Infrared photography with Canon 60D? - 1

What are the ideal settings on a 60D for IR photography? I have a 720nm filter. Mostly concerned about white balance settings, as well as photoshop processing. I'd prefer personal testimonial and not links. Most links use nikons. Don't be like the last guy and tell me I can't "truly" do it without modification. Just want to know what my photos should look like before processing. Thanks

Canon 60D
Photoshop CS5
Lightroom 4
DNG Profile Editor

Trying to see the UFO's flying over us?

Whether you're using Canon or Nikon the process will be the same, you should consider looking at the link I will provide you.

If you shoot raw the white balance is not important because once you'll open your image in camera raw the image will be red.

Here you have very few option, you either let the image like this and open it in photoshop then use the level tool on automatic so the program will adjust the white balance for you.

Or you adjust it manually in camera raw then open your image in photoshop for the next step.

Once the white balance is taken care of you need to change some value in the channel mixer.

-You go to "red" then switch the value of this one to the "blue".
-You go to "blue" then switch the value of this one to the "red".

If you want to use a white balance from the camera you will need to shoot in jpeg quality.

-Do not put the filter on.
-Zoom in on the grass or something green then do your white balance manually.
-Zoom out.
-Mount the camera on the tripod.
-Frame.
-Focus.
-Lock the Focus.
-Put the filter on.
-Take your photo.

Open the file in photoshop and switch the colors.

http://www.galitz.co.il/en/articles/IR.shtml

Have fun.

The 720 nm filter will do two things.

1) it will prevent you from seeing through the lens, so all your photography will be very manual, more like using a view camera. Place the camera on a tripod, compose and focus the shot, add the filter and defocus the lens. Finally take the shot.
2) determining the exposure will be a guessing game, since the anti-aliasing filter also rejects IR, so you will only be able to record a fraction of the available IR light. This means that the shutter speeds will be rather low in bright sun

This is why people who shoot IR using digital cameras have one camera converted to an IR only camera.

In this case, the IR filter replaces the anti-aliasing filter so focusing composing and focusing through the lens is possible (not IR filter between the scene and your viewfinder) and all the IR light reaches the cameras sensor.

A note on white balance. Unless you are attempting to duplicate the old Kodak Ektachrome IR film, all your finished images will be in black and white.

Here are two links that discuss IR options which should help you with your goal of shooting IR using your fine 60D and the 720 nm filter

http://www.lifepixel.com/infrared-filters-choices

http://dgrin.smugmug.com/gallery/1111417

The author mistakenly called the 720 nm filter a 72 nm, but the rest of the page should help you with a final IR image.