Critique Welcomed The Bridge of Double Beauty

[Bill Watts]

One of my first attempts at infrared work using a standard digital camera and an infrared filter. As the camera is fitted with an IR screen, exposure times are long and some cameras have stronger IR filtering than others.

The Bridge of Double Beauty connects The Chinese Gardens to the Japanese Gardens in Singapore. It is one of my favourite spots for photography in Singapore

Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1.
Lens Olympus mZuiko 12-40mm f2.8
Exposure: f8, 20secs, ISO 200
Filter 720nm IR
Software: Affinity Photo




and revisited with a modified camera

Camera: Olympus E-PL1 (full spectrum)
Lens: Olympus mZuiko 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 EZ DSC
Exposure: f8, 1/800s, ISO 200
Filter 680nm IR
Software: Affinity Photo red blue channel reversal

 

[Gary R. Smith]

Exposure time and focus aren't an issue on my Kolari modified gx85.
Nice shots Bill!

 

[Brian Moore]

Two delightful images Bill. I find the apparent softness in the monochrome version to be quite lovely.

 

[Ralph Turner]

Indeed, beautifull images. I'm with Brian in regard to the first image. Just lovely.

 

[Bill Watts]

Thank you Ralph and Brian, the long exposure shot does have something about it. It was a pain to get an exposure of 20 seconds without someone walking through the shot though!

 

[Gianluca Drago]

One of my first attempts at infrared work using a standard digital camera and an infrared filter. As the camera is fitted with an IR screen, exposure times are long and some cameras have stronger IR filtering than others.

The Bridge of Double Beauty connects The Chinese Gardens to the Japanese Gardens in Singapore. It is one of my favourite spots for photography in Singapore

Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1.
Lens Olympus mZuiko 12-40mm f2.8
Exposure: f8, 20secs, ISO 200
Filter 720nm IR
Software: Affinity Photo




and revisited with a modified camera

Camera: Olympus E-PL1 (full spectrum)
Lens: Olympus mZuiko 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 EZ DSC
Exposure: f8, 1/800s, ISO 200
Filter 680nm IR
Software: Affinity Photo red blue channel reversal

Bizarrely interesting, @Bill Watts!

 

[Julian Tanase]

Not a digital user myself, but I do know when I see a beautiful image. Really captivating couple right here!

 

[Stevenson Gawen]

Wow... love the first one! I hadn't really grasped you could get true IR results from a standard camera. Long exposure indeed, but it works, and well!

 

[Bill Watts]

Wow... love the first one! I hadn't really grasped you could get true IR results from a standard camera. Long exposure indeed, but it works, and well!

To a certain degree it depends on the camera. The sensor in a digital camera is sensitive to a wider range of spectra than the human eye, it extends from UV, through the visible light spectrum to high infrared. To counter the effects of the UV and IR a "heat" filter is fitted. Different manufacturers install different strength heat filters in front of the sensors in their cameras, so there is some variation in results which you have to figure out by experimentation.

The downside is the long exposure times, which result in capturing movement as blurring of the image - not always detrimental, the top photo has a certain ethereal look about it because of the motion it captured compared to the detail in the stationary objects like the stone obelisk on the right of the picture.

The EM-1 lent itself to this type of photography as it has viewing modes which allow you to watch the image "develop" and close the shutter when you see the image as you want it. Strangely enough the autofocus still works too! If you don't have that luxury the camera has to be focused with the IR filter removed, filter attached and exposure made. A tripod is essential.

The Olympus E-PL1 used for the bottom photo has been modified by having the heat filter removed and replaced with plain optical glass, making it a "full Spectrum" camera. Selection of the IR wavelength filter then determines what wavelengths are recorded, and the functions of the camera work normally including the image display and exposure controls. It is necessary to set up the white balance to get the end colour rendition that you require. Exposure times are similar to those of regular unmodified cameras so the camera can be used hand held.

The choice of lens has an effect on the image, some lenses produce "hot spots", over exposed areas of the image, which stand out particularly in coloured IR images, generally occurring in a location corresponding to the centre of the lens. I do not know what causes this to happen with certain lenses, but not with others. However, from empirical experience it appears, to me at least, to be a function of the thickness of the lens at the centre compared to the edge. If the lens has a thick centre section then it has a tendency to produce hot spots.