How Do I WB For Infrared Photography?

[taknbyd]

I just got myself an IR Filter for my camera that goes over my lens. I believe it's an R72 filter. Anyway, I was taking pictures with it the other day and was wondering how in the heck to be able to white balance for Infrared in camera. I have a 40D and just didn't know exactly how to do this... Thanks for helping...

[Sorarse]

Surely WB is for matching normal lighting in the visible spectrum. As IR is outside the visible spectrum, WB isn't going to mean an awful lot.

That's just my view and I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong.

[marco_30D]

You have to do a custom WB. Shoot a grass or leaves with the filter on, then use it as your custom WB. Just make sure that you fill up the whole view finder with the grass or leaves. But you still have to post process your photo to get the colors or out come you want. Hopes this help.

[taknbyd]

Thanks Marco_30D... I didn't know if I needed to use a gray card or what... I know a lot of stuff is done in PP but I also know the a lot of people that use an IR filter do the white balance in camera. I just didn't know what to aim at to get the WB correct.

[marco_30D]

You have to use green leaves, preferably darker greens as your white balance.

[taknbyd]

Gotcha... Thank you so much Marco... You sir... Are AWESOME! :)

[argyle]

Setting the custom white balance is crucial, as already suggested. You should end up with an orange-tinted image (best way that I can describe it). In post, you'll need to use the channel mixer to flip the red and blue channels, then play with the saturation. There's a step-by-step on the Lifepixel site, as well as some youtube videos on processing digital IR pics...

[Picture North Carolina]

I just got myself an IR Filter for my camera that goes over my lens. I believe it's an R72 filter. Anyway, I was taking pictures with it the other day and was wondering how in the heck to be able to white balance for Infrared in camera. I have a 40D and just didn't know exactly how to do this... Thanks for helping...

In addition to what has been said above, blur the full-frame grass image. Blurring will help smooth out any lighter or darker area inconsistencies and help produce a frame filled with a nice, even green.


Setting the custom white balance is crucial, as already suggested. You should end up with an orange-tinted image (best way that I can describe it).

Not always true. Some cameras can produce an almost perfect balance. For example, my two converted cameras properly balanced produce an almost perfect B&W image. Converted is different, yes, but I also used to shoot with an unconverted Nikon Coolpix 950 using a filter and it, too, produced a well-balanced B&W image.

Another BIG mistake many people make when shooting IR is they convert their RAWs with ACR and because in ACR they come out very red, assume that is the way IR is. Not so - ACR apparently does not, or can not, shift its WB setting enough to properly WB and convert an IR image. (I use CS2, so I can't speak for ACR in CS3 or 4). Canon DPP is much better to use to convert a WB'ed IR Raw (assuming, of course it's from a canon camera.)

[argyle]

In addition to what has been said above, blur the full-frame grass image. Blurring will help smooth out any lighter or darker area inconsistencies and help produce a frame filled with a nice, even green.




Not always true. Some cameras can produce an almost perfect balance. For example, my two converted cameras properly balanced produce an almost perfect B&W image. Converted is different, yes, but I also used to shoot with an unconverted Nikon Coolpix 950 using a filter and it, too, produced a well-balanced B&W image.

Another BIG mistake many people make when shooting IR is they convert their RAWs with ACR and because in ACR they come out very red, assume that is the way IR is. Not so - ACR apparently does not, or can not, shift its WB setting enough to properly WB and convert an IR image. (I use CS2, so I can't speak for ACR in CS3 or 4). Canon DPP is much better to use to convert a WB'ed IR Raw (assuming, of course it's from a canon camera.)

Well, I did say "should" :D Basing this on my experience with a LIfepixel-converted 10D. I probably should have mentioned that the foliage would look balanced, but the blue sky should/may have the orange tint to it (my IR conversion is similar to using the Hoya R72 filter, 720nm IIRC).