CRASH COURSE
ESSENTIAL PHOTO SKILLS MADE EASY
Mike Harris shows you how to shoot infrared images without investing in a costly camera conversion
The human eye has the ability to see an extraordinary amount of colour and detail, but we’re only able to see one part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Just outside our visible light range is infrared, and while we can’t see these light waves, we can capture them to create striking images.
If you’re serious about infrared photography you’d probably opt for a permanent camera conversion, but the method we’re going to show you is a much more affordable way of shooting infrared, and doesn’t require you to tamper with your camera, so it’s the perfect solution if you want to have a go at this niche genre. All you need is a DSLR or mirrorless camera, and an infrared filter that’s compatible with the filter thread of your lens.
Cheap infrared filters can be easily picked up online, and you’ll usually find the size of your lens’s filter thread on its barrel or the inside the lens cap. The filter works by allowing only infrared light to enter your lens and reach your camera’s sensor, blocking all other wavelengths of light.
Digital cameras have a filter that cuts out all but a trickle of infrared light (it’s this filter that’s removed if you have your camera permanently converted), which means you’ll need to use a very long exposure to get a photo that’s suitably exposed. Here’s how it’s done…
You can pick up an infrared filter for around £20/$20, so it’s much more cost effective than having a spare camera permanently converted. We used a Zomei 950nm IR filter, and a step-up ring to make its 82mm filter thread compatible with our lens.
You’ll need a very long exposure in order for your camera to take in enough infrared light to capture a well-exposed image, so mounting your camera on a stable tripod is a must. Once you’ve composed your shot, set your focus (you won’t be able to do this with the filter attache
