In late 2003 I purchased a BetterLight Super 6K-2 digital 4x5 back mostly for scanning artwork. I knew that the chip inside was extremely sensitive to infrared light and that this sensitivity could be put to good use. Thus early in 2004 I set out one cold -2 ° F morning to see what I could do with my new setup. The results are what you see here.
Equipment used:
Description of Technique:
Both images were deliberately shot without the normal, blue-green, infrared-blocking filter supplied by BetterLight. In order to block out most of the remaining blue, I used a Wratten A red filter (B+W 090 equivalent). As such, there was a red/cyan cast to the captured color image -- i.e. sky was red, foliage was cyan. Due to the intense IR sensitivity of this chip, both test images were shot at f45 -- even with the red filter! (it is clear I will need to invest in a good set of ND filters) Total capture time was approx 3 minutes. File size was approx 137mb @ 24bit.
Images were then brought into Photoshop and the Red hue was made blue and the cyan hue was made orange, giving the false color infrared results you see here. (as a general rule, I typcally de-saturate blue skies in order to render them grey or blue-grey as you see here)
NOTE: I was planning on comparing images shot with a B+W 092 (an almost black filter) but my fingers were literally freezing and I needed to get back into the van! As I understand it, the 092 would render an almost black and white image, which I'm not sure I'd like.
Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with the surreal look I was after. Yet I also wanted to avoid the stereotypical "infrared" look so common these days.
Look for a major update to his page as I plan on spending a mini-sabbatical in Ireland this April and I certainly intend on bringing this equipment.
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View of the North River looking north. Rodenstock Sironar-N 210mm @ f45. Note: there was no visible light at all gracing the tip of the tree!
Tree and antique house on Summer Street in Marshfield Hills. Schneider Super Symmar HM 120mm @ f45. I've always wanted to shoot this weeping cherry tree -- isn't it fabulous?