IR Photography using DSLRs

[junaquino]

Sensei sweet shots, btw, wala nabang work around ang NEX5 to shoot in RAW pag naka set to high contrast ang setting. Sayang kasi JPEG lang ang puwede.

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[Thor Lidasan]

Thor, those are fantastic ir images, especially the second photo 

Thanks!

Did it in CS5,  Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation where I went through each color adjusting the Hue and Saturation of Reds, Magentas, and Yellows. Playing with the Hue adjustment can yield the same output as the Channel Mixer.

For the warm tone, I added Image > Adjustments > Photo Filter and ran the Warming Filter.

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[Thor Lidasan]

Sensei sweet shots, btw, wala nabang work around ang NEX5 to shoot in RAW pag naka set to high contrast ang setting. Sayang kasi JPEG lang ang puwede.

Meron... pero indirect ang ginagawa ko.

Shoot an image with High Contrast then note the settings, 1) aperture 2) speed 3)iso... then change settings to RAW and go manual exposure and shoot at the same settings. Matrabaho siya pero if there is an image na gusto mo talaga i-preserve in RAW, that's what I do.

Madali lang naman habulin sa post yung High Contrast look. Ang mahirap is finding the right exposure settings. Ganyan ang diskarte ko sa Nikon kasi. I initially set the setting for monochrome, take an Aperture Priority shot, note the exposure settings (speed + iso). I then switch to NEF + Manual Exposure settings using the same exposure settings.

This technique saved my shots from those High Contrast scenes where it is very difficult to get the right exposure values. Shooting monochrome initially forces the in-camera metering to concentrate on the brightest and the darkest and ignore the effect of colors (especially Red) on the metering calculation. After the initial shot, madali na sa akin to adjust yung compensation that I need to do and I keep shooting na without taking test shots again.

BTW, same technique din na ginagamit ko sa normal photography.

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[junaquino]

Medyo na windang ako dito ah,, mahina ang processing ko wala pa kasing tulog,,, mga dalawang review pa and I'll get it na. Parang shoot in high contrast settings , take note of aperture/speed/ISO , switch manual apply settings. Then convert to B&W nalang sa CS?

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[Thor Lidasan]

Medyo na windang ako dito ah,, mahina ang processing ko wala pa kasing tulog,,, mga dalawang review pa and I'll get it na. Parang shoot in high contrast settings , take note of aperture/speed/ISO , switch manual apply settings. Then convert to B&W nalang sa CS?

Yep, korek!

Convert to mono or keep the color depende sa gusto mo.

Yung High Contrast "look" post-processing meron naman yan sa CS5, using Curves or sa Layers using Hard Light, or Soft Light, or both Multiply/Screen (adjust the opacity to your desired high contrast look). Ang importante kasi preserved mo yung RAW file for future post-processing down the road saka hindi ka limitado sa B&W output lang, may colored version ka rin.

Compare shots ka mamya pagnakapahinga ka na:

Shoot the same scene twice:

1) Use High Contrast setting (jpeg siyempre)
2) shoot again, this time in RAW using Aperture Priority + standard scene mode

Note the difference in Exposure values and the difference in stops between the two shots.

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[junaquino]

Na inlove lang ako talaga sa setting ng NEX5 on high contrast. Dial mo lang ang right exposure compensation and get the proper exposure SOOC ok na agad. Panay B&W and IR nalang ang shoot ko last weekend, ang DSLR nasa camera bag most of the time, lol.

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[Thor Lidasan]

Jun,

Try mo yung 830nm or 840nm IR filter sa NEX for awesome high contrast output. Almost pure IR filtration and monochrome output.

Here is an example of an 830nm IR from my D40. My favorite shot of San Remo Towers near Central Park:

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[junaquino]

Ma try nga bukas ang 840 tomorrow. Tnx a lot ulit sa mga tips.

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[junaquino]

Medyo na windang ako dito ah,, mahina ang processing ko wala pa kasing tulog,,, mga dalawang review pa and I'll get it na. Parang shoot in high contrast settings , take note of aperture/speed/ISO , switch manual apply settings. Then convert to B&W nalang sa CS?

Yep, korek!

Convert to mono or keep the color depende sa gusto mo.

Yung High Contrast "look" post-processing meron naman yan sa CS5, using Curves or sa Layers using Hard Light, or Soft Light, or both Multiply/Screen (adjust the opacity to your desired high contrast look). Ang importante kasi preserved mo yung RAW file for future post-processing down the road saka hindi ka limitado sa B&W output lang, may colored version ka rin.

Compare shots ka mamya pagnakapahinga ka na:

Shoot the same scene twice:

1) Use High Contrast setting (jpeg siyempre)
2) shoot again, this time in RAW using Aperture Priority + standard scene mode

Note the difference in Exposure values and the difference in stops between the two shots.

Been toying around with the settings since yesterday para madali nalang ma copy ang setting ng high contrast (mono) with that in shooting Aperture priority for RAW file shooting. I just set the ISO to AUTO and I was able to replicate the settings of the high contrast(mono) directly shooting at Aperture priority. No need to go back and forth para mabilis ang shooting.  At last I can shoot in RAW na with my B&W. Thanks for the tips again.

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[junaquino]

around what time mo to na shoot?

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[junaquino]

Invisible Light house.

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[Thor Lidasan]

around what time mo to na shoot?

Two years ago yan, palabas noon ang movie na "Avatar". Kaya I titled the image, "Pandora's Moon over Central Park". Shot through a modified D40, resized to a 24"x36" print, and hangs on my wall. Kinuha din yan for a calendar ng isang company. It also won a Nikongear award tapos nainvite pa to be included in a book.

Actually, I shot it around 2 pm tapos dinagdag ko yung moon shot in post to turn the image into a night shot. Yan ang isang dahilan why I like 830nm filtration, pwede ko gawing parang night exposure yung image sa post.

Here's the version na walang moon shot and less contrast:

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[junaquino]

Nag CWB ka pa ba for this shot?

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[Thor Lidasan]

Nag CWB ka pa ba for this shot?

For 830nm, hindi mo na kailangan mag-CWB kasi wala namang makakalusot na false colors eh. Blocked lahat ang visible light, puro IR lang ang pwedeng pumasok sa lente.

Ginagamit ko Tungsten/Incandescent WB para accurate yung exposure. Kulay pula yung image so sa ACR ina-adjust ko yung tint para maging blue.

Heto pa isang 830nm example, ginawa kong dambuhala yung buwan! LOL

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[Thor Lidasan]

Share ko lang din dito, something I posted in another forum:

I was in West Point last weekend at United States Military Academy. They had the Class of 2016 Acceptance Day where the plebes were finally "deemed fit" to join their upperclassmen in the Cadet Corps. The plebes survived 8 weeks of Beast Barracks, a 24/7 of 8 week-long barrage of mental, emotional, and physical challenges to get them in shape for the intense environment of West Point. I watched as the 18-year old cadets parade  in front of their parents and visitors, their faces haggard, eyes  showing lack of sleep, and as I look around the parade stand, I saw  the plebes' parents beam with pride and joy. The parents have not seen  their sons and daughters for 8 weeks. They watched their children being  integrated into the Cadet Corps and into the military way of life. I  went through the same experience when I was an 18-year plebe in the  Philippine Military Academy (Maharlika Class '84).
 
 The location where I took this shot is called the Trophy Point. Right behind me is the Battle Monument where a female statue sits atop the monument. The monument is a tribute to the fallen Civil War soldiers. Of course, as a West Point plebe, the female statue is significant as she is called Fame. Traditionally, the plebes at West Point made reference to the statue of Fame when giving the following reply to any upperclassman demanding to know "How are they all?", (referring to females), the plebes answer: "They are all fickle but one, sir." This was before West Point started accepting female cadets. Interesting shot for me as my original intention was to shoot scenic IR in West Point. Instead, I got myself drawn into an editorial-type of IR. 
 
 Military life, parents, their children, location, history, and a social  commentary all in one IR image:

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[junaquino]

drooling sa skintone sensie.

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[Rame]

share lang po ulit mga kapatid

Bro, hindi ba mahirap mag IR with a d90? I think nakasama kita sa isang macro eb.

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[never_1007]

Bro, hindi ba mahirap mag IR with a d90? I think nakasama kita sa isang macro eb.

hindi naman bro.. got CWB for D90 kasi... ito sample oh...





HTH cheers

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[Thor Lidasan]

drooling sa skintone sensie.

Jun, yung skin tones sa IR madali lang yan. Nasa filter, lighting, and tiyaga sa post-processing ang sekreto.

For filter: babaan mo ang filtration, start around 550nm para ma-capture mo more colors to get the skin tone almost visible.

For lighting: kailangan tulungan mo ang visible colors to come out, either with flash or take the shot during the time na hindi matindi ang labas ng IR, like late afternoon.

For post: madali siya pag-isa lang subject kasi layer masking ang banat mo. Pag-madami ang subjects eh all bets are off!Kailangan mo pag-isipan talaga paano lalabas ang skin tones kasi sang-katerba yung skin tones na babanatan mo. Boring sa akin yung isa or dalawa ang tao sa IR image kasi alam ko photoshop skills pwede na i-correct yung skin tones. Ang challenge sa akin eh yung sangkaterbang tao sa isang IR image tapos ano ang labas ng skin tones ng bawat tao sa image. Hindi na photoshop ang usapan.

Halimbawa these two IR na kuha ko, sangdamakmak yung mga tao sa images:






The other thing is may mga IR photographers na pinipilit nila maging normal yung skin tones sa IR image. I actually do not agree (IMHO) sa style na ganun kasi I think dapat pa nga ma-highlight yung IR glow sa skin tone without making the subject look like a zombie.

For example, this one, I did not correct the skin tone sa photoshop and let the IR-toned skin color come out:

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[gqtuazon]

Thor- I love the moon shots that you've added. Great idea.

Just sharing a shot from today. I'm not sure if the Nikon 16-35mm is good for IR. I haven't tried my other wide angle lenses.

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