here\u2019s the thing: you can also change back to using the camera in the \u2018normal\u2019 way simply by adding a UV\/IR hot-mirror blocking filter. So, on the basis of recommendations from other AP contributors, I decided to get my Olympus guinea pig converted to full spectrum by Protech Photographic<\/a>, who\u2019ve been in business for over 30 years. Camera technician Kelvin Stonebrook explains the process. First, he is keen to stress that conversion is not really something you should try to do at home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/infrard-false-colour-300x400.jpg\")
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\nWe mentioned the outstanding infrared work of Richard Mosse at the beginning, who uses the hard-to-find Kodak Aerochrome film. To get the Aerochrome look digitally has never been easy unless you are a Photoshop expert, but you can try using a dual band filter, or the IR Chrome filter from Kolari Vision in the US (it\u2019s not cheap, however, at around \u00a3100 plus shipping). Filter tips Not everyone will want to spend that much if they only take IR images irregularly, so what about cheaper filters, which you can easily use with a full-spectrum converted camera?<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/infrared-strong-sunlight-400x400.jpg\")
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\nGetting your camera converted, whether via a full spectrum conversion or adding a specific internal filter, is one thing, but to get the most from infrared digital photography, you also need to be aware of potential issues when shooting and editing. I noticed that it was quite easy to blow out the highlights, particularly in foliage. <\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/channel-mixer-630x400.jpg\")
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\nMany people convert older cameras as it\u2019s less of a risk. Which cameras are the most suitable? \u2018They all have their pros and cons,\u2019 says Protech Photographic\u2019s Kelvin Stonebrook (see his workspace above). \u2018Panasonic makes it easier to adjust white balance without digging through menus, and Fujifilm and Olympus work well. Obviously a full-frame sensor will give you higher-resolution files \u2013 the latest full-frame models from Sony and Nikon are particularly good. But as we see here, you can get great results with a camera that is nearly ten years old, so a lot of it comes down to your allegiance and range of lenses.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/full-spectrum-533x400.jpg\")
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\nRather than thinking of a full spectrum as an IR conversion per se, it\u2019s more accurate to think of it as a conversion that greatly increases the light sensitivity of your camera \u2013 so it can naturally detect more infrared light as part of this process. \u2018If you set a custom white balance using a white or grey card and shoot a normal scene, it will look pretty normal except for the trees and foliage \u2013 they give off a lot of infrared light,\u2019 says Kelvin. \u2018The foliage will often show up as slightly soft, too, so adding a filter gives you punch.\u2019 Another big advantage of a full spectrum conversion is better low-light results. \u2018If you are photographing animals at night, for example, you get extra light sensitivity at the top end. Recently, we did a full spectrum conversion on a Canon EOS 7D for Russell Savory, who is covering the reintroduction of beavers to Essex after hundreds of years.\u2019<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>How to shoot great black and white infrared images<\/a><\/p>\n