I recently showed a few people how to convert a compact digital camera to infrared by removing the blocking filter. When I originally did this, I stuck to taking black and white photos with either a red or infrared filter. I didn’t like the colour results which were bright magenta, so I never returned to it.
Then I read this article in preparation for the demonstration and thought, Why have I never tried using a filter and changing the white balance?? I mean, I have a huge filter collection, so I have no excuses.
So one day, when I had very little to do and the sky had some blue in it, I went for a walk. I took with me a red, blue, and green filter. I also wore a jumper with a white patch so I could use it when adjusting the camera’s white balance. I chose to do the white balance by adjusting the camera with the filter in front of the lens, not in post-production. Slide through the gallery below for the results.
Immediately, I was drawn to the results of the red filter. The green made the sky too green, and the blue was too ordinary. Again, click the arrows for more results.
With my choice of red made, I wandered the local nature reserve. I am actually pleased that I like red the most as I glued a red filter to my original converted camera for ease of use.
Throughout the next set with the red filter, you will see a colour shift. They were all taken with the same balance, but the light kept changing due to the clouds. I did rebalance the camera a few times, but it still gave varying results based on the light hitting my jumper and whether I was in the shade.
Well, I like those, I might try that again with a few more filters…I do have a few. Plus, unlike film, it is free fun now. There, I said it.
These are glorious, Peggy. I can see why you chose the red filter, it really does make a better image than either blue or green. I think, once you have dialled that white balance in to your liking, you’re not going to put this camera down in t’ summer.
Well, next blue sky, never mind the summer. I will take the other one I have out as that has a red filter glued to the front. I will sell this new one as I don’t need two.
These are really lovely. I’ve seen black and white IR photos before, and a few “aerochrome” style colour photos, but these are another dimension!
I am curious about aerochromes, but from what I have seen the filter needed is expensive. I will research more though.
The red filter produces landscapes that could be called post-apocalyptic.
Yeah with a blue sky, it would be interesting to redo the War Of The World photos.
The shots with the green filter look rather “Lomographical” to me!
I think I’ll play with my filters on my cell phone. It has an app with an IR setting, and the sensor can see IR. I checked it with a TV controller, and could see the LED flickering.
Thats how I check the cameras once I remove the blocking filter.
The green does look more lomography type, but it is the red for me.
Hi Peggy, this is how I’ve always done it. Have a google about how a “Goldie” filter looks.
Also I like not just playing with white balance in camera, but can get some cool images messing with RGB in post.
Additionally my camera has custom white balance not just presets, where by I take a photo of a coloured card and set that colour as white. So green set as white works rather well with the unfiltered images, earthreal.
I will try some of those next time I have a play. I can’t afford any new filters at the moment, but I have a few I can experiment with.