Infrared photography captures light invisible to the human eye — wavelengths beyond 700 nanometres that transform ordinary landscapes into surreal, otherworldly scenes. Green foliage turns brilliant white, blue skies become dramatically dark, skin takes on a smooth, ethereal glow, and the entire world is rendered in tones and contrasts that exist nowhere in visible-light photography. This guide covers everything from the science behind infrared light to the practical techniques for creating stunning infrared images.
How Infrared Photography Works
Every digital camera sensor is sensitive to infrared light — but manufacturers place a hot-mirror filter over the sensor to block infrared and capture only visible light. Infrared photography bypasses this filter, either by using a screw-on IR filter that blocks visible light and passes only infrared, or by having the camera professionally converted — the internal hot-mirror filter permanently removed and replaced with an IR-pass filter.
The Two Approaches
- IR filter on an unconverted camera: a screw-on filter (like the Hoya R72 720nm) blocks all visible light. The camera sees only infrared through the viewfinder — which means the viewfinder goes dark, autofocus doesn't work well, and exposures are extremely long (30 seconds to several minutes). This is the low-cost entry point but requires a tripod and patience.
- Full-spectrum or IR-converted camera: a camera body dedicated to infrared, with the hot-mirror filter removed by a specialist (like LifePixel or Kolari Vision). The camera sees infrared natively — autofocus works, viewfinder is clear, exposures are normal. This is the practical approach for anyone shooting infrared regularly.
What Infrared Light Does to Different Subjects
Foliage and Trees
The most dramatic infrared effect. Living green leaves reflect enormous amounts of infrared light (a phenomenon called the Wood Effect). In infrared images, green foliage appears brilliant white or bright pink, depending on the filter wavelength and processing. Trees become glowing white structures against dark skies — forests look like they're covered in snow, even in midsummer.
Skies and Clouds
Blue sky scatters very little infrared light, so it appears very dark — nearly black in deep infrared (850nm+). Clouds, however, reflect infrared and appear brilliant white. The result: dramatic, high-contrast skies with glowing white clouds against near-black backgrounds — without any filters or editing tricks.
Skin and Portraits
Human skin reflects infrared differently from visible light. Veins, blemishes, and surface imperfections become less visible, creating a smooth, porcelain-like quality. Eyes appear dark and intense. The overall effect is ethereal and otherworldly — like a figure from a dream or a Pre-Raphaelite painting.
Water
Water absorbs infrared light heavily, appearing very dark — nearly black. Lakes, rivers, and ocean surfaces become smooth dark mirrors reflecting the bright white foliage and dramatic skies around them. Long exposures smooth the water further for a glass-like effect.
Architecture
Stone and brick reflect infrared in interesting ways — textures become more pronounced, colours shift, and buildings gain a timeless quality. Churches, castles, and historic buildings are particularly stunning in infrared, surrounded by white-glowing gardens.
Camera Settings for Infrared
With IR Filter on Unconverted Camera
- Tripod: mandatory. Exposures will be 10+ seconds.
- Manual focus: autofocus can't see through the IR filter. Focus before attaching the filter, then switch to manual focus.
- Aperture: f/8 to f/11 for sharpness.
- ISO: 200-400 to keep exposures reasonable (lower ISO means even longer exposures).
- Shutter speed: whatever the meter says — typically 15-30 seconds at ISO 200, f/8.
- White balance: set a custom white balance by pointing the camera at sunlit grass through the IR filter. This produces more usable colour (instead of deep red) straight from camera.
With Converted Camera
- Handheld shooting: exposures are normal speeds, just like visible-light photography.
- Autofocus: works normally with calibrated converted cameras.
- Custom white balance: essential — point at green grass or a grey card in sunlight to set the baseline. Without custom WB, images are deeply red or magenta.
- Shoot RAW: infrared colour channels need significant manipulation in post — RAW gives maximum flexibility.
Filter Wavelengths Explained
- 590nm (Super Colour IR): allows some visible light through. Produces warm, golden tones with a mix of visible and infrared. The most "colour-rich" infrared look.
- 665nm (Enhanced Colour IR): less visible light, more infrared. Foliage is white/yellow, skies are blue-black. Good for false-colour processing (swapping red and blue channels).
- 720nm (Standard IR — Hoya R72): the classic infrared look. Minimal visible light. White foliage, dark skies, surreal landscapes. The most popular wavelength for infrared photography.
- 850nm (Deep IR): blocks all visible light. Produces near-monochrome images — very little colour information. Dark, dramatic, graphic. Best for black-and-white infrared.
Post-Processing Infrared Images
Straight from the camera, infrared images typically appear deep red or magenta with custom white balance, or orange-yellow without. Processing unlocks their full potential:
- Channel swap: in Photoshop, swap the Red and Blue channels (Image > Adjustments > Channel Mixer). This turns the red foliage white and the dark-blue sky back to blue — producing the iconic "blue sky, white trees" infrared look.
- Black and white conversion: infrared images convert beautifully to black and white. The tonal range — bright foliage, dark skies, smooth skin — produces dramatic, Ansel Adams–style landscapes and ethereal portraits.
- False colour: hue/saturation adjustments after channel swapping can produce surreal colour palettes — pink skies, cyan trees, golden water. Infrared colour is entirely malleable.
- Contrast enhancement: infrared images often benefit from increased contrast — the inherent glow and atmospheric haze in IR can reduce contrast, so pulling the blacks down and the whites up restores punch.
Infrared for Wedding and Portrait Photography
While infrared is primarily a landscape technique, it has specific wedding and portrait applications:
- Venue grounds: the gardens, lawns, and surrounding landscape of a wedding venue become dreamlike in infrared — perfect for album-opening establishing shots.
- Couple portraits in gardens: the couple standing among white-glowing trees and hedges, dark sky behind them — surreal, memorable, unlike anything in their friends' wedding albums.
- Ethereal bridal portraits: the smooth skin rendering and dreamlike quality of IR portraits produces a Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic that complements flowing dresses and natural settings.
- Black-and-white IR ceremony: an infrared wide shot of an outdoor ceremony — white trees, dark sky, the couple at the altar — has a timeless, otherworldly quality.
Best Conditions for Infrared Photography
- Bright sunshine: infrared light is most abundant in direct sunlight. The brighter the conditions, the more dramatic the effect. Unlike visible-light photography, where overcast conditions are often preferred, infrared thrives in harsh midday sun.
- Summer: full green foliage produces the strongest Wood Effect — the more chlorophyll, the brighter the infrared reflection.
- Puffy clouds: cumulus clouds against blue sky create the most dramatic infrared skies — bright white clouds on near-black backgrounds.
- Green landscapes: parks, gardens, forests, meadows. The more green vegetation, the more white glow in the infrared image.
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