Infrared Auckland (12 photos scattered throughout)

[Don Ellis]

Leela and I went to New Zealand for four days last week and I managed to take a few infrared photos. I haven't posted anything recently so I thought I'd share the first few I've processed.

Piha Beach from the plane as we descended into Auckland...

http://www.kleptography.com/dl/fm/auckland_piha.jpg

Clarks Beach at low tide...

http://www.kleptography.com/dl/fm/auckland_clarksbeach.jpg

Family on Mount Victoria (really rather more of a Mound Victoria, but you work with what you have)...

http://www.kleptography.com/dl/fm/auckland_children.jpg

Clydesdales on the waterfront...

http://www.kleptography.com/dl/fm/auckland_clydesdales.jpg

Liam in the blinding sun...

http://www.kleptography.com/dl/fm/auckland_liam.jpg

They were taken with a modified G1 and a 093 filter.

Cheers,

Don

[joeseph]

Wow!

Piha so sharp it nearly put me eyes out!

[dewmuw]

Great images as usual Don.

Just one question - where you hanging from the wheels when you took the first shot or was the plane doing stunts? Looks like you are looking right down on the beach.

[Nana]

Nice shots. :)
My favourite is the #3 one. I like people shots and that moon is an exelent detail there. :D

[cmM]

Hi, thanks for stopping by. These are awesome! I like all of them. How was New Zeeland?

[cindavphoto]

That portrait is stunning. I'm totally in love. Not with the guy so much, although he is handsome. But with the portrait it's self.

The other shots are all very good also. But the portrait speaks to me because it's what I'm most interested in.

I want to get an IR filter sometime in the next coupld of week. Especially, if you can get portraits like that in the blinding sun. Was this a setting in your camera or a filter? If it's a filter, can you tell me what kind?

[CyberDyneSystems]

Wondefull shots.. I love the cloudy landscape, but they are all fantastic.

[Don Ellis]

Wow!

Piha so sharp it nearly put me eyes out!

Hi Joseph,

Surprisingly enough, I didn't sharpen it much. I usually sharpen things to within an inch of acceptable, but I'm fairly careful about landscapes like this -- it's easy to make them look unnatural, which this one comes close to with its clarity.

Cheers,

Don

[Don Ellis]

Great images as usual Don.

Just one question - where you hanging from the wheels when you took the first shot or was the plane doing stunts? Looks like you are looking right down on the beach.

Hi Damian, you demeted avatar, you...

Thank you... as for acrobatics, the plane was banking, I was in Business Class so I had no wing to contend with, I held the camera at the top of the Plexiglas window and angled it down. I didn't even have the window seat -- I had to reach over Leela and fire it one-handed. Thank you, tilt-and-swivel LCD. :D

Cheers,

Don

[Don Ellis]

Nice shots. :)
My favourite is the #3 one. I like people shots and that moon is an exelent detail there. :D

Hi Nana,

One of the reasons I like posting several shots in a single thread is the picks that people make of their favorites. Thanks for picking. They were trying to fly a kite but I never got any decent framing of everything together -- mainly because the kite seldom flew for more than 10 seconds. They running toward it in this photo.

Cheers,

Don

[Don Ellis]

Hi, thanks for stopping by. These are awesome! I like all of them. How was New Zeeland?

Hi Chris,

We were there on sad family business but New Zealand was wonderful. One thing I've learned in my travels is that while there are good and bad Americans, Brits and Australians, New Zealanders are almost universally nice people. I have yet to meet the exception, although I'm sure there's one hiding somewhere.

The weather was cold (it's just leaving their winter now) but clear and beautiful and they have great clouds. Daffodils were appearing everywhere we went. Highly recommended country.

Cheers,

Don

[Don Ellis]

That portrait is stunning. I'm totally in love. Not with the guy so much, although he is handsome. But with the portrait it's self.

The other shots are all very good also. But the portrait speaks to me because it's what I'm most interested in.

I want to get an IR filter sometime in the next coupld of week. Especially, if you can get portraits like that in the blinding sun. Was this a setting in your camera or a filter? If it's a filter, can you tell me what kind?

Hi Cinnamon,

Thank you... I was rather hoping someone would find the portrait interesting. Since you did, here's another I took a few minutes later...

http://www.kleptography.com/dl/fm/auckland_liam2.jpg

I use filters only, although my Canon G1 has had its hot mirror (internal infrared cut filter) replaced with clear glass which gives me handheld shutter speeds. I generally set my exposure compensation to -1.

Although I use a B+W 093, I would recommend a Hoya R72 for your camera. I know nothing about the 10D, but the R72 is the most common and most successful (and most affordable) of the infrared filters. (B+W, by the way, is a brand name, not black-and-white.)

Be prepared for a tripod and long shutters speeds. A friend of mine has a Nikon D100 that he slapped an R72 on and he showed me five gorgeous photos, two of them with him in them. Then he told me they were 5-second exposures and he was playing "statue."

Remember that foliage moves a lot in 5 seconds (or whatever time it may be for your camera), so a windless day is going to be essential for foliage shots that aren't blurry. For portrait studies, don't serve coffee.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

Don

[Don Ellis]

Wondefull shots.. I love the cloudy landscape, but they are all fantastic.

Thanks, CDS... always a pleasure to hear from a connoisseur. :D I loved the cloudy landscape myself and it looks tremendous at full size.

It's now about 1:30am and I'm going to go sleep like a...

http://www.kleptography.com/dl/fm/auckland_log.jpg

Cheers,

Don

[cindavphoto]

That portrait is stunning. I'm totally in love. Not with the guy so much, although he is handsome. But with the portrait it's self.

The other shots are all very good also. But the portrait speaks to me because it's what I'm most interested in.

I want to get an IR filter sometime in the next coupld of week. Especially, if you can get portraits like that in the blinding sun. Was this a setting in your camera or a filter? If it's a filter, can you tell me what kind?

Hi Cinnamon,

Thank you... I was rather hoping someone would find the portrait interesting. Since you did, here's another I took a few minutes later...


I use filters only, although my Canon G1 has had its hot mirror (internal infrared cut filter) replaced with clear glass which gives me handheld shutter speeds. I generally set my exposure compensation to -1.

Although I use a B+W 093, I would recommend a Hoya R72 for your camera. I know nothing about the 10D, but the R72 is the most common and most successful (and most affordable) of the infrared filters. (B+W, by the way, is a brand name, not black-and-white.)

Be prepared for a tripod and long shutters speeds. A friend of mine has a Nikon D100 that he slapped an R72 on and he showed me five gorgeous photos, two of them with him in them. Then he told me they were 5-second exposures and he was playing "statue."

Remember that foliage moves a lot in 5 seconds (or whatever time it may be for your camera), so a windless day is going to be essential for foliage shots that aren't blurry. For portrait studies, don't serve coffee.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

Don

Don,
Thanks for all the wonderful information. It will be a couple of weeks before I have a chance to get the filter, but am definately looking foward to trying some portraiture with it. I really love the effect!! I'll post some shots as soon as I can with it!

Thanks Again,
Cinn

[marie]

sorry to hear it was sad family business which brought you and Leela to New Zealand for the short visit Don.
:(

the pictures are lovely
as can happen it was an opportunity to view the country and make the most of whatever was happening

I like the third shot very much
their legs look great , nearly all the left legs raised together
and all going the one way 8)
(that the sun ? )

it's maybe better without the kite as our imagination is flying higher then it ........as to what is making them run like that
(before we heard there was a kite) :lol:

love the clouds over clarks beach at low tide
very nice

the poughman and those 'budweiser' horses look wonderful in the picture. 'dobbin's' I think they are called .
not too sure

Liam has to be Irish :lol:
or of Irish stock somewhere along the line as 'Liam' is the Irish for Bill or William. but he may deny it :shock:
(just joking)

:lol:

is it unusual to see side locks like that today :? I could be wrong .
looks very nice , especially for the picture.
as you can see I am talking about the second shot of him
I prefer that to the other

love the cut glass beside him ( I wonder is it 'Waterford' :lol: )
and I love it's reflection in this picture
the shirt sleeve and collar ( being infrared ) show up very nicely like that
( because of lights 'catching' it 'looks' like he has nail varnish on his thumb, but I wouldn't think he has )

the newspaper or whatever (script :? )
completes the whole scene beautifully

all together these details add up to making the picture look like a beautiful old (yet new look) portrait of a writer.
(he looks like some famous Irish writer
and I can't think of who exactly)
that's in the second shot of him :?

I just love the grainy details of that old beautiful log.
it certainly has a story to tell :eyes

I hope you slept as good as it 'looks' :)
just like a log
8)

I imagine there are also some beautiful colour shots on your memory card just waiting to burst on us

:lol:

thank you
:D 8)

[Moppie]

I just have to sayI love the pics!

Theres something quite fasinating about seeing your own city through someone elses eyes, or in this case camera.

Ill have to post some of the pics I have of Piha for you, show you what it looks like from the ground, its certianly looks quite amazing from the air.

I love the pic of Clarks beach, Iv been out there a few times, but iv always thought it a bit muddy and drab to make a good photo.
The IR however creates an amazing picture of a very ordinary mudflat (from my perspective, but I seem them everyday).

[Don Ellis]

Hi Marie,

> sorry to hear it was sad family business which brought
> you and Leela to New Zealand for the short visit Don.

Thank you. Leela's sister was diagnosed with inoperable cancer on June 1st and given eight months to live. It turned out to be 11 weeks. Leela spent three weeks with her in June, so that was fortunate and Suseela said she would call us when we should both come. She called on a Friday, we were to fly out the following Wednesday but she died just the Monday before. Sad, considering she and I were such fans of each other and I had expected to see her one last time. We kept our flight and attended the funeral instead, staying at her home on Clarks Beach. Here she is... http://www.kleptography.com/faces-dollie6710.htm

> I like the third shot very much their legs look great
> , nearly all the left legs raised together and all
> going the one way (that the sun ? )

Yes, three boys chasing around, the father standing guard and the girl at rest.

> love the clouds over clarks beach at low tide very
> nice

Suseela had a beautiful home in a wonderful location. The depth of the inlet in front of her home is so shallow that when the tide is out, you can walk for hundreds of meters on the sand.

> the poughman and those 'budweiser' horses look
> wonderful in the picture. 'dobbin's' I think they are
> called. not too sure

The world is a small place. Leela began talking with the man and he said his daughter was teaching in a school in Shenzhen, just over the border from Hong Kong. Very nice guy. He doesn't have an email address but his daughter does so I told him to have her write me and I'd send along a photo.

> Liam has to be Irish or of Irish stock somewhere along
> the line as 'Liam' is the Irish for Bill or William.
> but he may deny it (just joking)

Liam is half-Irish, half-Indian.

> is it unusual to see side locks like that today I
> could be wrong . looks very nice , especially for the
> picture. as you can see I am talking about the second
> shot of him I prefer that to the other

He's a bit of a throwback... I meet a lot of people in their 30s and 40s who are trying to live the Woodstock lifestyle.

> love the cut glass beside him ( I wonder is it
> 'Waterford' ) and I love it's reflection in this
> picture the shirt sleeve and collar ( being infrared )
> show up very nicely like that ( because of lights
> 'catching' it 'looks' like he has nail varnish on his
> thumb, but I wouldn't think he has )

No nail varnish, but you've pointed out one of those obvious things I've overlooked in my attention to all sorts of tiny distractions in the photo (which I eliminated). I'll have to consider a Photomanicure.

> the newspaper or whatever (script ) completes the
> whole scene beautifully

Yes, that does work well there. Everything seemed to come together and I just shot the photo. As you may know, I don't do much set-up... I tend to take what exists.

> all together these details add up to making the
> picture look like a beautiful old (yet new look)
> portrait of a writer. (he looks like some famous Irish
> writer and I can't think of who exactly) that's in the
> second shot of him

He's into music, although how he makes a living at it no one has figured out yet. :D

> I just love the grainy details of that old beautiful
> log. it certainly has a story to tell
> I hope you slept as good as it 'looks' just like a log

It's one of the vertical pillars holding the earth along one side of the steep yard.

> I imagine there are also some beautiful colour shots
> on your memory card just waiting to burst on us

The sun was so bright and the clouds so interesting that 90% of my shots in Auckland are infrared. If I see anything in color that's interesting, I'll let you know.

Cheers,

Don

[Don Ellis]

I just have to sayI love the pics!

Theres something quite fasinating about seeing your own city through someone elses eyes, or in this case camera.

Ill have to post some of the pics I have of Piha for you, show you what it looks like from the ground, its certianly looks quite amazing from the air.

I love the pic of Clarks beach, Iv been out there a few times, but iv always thought it a bit muddy and drab to make a good photo.
The IR however creates an amazing picture of a very ordinary mudflat (from my perspective, but I seem them everyday).

Hi Moppie,

I had to laugh... I talk about shallow water and vast distances at Clarks Beach but you summed it up much more succintly and accurately -- mudflats. Although it does seem to me more sand than mud, so you can walk out a ways without getting sucked under.

The infrared does make a lot of things more attractive and you certainly have some beautiful (long) cloud formations. The weather was perfect for us... and for IR. I almost left the color camera in the bag.

Thanks for commenting. Please post a thread of your own New Zealand photos... I look forward to seeing them. You have a lovely country.

Cheers,

Don

[Moppie]

and you certainly have some beautiful (long) cloud formations.


I don't if you know and are sharing a joke, or if you don't and don't know how true what you are saying is :)

In Maaori New Zealand is called Aotearoa. Which literal translates into "Land of the Long White Cloud". From far enough out to sea often all you can see is just one long white cloud sitting just above the horizan.


Ill post some pics up, just have to sort through a few first, and find some of a high enough quality.

[Don Ellis]

and you certainly have some beautiful (long) cloud formations.


I don't if you know and are sharing a joke, or if you don't and don't know how true what you are saying is :)

In Maaori New Zealand is called Aotearoa. Which literal translates into "Land of the Long White Cloud". From far enough out to sea often all you can see is just one long white cloud sitting just above the horizan.

Ill post some pics up, just have to sort through a few first, and find some of a high enough quality.
Hi Moppie,

Just sharing an insight... I know the name but even if I didn't, it would be hard not to notice the long bands of clouds surrounding you.

I look forward to seeing your pics.

Don

[robekert]

Hi Don,
Well, I am a bit late jumping on this bandwagon of a post. Great shots, great processing of the images.

I think the shot from the plane is great. I like the abstract quality of it. It would have been fun to post it with a "guess what this is" title for the post.

I also like the "cloudscape". I'm a sucker for a good IR set of clouds.

I also like the rest of them :D That pretty much covers it.

Cheers,
Rob

[marie]

http://www.kleptography.com/faces-dollie6710.htm

Suseela had a beautiful home in a wonderful location. The depth of the inlet in front of her home is so shallow that when the tide is out, you can walk for hundreds of meters on the sand




thank you Don

I am most sorry to hear of Leela's sister's death.

the feelings must be heavy on both of you, especially as it's such a short time since Santha died.


don't worry, I was only passing a smart remark about the colour
never meant I rather see colour shots.
it's nice that you took any pictures on this sad trip
and shared them with us.

thanks for saying about Suseela Don
I appreciate knowing.


http://www.pbase.com/image/17649770/original.jpg

just a little picture token showing my regards for Suseela and you both

take care

[BlueSkyY]

Hello Don,

Every time when I see your new pictures, I always feel impressed. Your pictures definitely have a strong "wow" factor -- very nice!

I am thinking about getting a new 20D for shooting normal colours, and have my G3 modified to an IR camera (I like the G3 too). On the other hand, I would like to keep my G1 as is, because I also like its unique features with an R72 for manipulating the false IR colours. May I know any advice from you?

Thanks for sharing these inspiring pictures!

[Ballen Photo]

For portrait studies, don't serve coffee.


I dont believe I've actually seen near IR portraits before. :shock: These are very different, and very Cool looking. I like the effect. :D
-Bruce

[Don Ellis]

I dont believe I've actually seen near IR portraits before. :shock: These are very different, and very Cool looking. I like the effect. :D
-Bruce

Good choice of emoticons, Bruce. I know what you mean. These are true, rather than near, infrared portraits because they're taken with the 093 filter which doesn't allow visible light through. Here are three more (aren't you sorry you commented?)...

Colin... and the nice thing about infrared is that it cuts through sunglasses to reveal the person underneath. If you look closely, you'll see the frames of the clip-ons. As for studios, outdoors does wonders against foliage...

http://www.kleptography.com/dl/fm/auckland_colin.jpg

Paddy, Liam's father... taken at the same time as Liam when he just happened to lean back into the sunlight and I was ready....

http://www.kleptography.com/dl/fm/auckland_paddy.jpg

And if we're not too bored with Liam, I just finished this particular shot and it looks decent enough to post...

http://www.kleptography.com/dl/fm/auckland_liam3.jpg

As a note, some skin tones don't look too good under infrared, especially coffee-colored people (which is why you don't see infrared photos of Leela). The problem is that sometimes there's too little boundary between lip skin and face skin, giving you a molded-platic look. Of course, if that's what you're going for... :D

Cheers,

Don

[Don Ellis]

Hello Don,

Every time when I see your new pictures, I always feel impressed. Your pictures definitely have a strong "wow" factor -- very nice!

I am thinking about getting a new 20D for shooting normal colours, and have my G3 modified to an IR camera (I like the G3 too). On the other hand, I would like to keep my G1 as is, because I also like its unique features with an R72 for manipulating the false IR colours. May I know any advice from you?

Thanks for sharing these inspiring pictures!

That's very kind, especially coming from one of the few people in the world who can do colored infrared shots that I love. Thank you.

I think your strategy is perfect. I have gone through four major phases in my infrared life...

1. Magenta (G1 + R72)... this phase lasted about three days. :D It was caused by converting RAW photos with AUTO white balance to TIFs with AUTO white balance, keeping the color. It was fun for the few hours it lasted.

2. False Color (G1 + R72)... this phase was one of my favorites. I took the same AUTO white balanced RAW images and converted them using a CUSTOM white balance in BreezeBrowser, a simple matter of clicking the eyedropper on something medium to dark gray.

3. Black-and-White (G1modified + 072)... an monochrome green color cast over the entire photo rather than localized foliage tints, so I converted to black-and-white. This period lasted only until I purchased a 093 true infrared filter because I wasn't getting the contrast I wanted. The combination was nice enough for low sunlight photos such as fog, however.

4. BLACKBLACK-and-White (G1modified + 093)... the current era with heavy contrast and a fair amount of extraneous detail pushed down the coal chute, never to be seen. I do try to make sure there's a black point (never a problem) and a white point for contrast. I often duplicated the layer and set mode to Multiply or Hard Light (occasionally) and adjust opacity to suit my tastes.

Now as much as I like the current era, I do occasionally wish for the false colors, even though they mean a tripod and relatively windless days. So it's possible I may even pick up a stock G1 myself one of these days.

This is the long way of saying that your current G1 infrared shots are so striking that I wouldn't want you to touch that camera -- I want to see more.

So your gear list and strategy are hereby approved. :) Best of luck... I'll know we'll be hearing how you get on.

Cheers,

Don

[Don Ellis]

thank you Don
I am most sorry to hear of Leela's sister's death.

the feelings must be heavy on both of you, especially as it's such a short time since Santha died.

thanks for saying about Suseela Don
I appreciate knowing.
just a little picture token showing my regards for Suseela and you both

take care


Hi Marie,

Thanks very much for your thoughts and your photo. I've passed them on to Leela and she asks me to remember her to you.

Here's a photo I took after the service when we arrived back at Suseela's home. Leela and I were in the back of the car and Leela had taken a rose from the service and tucked it into the wood-ball seat cushion while we were riding. As she opened the car door and started to pick it up, she paused for a moment and I took this photo...

http://www.kleptography.com/dl/fm/auckland_rose.jpg

I find that you often don't know what shots you'll like most as time passes. For personal reasons, this is a favorite.

Thanks again for your thoughts. I think you're part of the family now. :)

Don

[marie]

I think that last shot is the most beautiful yet in infrared Don.

I love the catching light on the woollen sleeve and Leela's hand and the rose
and how the wood ball cushion seems shaped into a heart.

the photo even portrays the sadness of the occasion
wonderful how you caught that

the other shots added on I like very much

I like the shot of Colin with the beautiful foliage behind and the light catching his hair.......

regards the clip on's you mention , maybe they are what give the glasses a slightly cracked look
( just with infrared ) ?


and you caught Paddy (his Daddy) really well in the picture of him

Liam looks very broody :?
Q
is he not coffee coloured being half Indian/Irish ?

A
(probably paler and so ok for the infrared )

8)

thank you for maybe taking me in as part of the family
:lol:

now Santha will look down on me too
:D

they are great shots Don

[Ballen Photo]

These are true, rather than near, infrared portraits because they're taken with the 093 filter which doesn't allow visible light through.

WOW! I didn't know the difference, Thanks for the lesson. :D

Here are three more (aren't you sorry you commented?)...
:lol: :lol: :lol: Not really, these are GREAT!

Colin... and the nice thing about infrared is that it cuts through sunglasses to reveal the person underneath. If you look closely, you'll see the frames of the clip-ons. As for studios, outdoors does wonders against foliage...

Interesting subject, My Dad did some freelance work when he was young(50's?), and one day decided to try infrared film. He used it to see what effect it would have on the people dancing at a ball. He went home and prosessed it in his own dark room, and found one shot that was totally unusable because one young lady was wearing a nylon material dress. Well, the IR film did NOT even see the dress, so you can imagine my Dads surprise to see a photo of a totally nude woman in his tray. :roll: :oops: :oops: He only told me this story a few years ago.
.......Bruce

[Don Ellis]

> I think that last shot is the most beautiful yet in
> infrared Don.

Thank you, Marie... setting aside the sentiment, it turned out fairly well. The rose is a little blown from the back-lighting, but that's life. I pretend it puts a little fire to it. :)

> I love the catching light on the woollen sleeve and
> Leela's hand and the rose and how the wood ball
> cushion seems shaped into a heart.

Thank you for those observations... I particularly liked the wodden balls but couldn't tell you why.

> the photo even portrays the sadness of the occasion
> wonderful how you caught that

Because of the faster shutter speeds, I'd been sitting in the back of the car with the camera in my lap, ready for whatever whizzed by (nothing, as it turned out). So I was ready to take anything when the car stopped. :)

> I like the shot of Colin with the beautiful foliage
> behind and the light catching his hair.......
> regards the clip on's you mention , maybe they are
> what give the glasses a slightly cracked look ( just
> with infrared ) ?

Yes, the frame of the clip-ons stands out a ways from the glasses' frame.

> and you caught Paddy (his Daddy) really well in the
> picture of him
> Liam looks very broody Q is he not coffee coloured
> being half Indian/Irish ? A (probably paler and so ok for the infrared )

He is coffee-colored... I should have just said what I meant -- it's Leela who looks slightly odd taken in infrared. And she is a bit darker than Liam.

> thank you for maybe taking me in as part of the family

Replacement parts. :lol: :lol: :lol: But we only choose the best.

> now Santha will look down on me too

Of course.

Cheers,

Don

[Don Ellis]

Hi Bruce,

[These are true, rather than near, infrared portraits...]
> WOW! I didn't know the difference, Thanks for the lesson.

The near-infrared Hoya R72 lets in a small amount of visible light which gives you some color hues to play with. That's where you get those color IRs that are often quite striking.

The 093 and stronger filters block all visible light and produce virtually black-and-white images.

[Here are three more (aren't you sorry you commented?)...]
> Not really, these are GREAT!

Glad you checked back and found them... they were for you.

> My Dad did some freelance work when he was
> young(50's?), and one day decided to try infrared film.
> He used it to see what effect it would have on the
> people dancing at a ball. He went home and prosessed
> it in his own dark room, and found one shot that was
> totally unusable because one young lady was wearing a
> nylon material dress. Well, the IR film did NOT even
> see the dress, so you can imagine my Dads surprise to
> see a photo of a totally nude woman in his tray.

I'm still trying to figure out why that made it unusable but maybe that's me. :) Or maybe it was the 50s. :lol:

> He only told me this story a few years ago.

You were only old enough to hear it a few years ago.

Cheers,

Don

[marie]

'replacement parts' :lol: :lol: :lol:
unquote




that's just fine :lol: :lol:

thanks Don



8) :D