Infrared photography captures light your eyes can’t see. That’s why the photos look like they came from another planet: white trees, dark skies and glowing grass.
How it works, in plain words
Light comes in different colors, measured in nanometers (nm). Your eyes see from about 400nm (violet) to about 700nm (red). Infrared light sits just past red, from about 700nm and up. Camera sensors can actually see some of that infrared light. Camera makers just block it with a filter inside the camera so normal photos look normal.
Why the trees turn white
Healthy green leaves reflect a lot of infrared light. So in an infrared photo, leaves and grass come out bright, almost like snow. Clear blue sky and water reflect very little infrared, so they come out dark. That mix of bright leaves and dark sky is the classic infrared look.
Black and white or color?
Both. Deep infrared gives you dramatic black and white photos. Filters that let in some visible light too give you false color: blue skies with gold, pink or white trees. I’ll go through each filter on Saturday.
What you need to get started
• A camera that can see infrared. The best way is a camera that has been converted, which I’ll talk about tomorrow.
• An infrared filter, to choose which light gets in.
• A sunny day. Bright sun and green leaves give the strongest effect.
• Editing software. Infrared photos straight out of the camera often look red or pink. Editing brings out the real look.
My favorite subjects
Trees, parks, fields, clouds and water. Old buildings with greenery around them look great too. Anything green under a sunny sky is worth a try.
Tomorrow: how I turned my Canon R6 Mark II into a full-spectrum camera.
