Another infrared

[Diane Miller]

Shot this today while going down the driveway to pick up the mail. Full sun, shade under the tree, mid-day.

Canon 5D converted to IR (Super Color filter, LifePixel). Converted to B/W from LR (with it's inability to render the "correct" color temp) to PS using Silver Efex Pro. I got a better conversion (to my liking, anyway) than the virtual copy that I corrected to the "correct" white balance.

Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens, ISO 100, 1/60 at f/8. I have the ability in conversion to make the sky go from very light to almost black. Here, I liked the high key approach, with the leaves "dancing" against the light sly.

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Diane,

Greetings. Interesting contrast to the other one you posted (same tree?). I like the pattern of whites against the detailed trunk. I tried a platinum tone on this (too many jpeg to jpeg artifacts to repost) using the gradient map approach (2nd link in Kerry's post about toning). I tend to favor warmer tones for predominant whites & the platinum tone seems to have a subtle but effective touch.

You may have me converting an old camera yet...

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Kerry Perkins]

Diane, I love these IR images no matter how you end up processing them (or not). This one just sings with light and texture and I love looking at it. Your description fits perfectly too, and the dancing leaves make great contrast with the giant trunk.

[Diane Miller]

Thanks, guys! I thought about toning this one -- will play with it!

And you're right -- it is the same tree. Forgot I had already posted one of it. The earlier post was shot over a year ago.

Gerald, if you start thinking about an IR conversion, there are a lot of variables. I went with LifePixel, largely because George Lepp recommended them in an article in Outdoor Photographer several years ago, but there are other companies. And there are several flavors if filters. Lloyd Chambers has a lot of very useful information on his web site -- it's a pay-for but worth it.

I'd recommend a camera with Live View and the ability to micro-adjust focus, as IR focuses differently for different lenses, and the camera body can only be calibrated to one when they do the conversion. When my 5D III becomes a backup I'll have my 5D II converted.

Different lenses will show varying degrees of a soft "hot spot" in the center of the image at smaller apertures (a complex kind of flare from IR bouncing around in the lens, including off the inside of the barrel). I basically can't shoot above f/6.7 to f/8 with most of my lenses, without doing a rather tedious correction. And the quality of lenses at wider apertures suffers noticeably more with IR than visible light.

All the issues that have caused an IR-blocking filter to be placed over sensors are now things you'll embrace!

[Nancy Bell]

IR gives such an other-worldly appearance since one cannot "see" this way naturally. In this image it really plays up the compositional lines of the tree. The leaves glow around the limbs!

[Cheryl Slechta]

Diane, this has an oriental feel to me that I like - it reminds me of a plum tree in bloom. Love the IR - it's inspired me to get my IR camera dusted off

[Diane Miller]

Thanks, Nancy and Cheryl. Show us what you come up with, Cheryl!

[Paul Lagasi]

I also may be converting my old camera, this image is super, love the composition and toning. If it were mine I might try to darken the bright spot in the middle of the image on the trunk. Well Done

[Diane Miller]

Thanks, Paul. I agree about the bright spot, and an easy fix -- I came up with a general adjustment I really liked and didn't look closely enough at details. Hope no one else ever does that!