B&W infrared landscapes – Opus 40
Opus 40, near Saugerties, NY, is a large open-air environmental art-piece that took 37 years to construct. Sculptor Harvey Fite (1903-1976) created this epically huge sculpture, which is a sprawling series of ramps and platforms, with a central monolith.
Helping with a Fashion photo shoot on the site, I took a few minutes between sets to take photographs of this place, using my infra-red B&W camera – a Canon 5D mark II that has been converted for infra-red by Life Pixel, with an 830nm deep B&W IR filter. The stark beauty of the place was accentuated by the simplicity of B&W. The infra-red look helped even more so, with the shadowed areas and the blue sky going super-dark, and the surrounding Spring foliage going ghostly white, as is the nature with infra-red B&W.
More info about Opus 40: official site / Wikipedia
All images were shot with the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II (B&H / Amazon), at 24mm focal length. Correct exposure was arrived by looking at the image on the LCD screen in Live View mode.
About this image – it is a grab-shot of sorts, taken during a short lull while busy helping with a Fashion shoot today at Opus 40, NY. Flare with an infra-red converted camera can be a problem when the sun is anywhere in the frame … but sometimes it helps the final image. The model was taking a break, soaking up some of the sun, when he spread his arms out like that. I shot a few frames, of which only a few didn’t have crazy hexagonal flare patterns across the frame. Somehow this candid gesture echoed the near-mystical feeling of the place.
All images shot with the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II (B&H / Amazon), on an Canon 5D mark II that has been converted for infra-red. (830nm deep B&W IR conversion by Life Pixel)
Converting your camera for Infra-Red capture
If the look of Infra-red photography appeals to you, then you can have your camera converted by Life Pixel. On their website they list all the options, as well as which cameras are suitable, and which lenses might be a problem. There’s a ton of useful information on infra-red photography. Check them out!
Related links
- New York cityscapes – B&W infrared photographs
- B&W infrared photography – Urban landscapes
- Digital B&W infrared photography
- Gallery: Infra-Red B&W Photography
Great images, Neil – especially the one with the model – intriguing and unique – congrats!
The last shot with the white suit clad guy is my favourite. That lens flare cutting through his hand is awesome. Wondering why the vertical monument in the background is so distorted though? it’s only 24mm not as if it was a fisheye.
That’s the usual perspective distortion when shooting upwards with an ultra-wide lens.