Things Non-IR (Travel)

Ilocos, Philippines


The northwestern part of the Philippines is one of the most photogenic places. The two provinces of Ilocos, (Norte and Sur) are popular tourists destinations and one would never get tired of coming back to that area shooting stunning landscapes, vibrant sunsets, interesting subjects not to mention warm people and food worthy to taste.

Here are few photos from our latest trips.

Sunrise at Vira, Ilocos Norte.

Seacape at Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

Sunrise at Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte.

Burgos Light House, Ilocos Norte

Java Hotel (in infrared), Ilocos Norte

Narvacan, Ilocos Sur

Vigan City (at night), Ilocos Sur

Bangui Windmill Area, Ilocos Norte

Back Light


Shooting against the sun(light) is usually avoided when doing infrared photography.  Flare, uneven exposure and discoloration are caveats of shooting IR back light (against the sun).  IR photos with sun 'behind' are generally more admirable.  However, you can always break the rules and try 'back lighting' in infrared photography.  Here are a few shots with the sun partially covered by structures or foliage.  All photos here were taken with a  Nikon D70s-D70 combo body converted to 'infrared color enhance' together with a Sigma 10-20 Dx Lens.

An image in Raw:

 Monochrome:

 Same image cropped and in color.

 A different perspective.

 Another example of an IR shot back-lighted.

Wide Lens Perspective

Using wide angle lens for infrared photography not only allows you to shoot wide angle viewpoints but also use the wide lens perspective in different creative ways.  When you use a wide angle lens such as a 10 millimeter lens for cropped sensor or 16 millimeter lens for a full frame camera, you can have an amazing wide point of view but when pointing the camera vertically up or down, you get weird but interesting distortions.

For example, this wide angle shot taken from below pointing up, demonstrates how the ledges and the vertical supports seem to bend towards the middle of the frame.  Bizarre but absorbing and entertaining distortion created by the wide lens perspective.

Here is another perspective, albeit showing more of the architecture, from the same location:

Again, wide angle lenses can contain as many elements as possible but you do not have to include everything in a frame just because a wide angle lens can do so.  In the next image below, the infrared photograph in raw format shows how too much can sometimes become overpowering.  This photo can work as a documentary infrared shot, showing the overall view of a scene.  The diagonal lines from the lower half of the frame, seemingly converge, leading the viewer’s eye towards the center of the image.  The rooftop of the other structures also create diagonal lines.  The caveat here, is that too many elements were included in the frame and simplifying the image might be an excellent choice.

Less is more.  A simpler image can become more pleasing when composing your photographs. The next infrared shot of one of the structures from the photo above exhibits this.  Yes, there are still other elements present but they do not overpower the shrine which acts as the main subject.  Furthermore, the trees, the other buildings and the patterns of the stairs all work together to make the main subject more visible to the viewer.

You can also create an engaging image by combing a vertical perspective together with a wide angle shot.  Ideally, when seen as a whole, a vertical image usually grips the viewer from a point of interest (such as the design of the brick pathway in the photo below) towards the rest of the frame.

In this second vertical image, the octagon pond on the lower half of the frame is the point of interest, acting as a foreground to lead the eye towards the rest of the image.

All these images were taken with a 10-20 millimeter Sigma Lens for cropped sensor body (Dx) and a Nikon D70s/D70 body converted to 'Enhance Color IR'.

Enpointe I.R.

Photographing people in infrared has been a common practice with film.  Using infrared film such as the Kodak HIE, yields  a glowing, dreamy effect.  Shooting in infrared produces a clean and magical effect on the skin which might be desirable or aesthetically acceptable.  This can also be done with today’s digital cameras. Converted infrared cameras allow very short exposures good enough to freeze motion, while the use of infrared filters may emphasize movement in subjects.  Furthermore, processing digital infrared images provides a plethora of choices which you can apply on your work.  That being said, the simpler the final image, the more powerful they can become.

This image below of a ballerina, who also happens to be a photographer, was taken using a converted IR camera and a wide-angle lens for a different perspective.

IR DANCE. Nikon D70 (converted), 12-24 nikkor lens at 12 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec.,  ISO 400

Hotspots and Lens Issues

Hotspots are those ugly lighter discolorations at the center of false color infrared images resulting from incompatible lenses and camera bodies.  As a general rule (not absolute), most zoom lenses with an f/2.8 fixed aperture produce ‘hotspots’ when used to shoot false color I.R.  Again this is not absolute as some photographers shooting near-infrared claim that a Tokina 11-16mm. f/2.8 (dx) lens has hotspots when partnered with a Nikon D90 or Nikon D300s camera but works fine with a Nikon D40 and does not produce hotspots on false color images.

Hotspots may not be noticed when infrared images are converted to black and white but are seen in colored infrared photos

Here is a list of LENSES Without, With or Minimal Hotspots.  Take this list as a grain of salt as some lenses may work while others may not, depending on the camera bodies being used for infrared photography.

A. Fixed Focal Length Lenses

1. No hot-spot reports:
Canon 24 mm f/3.5 TS-E L
Canon 28 mm f/1.8 EF USM
Canon 28 mm f/2.8 EF
Canon 35 mm f/2 EF
Canon 50 mm f/1.8 EF
Canon 50 mm f/1.8 EF II
Canon 100 mm f/2 EF USM
Canon 100 mm f/2.8 EF Macro - Macro: 1:1
Canon 135 mm f/2 EF L USM
Canon 300 mm f/4 EF L USM
Carl Zeiss 25 mm f/2.8 Distagon T*
Nikon 14 mm f/2.8 AF-D ED
Nikon 20 mm f/2.8 AF
Nikon 20 mm f/2.8 [AI-S]
Nikon 20 mm f/2.8 AF-D
Nikon 20 mm f/3.5 [AI-S]
Nikon 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E D ED
Nikon 50 mm f/1.4 AF-D
Nikon 50 mm f/1.8 AF-D
Nikon 200 mm f/2 ED IF [AI-S]
Peleng 8 mm f/3.5 Fisheye
Sigma 105 mm f/2.8 EX DG AF Macro - Macro: 1:1
Sigma 105 mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro - Macro: 1:1

2.May produce a hot-spot, etc.
Canon 85 mm f/1.8 EF USM
Canon 200 mm f/2.8 EF L USM
Nikon 200 mm f/4 AF-D IF ED Micro - Macro: 1:1
Sigma 30 mm f/1.4 EX DC

3.Poor IR performance
Canon 20 mm f/2.8 EF USM
Canon 24 mm f/2.8 EF
Canon 50 mm f/1.4 EF USM
Canon 50 mm f/2.5 EF Macro - Macro: 1:2
Nikon 24 mm f/2.8 [AI, AI-S]
Nikon 24 mm f/2.8 AF-D
Nikon 28 mm f/2.8 [AI]
Nikon 28 mm f/2.8 [AI-S]
Nikon 35 mm f/1.4 [AI-S]
Nikon 35 mm f/1.8 G AF-S DX
Nikon 50 mm f/1.4 G AF-S
Nikon 50 mm f/1.8 G AF-S
Nikon 60 mm f/2.8 AF Micro - Macro: 1:1
Nikon 60 mm f/2.8 AF-D Micro - Macro: 1:1
Nikon 60 mm f/2.8 G AF-S ED Micro - Macro: 1:1
Nikon 105 mm f/2.8 Micro [AI-S] - Macro: 1:2
Nikon 105 mm f/2.8 Micro AF - Macro: 1:1
Nikon 105 mm f/2.8 Micro AF-D - Macro: 1:1
Sigma 70 mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro - Macro: 1:1

 B. Zoom Lenses

1. No hot-spot reports
Canon 10-22 mm f/3.5-4.5 EF-S USM
Canon 17-55 mm f/2.8 EF-S IS USM
Canon 24-70 mm f/2.8 EF L USM
Canon 24-105 mm f/4 EF L IS USM
Canon 28-135 mm f/3.5-5.6 EF IS USM
Canon 70-200 mm f/4 EF L USM
Canon 75-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Canon 80-200 mm f/2.8 L
Canon 100-300 mm f/5.6 L
Canon 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 EF L IS USM
Nikon 14-24 mm f/2.8 AF-S G IF-ED
Nikon 16-85 mm f/3.5-5.6 G AF-S DX ED VR
Nikon 17-55 mm f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S DX
Nikon 18-35 mm f/3.5-4.5 AF-D IF-ED
Nikon 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 G AF-S DX ED
Nikon 24-85 mm f/2.8-4 IF AF-D
Nikon 28-70 mm f/2.8 AF-S D IF ED
Nikon 28-80 mm f/3.3-5.6 G
Nikon 35-70 mm f/2.8 AF
Nikon 35-70 mm f/2.8 AF-D
Nikon 35-70 mm f/3.3-4.5 AF
Nikon 35-135 mm f/3.5-4.5 AF
Nikon 70-210 mm f/4-5.6 AF-D
Nikon 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR
Sigma 15-30 mm f/3.5-4.5 EX DG
Sigma 18-50 mm f/3.5-5.6 DC
Sigma 24-70 mm f/3.5-5.6 UC
Sigma 55-200 mm f/4-5.6 DC
Tokina 11-16 mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro IF SD DX

2. May produce a hot-spot, etc.
Canon 17-40 mm f/4 EF USM L
Canon 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 EF-S
Nikon 18-70 mm f/3.5-4.5 G IF ED AF-S DX
Nikon 18-105 mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED AF-S DX VR
Nikon 24-70 mm f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S
Sigma 10-20 mm f/4-5.6 EX HSM DC
Sigma 18-50 mm f/2.8 EX DC
Sigma 70-200 mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM
Tokina 28-200 mm f/3.5-5.3 SZ-X

3. Poor IR performance
Canon 16-35 mm f/2.8 EF L USM
Canon 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 EF-S IS
Canon 24-85 mm f/3.5-4.5 EF USM
Canon 28-70 mm f/2.8 L USM
Canon 35-80 mm f/4-5.6 EF USM
Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8 EF L IS USM
Nikon 12-24 mm f/4 AF-S G IF-ED DX
Panasonic 14-50 mm f/2.8-3.5 D OIS
Tamron 17-35 mm f/2.8-4 SP AF Di LD IF
Tamron 17-50 mm f/2.8 SP AF XR Di-II LD IF
Tamron 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 AF XR Di-II Macro
Tamron 28-75 mm f/2.8 XR Di LD
Tamron 28-300 mm f/3.5-6.3 AF XR Di LD Macro
Tamron 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 AF Di LD Macro
Tokina 12-24 mm f/4 AT-X Pro DX
Tokina 12-24 mm f/4 AT-X Pro DX II

Break Time

I was early for a prenuptial session shoot with one of my photo mentors when walking around and shooting some images for infrared photography came to mind to put valuable time into good use. Knowing I would have to come back to be in time for the pre-nuptial session, I decided to use an ‘infrared digital camera’ owned and self-converted by another mentor.

The next half-hour was not put to a waste but proved to be very productive instead . I clicked a few shots until I came to a certain spot. It was just a few minutes past mid-noon and the light was perfect for infrared photography. There was one particular image I loved.

The colors of the foliage were outstanding due to the heat and the light of the midday sun. I was very happy with the outcome but I know there might be a way to improve it.

Nikon D70 (converted camera) with an 18-55 kitlens, f/9, 1/500s., ISO 400 12:49 p.m. (Click on image to enlarge)

I had enough and started walking back to the assembly for the afternoon photo session.

We spent almost an hour and a half shooting the engagement session when we past by the same spot where I was shooting for infrared previously! The light was not that bright and it was almost three in the afternoon. However, I noticed that there was this tractor beneath one of the trees. I immediately grabbed the converted camera again and got a frame.

The colors were not very striking but I suppose this second shot of the same place might be more effective with the tractor. Upon arriving home later, I started processing the images and indeed, the second image with a tractor proved to be more appealing, at least for me.

Break Time.Nikon D70 (converted) with an 18-55 kitlens, f/7.1, 1/800s., ISO 400 2:41 p.m.  (Click on image to enlarge)

More often than not, you need to go back to a certain place several times (for some, in a span of months or years) until you get the shot you need.

Output: Infrared Filters vs. Converted IR Camera

Here are some images taken with a converted camera, compared to ones using a filter.  Please take note that these photos are very subjective and may have varying output.  We included these here for purposes of comparison.



The first image: Converted Camera Nikon D70

Nikon D70, 18-55 Kitlens @18mm., f/7.1, 1/800 sec., ISO 400, +0.3 step

The second image: Unconverted Nikon D90 

Nikon D90, 18-55 Kitlens @18mm, f/11, 30 secs., ISO 200, Hoya R72 Infrared Filter

Third image: Converted Camera Nikon D70 

Nikon D70, 18-55 Kitlens @18mm, f/7.1, 1/1600 sec., ISO 400

Fourth image: this is how it may look with a filter. Unconverted Nikon D90 

Nikon D90, 18-55 Kitlens @18mm, f/8, 30 secs., ISO 200, Hoya R72 Infrared Filter

Converted infrared cameras are best for travel where time to set up a tripod and waiting for exposure is almost impossible. The use of infrared filters brings out dynamism with streaking clouds and moving foliage due to the longer exposure. Each system has its own strength and weaknesses and works best for particular situations.