Infrared Mobile Photography

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I have a 62mm Green L Infrared filter that I bought in July 2019 and have never used :eek: so after seeing some of Jerry’s images (juryjone) and some discussion from Bill (WOTANICUS) I thought it high time that I used the jolly thing.

I did some research, as I do, and came across a webinar by Rad Drew (https://www.raddrewphotography.com/...l?ltclid=3cf5e550-7163-4267-9c98-1d5cc79e19dc). Now I thought it was pretty expensive to watch for $79.99 because it’s just a webinar not a full on course but in the end I thought by the time I’ve spent hours working it out for myself it was probably worth it.

And it certainly was for me. It very succinctly describes possible hardware setup, best 3 camera apps and 3 apps for editing (photos editor, Snapseed and Lightroom) and the best settings. It also goes into editing on a desktop but I’m less interested in that for the moment.

So today when low and behold we actually had some sun, I rushed out with my monopod and had a go.

Here was my setup:
iPhone 11 Pro, monopod with feet, 58mm Moment lens+62mm filter mount+62mm Green L IR720 filter

Unedited jpg image taken in Camera+ 2. I set the app to take both RAW and jpg and I have to say the jpg came out better. I just need to get better at editing the RAW files and Rad’s webinar certainly helps but a bit more practise is required.
5B9798E0-990A-487F-972B-B56C2EC95DC6.jpeg

There is a problem with all my images being blown out in the middle. This apparently happens with IR. I’m not sure if the Moment 58mm lens exacerbates this.

Here’s the edited version with a Vintage filter added in Snapseed:
3A1D77A4-109B-42CB-949A-E46A0C238F78.png
 
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I’ve have a 62mm Green L Infrared filter that I bought in July 2019 and have never used :eek: so after seeing some of Jerry’s images (juryjone) and some discussion from Bill (WOTANICUS) I thought it high time that I used the jolly thing.

I did some research, as I do, and came across a webinar by Rad Drew (https://www.raddrewphotography.com/...l?ltclid=3cf5e550-7163-4267-9c98-1d5cc79e19dc). Now I thought it was pretty expensive to watch for $79.99 because it’s just a webinar not a full on course but in the end I thought by the time I’ve spent hours working it out for myself it was probably worth it.

And it certainly was for me. It very succinctly describes possible hardware setup, best 3 camera apps and 3 apps for editing (photos editor, Snapseed and Lightroom) and the best settings. It also goes into editing on a desktop but I’m less interested in that for the moment.

So today when low and behold we actually had some sun, I rushed out with my monopod and had a go.

Here was my setup:
iPhone 11 Pro, monopod with feet, 58mm Moment lens+62mm filter mount+62mm Green L IR720 filter

Unedited jpg image taken in Camera+ 2. I set the app to take both RAW and jpg and I have to say the jpg came out better. I just need to get better at editing the RAW files and Rad’s webinar certainly helps but a bit more practise is required.
View attachment 170303
There is a problem with all my images being blown out in the middle. This apparently happens with IR. I’m not sure if the Moment 58mm lens exacerbates this.

Here’s the edited version with a Vintage filter added in Snapseed:
View attachment 170307

Wow! Thats a lot just to watch a webinar. Still, if it pays off its worth it. The image is fabulous, just the ethereral, unearthly look you expect with IR. My filter is quite a strong one and makes it hard to see anything on screen with it in place. I did manage a sort of conversion on a small compact camera, replacing the IR screen with a blue filter, which yielded some ok results. I took my filter with me on a recent road trip, but it wasn't really the weather to get the best out of it. Thanks for sharing your experiences here though, having a better idea of the sort of setup you need certainly helps. Just need some strong sunlight now!
 
This second image is a processed RAW file taken in Lightroom which was my favourite. It was one of the better ones from Lightroom because I think I overexposed some of the later ones. Most of the processing was done in Lightroom but also a little in Snapseed.

AD7E0556-3E24-454E-8D4A-3DDC12992F36.jpeg


This next image was a RAW image taken in Camera+ 2 and processed using the Photos Editor which has a surprisely good RAW editor! I mended the blown out section in Snapseed using the Selection option, reducing brightness and upping contrast.
84C35E49-8086-49FB-97D8-4560812F0E27.png


The secret when using Camera+2 is to put the white balance to about 1400 Kelvin and ISO as low as possible and then adjusting the shutter speed as required. With Lightroom, choose the WB dropper tool and select a bright green area. Again, set the ISO as low as possible.

If you have the iPhone 12, you can use the new ProRaw setting in the native camera which is pretty neat and probably the best of the lot.
 
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Wow! Thats a lot just to watch a webinar. Still, if it pays off its worth it. The image is fabulous, just the ethereral, unearthly look you expect with IR. My filter is quite a strong one and makes it hard to see anything on screen with it in place. I did manage a sort of conversion on a small compact camera, replacing the IR screen with a blue filter, which yielded some ok results. I took my filter with me on a recent road trip, but it wasn't really the weather to get the best out of it. Thanks for sharing your experiences here though, having a better idea of the sort of setup you need certainly helps. Just need some strong sunlight now!
I have to say, I tried a couple of images before going through his webinar and I was pretty clueless. He goes through an almost foolproof set of settings when processing the images.

If you use Camera+2 set the White Balance to Kelvin in the advanced settings and then set the WB to about 1400. You might find it easier to see. Let me know. It did help that it was a bright day.
 
I’ve have a 62mm Green L Infrared filter that I bought in July 2019 and have never used :eek: so after seeing some of Jerry’s images (juryjone) and some discussion from Bill (WOTANICUS) I thought it high time that I used the jolly thing.

I did some research, as I do, and came across a webinar by Rad Drew (https://www.raddrewphotography.com/...l?ltclid=3cf5e550-7163-4267-9c98-1d5cc79e19dc). Now I thought it was pretty expensive to watch for $79.99 because it’s just a webinar not a full on course but in the end I thought by the time I’ve spent hours working it out for myself it was probably worth it.

And it certainly was for me. It very succinctly describes possible hardware setup, best 3 camera apps and 3 apps for editing (photos editor, Snapseed and Lightroom) and the best settings. It also goes into editing on a desktop but I’m less interested in that for the moment.

So today when low and behold we actually had some sun, I rushed out with my monopod and had a go.

Here was my setup:
iPhone 11 Pro, monopod with feet, 58mm Moment lens+62mm filter mount+62mm Green L IR720 filter

Unedited jpg image taken in Camera+ 2. I set the app to take both RAW and jpg and I have to say the jpg came out better. I just need to get better at editing the RAW files and Rad’s webinar certainly helps but a bit more practise is required.
View attachment 170303
There is a problem with all my images being blown out in the middle. This apparently happens with IR. I’m not sure if the Moment 58mm lens exacerbates this.

Here’s the edited version with a Vintage filter added in Snapseed:
View attachment 170307
These are both great! The second one looks more like what I think of as IR, but the first one has a unique and intriguing look.
 
This second image is a processed RAW file taken in Lightroom which was my favourite. It was one of the better ones from Lightroom because I think I overexposed some of the later ones. Most of the processing was done in Lightroom but also a little in Snapseed.

View attachment 170308

This next image was a RAW image taken in Camera+ 2 and processed using the Photos Editor which has a surprisely good RAW editor! I mended the blown out section in Snapseed using the Selection option, reducing brightness and upping contrast.
View attachment 170309

The secret when using Camera+2 is to put the white balance and ISO as low as possible and then adjusting the shutter speed as required. With Lightroom, choose the WB dropper tool and select a bright green area. Again, set the ISO as low as possible.

If you have the iPhone 12, you can use the new ProRaw setting in the native camera which is pretty neat and probably the best of the lot.
And thanks for these tips :notworthy:
 
Intriguing. After a bit of googling I found this...now if only I actually have any floppies anymore then I'm in.
 
Intriguing. After a bit of googling I found this...now if only I actually have any floppies anymore then I'm in.
Oh, I have a whole box of them. I‘ve still got an old computer in the loft which reads them and I have been meaning to go through them to check that there are no old images on them. I have one I can send you from an old PC Today mag if you can’t find one.

9270BBB1-D9E0-4D66-8765-4D61A8168489.jpeg
 
Check out Rad Drew’s YouTube video on processing Raw IR images in Lightroom:

https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=Kdv8dMVyCIk

I’ve put spaces in between to stop the blank screen coming up. Just remove the spaces after .com
For me, that was enough to get me started on processing the images I got using my filters. I did not spend the $80 on Rad’s webinar.
 
The hot spot in the center of the filter is a real thing, but as long as I use my don’t go above the 760nm, it’s not too bad. I’m thinking a vignette in Snapseed that leans very lightly toward white will help balance it out. This was shot with my 760nm.

6BA1266C-D833-45D4-90DB-AC62C57C63DA.jpeg


I prefer the heavier glow from iColorama to Glamour Glow from Snapseed. I’m not subtle.

91070C52-8C28-4FF9-8A12-8B15EF4D5CD3.jpeg
 
If you have no floppy disks around, you can use a section of exposed negative film too, apparently.
 
Caveat - none of the attached images are taken with mobile tech and are just for comparison.
Here are a few examples of my 85nm filter with a compact mirrorless camera and also, a small compact Nikon camera that I removed the blocking glass from (and almost killed myself when I accidentally touched the flash capacitor). I added bits of blue colour film in place of the glass.
SAM_0001.JPG


Full sun - Cyprus 2012
SAM_5048.jpg


Back garden - Nikon with colour film filter
SDC10061-01.jpeg

Nikon - first attempt 2012 - Family looking seriously unimpressed that Dad is mucking about with a camera again.
 
Another Cyprus pic, before and after a quick fiddle in Lightroom. Very lacklustre effects.

ir.jpg
irbw.jpg
 
Intriguing. After a bit of googling I found this...now if only I actually have any floppies anymore then I'm in.
I do love Instructables. Some of the projects are just utter pants, but others are quite effective.
 
Image with a floppy disk film.

Sorry, Rizole, I don’t think it works as IR. The trees don’t become that nice snowy white. In fact it was nigh impossible to get a good contrast.

Original
B0B9DA5B-E329-4CDA-BF7D-57586AB5AF6B.jpeg


Processed
6B0C7646-B31F-4F8D-B621-876F7658BD3D.jpeg
 
Caveat - none of the attached images are taken with mobile tech and are just for comparison.
Here are a few examples of my 85nm filter with a compact mirrorless camera and also, a small compact Nikon camera that I removed the blocking glass from (and almost killed myself when I accidentally touched the flash capacitor). I added bits of blue colour film in place of the glass.View attachment 170341

Full sun - Cyprus 2012View attachment 170343

Back garden - Nikon with colour film filter
View attachment 170344
Nikon - first attempt 2012 - Family looking seriously unimpressed that Dad is mucking about with a camera again.
Ooooo, I absolutely love that middle image and the colouring in the last one is really funky. I’m now tempted to go off and get some other filters.
 
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