Christian Photographers Community

 I saw this article posted elswhere and found it interesting.
I did a little color infrared photographt using film back when I was in college
But who would have thought you could do it with the new digital cameras!

Photograph the Invisible
Digital Hub
By Jim Heid
the link to the full article;  http://www.macworld.com/2004/09/secrets/octdigitalhub/index.php

In the film era, shooting infrared photos required special film and a trial-and-error approach to calculating the correct exposure. Digital IR photography, however, is surprisingly easy.

What You’ll Need
To test your digital camera’s infrared sensitivity, you’ll need a handheld electronic infrared-emitting deviceâ€"better known as a TV remote control. Turn on your camera as though you were preparing to take a picture, and point the remote at its lens. As you watch the camera’s LCD, press any button on the remote. If you can see a pulsing white light, your camera should be able to capture IR photographs. (If you have a camera that can’t preview shots on its LCDâ€"such as Canon’s Digital Rebelâ€"you’ll need to take a picture while pressing the remote’s button. Then review the photo to see whether a white light appears in it.)

You’ll also need a way to block out visible light so the camera’s imaging sensor (the CCD) can pick up the scene’s infrared rays. To do this, attach an IR filter to your camera’s lens. The lens barrels on most midrange and high-end digital cameras offer threads for attaching filters. For my Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F828 camera, I used a 58mm Hoya Infrared Filter R72, which you can purchase from most photo dealers for around $50.

If your camera can detect infrared light but can’t accept screw-on filters, you can still shoot in IRâ€"just hold an IR filter tightly against the lens when you shoot. To avoid shaking the camera, consider using the $10 Cokin Digi-Holder (www.cokin.com/ico6-03 .html), which screws into your camera’s tripod mount and holds a filter in front of your lens.