Visible and IR Synth of a Kiawe Tree

I love that you actually tried out shooting infrared. It's still an almost completely unexplored branch of synthing.

I guess the camera still stores the data in an RGB format or is whatever sensor you're using different to your usual camera's sensor?

It's a normal camera, actually, a Canon Powershot A650 IS. It's not even converted to the near-IR. But it works!

Practically all visible light digital detectors are sensitive to the near-IR. (Actually, most are MORE sensitive in the near-IR than in the visible.) But for normal photography that IR response isn't really wanted. It makes for washed-out looking photos with weird color shifts. So most digital cameras have an IR blocking filter in front of the detector. In some cameras it's quite efficient, basically making the camera unusable for IR photography. In others it's weaker. I had an older Nikon Coolpix 950 that had a really weak IR blocker, and was great for IR photography. The filter in the A650IS is stronger, but it's still possible.

I use a Hoya R72 filter. It's a long-pass filter that lets most of the light through that's longer than 720nm. Wide open at ISO 800, it makes for 1/10sec exposure in broad daylight. Camera still meters, though.

My 20D has almost the same IR response, but the meter won't register the IR light, so you have to meter manually. Still, it's usable.

I'm still itching for an IR converted camera. It would be nice to have the higher shutter speeds you could get with an honest to goodness IR converted camera. Among other things it would let me do IR photography from the air!

Ah well, in any case I'd like to play with it a little more. 48% synthy, not because of the IR, but because my technique wasn't all that hot. I'll give it another go and try to post another one soon.

Tom