When I purchased a new camera I made a decision to have my older model converted to capture infrared images. I had some experience with this type of photography with some of my older cameras that I sent to LifePixel for conversion. This company disassembles the camera and removes the Infrared blocking filter, replacing it with a filter that passes infrared light. Different filters are available for various parts of the infrared spectrum. The longer the wavelength, the deeper one goes into the infrared zone. Some of their filters allow a bit of the visible spectrum which yields strange colors and weird effects. My previous cameras were converted to 720nm (nanometers) and 590nm. The 590nm filter allowed some visible light which produced some startling images.
590nm Filter
A converted Olympus Pen E-P5
720nm Filter
I converted an Olympus E-PL1 to take photos with a 720nm. Most of the photo were rendered in monotone with a slight yellowish tone. I did post processing to convert them completely to black and white.
Going Deeper with 830nm
Converted Olympus OMD-1 Mark II
I decided to go the farthest I could go into infrared spectrum with a 830nm filter. This means a loss of sensitivity, so most of my photography will be done outside on bright sunny days. Skies will be rendered as almost black and reflective surfaces and green foliage will be a bright white. It is going to be challenging and I needed to post-process the photos because they appear in magenta/purplish hues.
Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC)
Post Processing
Same photo after conversion to Black and White with NIK Silver Efex
Architecture
I wanted to experiment with photographing building, so I chose the New Ipswich Congregational Church as a subject.
Portraits
Infrared light penetrates the skin slightly. It reflects from the inner layers. The result is that skin has almost a waxy look and wrinkles disappear. The eyes are darkened which is a bit spooky.
Heat Lamp
For this photo I stared directly into an infrared heat lamp, felt nice on a winter’s day. Light from LED spotlights do not register at all.
Waxen Skin
One way to hide veins, age spots and other distracting features. Looks like wax to me.
Next Projects
I plant to take some photos on the shore. Strangely enough, seaweed is quite reflective of infrared light. That might be interesting against the backdrop of rocks and the ocean.
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How do these compare with black and white? (I didn’t want to say contrast.)
Close, I set a customized white balance so I see a B&W image in the viewfinder instead of the magenta image. The photos are processed to increase the contrast, usually by amplifying blacks and whites in NIK Silver EFEX.
The images with the 720nm and 830nm are monochrome. In the case of the 830 it is that magenta/purple color. I can change that in camera by white balance, but it easier to do it with lightroom or other external software. Simply crank down the saturation. I will experiment with photographing a still life with a regular and converted camera using the same lens and render them both as a black and white photograph. I suspect that the converted camera does not have the same dynamic range. Stay tuned for that experiment. Infrared light is reflected differently by different materials as you can see. Foliage is bright, skies are darkened.
Loved looking at them all!
Madame Tussauds, eat your heart out.
Why is your hand disproportionately larger than fingers? Well, except the thumb. Was it an odd angle?
The lens is wide angle which has the effect of distorting the view. However I am somewhat deformed which explains why I can’t touch my toes.
My body has lots of oddities, I’m not sure if it due to genetics or open air atomic testing in the 1950s. I took the hand photo while balancing the camera in my other hand, it was a bit awkward.