The Dreaming Tree (Sort of a Dave Mathews fan)
The Square
Cusco Church
Valley of Fire, Nevada
I enjoy shaking things up on a regular basis. It keeps the boredom at bay. Although I have been guilty of wearing the same shirt too often. But hey, I’m a guy. But when it comes to photography, I’m all about trying new things. A few years ago it was impossible to pick up a photography magazine without reading something about digital infrared photography. Today, infrared photography doesn’t seem to get as much ink in the press and HDR seems to be the new buzz. However, when it comes to creating incredible black and whites, I still find myself gravitating back to my infrared camera. Many years ago in order to shoot infrared you needed special film, a darkroom and a modified camera…it was a hassle. Today you can use filters to create the same effect but it requires a tripod, long exposures and often times you can’t see your subject through your viewfinder (due to the dark filter). When I’m shooting I truly don’t enjoy a lot of hassles so traditional infrared really didn’t seem like an option for me. Also, I know Photoshop offers some really slick plug-ins that will simulate infrared, but it’s still not the real deal. I started my search and I was pleased to read some reviews about digital infrared conversion that only cost a few hundred dollars. I had an old Canon 20D sitting around so I bit the bullet and sent it in to www.maxmax.com (leader at the time) for conversion. There are two big players in this field of IR conversion MaxMax and Life Pixel. If you’re thinking about making the plunge I recommend visiting each of their sites. Luminous-landscapes did a wonderful job explaining the process of infrared conversion and you can read more about it HERE. Personally I have enjoyed working with infrared and I feel it’s added yet another dimension to my photography.
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Hi John,
Hope you had a nice Father’s Day!
This is the first chance I’ve had to view the ifrared photos. And, they are Beautiful! What camera brand, gives you this option? I currently have a Sony DSC-H2. Bought it cheap, it’s old, don’t care cause, I LOVE IT. The zoom is 12 optical, and that’s the reason I bought it. Ok, I lied, the price got me too ($199). I want to purchase a DSLR, but I’m ever so torn between the Sony and Canon. I’ve found that the faster the shutter speed the better, and Canon gives that. However, for sharpness, Sony’s it. Now, you’ve given another option, Infrared!!! Now, I really can’t make up mind!! I’m perplexed
Thanks for sharing the Wonderful photos,
Vicki
Vicki,
Thanks for dropping me a note. I’m not aware of infrared being standard on any cameras. I had to have an old body sent out to be converted and keep in mind once converted you can’t use it for anything other than infrared. However, you can buy filters that allow you to shoot in infrared but they are very dark and difficult to see through. I strongly recommend checking out the websites I suggested in the blog for more information. Any other questions feel free to respond. Take care, John