Hair color in infrared....

[sarahashleyphotos]

I figure yall could help me with this.

First of all this is about these images:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3560/3779112196_a67a29c022.jpg

Someone had told me that since my hair is dyed red it should have been a different color in IR. "I did read the part about your hair being red and if you know anything about IR, you know that dye has a much different IR reflectivity." I was just wondering if I am doing anything wrong. My custom white balance was set for grass and this was shot with studio flash lighting. Im not familiar with the science of IR but it looks right to me. He also said stuff implying that the shots being underwater would have some effect on the IR. "I am quite familiar with IR photography but it is still a fairly new medium that I have not seen that much underwater". & This really through me "I am not sure how the IR relates to how they turned out. It would be interesting to see if there really is a difference in IR or not, did you take any non-IR shots?" lol My hair is not blue in real life so ya there is obviously a huge difference.

Also this really confused me: "I have found usually quite different techniques between IR photographers and physics have a habit of cropping up when you are using beyond visible." He kept bringing up physics and I dont know what that has to do with IR at all.

[PhotosGuy]

My custom white balance was set for grass and this was shot with studio flash lighting. Just how much IR radiation do you expect to get from using flash? Flash tends toward the UV end of the spectrum & I would guess that it's not going to be much at all even before you filter it out by shooting under water. Ever notice that the light under water looks green? That's because the red isn't there anymore.

So, you need to use "hot lights" that produce some IR, or daylight. And, don't expect hair dye to act the same as shooting something with chlorophyll in it.
Test. See what you get. Modify your parameters & test again.

[Quad]

I am not sure what your question is. I did not see a question mark in your post to help me zero in on it.

The results will depend on the type of IR filter you have in your camera.

Flash will produce quite a lot of light in the part of the spectrum used in IR photography.

Hair dye does reflect IR quite a bit.

Physics is involved as it has lots to say about light.

Water is going to change things a lot (I am guessing about this and I would speculate that it will rapidly absorb the long wave lengths [the bits IR photography uses] since that is what it does in regular photography) so there is going to be the opportunity for you to experiment and get some surprises along the way.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Physics" is a catch all word that people fall back n when they can't or don't want to explain the actual science involved..

If your hair came out Blue during an IR exposure, it just meas that it was not holding a great deal of IR heat..
White = IR heat.. Because that is what you set your WB to with the "Grasss trick" the grass was hopefully loaded with IR radiation.

In your shots, the blue tone, is illustrating the cool, due to there not being a strong source of IR heat, (namely the Sun) involved.

There' is nothing wrong with your outcome,. and frankly, there is not a lot of "usual" results one can count on with IR. It's predictable to a point, but with lots of variation in the details.
There are several different filters in circulation, and no two white balance exactly alike.

it's what makes it fun!

[CyberDyneSystems]

...

Hair dye does reflect IR quite a bit.



I only have a few IR images that include human ( or animal ) subjects, but in them, the hair is always much darker than the skin.. or even clothes.

In fact, Oddly, most IR images I have with hair, the hair color has remained exceedingly close to what we see under normal light.
Dark hair comes out dark, Auburn hair = Auburn, and Golden retriever fur, oddly Buff..

[CJinAustin]

I like the colors in the shot.

[sarahashleyphotos]

If your hair came out Blue during an IR exposure, it just meas that it was not holding a great deal of IR heat..
White = IR heat.. Because that is what you set your WB to with the "Grasss trick" the grass was hopefully loaded with IR radiation.

Odd cause its blue when I photograph myself outside too just a bit lighter more like the color of the hair that is closer to the light in these images.

[Quad]

I only have a few IR images that include human ( or animal ) subjects, but in them, the hair is always much darker than the skin.. or even clothes.

In fact, Oddly, most IR images I have with hair, the hair color has remained exceedingly close to what we see under normal light.
Dark hair comes out dark, Auburn hair = Auburn, and Golden retriever fur, oddly Buff..


But not dyed hair. Most people do not dye their hair though so most will come about as you would expect. Dyed hair come out very white but not glowingly so. This is with sharp cut off filters though (87c).


These look like "color IR" filter or using channel swaping.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Ahh, even after reading it a few times I missed the importance of the word "dye" in your statement.

[Quad]

Ahh, even after reading it a few times I missed the importance of the word "dye" in your statement.


Double Ahh

But now not "only" her hair dresser knows for sure.

[hollis_f]

But not dyed hair. Most people do not dye their hair though so most will come about as you would expect. Dyed hair come out very white but not glowingly so.

That's not my experience. My friend Didi has dyed hair and it comes out in IR looking very similar to visible.

http://www.frankhollis.com/temp/IR%20Didi.jpg

[sarahashleyphotos]

Double Ahh

But now not "only" her hair dresser knows for sure.

lol idc. Everyone knows I like to dye my hair different shades of an un natural red color all the time. Its not like im some 40 year old woman covering up gray lol.

[sarahashleyphotos]

That's not my experience. My friend Didi has dyed hair and it comes out in IR looking very similar to visible.

http://www.frankhollis.com/temp/IR%20Didi.jpg

Is this film? If so then thats a totally diffrent thing. Also her hair looks dyed black anyway so i imagine that wouldn't change.

[sarahashleyphotos]

But not dyed hair. Most people do not dye their hair though so most will come about as you would expect. Dyed hair come out very white but not glowingly so. This is with sharp cut off filters though (87c).


These look like "color IR" filter or using channel swaping.

No channel swapping. My camera is converted to infrared. The filter used in the conversion is equivalent to Hoya R72, Kodak Wratten 89b / 720nm.

[PhotosGuy]

My camera is converted to infrared. The filter used in the conversion is equivalent to Hoya R72, Kodak Wratten 89b / 720nm. Then I suggest that you shoot tests & take notes so you have some indication what you can expect with your camera, different filters, & the light source for a specific instance.

[Quad]

That's not my experience. My friend Didi has dyed hair and it comes out in IR looking very similar to visible.



That is interesting I wonder if the filter used has any effect or the type of hair dye.

These two ladies dye their hair but not their eyebrows, both have used dark dyes (black and dark brown respectively).

[krb]

As to the appearance of dyed hair in IR, it depends on exactly what type of dye is used.

[hollis_f]

Is this film? If so then thats a totally diffrent thing. Also her hair looks dyed black anyway so i imagine that wouldn't change.

Nope, it's a converted 20D (sensor filter has been replaced by an R72 equivalent). Besides, not sure why film should be different.

It's a fairly crap shot, one I took when I was experimenting with what looked good (clouds are great) and what didn't.

[Quad]

As to the appearance of dyed hair in IR, it depends on exactly what type of dye is used.

So what kind are more reflective? Which less?

[krb]

So what kind are more reflective? Which less?
The best answer I can give is "try it and find out."