| The Nikon D70 SLR is ideally suited to Digital Infrared | | | | do it in Photoshop, or other image-editing program. |
| Photography mainly due to the power of its custom | | | | White Balance |
| settings. I'm going to take a few moments to show | | | | In my experience, setting a custom white balance is a |
| you what camera settings I use for my digital infrared | | | | key to GOOD Digital Infrared Photography with the |
| photos and hopefully help you get the best results | | | | Nikon d70. Because you are using a filter that blocks |
| from your Nikon digital SLR. | | | | most "regular" light, the camera's internal white |
| First thing - get a tripod, this is pretty much a must for | | | | balancing mechanism cannot provide you with an |
| perfect infrared shots, and the infrared filter of your | | | | accurate measurement of the colour temperature of |
| choice - I like the Hoya R72. | | | | your environment. Since foliage reflects IR light, making |
| Next, take some time to plan your digital infrared | | | | it the brightest, whitest part of your photo, you'll need to |
| photograph. Taking the time to do this upfront will help | | | | "calibrate" your D70 to let it know that visible light green |
| eliminate some of the uncertainties of digital infrared | | | | is equal to infrared white. |
| photography, which can result in only an ok photo, | | | | There are a couple of ways to do this. |
| rather than a WOW! photo. | | | | NUMBER 1: The simplest white balance method using |
| As always with these kinds of things, there is no one | | | | the D70 is to open your menu, use the control button |
| right way to achieve results. But these steps are the | | | | to flip down to the white balance setting, and change it |
| ones that I have had the most success with, using my | | | | to fluorescent +3. Since for infrared photography you'll |
| D70 so far. | | | | be most likely shooting in bright sunlight with a "red" |
| Image Type | | | | filter, adding some false color correction in the camera, |
| For digital infrared photography I really prefer to shoot | | | | seems to give your final IR images more "punch." I |
| in RAW mode. Although Nikons native NEF format is | | | | have also found the incandescent setting works too. |
| so versatile, it just doesn't come up to the high quality | | | | NUMBER 2: Another way to adjust white balance for |
| of RAW mode, and any imperfections can always be | | | | digital infrared photography with the Nikon D70 is to |
| edited out using Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. | | | | take a photo of green grass at midday in full sun. Just |
| ISO | | | | the grass - no feet, no trees, no sky. Just point your |
| Good results can be achieved by increasing the ISO | | | | camera at the grass looking straight down, and click! |
| setting, but I've had the best results when I leave it at | | | | Now, in your menu, you'll set the white balance from |
| 200. Otherwise the noise is just too great - at least in | | | | this photo. So, go to your menu, select white balance, |
| my opinion. I also do a fair amount of post processing | | | | >preset> use photo>select image> use your |
| in Photo shop , so noise is a problem when working at | | | | control dial to navigate to the image of the grass |
| higher magnifications. Remember, unlike infrared film, | | | | (hopefully it is the only one on your card to make it |
| where the graininess is part of the look and feel of the | | | | easy). Your menu should now say "this image>set." |
| image, digital infrared "grain" or noise really degrades | | | | Now you're ready to shoot infrared! |
| your image. If you want to add the look of grainy film, | | | | |