Starting with Infra-Red Photography Part 3 – Comparisons.

Yesterday, whilst we were visiting the Shugborough Estate, I took with me both my home-modified IR compact camera and my normal compact camera. This was to determine the differences between a normal image (in black and white) and an B&W infra-red image (technically a ‘full spectrum’ that includes IR). Here are the results shown as a ‘before-after’ slider. Note that the registration between the images is not too good due to technical reasons (see the end of this post):


Converted camera full spectrum view
Normal camera view

The main difference is that the foliage is lighter with the IR image. I need to do further trials…

The reason the registration isn’t perfect (apart from being hand-held) is due to optics and the way cameras correct for defects in the camera. For the IR version the camera doesn’t have the facility for RAW images, so I used a 3rd party ‘hack’ (CHDK) that adds features to the camera. However this doesn’t include corrections for the optics. In normal usage this is unlikely to be noticed.

Author: Paul L.G. Morris

I am an amateur photographer whose photography is mostly of gardens, nature and the rural environment. My specialities are close-ups, panoramic views, or a combination of both that I call 'Nearscapes'. I work mostly for my own interest having closed my business PM Studios Ltd.