My favorite infrared B&W photo ... so far

My favorite infrared B&W photo … so far

This might perhaps turn out to be one of my all-time favorite B&W infrared photos that I have taken. Walking to a restaurant in Manhattan – we were on the shadow side of the buildings, and the light was blue. In other words, “cold” … except for the lights under this awning outside the Metropolitan Club. I immediately noticed these were incandescent lights, and I knew that this would show up as a much brighter splash of light in the frame with the infrared camera.

To the human eye, the entire scene was fairly flat lighting … but the incandescent light allowed the blue-ish tones to fall into darkness because of the lack of infrared light ther

A first photo, with no one in the frame, looked really good. Like a still life shot of this scene in Manhattan. However, when we left the restaurant an hour later, there was a doorman, and a bunch of people walking along the sidewalk. I got this one photo before cars cluttered up the street again.

I love everything about this photo — the composition with that splash of brighter tones, and everything falling into relative darkness because of the infrared sensor of the camera.

Camera settings and photo gear used

Sony A7ii – deep infrared / 830nm conversion by Lifepixel)

Sony 24mm f/2.8 G (B&H / Amazon) – no dreaded IR hotspot!

Over the years I have used a number of different cameras and lenses for infrared – Canon and Fuji, and now Sony. There is one persistent problem with shooting infrared photos – the dreaded infrared hotspot, from how the light reflects internally in the lens. In the past I have had to edit the RAW file and reduce this obnoxious brighter spot in the center of the frame. But there are lenses that does NOT show that infrared hotspot — and I finally settled on that dream lens for any Sony photographer that shoots infrared. The Sony 24mm f/2.8 G (B&H / Amazon)

Converting your camera for infrared capture

If the look of infrared 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 infrared photography! Check them out.