Digital Infrared Photography

Digital Infrared Photography
by Cyrill Harnischmacher

Digital Infrared Photography
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Book Summary Information

Author: Cyrill Harnischmacher
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-08-29
ISBN: 1933952350
Number of pages: 112
Publisher: Rocky Nook

Book Reviews of Digital Infrared Photography

Book Review: Great for beginners. Nice reference for seasoned IR shooters.
Summary: 4 Stars

The infrared spectrum of light lies just beyond what we can see as humans. For some, infrared photography has been just as elusive and mysterious. While capturing this invisible light has been possible for years, the process has been steeped in tedium, expense and unpredictable results. Because of these reasons, many photographers have only dipped their toes in this beautiful medium, or avoided it altogether. The digital photography revolution has rendered this unique art form much more accessible, and simpler, than in the analog photography days.

Cyrill Harnischmacher's Digital Infrared Photography smoothly carries you through the process of creating breath- taking digital infrared images. The author correctly states in the introduction, "Even though the advance of digital technology represents a simplification in comparison to using analog photography, it would be wrong to assume that infrared photography is quick and easy." But the book certainly makes it much, much easier.

The book starts with a concise explanation of infrared theory and enough on the physics of infrared light to allow for a basic understanding. We quickly move to equipment, and this section will be especially helpful to beginners, as the author weighs the pros and cons of the myriad of camera, filter and lens choices (and methods for each) for capturing infrared images.

We move inside the camera for the unique technical aspects of shooting infrared (white balance, exposure and settings) and start to look through the viewfinder (composing the shot). A seasoned photographer may wonder why the author goes through such basic elements, like composing and setting up shots, to an audience with presumably some knowledge of photography. But there are some unique concerns in infrared compositioning, compared to visible light photography, which the author deftly explains.

The last part of the book covers the digital darkroom. This section will not only be invaluable to beginners, it is a great reference for experienced infrared shooters. There is no one "right" way to process infrared images. This is truly a fine artists medium and there are literally endless processing methods. But infrared images aren't very appealing right out of the camera, so they MUST be processed. The author gives a few clearly defined, step-by- step methods (using Adobe Photoshop) for processing black and white and false color images.

Add in some basics about infrared studio lighting, tabletop, and macro shooting, and Digital Infrared Photography is an excellent introduction for beginners, yet has enough valuable reference to be useful for experienced shooters as well. No matter what level of photographer you may be, you will at least be inspired by the wonderful samples of infrared images presented throughout the book (the author smartly includes EXIF data in each caption too!).

There is one mistake in the book that I must point out. The author states that hotspots are not a problem in modified cameras (cameras with internal blocking filters removed to allow infrared light to pass to the sensor). I have a modified camera and hotspots are most certainly prevalent with many lenses. If you have your camera modified, there are lists of good and bad lenses floating around the Internet. There is nothing worse than purchasing an expensive new lens for your infrared modified camera, only to find out every shot has a hotspot!

- Chad Gordon

Summary of Digital Infrared Photography

To record the "invisible light " has always been an intriguing and fascinating experiment. The infrared part of the light spectrum is outside the range of what the human eye can see, but with a digital camera, we are able to record only this "invisible light " while blocking the "visible " part. The results are often unusual, yet beautiful, renderings of otherwise fairly common scenes.

Since as far back as the 1960 's artists have experimented with analog infrared photography, as seen on the album covers of Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa. But as we enter the digital age, new equipment and technology has opened up the exciting world of infrared photography to all.

This compact guide to infrared photography shows the beauty of infrared imagery, but also teaches how to shoot these images with your digital camera. The book provides the basic theoretical background, some information on cameras, filters and equipment, and lots of guidance on how to do infrared photography. This beautifully designed and illustrated book is the perfect companion for the aspiring photographer wanting to explore new photographic territories.

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