Digital Infrared Photography by Cyrill Harnischmacher

Book Review © 2008 Jonathan Rudin

Infrared photography deals with the recording of infrared light on the film or image sensor in the camera. Infrared light is invisible to the human eye, so the resulting images can appear with surreal or otherworldly effects. The focus of Harnischmacher’s book is on the digital capture and post-processing of infrared images.

The Bottom Line

Digital Infrared Photography provides a basic introduction to infrared photography. The author presents information in a logical sequence starting with a discussion of infrared radiation. He continues with a presentation of the equipment necessary to produce infrared images along with recommended modifications. The author concludes his book with an extensive section on post-processing infrared images. Throughout this volume, Harnischmacher provides abundant examples of infrared images, including side-by-side comparisons with conventionally rendered images, and screen captures illustrating the various Photoshop manipulations he presents. The book concludes with a list of helpful resources including tutorials for using infrared filters, the clip filter system, and modifying DSLR and compact cameras. This book can serve as an appropriate launch pad into infrared imaging for anyone with a basic knowledge of digital photography, image processing, and ample interest in exploring this unique visual world.

Detailed Review

Section 1, “Theory,” provides a simple overview of infrared radiation and applications of infrared photography. According to Harnischmacher, infrared photography makes use of the part of the infrared spectrum known as “near infrared.” He contrasts infrared photography with thermal infrared imaging, which relies on longer infrared wavelengths. The author offers the following generalizations about the appearance of objects captured under near infrared conditions:

• Green plant structures appear bright white,
• Blue sky can appear dark and even black,
• Clouds ordinarily invisible in natural light can become visible, and
• Visible airborne dust and water vapor are reduced, allowing distant objects to be rendered with enhanced clarity.

Section 2, “Equipment,” describes the cameras, filters, and other accessories necessary for infrared photography. Harnischmacher describes a simple test in which you use a stereo music system’s remote control to determine if your digital camera is configured for infrared photography. If the remote control’s LED (light-emitting diode) appears as bright dot either on the camera’s display or on the resulting image, then your camera is able to capture infrared images.

Section 3, “Specialty Cameras,” provides information about how cameras can be optimized to enhance their sensitivity to infrared light. Harnischmacher presents advantages and disadvantages of both compact and DSLR cameras that have been modified with internal infrared blockers and clear glass filters. The author describes the clip filter system, useful for Canon EOS cameras and the Sigma SD14 camera, which permits the user to capture conventional daylight images as well as infrared images without the need for expensive modifications. This section also contains a brief introduction to astrophotography because a camera modified for infrared images can use relatively short shutter speeds compared with those necessary for conventional images.

Section 4, “Practical Aspects,” presents topics including file format (RAW vs. TIF vs. JPG), ISO settings, white balance, aperture size, shutter speed, focusing, minimizing blurred images, and avoiding hot spots. Harnischmacher also provides a comparison of four different types of infrared filters.

Section 5, “The Digital Darkroom,” presents information about post-processing of infrared images. Harnischmacher discusses the use of Photoshop (versions CS2 and CS3) for black and white conversion. In place of simply discarding color information to make the conversion, the author recommends using the channel mixer or Lab Color Mode. In addition to conventional black and white image enhancement, the author also discusses color infrared photography, using Photoshop’s channel mixer for partial colorization and color effects, and creating colorization, duotone, and soft lens effects.

This review was provided by Jonathan Rudin. Jonathan is the magazine editor at the American Society of Media Photographers - San Diego.