Take infrared photos on a tight budget
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine|August 2020
Dan Mold shows you how to use a cheap infrared filter to create out-of-this world monochromatic images
Dan Mold
Take infrared photos on a tight budget

THE MISSION

Capture a ghostly mono infrared pic

Time needed

30 minutes

Skill level

Advanced

Kit needed

• Tripod

• Infrared filter

RIGHT LIGHT

Not all infrared filters are made equal, with some models letting in more or less infrared light. Look out for the Nanometer value (NM), as a filter with a value of 720nm will let in infrared types A, B and C, while a filter with a value of 1600nm will block out type A, only permitting types B and C in to hit the camera sensor and producing different results.

The human eye has the ability to see an extraordinary amount of colour and detail, but the world that we see everyday is only part of the wavelength spectrum. Just outside of the visible light range is ultraviolet at one end and infrared at the other side.

We can’t see infrared light, but I can show you how to take a picture with it. You’ll need a DSLR or mirrorless camera and an infrared filter that screws into the front filter thread of your lens. This will ensure that only infrared light is coming through the lens and hitting your camera’s sensor, with all other lightwaves blocked out. Cheap models can be picked up online for around £20, just make sure you get one that fits the filter thread of your lens. This is commonly stated on the barrel of the lens or inside the lens cap.

This story is from the August 2020 edition of PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August 2020 edition of PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PHOTOPLUS : THE CANON MAGAZINEView All
The Art of Copying Art - James Paterson shows you how to use your Canon gear to capture artwork and paintings the right way with simple camera and lighting skills
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

The Art of Copying Art - James Paterson shows you how to use your Canon gear to capture artwork and paintings the right way with simple camera and lighting skills

Whether you want to capture a painting like the above, digitise old prints or reproduce any kind of canvas, there's real skill in capturing artwork with your camera. Not only do you need the colours to be accurate, you also need to master the spread, angle and quality of the light to minimise glare and show the work at its best.This painting by the artist Bryan Hanlon has a wonderfully subtle colour palette. To reproduce the painting in print and digital form, it needs to be captured in the right way.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024
Fright night
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Fright night

Canon photographer and digital artist Alexander loves to craft incredible fantasy scenes with a spooky horror twist

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Sharpen your shots with DPP
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Sharpen your shots with DPP

Sharpening a digital image also increases contrast at the edge of details

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
CANON ImagePrograf PRO-1100
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

CANON ImagePrograf PRO-1100

Deeper blacks, better bronzing, greater lifespan and 5G Wi-Fi -Canon's new printer is full of new tech, says

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
Canon's new 'kit lens' is actually a half-price f/2.8 trinity lens!
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Canon's new 'kit lens' is actually a half-price f/2.8 trinity lens!

The Canon RF 28-70mm F2.8 IS STM lacks a red ring, but borrows premium features from its L-series siblings

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
DREW GIBSON
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

DREW GIBSON

Pro motorsports photographer Drew on why he hasn't (yet) switched to Canon's mirrorless system, why old-school techniques can be the most reliable, and the lessons learned from more than a decade shooting the world's biggest car brands

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2024
Up in smoke
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Up in smoke

Make a smoky shape in Affinity Photo and get to grips with the amazing Liquify Persona under the guidance of James Paterson

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
Expand your creativity with Generative Fill
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Expand your creativity with Generative Fill

Photoshop's Al-powered feature brings revolutionary new tools to image editing. James Paterson reveals all...

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
Turn your images into vintage postcards
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Turn your images into vintage postcards

Wish you were here? Sean McCormack explains how you can give your summer photographs a vintage postcard look

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
The Angel Malibu
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

The Angel Malibu

Light painting an American movie producer in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan was a highly unlikely evening out for David!

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024