Infrared Photography to Extend Shooting Window

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Oak Tree–Lake Martin Visitor's Center

Infrared Photography (IR)

Why Infrared–Extending the shooting window

I've been frustrated for some time about having a very short window of good light early and late in the day. The middle of the day has always been a challange. Fortunately there's one form of photography that is best in the middle of the day with bright light, Infrared (IR) photography.

Basically IR is a lower frequency radiation than we can see (red is the lowest we see so it is a wavelengh longer than red). the image is brighter for those objects emitting the most of this longer wavelength radiation which tends to be things that are warmer. IR images often taken on a dreamy other worldly look.

How to Shoot IR

There are two primary methods of capturing IR images, using a filter over the lens of a normal camera, or having a camera converted to capture IR and not visable light. Our normal sensors have a filter over them to block most of the IR frequencies, so the filter doesn't work very well, involving very long shutter speeds, so for most of us that is not a good option.

I experimented with that many years ago with a Coolpix 950 2.1 megapixel camera, and while it did a good job of capturing IR images, it required a tripod and the resolution was very low so prints were not really pracitical.

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Bayou Scene Taken with Coolpix 950

The most practical method is to have your camera converted by one of several companies specializing in this process. They remove the filter over your sensor and replace it with one that blocks visible light and passes the IR frequencies.

Camera Conversion

I got an older D800 camera converted by Kolarivision. There are several wavelength options from displaying only black and white images to allowing a bit of color through. The filter I chose was a 665nm filter which they call an enhanced color filter. With a bit of post processing, which I will discuss in a later post, you can achieve a look with dark blue sky and white leaves. I also got their AR coating which helps reduce hot spots visiable with many lenses. Kolarvision did a very good job with the conversion and turned the camera around very quickly.

Another well respected company doing conversions is life pixel. While I've never used them, I know several people who have who were very pleased.

There are people on the web who have converted their cameras themselves, I would recommend against attempting this as it is a complex process prone to errors and with the risk of trapping dust between the filter and the sensor.

Shooting with the converted camera

While shooting with the camera in color mode you see the image with a deep red tint. This tint with most cameras can be corrected with a custom white balance. Unfortunately it took a bit of effort to make that work with my D800. The image was out of range for the camera to make the white balance, but I was able to work around this by shooting a light blue card and then applying the maximum amount of correction in the white balance fine tuning control in the custom settings menu. Another option would be to set the camera to monocrome, shoot in raw and post process using the resulting color image.

Another consideration is that the focus point is different from visible light and while the conversion company makes a correction for this, not all focal lengths of lenses work the same. The best approach is to use live view to focus where both the contrast detect autofocus and manual focusing will give accurate results.

Next Steps

I'll discuss Post Processing in another post. Suffice to say it's a bit of effort to get good results.

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Oak Jefferson Island

Verdict

I'm really glad I had the D800 converted and I'm pleased with the results that can be achieved. It does in fact extend the shooting window.

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IR Pano–Houma, La

Buying Bird Photography Equipment on a Budget

White Ibis in Breeding Plumage Millers Lake - Taken with Nikon D2X and Nikkor 300 AFS F/4 with TC-14e Teleconverter

This article is an update to my 2015 article, with much of it duplicated here. The good news is that with the switch by major camera manufacturers to mirrorless cameras with new lens mounts, there are bargains available for excellent systems. It is now possible to purchase a good starter system for approximately $1500, about $500 less than five years ago when I wrote the original article. The camera bodies now have more resolution, a faster frame rate, and are lower in high iso noise.

The equipment for bird photography can be costly. Part of this is the nature of the business, photographing small moving objects requires long telephoto lenses and effective autofocus systems Beginning bird photographers would be well served with a good cropped sensor camera body and 400 mm f/5.6 lens or a 300 mm f/4 lens with a 1.4x teleconverter. By applying several common-sense strategies, you can acquire such a system at a reduced cost. For Nikon, currently available suitable camera bodies are the D7200 and the D500, for Canon, the similar camera bodies are the EOS 7D Mark II and the EOS 7D Mark III.

Strategies for Reducing Equipment Costs

There are several strategies for reducing the cost of such a system. These include:

1.    Buying Refurbished Equipment
2.    Buying Last Years Model
3.    Buying Used    
4.    Buying Grey Market
5.    Renting

Buying Refurbished Equipment

The two major camera system manufacturers used in bird photography, Nikon and Canon, both offer equipment that has been returned and then repaired and resold as refurbished equipment. I frequently use this strategy, and the savings are significant. Often the testing performed on refurbished equipment exceeds that done on new, I've purchased many camera bodies refurbished and numerous refurbished lenses, and I've never had a problem. However, one downside to this strategy is the length of the warranty, typically 90 days rather than the one year for new equipment, in some cases, a camera store will supplement the warranty with one of their own, but I'm not sure how well this works. I make sure I do a thorough job of testing any equipment purchased in this way as soon as I receive it to reduce the risk of a problem.

I have purchased refurbished equipment from Nikon directly, B&H, and Cameta Camera (Currently offline, not sure of their status).

For example, right now, Nikon USA has a refurbished D7200 699.96 and a D7500 for the same price, I'd choose the D7200 even though it's an older camera because it only has one card slot. Older, Nikon manual focus lenses aren't supported, if those things aren't relevant to you, the D7500 may be better as it shoots 8 FPS versus 6, and it has an articulating screen. A new D7500 is going for $899.99 on the same site.

Buying Last Years Model

Both Nikon and Canon have recently released mirrorless cameras, with significantly higher prices, and they probably don't handle flying birds as well as the DSLR's. For now, if you're looking for a budget system, I'd go with one of the DSLR's

The newer Canon 100-400 is $1799 at B&H, and the Nikon 300mm f/4 pf is $1996.55. While these are indeed very lovely lenses, for the budget-conscious, the older lenses are a better choice.

Buying used

Frequently when new equipment is released, people sell their older models to finance the latest camera equipment. This behavior is certainly correct now with the Nikon and Canon Mirrorless systems and with many people moving to Sony or Olympus Mirrorless systems. Looking at sources like KEH camera and eBay, you'll notice used camera equipment prices are much lower now. For example, I saw a used D500 on eBay for $845, which sells new for $1496.95. However, on eBay, if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Check the seller ratings carefully and stick to one that has a high rating and a large number of sales. Usually, you're better off going to someone like KEH or the used department of B&H.

Buying Grey Market

Another strategy is buying "imported" or "Grey Market" equipment. Stores often purchase equipment outside of the country at a lower cost and then sell them in the US for less. The downside of this is that Nikon and Canon in this country will not honor the warranty or even service the equipment. I'm cautious not to buy any expensive Grey Market products. However, for low maintenance items, for example, a teleconverter, I would undoubtedly consider Grey Market if the price were right.

Renting equipment

One strategy for a one time equipment need, such as for an assignment or to do a photo tour, is to rent the equipment. Several good rental companies rent appropriate equipment. Two I'm familiar with are:

Lens Rentals Borrow Lenses

One caution is to be sure that you either have insurance or purchase their protection in case something goes wrong.

Camera Company Deals

Nikon and Canon are also running many specials discounting older cameras they still have in stock. If you're interested in a specific model, be sure and check that the used or refurbished camera or lens is really your best deal.

Conclusion

You can put together a good beginner's bird photography system with roughly equivalent Canon and Nikon equipment now for approximately $1500, roughly $500 less than five years ago, and have a better system.

Preparing for a Photo Trip–Part 3

Final Preparations

At one week prior to the trip, long range weather forecasts are available on the web. While long range forecasts may not be the most accurate, it's a good time to get a handle on what weather you'll be experiencing on your trip. I like to look at the predicted high and low temperatures and of course the chance for rain. Based upon this forecast I can decide on clothing that may be needed for the trip. If I'm going to be spending time on a boat, I factor in the wind chill factor planning on a wind chill factor of at least 10 degrees below the forecast low. So, for example if the forecast low is 50, I know I'll need a fairly heavy jacket to keep warm. If there is any chance of rain, I'll make sure I have my Poncho, if the there is a very low chance of rain, I'll bring a small plastic poncho or perhaps just rely on a large black trash bag. For really cold weather I'll make sure I have a parka and long underwear.

Depending upon the weather I may modify the equipment I plan on bringing. While I always carry large trash bags, if it looks like there'll be a lot of rain I may bring a protective cover for my long lens and make sure I have my waterproof case for shooting sessions. While my rain cover is a bit more difficult to set up than a plastic trash bag, for days with a lot of rain I do feel more comfortable with a rain hood. I will also carry a towel or two to put over the lens or carry on the boat to allow me to keep things as dry as possible.

I also will check tidal information or river stages where appropriate. For example one of the favorite shooting locations on my tours is Cow Island Lake. But the Atchafalaya river stage must be greater than 15 feet for us to be able to get over the weir at the entrance of the Lake. I can check the current stage and the predicted stage on this link. I will continue to track this to make sure I schedule the trip to insure I can do the shoot I plan.

Now is also the time to go through and double check your equipment and do a final cleaning prior to the trip. Using the equipment list you've developed, now is the time to pack everything for the trip. Make sure everything is properly padded and protected. I like to use small plastic bags for each camera body or lens to reduce the amount of dust and the potential for water. If I plan on shipping equipment to the shoot, now is the time to do that to make sure it arrives in time.

Finally it's good time to do a check on your travel arrangements, make sure the flight hasn't changed and the hotel has your reservation, etc.