Infrared-Green-UV instead of RGB

AluminumStudios · May 2, 2006

I've been wanting to experiment with this ever since I saw a color photo taken by NASA's Cassini orbiter (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov) of Saturn that was taken using infrared, green, and ultraviolet rather than red-green-blue.

I took 3 photos (infrared, visible, ultraviolet) then mapped (a grayscale version) of the IR image to the red channel, green to green, and UV to the blue channel of an RGB color image:

Source images

Final composite

I love the world beyond our visible range and trying to capture a wider range of radiation than our eyes can see in a photo. I'm really thrilled with how well this turned out. Especially since I wasn't extremely careful when doing it.

I'm relatively new to this site but since it has an alternative techniques gallery I was anxious to post it!

Unimaxium · May 2, 2006

Wow, that's pretty cool. How exactly did you go about getting the UV and IR shots? I thought CCDs aren't very sensitive to UV light.

PS: welcome to the site

mysteryscribe · May 2, 2006

Super looking shots...

ksmattfish · May 2, 2006

Wild! I love it.

terri · May 2, 2006

It almost looks like what you'd get with color IR film developed E6 (as opposed to C41).

Very vibrant colors. Have you tried color IR film (Kodak EIR)? Since this look appeals to you, you might fall in love with it. To get different effects, you simply switch your color filters around: yellow, deep yellow, orange - and you can do it all on the same roll.

Welcome to the forum!

AluminumStudios · May 2, 2006

terri said:
It almost looks like what you'd get with color IR film developed E6 (as opposed to C41). Very vibrant colors. Have you tried color IR film (Kodak EIR)? Since this look appeals to you, you might fall in love with it. To get different effects, you simply switch your color filters around: yellow, deep yellow, orange - and you can do it all on the same roll.

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks. I probably would like IR film if I ever worked with film. I've gotten into photography recently and work with digital. I'd like to learn about film and developing some day, but don't have the time or money to put into that right now.

Here's another one that I did:

Karalee · May 2, 2006

Crazy fabulous!!! These are awesome :thumbsup:

Meysha · May 3, 2006

AMAZING!!! :shock:

I took 3 photos (infrared, visible, ultraviolet)

Can I ask you how you did these? mainly the IR and the UV.

AluminumStudios · May 3, 2006

Unimaxium said:
Wow, that's pretty cool. How exactly did you go about getting the UV and IR shots? I thought CCDs aren't very sensitive to UV light.

PS: welcome to the site

CCDs are sensitive to near infrared and UV, however that sensitivity is lower than visible light (in large part due to an infrared blocking filter behind the lense and in front of the CCD.)

If you put on a filter that blocks visible light but passes UV or IR and do a long exposure you can take a photo with this invisible range of light.

I have a little info. about digital infrared on my website http://www.aluminumstudios.com/photography/infrared/index.html and I just got into UV (although it works the same way as IR.)

Kevin D Burns · May 23, 2006

i agree very nice work.

Meysha · May 24, 2006

Awesome!

Your little 'study' on rainbows is amazing! and your theory on the IR band is actually quite logical but great to see it actually there.

So how do you get the UV photos?

Sir Duke · May 25, 2006

I am taked by this process. I would like to try this. You have effected me.

Brian_barrett · May 26, 2006

Great work on both of these examples. I have to admit though, I prefer the effect of IR alone more than this IR-G-UV image. However, as I dont have the equipment to do either I'll happily enjoy everyone elses experiments for now.

I wonder though, how the first one might look if you masked the sky on the green and UV images, and let the beautiful IR sky come through instead of burning out the sky by adding all three? just a thought...

Kevin D Burns · May 26, 2006

AluminumStudios said:
CCDs are sensitive to near infrared and UV, however that sensitivity is lower than visible light (in large part due to an infrared blocking filter behind the lense and in front of the CCD.)

If you put on a filter that blocks visible light but passes UV or IR and do a long exposure you can take a photo with this invisible range of light.

I have a little info. about digital infrared on my website http://www.aluminumstudios.com/photography/infrared/index.html and I just got into UV (although it works the same way as IR.)

Digital cameras have a IR cut filter in front of the CCD. One can remove this filter but one has to tear down the camera and replace the filter with a clear glass filter of the same size.
There are a few digital cameras that do quite well for IR work.
http://dpfwiw.com/ir.htm#specs
i am getting into IR work and am having so much fun with it. After reading the original post going to play with color filters, now. Just to see what happens.