RD-1s / M8 Infrared Applications

[frederick_muller]

<p>I've been happily using the RD-1s for infrared about a year now. I've also seen great IR shots done with the M8. Now, the reason I like IR is that it creates an effect similar to, but far more extreme than my favourite green filter when shooting black and white. The green filter darkens blue skies and lightens foliage. IR makes blue skies look almost black, and lights up foliage with a brilliant glow. Objects in between seem to preserve their natural tones of gray. </p>

<p>My question is this: apart from landscape shots and shots that take advantage if IR's stark rendering of foliage, what are other creative applications for these properties of infrared? So long as we have tools like the RD-1 and the M8 that make IR easy, how can we use them more creatively?</p>

[ron_breeze2]

<p>Hi Frederick I've been working in IR, with the M8, for two and a half years since I bought the camera new. I've experimented with various lens and filter combinations and achieved different results with each. Examples of my work can be seen on the LFI website under Ronald Breeze in the IR section and in articles in the November 2008 and 2009 editions of LFI. I have a color IR photo of a custom 1950 Ford coming out in the June issue of LFI at the end of this month so you can check out what a car looks like photographed in IR and color converted. I use three combinations of equipment a 21 mm F2.8 pre ASPH Elmarit with a Hoya IR 72, a 28 mm F2.8 ASPH Elmarit with a Leitz IR and a 35 mm pre ASPH Lux with a Lee IR gel cut to series VII. Each combination gives a different look as the 35 combo looks more like Kodak HIE, the 21 like HIE but without the softness and the 28 gives what I call a hybrid look of more traditional B&W with a hint of IR. I'm currently experimenting with the new CV 15 mm lens and Hoya IR72 filter and results look promising. I use different post processing techniques in PS to achieve the look I want and since it varies from lens combination It's hard to give a typical work flow. The best advice I could give is to go out and experiment with various filter lens combinations and see what you like.</p><div></div>

[frederick_muller]

<p>Ron, thanks. It sounds like experimentation with different lenses and filters can add flexibility. That is a very nice picture of the car. It looks like a blend of subdued color on an IR background. I'm not familiar with "color conversion" and will have to do a bit of research, but it looks like a very interesting effect.</p>