photoartflightMeeting House Series In B&W Infrared
I believe we have had a stay at home order in NJ now for 34 days! We can not even go to a park to walk. But we can walk outside in our Condo Community (with a mask). So I thought I would go to the Meeting House on the Commons in our community. It is used for meetings, concerts and various church services. It is an interesting building & Commons for photography, some of which I have posted before. So I thought I would practice some B&W Infrared Photography. I shot a mix of multi-image panoramas along with single shot images. For this I was using a Canon R camera with a Hoya R72 Infrared Filter on with a Canon 17-40mm lens. All images were shot with the lens at 17mm. With the Canon R Mirrorless Camera Body I can actually see what I am composing/framing in the viewfinder with the R72 Infrared filter attached on the lens. On a standard DSLR all you see is BLACK in the viewfinder. So you would compose/frame your shot, then put the filter back on. Then you would manually adjust your focus point to the IR focus mark on the lens. (See images detailing this procedure below in this post). Since with the lens set to 17mm and shooting buildings my focus for all was set manually at infinity focus on the IR Focus marker. Also for shooting with this R72 filter it is necessary to photograph a white piece of paper for adjusting the White Balance when Editing your IR images.
Image showing R72 filter used and small white paper you need to photograph out in the field for preparing proper white balance for adjusting your files
When you Open your IR Image it has a Reddish Orange Cast from the R72 Filter. Use the steps below to convert to B+W Grayscale Image.
Since you are using long exposures because of the R72 filter, clouds seem to get an even smoother feathery look. I chose an f/stop to get a ~14 second exposure. If you go too long the clouds have even less detail which looks a little bland and gray.
17mm, f/14, 13 seconds
7 image panorama, @ 17mm
2 image panorama, @ 17mm, 14 seconds each
Below are a series of images showing the manual setting for infinity focus for InfraRed shooting. If shooting closer than infinity, take filter off, manual focus and adjust that spot to the IR Red line on focus area of your lens. Hopefully by seeing the 3 images below you will understand how to set the focus manually to the correct IR focus point.
Lens Manually Set for IR Focus @ infinity
photoartflight 
Cool shots, Reed!
Thanks Eliza! They are fun to do
Maybe this post will encourage me to take out my IR filter that has been used once. Nice work, Reed.
Thanks Steve! I have had it for a year and only used it 4 times! The first time was to get used to using it! I tend to not get rid of my old cameras so I was thinking of converting one to IR. That way I do not need to use a tripod. And it would be easier to use! Do not care for color IR, but like the B&W.
Embarrassed to admit that I’ve had my filter for a number of years. I am not a fan of IR color either although I have seen some beautiful work by others. I am the same way about colorized black and white.
Yes, I agree about IR color! But I do like IR B&W! Sort of looks like a “richer tone” B&W. Plus since I am fully retired now it gives me something to do! Here in NJ we are only supposed to go out of our condo community for essentials. But we noticed 1 county park that we liked to go to is maybe open. All others are closed. It also has an Audubon facility (which is closed because of Covid.) So we are going to check that out when it is not raining. Stay Safe!
Beautiful captures, Reed!
Thanks Donna! They were fun to do! Especially since we pretty much are limited to our own condo community! All other parks are shut down and entrances are blocked. But I think we found – online an Audubon Park that might be open for walking with social distancing rules. I thought NJ closed almost everything except essential stores – grocery, pharmacy, gas stations, etc., but checking online it said it was open but the building & restrooms are closed. We were going to check it out when it stops raining!