Customer Reviews

Digital Infrared Photography

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The digital photography revolution has changed the approach to all aspects of photography for everyone on the planet. If you're not using digital devices, you're using a smaller and smaller selection of equipment, and if you are, there are many interesting areas now open to you that had high admission prices in the film era.

One of those areas is digital infrared photography. Perhaps you've never considered infrared photography. It is the world pictured through infrared "eyes," using wavelengths largely outside of the visual spectrum. It is possible because many CCD and CMOS sensors used in today's digital cameras are sensitive to these wavelengths that are invisible to the human retina. It is especially appealing to those interested in still life pictures, in landscape photography, and to those who love to play and hone their skills in the digital darkroom. Infrared imaging has great importance in astrophotography as shown in the images from the Spitzer Space Telescope, our prime astral infrared imager.

This book by Cyrill Harnishchmacher is a great introduction. In simple, flawlessly translated text, the book briefly touches on the physics of infrared light, the equipment necessary to begin experimenting in the medium, then spends the rest of the book on the practical steps necessary to make stunning infrared images.

Space is given to lighting, different filters and their influence on the final product, composition and shot selection. A variety of subjects of covered, including tabletop, still life, infrared lightbrush (using a flashlight to illuminate the subject), macro photography, and using a "dark" flash.

The last third of the book covers the digital darkroom. Using Photoshop as the demo system, it goes through several methods of converting infrared photos to black and white. It includes a primer on optimizing photos with layers in Photoshop, and using Channel Mixer to add subtle coloring to infrared pictures, many of which in their original state appears to be photo negatives due to green colors in the visible spectrum being rendered as white.

There are many beautiful images throughout the book, they're included in depictions of photographic techniques and in demonstrating the effects of darkroom special effects.

This is a beautiful introduction to digital infrared imaging and its enhancement in the digital darkroom.

Highly recommended

The infrared spectrum of light lies just beyond what we can see as humans. For some, infrared photography has been just as elusive and mysterious. While capturing this invisible light has been possible for years, the process has been steeped in tedium, expense and unpredictable results. Because of these reasons, many photographers have only dipped their toes in this beautiful medium, or avoided it altogether. The digital photography revolution has rendered this unique art form much more accessible, and simpler, than in the analog photography days.

Cyrill Harnischmacher's Digital Infrared Photography smoothly carries you through the process of creating breath- taking digital infrared images. The author correctly states in the introduction, "Even though the advance of digital technology represents a simplification in comparison to using analog photography, it would be wrong to assume that infrared photography is quick and easy." But the book certainly makes it much, much easier.

The book starts with a concise explanation of infrared theory and enough on the physics of infrared light to allow for a basic understanding. We quickly move to equipment, and this section will be especially helpful to beginners, as the author weighs the pros and cons of the myriad of camera, filter and lens choices (and methods for each) for capturing infrared images.

We move inside the camera for the unique technical aspects of shooting infrared (white balance, exposure and settings) and start to look through the viewfinder (composing the shot). A seasoned photographer may wonder why the author goes through such basic elements, like composing and setting up shots, to an audience with presumably some knowledge of photography. But there are some unique concerns in infrared compositioning, compared to visible light photography, which the author deftly explains.

The last part of the book covers the digital darkroom. This section will not only be invaluable to beginners, it is a great reference for experienced infrared shooters. There is no one "right" way to process infrared images. This is truly a fine artists medium and there are literally endless processing methods. But infrared images aren't very appealing right out of the camera, so they MUST be processed. The author gives a few clearly defined, step-by- step methods (using Adobe Photoshop) for processing black and white and false color images.

Add in some basics about infrared studio lighting, tabletop, and macro shooting, and Digital Infrared Photography is an excellent introduction for beginners, yet has enough valuable reference to be useful for experienced shooters as well. No matter what level of photographer you may be, you will at least be inspired by the wonderful samples of infrared images presented throughout the book (the author smartly includes EXIF data in each caption too!).

There is one mistake in the book that I must point out. The author states that hotspots are not a problem in modified cameras (cameras with internal blocking filters removed to allow infrared light to pass to the sensor). I have a modified camera and hotspots are most certainly prevalent with many lenses. If you have your camera modified, there are lists of good and bad lenses floating around the Internet. There is nothing worse than purchasing an expensive new lens for your infrared modified camera, only to find out every shot has a hotspot!

- Chad Gordon

This is a beautifully produced book but that is the best I can say about it. To be fair I have been doing infrared photography with film for many years. If you are completely new to infrared photography this is a good introduction. However, if you know anything about the subject you will be very disappointed. There is very little, perhaps nothing, in this book that cannot be discovered with a quick search of internet resources on the subject. I can honestly say that I was shocked at the lack of new information but again, I am not new to infrared or to digital photography.

As far back as the 1960s photographers have experimented with analog infrared photography; but digital cameras and techniques have introduced new options for infrared photographers and thus Digital Infrared Photography is key for any who would understand how to capture such images. From theory to details on cameras, filters, and shooting in infrared, this is an item of choice for photography libraries strong in special techniques and options.

This book gave me enough information to understand what my options are for doing digital infrared photography (how to determine whether it's necessary to convert my camera, conversion options, filter options, etc.) and what is involved. I have a much better understanding of the process than before I read the book. When I read up on infrared photography on the internet, I was left thinking it was too complicated. However, after reading the entire book in just a few hours, I now feel confident and knowledgeable about how to do it.

Yet, I somehow feel like something's missing from the book, though I can't quite say what. I just feel like there could have been more detail. (As I mentioned, I was able to read the entire book in 3-4 hours.) So the book is good enough, but I wonder if there's a truly great book out there...

Irene
http://www.photoswithsoul.com

I have been involved in Infrared Photography for a long time haveing converted three digital cameras to permanent Infrared capability. This book is a great primer for those novices wanting to learn about this medium. Since I instruct our large camera club in both photography and photoshop I am looking for aids that will explain the questions our members have asked about.

After I read this book I gave it to two club members that indicated an interest in Infrared but have never pursued it. Both said the book was enlightening in the basics and both are now involved in Infrared Photography; one using filters and one converting a DSLR.

The book is well produced and well illustrated and I would recommend it to any starting out in this medium.

Absolutely beautiful photo illustrations. Very good explanation of the ups and downs of doing infrared photography in a digital format. Does not teach you everything possible but gets you excited enough to want to do more with this fantastic media.

I am a full-time professional photographer and I wanted to experiment with infrared imagery. I needed a book that was a quick read and gave me everything I needed to know to fill in the knowledge gaps. Rocky Nook books generally fit that description and this one was no exception. I read it over one morning, studied the ample photographic examples (with filter selections and exif data) and I was ready to shoot. The only problem... Finding a 77mm IR filter. I found one in the UK and had it shipped over.

Using the examples given in this book, I was able to produce exquisite artistic infrared photographs right from the start.

Indifferently translated from the original German, this book doesn't tell you much about the techniques of producing and displaying infrared images from a digital camera. There are others out there that do a much more complete job. Keep on looking....