Infrared

I dabbled with infrared photography a few years ago, using an IR filter on the lens of an IR sensitive camera. This inevitably required extended exposures and the use of a tripod, which made the process somewhat laborious. In an attempt to make my life easier I recently bought a SLR camera that had an IR filter fitted in front of the sensor, which meant that hand held photographs were much easier to achieve.

See  http://www.lifepixel.com/ if you want to learn more about IR photography. The galleries are worth the trouble.

I was pleased with some of my initial images.

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There are problems with hotspots as lenses are corrected for visible rather than IR light and  as well as a constant worry about focus as visible and IR have different focus points. A decision also has to be made as to whether to retain the false colour of IR or convert to black and white. Both retain the luminosity of foliage as chlorophyll reflects IR whereas blue skies absorb it. 

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I have just received an excellent birthday gift from Barbara, a book on Herbert List, about whom I knew little. Many of his images were surreal  and reminiscent of some Angus McBean. I also treated myself to a biography of Alfred Stieglitz and was reminded of his series of cloud images that he called Equivalents. Both influenced me to take this cloud reflected in a lake for which IR provided the necessary contrast.

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IR does not work well with buildings so I will be taking fewer doors and windows and more leaves, trees and flowers. 

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