Infrared Photography Technique

What Is Infrared Photography?

Infrared photography captures light that the human eye can’t see, specifically wavelengths just beyond visible red, typically between 700 nm and 900 nm. You are essentially photographing a hidden version of reality and depending on the type of infrared you shoot deciding what colours that invisible world gets to wear (for example —> you can make foliage (leaves) turn white, gold, peach, or pink.))

The Technical Side

Your camera’s sensor is naturally sensitive to infrared light. In fact, it is too sensitive, which is why manufacturers add an IR-cut filter (sometimes called a “hot mirror”) to block infrared wavelengths and keep colours accurate. In order to shoot IR, you either:

1. Block visible light (using an IR-pass filter on the lens),

   or

2. Remove/replace the IR-cut filter in the camera (a full conversion).

Each one gives you different strengths and headaches.

Two Ways to Shoot Infrared

1. IR Filters (like the 720nm Hoya R72 or the 850nm filters)

This is the entry point let’s say. You screw a filter onto your lens, and it blocks all visible light, letting only infrared wavelengths through.

Pros are: It’s cheap, no permanent modification, great for experimenting

Cons: shutter speeds become really slow, focusing is tricky because IR light focuses at a different point, some lenses produce hotspots (unwanted bright circles in the centre)

2. Full IR Conversion

You send your camera to get the internal IR-cut filter replaced with an IR-pass filter (or removed entirely).

Pros: fast shutter speeds, better sharpness, way more flexible

Cons: It is obviously permanent, costs quite a bit of money, you must commit an entire body to IR only

The Different IR Looks

Infrared comes in several flavours:

720 nm (Classic IR Look)

• Foliage goes white

• Sky goes dark

• Great for false colour IR

• Usable for colour swapping (You can swap colours of things such as leaves later)

820–850 nm (Deep Black & White IR)

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