Digital infrared photography produces unusual pictures which are, in most cases, very pleasing to the eye. Photographs which are taken in infrared exhibit unusual tonality; something different from the photographs that we are accustomed to and this usually gives them aesthetic appeal. Infrared photography has been there for a long time but was quite difficult to carry out than when photography involved using film. The film required special handling and one was not able to evaluate results until they had finished the entire film roll and printed the pictures. This made it an unpredictable process and when the results came out, they were often disappointing.
With the advent of digital photography, infrared photography has been made very easy. All a photographer requires are several infrared accessories installed in their digital cameras and they are good to go. Depending on the reaction of the sensor array of the camera to the infrared as well as the filter which the photographer is using to view the visible spectrum’s far end, the end results will vary.
Digital infrared photography is the art of photography using invisible light. For one to take infrared photos, they will have to first of all filter out all the visible light. This ensures that only the infrared light will be used. Thus one needs an infrared filter. Some cameras come with threaded lenses for filters and all the photographer has to do is to buy the right thread-size glass to be able to mount the filter in the normal manner. But most cameras lack threaded lenses therefore one may need to get a bit more creative in mounting the filter.
Infrared pictures are different depending on the subject. Leaves typically produce an almost white glow whereas skin produces a porcelain-like appearance. Water and the sky are almost black. Once the photos have been taken, one can manipulate them through de-saturation to produce the desired image.
