Infrablack

[lars_bergquist]

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We have occasionally seen some IR photography here. The latest issue of LFI had an article. Now, the IR photography I prefer (being of course an old fogey) is in black and white. An infrared image is *strange*. And that perception, I think, is strengthed if it is done in b&w, which is already far more abstract and 'distanced' than an infrared image in color, which to me is – pardon me – a colour image with very funny colours. But b&w does give us this 'another world' impression.

 

This picture was taken with a B+W 72 filter on a v. IV 35mm Summicron at 5.6 and ISO 640. This gives me hand-holdable speeds, more ore less according to the camera's own metering. Convenient! And the result is eerie.

 

The old man from the Age of IR Film

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[wlaidlaw]

Lars,

 

Inspired by the LFI article, I have just ordered a B+W 092 filter for my CV 35 Nokton. Here is one I did earlier with a Wratten 70a filter on the back (camera side) of a Zenitar-Elephoto M conversion fish-eye lens.

 

Wilson

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[carstenw]

I have also ordered a 092 E46, which happens to fit the 28/2A, 35/1.4A and 50/1.4A, quite a flexible set. I am very much looking forward to getting it.

[Jack_Flesher]

I've been dorking around with IR a bit too... Nothing great yet, but some interesting effects. Depending on the lens, I am using either a Hoya 72 or a B+W 072. I also tried the darker B+W 093, but it blocks all visible light so longer exposures are required and only severe monotone images are possible. I prefer the flexibility of the lighter color filter. Focus is interesting too -- you have to kind of guess at a closer focus point.

 

Some false color with a B+W 092 on the 75 Lux. WB point makes a *huge* difference in how the colors are rendered. On this image, I used the bright patch of gray dirt near the left edge at center frame:

 

 

Same image with the red and blue channels swapped to bring back blue skies:

 

 

Same image as immediately above, but with selective white balance applied after the channel swap to the same bright patch of dirt:

 

 

 

And a grayscale with a Hoya 72 on the 50 Lux:

 

[jimcollum]

I've been shooting both the infra-black, and infra-whatever-color-comes-through with the M8.. love it's IR response. Yes.. the colors are very 'other worldly' , as are the b/w renditions. These are with the B+W 92.

 

Examples of the infra-black can be found at : images

 

 

75Lux

 

 

75Lux

 

 

21Elamrit pre-asph

[wlaidlaw]

Could I ask you guys with the 092, where you are focusing? Are you just focusing normally or are you offsetting like for infra-red film. I am told that on my CV35/1.2 Nokton, which is the lens I hope my 52mm 092 will arrive for tomorrow, you can use the right hand f4 DOF mark as a focus offset but I think that is for the B+W 093 or Wratten 69B total visible light blocker - any advice?

 

Wilson

[wlaidlaw]

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Apolgies Jim and Jack - did not say that I love your images - very eerie

 

Wilson

[Jack_Flesher]

Could I ask you guys with the 092, where you are focusing? Are you just focusing normally or are you offsetting like for infra-red film. I am told that on my CV35/1.2 Nokton, which is the lens I hope my 52mm 092 will arrive for tomorrow, you can use the right hand f4 DOF mark as a focus offset but I think that is for the B+W 093 or Wratten 69B total visible light blocker - any advice?

 

Wilson

 

None of my M lenses are marked for IR focus point, so it is kind of a guess as I indicated above. I have found that for most of my lenses at most subject distances, shifting the focus ring about 1mm clock-wise (closer) results in a pretty good focus point. The LCD zoom review is a pretty good indicator.

 

As to the darker filter, I also mentioned it above; I found it blocks all visible light and therefore is only really useful for monotone conversions. The final monotone conversion is indistinguishable to my eyes from the 092 B&W conversions I did, and since the 093 requires even longer shutter speeds I don't bother with it. But for the purists, it is only passing IR and no visible light at all so is a more true IR image.

 

FWIW, I also went the other direction and tried the lighter red 25 filter and it did not work for me, passing too much visible light to get the eerie color effects above.

 

Cheers,

 

Jack

[jimcollum]

yea.. what jack said.. but in addition. i find i rarely have OOF issues.. most of the time i'm stopped down get get everything in focus (for these images, i'd prefer loss of detail to diffraction and keep everything in focus)

 

None of my M lenses are marked for IR focus point, so it is kind of a guess as I indicated above. I have found that for most of my lenses at most subject distances, shifting the focus ring about 1mm clock-wise (closer) results in a pretty good focus point. The LCD zoom review is a pretty good indicator.

 

As to the darker filter, I also mentioned it above; I found it blocks all visible light and therefore is only really useful for monotone conversions. The final monotone conversion is indistinguishable to my eyes from the 092 B&W conversions I did, and since the 093 requires even longer shutter speeds I don't bother with it. But for the purists, it is only passing IR and no visible light at all so is a more true IR image.

 

FWIW, I also went the other direction and tried the lighter red 25 filter and it did not work for me, passing too much visible light to get the eerie color effects above.

 

Cheers,

 

Jack

[gdi]

I haven't tried color other than a quick test or two, but the M8 does pretty well with B&W. But, this is one area where the film luddites can get unequaled results.

Here are a couple from the M8, then a film shot....

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[gdi]

Jim - that second shot is awesome! I'll definately check out your gallery.

 

Jack - I see what you your doing with the color, but, to me your last one B&W is the whole reason for getting a R72 (or 89B).

[ardbeg]

In C1, you can tease a duotone look out of a shot taken with a 093 under the right lighting.

 

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As to the darker filter, I also mentioned it above; I found it blocks all visible light and therefore is only really useful for monotone conversions. The final monotone conversion is indistinguishable to my eyes from the 092 B&W conversions I did, and since the 093 requires even longer shutter speeds I don't bother with it. But for the purists, it is only passing IR and no visible light at all so is a more true IR image.

 

FWIW, I also went the other direction and tried the lighter red 25 filter and it did not work for me, passing too much visible light to get the eerie color effects above.

 

Cheers,

 

Jack

 

--Lawson Kelly

[lars_bergquist]

Nive response, gentlemen. The only thing I would like to add that – not because you need it – is that you have to compose and preview (in the Ansel & Edward sense) your images just as carefully as with normal black and white.

 

The old man from the Age of AGFA

[jimcollum]

Nive response, gentlemen. The only thing I would like to add that – not because you need it – is that you have to compose and preview (in the Ansel & Edward sense) your images just as carefully as with normal black and white.

 

The old man from the Age of AGFA

 

agree wholeheartedly. In addition, the 'look' needs to lend itself to the image.. to add to it, or to say something that a non-ir images might not. IR just for the sake of IR can become gimmicky, somewhat like panoramas. Just because you can render foliage white, or because you can capture 270 degrees of a landscape.. doesn't mean it's a good image (doesn't mean it can't be a test/sample image though... i produce plenty of those).

 

a good thread so far.. seeing how different people visualize IR

[Jack_Flesher]

Jack - I see what you your doing with the color, but, to me your last one B&W is the whole reason for getting a R72 (or 89B).

 

I agree I really just shared those as examples of what can be done with false color. While I think some of the color IR imges are interesting, I think (like Jim) they can be easily over done and become gimicky. However, I find the B&W IR not at all gimicky, and in a league of their own. I still think the 092 has an advantage for full on B&W, in that there is enough color information remaining to allow us to tweak the B&W IR tonal scale a little more in post.

 

Cheers,

[gdi]

I agree I really just shared those as examples of what can be done with false color. While I think some of the color IR imges are interesting, I think (like Jim) they can be easily over done and become gimicky. However, I find the B&W IR not at all gimicky, and in a league of their own. I still think the 092 has an advantage for full on B&W, in that there is enough color information remaining to allow us to tweak the B&W IR tonal scale a little more in post.

 

Cheers,

Same here - color can be interesting, in fact I like the well cooked digital color IR better than Ektachrome IR. Maybe not for me to produce, but I appreciate it.

 

I don't find B&W IR gimmicky either and it accounts for about 90% of the film I have shot this summer. In fact some backlit TRI-X shots I get have similar glow to that of Kodak IR, really not that much different - in some situations.

[wlaidlaw]

Obviously after the LFI article, IR photos are going to be this year's thing. I was chasing up the 52 mm 092 filter I had ordered last week from my usual B+W supplier, Foto Huppert. They tell me that both they and B+W are out of stock of this filter and it will be two weeks until B+W catch up with the demand and send them more. I have found a US company called Heavy2Stars, who do e39 to 52mm and 46mm to 52mm rings at very reasonable price (combined about 15% of the cost of buying another 092 filter). This means I can now cover Biogon 21, Nokton 35, Elmar 50 and Elmarit 90 with the one filter size. If I really like the effect, it might be interesting to get a 60mm filter for my Noctilux but I am guessing that focusing might be an insuperable problem at f1.0.

 

Wilson

[stunsworth]

There are those of us who have been shooting IR since we got our M8s <grin>. I can't remember the number of the filter I have - it's the one that's opaque to the naked eye. Focussing is an issue, I tend to use the f4/5.6 marking on the lens.

 

I have a 25mm Voigtlander lens that I wasn't using, this is now my IR lens with the filter on the front.

 

There is a certain novelty value with IR, but it costs nothing to have such a small lens in the bag. Not that I've had much chance to use it this summer in the UK. I'm off to France for a week at the end of August, hoping for better weather there.

[wlaidlaw]

The only filter I have at the moment is the Wratten 70a in 26.5mm for my fish-eye. It seems more of a straight intense red than a true IR filter. You certainly don't get the eerie white foliage that is characteristic of a proper IR filter. Hope the weather improves for you in France; it is pouring with rain today in Provence :-{{ - but we did desperately need it.

 

Wilson

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[stunsworth]

I hope it improves too Wilson. I have a couple of friends in Paris and neither have been impressed by the weather recently.

 

My trip will near the coast south of La Rochelle, and then to see some friends inbetween Chateauroux and Limoges. In the past summers have been superb there, I can only hope it improves by the time I get there.