Patrick Rice - Infrared

Infrared photography has been practised by the enthusiast and social sector ever since they discovered that the film being used by the medics, military and astronomers produced striking and rather unusual effects when brought out of the laboratory. The medium itself can sometimes be difficult to handle, with slow shutter speeds, opaque filters, tricky processing and unpredictable effects. Undeterred, Patrick Rice has somewhat taken the genre to himself and even produced a book on wedding photography using infrared. He will, no doubt, enlighten us fully on his UK tour in November 2006 but in the meantime here is a taster, using selected parts of his text. If you want to know more, the book is a must-buy and available from the SWPP online bookshop.

Which filter to use

Patrick Rice

There is no right answer to this question. Photographers use the appropriate filter to get the infrared “look” that they want to achieve. The more sensitive the film or camera is to infrared, the less intense of a filter is necessary to achieve an acceptable infrared image. Some photographers insist that opaque filters which block the entire visible spectrum are the only way to produce infrared images. Usually number 87 or 89 filters or their equivalent, will block all wavelengths of light shorter than 700 nanometers. This will give you the true infrared recording of the scene with no contamination from the visible spectrum. The downside of using these opaque filters is that they usually require high ISO speeds, large lens openings and slow shutter speeds.

Most infrared photographers tend to use wide-angle lenses for two important reasons. First, wide-angle lenses include more of the scene that you are photographing and thus more elements to reflect infrared light. In outdoor photography, a wide-angle lens will record the grass, trees and sky where a longer lens will naturally record less of the scene you are photographing. Secondly, wide-angle lenses have a greater depth of field range than longer lenses so the photographer does not have to concern themselves with refocusing the camera to ensure the image is sharp.

Digital infrared cameras

Patrick Rice

The first question that must be asked when discussing digital infrared photography is “What camera do I use?”. In digital cameras, IR performance reflects a combination of lens speed, infrared sensitivity – which is determined by the CCD or CMOS chips infrared cut-off or hot mirror filter and image quality at higher ISO settings. A crude but simple test of a digital camera’s infrared sensitivity can be done with any television or stereo remote control. Simply point the remote at your digital camera and press any button. If you can see the glow of the infrared beam being sent by the remote in your camera’s LCD or after you take a photo, then the camera is indeed sensitive to the infrared range and can record infrared radiation to some extent. The brighter and clearer the projected beam, the more sensitive the camera will be to infrared.

Comparing infrared film with digital infrared It is important for photographers to understand the differences and similarities of shooting with infrared films or creating digital infrared images. infrared theory is for the most part the same for either medium. Infrared films can record up to the wavelength of light that the emulsion is sensitized for. All infrared films use dyes to extend their sensitivity range beyond red and into the near infrared spectrum. With Kodak infrared film, the emulsion has sensitivity to around 900 nanometers. With the Konica infrared film, the emulsion is sensitive to around 750 nanometers. This is one reason why infrared images with Kodak film have more of the infrared look than Konica. The German-made Maco infrared film is sensitive to around 820 nanometers.

Patrick Rice

Digital infrared cameras are sensitive to all ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum that have not been blocked through filters. All professional-quality digital cameras have what is called a hot mirror filter installed in front of the camera’s sensor. Depending on this filter’s strength and efficiency, it usually blocks much or all of the electromagnetic spectrum shorter than 400 nanometers and longer than 700 nanometers. The wavelengths shorter than 400 nanometers are the ultraviolet range and are not needed or wanted in infrared photography. The wavelengths longer than 700 nanometers, however, are the near infrared range and the range in which infrared photographers want to record. Some early digital cameras did not have strong hot mirror filters and thus were able to record into the infrared range. Just like with infrared film, it is important to filter out much, if not all, of the visible spectrum so those wavelengths of light do not overpower the image. We began digital infrared photography with the Nikon Coolpix 950 camera because it has a relatively weak hot mirror filter. Because of this, black and white infrared photography is possible. With a number 25 filter in front of the camera lens, you get an infrared look that is very much like using the Konica infrared film. However, the shutter speeds were somewhat slow. With an 87 opaque filter, you can achieve a look that resembles Kodak infrared film, but the camera must be placed on a tripod to compensate for the very long shutter speeds. I had the hot mirror filters removed from our Coolpix 950 cameras and the results improved greatly. Now, with a number 25 filter, I achieved results that were similar to the Kodak film that I had always used and loved. In addition, my shutter speeds were able to be increased just like with Kodak infrared film. To me, this is the only way that makes sense for digital infrared. I have since sold my Coolpix 950 cameras and have replaced them with Coolpix 990 cameras for their larger file size.

Patrick Rice

Advantages of digital over film There are several distinct advantages of using cameras capable of creating digital infrared images over using infrared film. The first major advantage with digital infrared capture is that you instantly see the image that you just recorded. The second major advantage that digital infrared has over film is the tremendous cost saving. Each roll of Kodak infrared film will cost you $10 - $16. A third advantage of digital infrared imaging is the fact that film handling is no longer an issue. With infrared film, the photographer must be very careful in how he or she loads, unloads and processes the film. Kodak infrared film must be loaded and unloaded in absolute darkness. A fourth advantage to digital infrared photography is the ability to manipulate the image. Images that were underexposed can easily be adjusted through Levels controls. The overall contrast of a digital infrared image can be increased if the image is too flat. Digital infrared is also grain-less, so I can add grain or noise in PhotoShop to achieve just the right look for any image. Ordinary infrared film would have to be scanned in order to give it even close to the flexibility of a digital infrared image.

Eyes, hair, make-up and skin tones Eyes and skin tones can photograph in very different and pleasing manners with infrared photography. As a general rule, skin pigment tends to lighten with infrared imaging. This gives images a softer overall appearance.

With photography of teenage children and High School Seniors, infrared can greatly enhance the complexion of these young adults. Acne and other skin blemishes are greatly diminished or eliminated all together with infrared – all without any digital enhancement or artwork. Some seniors have commented that their skin has never looked so good. Another thing to keep in mind is that suntans and sunburn do not record in infrared. Moreover, tan lines are hidden. Infrared can allow you to keep a portrait session that would have to be cancelled due to these skin colouration problems. Infrared imaging also softens age lines and gives the skin a more healthy and youthful look. I have had clients compare the beautiful skin quality portrayed with infrared to the old Hollywood glamour photography of the 1930s and 1940s. There is a timeless quality to infrared portraiture. People with darker skin also have their skin tone recorded lighter in infrared. This does not mean that they look Caucasian; it’s just that they are not as dark as with normal black and white imaging.

Patrick Rice

Eyes Eyes can be very interesting in infrared. Some eyes photograph very well with infrared while others can be quite haunting. Whenever you are going to photograph a subject close-up in infrared with him or her looking back at the camera, take a test exposure with your digital infrared camera and use the camera’s zoom function to bring up their eyes for closer inspection.

Besides zooming in on the eyes with the camera, I will also look at the image on the LCD screen with my 2x lupe to further enlarge the image. If the eyes look pleasing, go ahead and continue as you would for normal photography. However, if the eyes look strange, you may choose to have the client looking off to one side or down in the frame. I have found that deep blue eyes, like deep blue skies, tend to be very dark and even black. Eyes without a hint of eye colour are somewhat disturbing and even ghostly – not usually the look I am trying to achieve. It is a good rule of thumb to have your subject look slightly above the camera. This will maintain the appearance of the subject looking at the camera, while helping to keep definition in the eyes with infrared.

Hair Hair colour can be quite revealing with infrared imaging. My stepson, Travis Hill, and I were teaching a class on infrared wedding photography one day and discovered this first hand. Our model, a beautiful girl in her early twenties, had gorgeous blonde hair. We took photographs in colour, traditional panchromatic black and white as well as black and white infrared. After we had the images printed, we noticed that something seemed odd. When we compared the panchromatic black and white images with the black and white infrared images, the hair was completely different. On the traditional black and white images, her blonde hair recorded a very light grey. However, with the black and white infrared images, her hair was very dark grey. After I pondered the difference for a while, I decided to test a theory. I called the model and asked her what her “real” hair colour was. The girl was stunned by the question but shyly admitted that she colours her hair to appear blonde. infrared imaging can see your true hair colour. Taking my theory a step further, I noticed that older individuals sometimes dye their hair back to the dark colour it was when they were younger to hide the natural greying of hair. In infrared imaging, hair that is in fact grey that is dyed darker will record a very light grey. I only wish that I had discovered this revelation back when there was popular debate as to whether then President Ronald Regan dyed his hair to maintain its jet black, youthful appearance. I am sure an infrared image that proved he dyed his hair could have brought a sizable paycheck from one of the tabloid newspapers!

Make-up Make-up can be used very effectively when photographing a subject in infrared. You can add dimension to the cheekbones and definition to the lips and eyes with the proper choice of colours in make-up. Be sure to avoid medium red colours if you have a red filter in front of your digital infrared camera. The filter may cancel out the make-up colour.

Tattoos can be a great subject of infrared photographers. Unlike suntans or sunburns, the ink that is used to colour the skin penetrates very deeply and records in stark contrast to the surrounding skin that is lighter than normal. The only exception to this are some red tones in the tattoo that might be cancelled out by the red filter in front of your camera. Reds that fall into the same wavelength as your filter will appear white. When using a number 25 filter and photographing the United States’ flag, the red and white stripes of old glory sometimes appear all white.

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