Objective: Create an infrared image of a dead leaf on the grass where the leaf (in infrared) will POP against the grass background.
Technique: Used an IR-converted camera for the image. Previsualized what I wanted the image to look like and what would need to be done in post-processing to get there.
Location: Lehigh Parkway, Allentown, Pa.
Time: Yesterday around 12:30pm.
Conditions: Sunny. Ideal IR photography conditions.
Camera: Canon Rebel XT converted for IR by LifePixel.
Lens: Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L; Focal Length 62mm
Settings: 1/15 sec @ f/16; ISO 100; +1/3 EV; Custom WB; FL 62mm (could have made it easier on myself by boosting the ISO and opening up the aperture a bit)
Post-Processing: Basic adjustments in Lightroom (upped exposure and blacks, clarity and vibrance). In Photoshop CS4, I lassoed the leaf using the quick selection tool (which was anything but quick since there wasn’t much contrast to separate the leaf from the grass in IR; it was a painstaking process, at least for me); inverted and then desaturated the grass background; inverted again and used levels to darkened up the slight sepia tint in the leaf to what you see here. Kicked up a bit with Topaz Adjust to add just a bit of POP!
I like it! Looks like the leaf is floating on top of the grass.
Would be interesting to see the original image.
I like this alot, but then again, I’m beginning to become quite fond of photos that mix color and no color!
Hey … I was at Lehigh Parkway over the weekend. How come I didn’t see this leaf?? !!
Fabulous!
Excellent imagination and excellent work during whole process of creating this interesting image. At first sight it looked to me very unrealisticaly and I was thinking why. I think that one reason might be too big contrast between the background (grass) and the leaf when the leaf looks almost like taken from real (not IR) photo. I was looking at it a while longer and noticed that shadows on the leaf are quite good (realistic) but I can’t see any shadows beneath the leaf and it creates an illusion like the leaf is floating. That is probably because of IR. Anyway, this is very interesting experiment. I honestly appreciate and like your experimenting in last days and weeks, you show us all the other different ways and possibilities of taking photos which are not used very often and that’s really great!
Oh, I really like this! This leaf pops on the IR grass. I agree with Tomas Turecek’s comment. Wow!
Fantastic Ed… you are an artist
You succeeded in your attempt. I enjoy these self-assignments you are sharing with us. I like the tones in the leaf.