Infrared Pictures How To?????

[cosmonaut]

I am interseted in taking some IR pictures like the ones I have seen on these forums, but I have a few questions. First off let me say that I am not digital yet. I still shot film, but here are my questions.
1 Are you guys using IR film, modified cameras or PhotoShop to get make pictures?
2 If you are using film, where do you get it developed and put on CD or computer and what's the cost?
3 What are some basic settings for the camera that would work best?
I have thought about buying some IR film but am not sure about all of the details. I have an older camera that would probably work without leaking and a Canon that will shot some IR film but not all. Thanks for any help...
Cosmo

 

[hayden]

I do it using Photoshop CS2. If you're interested, here are the steps:

Open up your image. Optimize your levels first. Then change to black and white using the Channel Mixer (using the icon at the bottom of your layers palette). Change your Red and Blue to -50% and change your Greens to 200% (or as high as it will go) and have "Monochrome" ON at the bottom check-box area. Then duplicate your original layer, move it to the top of your layers palette. Go to Image, Adjustments, and Channel Mixer and then do the same thing with the -50% red, blue and 200% green but this time do NOT have Monochrome on. Change your duplicated layer to Overlay and opacity to about 50%. Voila!

 

[markc]

Doing it in software is more like using a red filter on b&w film than using IR. Using that method only changes the look based on color, whereas IR will behave differently based on material. Green grass will look white, while a green wood fence may look black (depending on the make-up of the paint). Blue sky is black, but a blue metal bucket may be a grey. It all depends on how much IR gets reflected, not the color reflected. IR is basically a color you can only see with IR film or sensitive sensor, so red/green/blue is immaterial.

The images still can look cool, but they really don't come close to IR to my eyes.

 

[cosmonaut]

I'll try it in CS2. I'm not that good in layering but I will do my best. Thanks for your time in posting the info. I would still be interested in the film way too. I heard you can modify your camera but that it's expensive...
Cosmo

 

[ladyphotog]

IR with film is not difficult. You need a filter with IR film. Red works good and you can focus thru the lens, however if you only want infared light hitting the film then you need a wratten 87 filter. When you use the 87 filter you will not be able to see thru the camera to focus so you should use depth of field and measure your distance. Secondly you will need to bracket to get a good exposure. Also, always load in total darkness. And keep it totally out of the light any other time. Put it in a kodak black film canister until you process it. If you use IR slide film you have to have it processed at a place that can turn off the IR sensors in their processors. Make sure that they understand what you are saying or take it somewhere else, otherwise your film will be totally fogged. The B&W IR film you can process yourself. If you need any other info or help let me know.

 

[Torus34]

The awesome IR pictures posted from time to time are enough to get many folks salivating. It also leads to the same questions being asked again and again.

So . . . is there anyone out there who's willing to put together a primer on IR photography? Kind of a simple 'cookbook' approach so that newbees to the technique can expect to achieve success?

If so, it can be posted on this site as a guide to anyone interested in the technique.

 

[fightheheathens]

a couple things to know with IR film.
because IR is a different wave length of light, you actually have to focus to a different point. most older film cameras have a red dot on the manual focus part. You focus normally through the view finder, then you move that distance setting that you focused to over to where ever the red dot is.

also another thing is many places wont process IR film. I once bought some IR film from a place when then later refused to process the film they bought me. With b&w IR film, your best bet is to process yourself.

 

[nealjpage]

So a friend of mine was a photog. major in college and he offered one other bit of advice on IR film: develop in a tank that's IR proof. Now, I have no idea what one of these looks like. Will my Paterson Super System 4 work just fine? I never got the hang of stainless tanks....

 

[w.pasman]

You can not do "infrared photography" with Photoshop.
The point is, standard cameras are made to photograph visible light, not infrared. Maybe photoshop has a plug in to make look-like-IR-image things but that is something different.

With the non-digital cameras you usually can plug in IR film, and you need to do a focus distance correction as IR is bent other than visible light by the lenses.
With digitals there are usually IR blocking filters in the camera, because the sensors are very IR sensitive and would cause wrong pictures. Sometimes you can get away by adding a visible-light filter as well (IR-pass-only filter) and then boost the exposure times so that you still see some IR through the IR-blocking filter. Others have removed the IR filter from their camera (which voids warranty ; some manufacturers can remove this filter for you)

 

[terri]

So a friend of mine was a photog. major in college and he offered one other bit of advice on IR film: develop in a tank that's IR proof. Now, I have no idea what one of these looks like. Will my Paterson Super System 4 work just fine? I never got the hang of stainless tanks....

I've no clue what that means. I've developed HIE in a regular old plastic Paterson tank with no problems. There is no IR radiation or anything involved that would call for a special tank. Just load/unload in absolute darkness and agitate the stuff gently and use distilled water; it can be pinhole-prone. That's all.

And with HIE you can get great IR effects from a #25 or 29 red filter; this allows you to meter TTL.

I have read about focusing issues; have yet to experience this.

 

[Garbz]

that means that when you develop I don't think you can use any old tank like you could with normal film as the redlight used in the dark room will kill the IR film. I belive this has to be done in absolute darkness but I am talking in theory not from practice.

 

[terri]

that means that when you develop I don't think you can use any old tank like you could with normal film as the redlight used in the dark room will kill the IR film. I belive this has to be done in absolute darkness but I am talking in theory not from practice.

You need to load it onto the reels in absolute darkness, yes, just as with any other film. Once it's in the tank (any old tank) it's light-tight, safe, and can be processed at the kitchen sink if you want to (my usual place!).

 

[RacePhoto]

I am interseted in taking some IR pictures like the ones I have seen on these forums, but I have a few questions. First off let me say that I am not digital yet. I still shot film, but here are my questions.
1 Are you guys using IR film, modified cameras or PhotoShop to get make pictures?
2 If you are using film, where do you get it developed and put on CD or computer and what's the cost?
3 What are some basic settings for the camera that would work best?
I have thought about buying some IR film but am not sure about all of the details. I have an older camera that would probably work without leaking and a Canon that will shot some IR film but not all. Thanks for any help...
Cosmo

If you are serious about this in the future, you can have the IR filter removed from a digital camera, which makes it all IR. Something in the range of a $200 "unmodification" that replaces the filter with clear protection. But then you can put a filer on the lens and adjust it to take normal pictures if you must. Just in case someone cared about that option.

IR film I've used in the past was the Kodak color IR slide film. I just played with it, and it was entertaining. Shot some with the red filter, some with old IR heat lamps for a light source at night, no filter. Mostly just experimentation and artsy fartsy stuff.