Going Infrared |
Saturday, May 1, 2010 |
This week I began a new photography experiment. I ordered a replacement filter for my Nikon D100 from LifePixel to convert it to infrared. The filter replaces the one normally in the camera, right over the sensor, which normally blocks the infrared light in favor of the visible spectrum we’re used to. The replacement does just the opposite. Visible light is blocked and infrared is allowed through.
Disassembling the camera to replace the filter was a nerve-wracking process. The first attempt left the camera firing, but not recording anything. You can imagine the panic. The second attempt fixed that problem, but left the display screen on the back disabled. This was less stressful as I now realized the tricky part was getting the little serial cables seated properly.
It was a thrill to see the first images, though directly out of the camera they are pretty raw. Here’s a sample:
Some work in Aperture made the raw image into something a little more interesting:
A couple days later I was able to take my new toy out for a test drive. I drove down to Connecticut to see what I could find. The sun I expected in the morning never materialized, but I was able to get a few nice shots.
The Comstock Covered Bridge in East Hampton, Connecticut
Connecticut’s Iwo Jima Memorial
I’m still trying to get a handle on properly editing the raw IR images and there’s a lot of experimenting left to do, but it’s been an interesting start.
