Fascinating to see these, pixelmaven! Your description helps explain the different filter choices I have in Nik Color Efex "infrared" effect :)

The infrared filter replaces the "hot mirror filter" inside the camera and is therefore a conversion. Most of us buy a used camera, therefore, to begin this process of conversion. Lifepixel is one of the foremost who do this sort of work.

I've alerted a couple of UHH'ers who shoot infrared about this topic; it'll be interesting to read more about it. How did you get into this side of photography and how do you select your subjects?

After months of trial and error, I'm finally getting the hang of infrared imaging. It's not for "everyone," as most will vocally attest. The colors can be jarring, surreal, strange, unnatural but; oh what magic can result. If you start with the RAW file shown, it's all in the processing from that point forward. Second image shows one choice in a final photo image. I'd love to converse with other infrared photographers on this topic. I'm using a Nikon Coolpix 5400 converted to 590nm infrared. This allows for considerable latitude in post production, from black & white, blue & white, "super goldie" and other iterations.

I keep looking for the sign that says: Welcome To Mars!

I've always been curious about infrared and am pleased you shared this with us.

Thanks. I've been so eager to find others who are as fascinated as I about infrared and to share.

I know you shared a little above, but if I may ask, can you share any differences you find shooting this versus the norm? Focus, composition, processing, white balance, etc. The reason I ask, is it seems most infrared images are of landscapes, so I wonder what the disadvantages are.

When the filter conversion is made on the camera, those people reset the focus because infrared sees it differently than in the normal spectrum we enjoy daily. White balance is usually set also. One ships the camera and lens to Lifepixel, as an example and when it returns, it is ready for shooting.

With the Nikon I just recently bought, you see the infrared image in the LCD screen, and happily in the viewfinder, a normal color image so it's much easier to compose therefore. I used to use the Fuji FinePix HS50 (my primary camera) with a R72 filter screwed on the lens that allowed for infrared to be seen and shot by the camera but it was so dense that composing was nearly impossible. I simply made guesses. The Fuji, by the way, is one of the rare cameras that will pass infrared in this manner but it is far from ideal.

White balance is "everything" as far as the desired result is concerned. I do play with it in ACR just to see what changes can occur by moving the slider and then processing in Photoshop. Because the camera does have the preset though, at least one starts with the right white balance from the get-go.

Thank you again for sharing! S-

Oh boy! How did I get "sucked" into this type of photography? Curiosity as much as for any other excuse. I loved some of the images shown on the internet and came across a tutorial in PictureCorrect, a daily email photography...um... a wonderful how-to. Totally enthralled.

My subjects are rather random and not exactly replanned. This infrared spectrum sees a fairly narrow band of color from trees and vegetation so it's rather specific in material choices. Still, the experiment is to go out and shoot, come home, process, and see what the results become. Clouds look great in anything with a sky but, have a tendency to turn yellowish if one adjusts the blue channel too much in channel mixer. Is this too much information? Too little?

Thank you for the intvitation.
My infrared goes back to Kodak Hi-speed infrared film, It was a very time consuming process :1 load film into camera in total darkness, focus, then shift the focus a bit to which side I cannot remember, the install the filter , as I recall there were three red filters from a light red to and almost opaque red. and shoot, then develope the film once again in total darkness as the safe light would fog the film in the "light tight" developing tank. then if you had the exposure set correctly you printed.
Now digital: Wow, I had a Nikon D70 converted by Lifepixel (one of the early conversions} the lens had to be calibrated to focus by Lifepixel, then that was the only lens you could use. The best part is no filters needed in front of the lens. shoot a process in Photoshop, trial and error for different effects.

So glad to see you mention trial and error. Boy have you got that right! Seems as if everyone has their own technique that may or may not gel with what you want in results. It drove me crazy.
The latest conversions of which there are many give many fantastic effects.
http://www.pbase.com/manglesphoto/infrareds This link is to my Infrared gallery > Be Warned This Gallery does contain tastefully done Nudes!!