Black & White Infrared Photography

by

Lens-Artists Challenge 265

When the sun shines mercilessly from the bright sky as it does today, it is not really weather in which Dina goes out to take pictures. For this display here, however, Dina just went around the corner to our mill to take pictures. To get stunning images in such glaring light, she configured her camera first. She used the Infrared film simulation setting in the camera (FujiX-T5) and photographed in BW.

Wenn die Sonne vom Hellsten gnadenlos wie heute scheint, ist das eigentlich kein Wetter, in dem Dina herausgeht, um zu fotografieren. Bei diesen Bildern ging jedoch Dina gerade um die Ecke zu unserer Mühle, um zu fotografieren. Um beeindruckende Bilder in solch gleißendem Licht zu bekommen, konfigurierte sie ihre Kamera. Sie benutzte das Infrared setting (IR Simulation in der Kameraeinstellung) und fotografierte in BW.

Cley mill with the coast path in the background.
From here you can walk to Blakeney through the Freshes which we did yesterday.

Infrared is known to us as heat radiation, but in photography it can be used to make red and green appear brighter and in BW in lighter grey and blue in darker grey. White appears even brighter white and dark colours even darker.

Infrarot ist uns als Wärmestrahlung bekannt, aber bei der Fotografie kann sie benutzt werden, um Rot und Grün heller, bei BW im helleren Grau, und Blau in dunkleren Grauton erscheinen zu lassen. Weiß wirkt noch leuchtend weißer und dunkle Farben noch dunkler.

More or less straight out of camera. Edit in PS with Gradient Map preset.


We cannot actually see infrared light, it covers the wavelength from 700 nm to 1 mm. This is long-wave light. Half of the energy of our sun reaches us as infrared electromagnetic oscillation. Light of this oscillation can be effectively made visible through photography. That is what Dina did with these pictures of our mill.

Wir können eigentlich kein infrarotes Licht sehen, da es eine zu lange Wellenlänge von 700 nm bis 1 mm besitzt. Die Hälfte der Sonnenenergie, die die Erde erreicht, entspricht dieser Schwingung. Die Infrarot Simulation der Kamera kann dieses Licht effektvoll sichtbar machen. Und damit fotografierte Dina diese Bilder unserer Mühle.

Cley Windmill, Cley next the Sea

Award-winning English landscape photographer Justin Minns said there are two ‘iconic buildings’ on our coast, the windmill in Cley next the Sea, where we live, and the Coal Barn in Thornham. Here you can see one of them.

Der englische Fotograph Justin Minns meinte, es gibt zwei ‘iconic buildings’ an unserer Küste, die Windmühle in Cley next the Sea, wo wir wohnen, und die Coal Barn in Thornham. Hier seht ihr eins davon.

The partly harvested reedbeds outside the mill, late winter.
A variation, this is not Infrared simulation but the standard black & white in camera setting and “dark mode” white balance.

We are against black and white thinking but in photography we are fans of BW.
This blog post is part of the BW and monochrome Lens-Artists Challenge #265. The topic was given by Anne, many thanks to her inspiring us.

Wir sind gegen Schwarz-Weiß-Denken, aber in der Fotografie sind wir Fans von BW.
Diese Post ist ein Beitrag der Lens-Artists Challenge #265. Das Thema schlug Anne vor, herzlichen Dank dafür!

With warm greetings from us
Mit herzlichen Grüßen von uns

The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

.

© text and illustrations, Hanne Siebers & Klausbernd Vollmar, Cley next the Sea 2023

116 thoughts

    • Dear Anne,
      thank you very much. It was you who inspired us to take part in this BW Lens-Artists Challenge. Usually we don’t like to post that often but your topic is so interesting that we decided to produce some pictures & texts. As we wrote, we love BW. It’s more graphic usually. And in general we love abstraction in pictures.
      Wishing you a wonderful week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  2. 👍 as modern cameras have a filter to avoid getting infrared rays reach the sensor, a modification of the camera is necessary which than affects the quality of images taken at daylight. Although I loved it back in the film days and have tried it a few times with different unmodified cameras. Unfortunately, the results are not on the expected level. This summer didn’t happen. So, not further tries. Next try, next year.

    Love yours 👍

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    • Hi Solaner
      Thanks for commenting.
      As we had and still have a summer full of bright sunshine we liked to play around with infrared photography. We very much love this effect, it makes pictures more intense. Arty photography – like all modern art – needs a certain abstraction or alienation effect and here it’s concerning the colour.
      With warm greetings
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
      Good luck for next year 🍀👍🤞

      Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks, Klausbernd. It’s the third summer in a row without summer weather. We had the heatwaves when there were no leaves on the trees and now the trees are already throwing away their leaves. On Saturday we saw the sun for more or less the first time since weeks.

      Liked by 3 people

    • I don’t know if we wrote about it before but I am born in the Bergischen Land, in Remscheid and lived there until I went to University just after finished my ‘Abitur’. By far most of my life I lived abroad in Canada for quite a while, in Finland, Sweden, Nepal and the US and now for many years at the idyllic coast of North Norfolk/East Anglia. I have have hardly ever been again in the Bergischen Land, I can’t remember when I was there the last time.
      And here we meet. Small world, isn’t it?
      All the best
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you very much, our dear friend GP, for your kind words 🙏 🙏
      Great that you like Dina’s photography. Actually, we didn’t want to take part in another Lens-Artists Challenge as we don’t want to blog that often. But at the last minute Dina felt tempted to distribute a post as well – and we had to write a text for her.
      With lots of love from the sunny sea
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 4 people

  10. Beautiful windmill images! I always am amazed at the quality of Dina’s photos. One thing I have appreciated about your blog over the years is the “independence” of your subject matter – I have known that you don’t just follow the hordes from topic to topic. Your blog has always marched to the beat of its own drummer. Now there have been these Lens Artist challenges in succession and I’m not quite sure what to think? Excellent photos and commentary! My own most recent post had an IR photo as the lead but it was not written for this challenge. However you choose to proceed – following the challenges or marching to your own original drummer – will be fine. Take care and be well. All my best to The Fab Four of Cley!

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    • Good afternoon, dear Babsje
      we VERY much like your characterisation of our blog that we march to our own drummer. It was just by chance that the topics of the Lens-Artists Challenge fit into our interests. But for us it’s too much taking part once a week. We rather have more time between our posts otherwise blogging becomes stress for us. A lot of other things we like to do as well and we don’t want the blogging to take over. We are quite happy thinking individually about a subject for blogging.
      We wish you all the best, enjoy the beautiful weather. We have just been out with our canoes. It was magic, a calm sea, sunshine and warm, just ideal.
      Love from all of us
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Babsje
      We love to go out with our canoes. It’s so easy, much easier than with our boat with the outboard engine we gave away last year. And no noise!
      Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Good afternoon, dear Amy
      GREAT that you like Dina’s pictures. Of course, the mill and the reed beds in bright sunshine are ideal objects for photographing in this way.
      Thank you and all the very best from us
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  14. Interesting that the XT-5 can shoot infrared, I didn’t realize that. About time for me to upgrade so that makes it a better contender! of course Hanne’s images are stunning and we all know it is not the camera that makes the photographs, it is the photographer, In this case the results are marvelous. So glad you decided to join us this week.

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

    • Dear Tina
      as I just wrote, the XT-5 doesn’t have a program for infrared. You have to program it yourself. She will write about it later. We just came back from canoeing.
      Hanne-Dina has an eye to see what is interesting to photograph with which technique.
      We like to see how other photographers interpret the topics of the Lens-Artists Challenge.
      Thanks for your kind words
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Danke, liebe Brigitte, für deine lobenden Worte, die Hanne-Dina gut taten.
      SW schafft sofort eine Intensität und somit Dramatik. Wolken sehen oftmals besonders gut aus, wenn sie mit dieser Technik fotografiert werden.
      Mit lieben Grüßen vom sonnigen Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  22. Beautiful (frei nach James Blunt(:

    P.S. Ich liebe euch

    Viele liebe Grüße vom tanzenden Pialein ins Vogelschutzgebiet
    Mein Lieblingsballett ist und bleibt (oder es ändert sich, wer weiß..(:, : Don Quichotte, Don Quijote

    Wenn Sonnenlicht zu grell, alles schwarz-weiß unter Rotlichteinfluss…(( -: herrlich…

    Der Router war kaputt, länger kein Internet, falls ihr euch wundert…jetzt lese ich mal die älteren Beiträge…

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Liebes Pialein,
      weißt du, dass dem Sänger James Blunt unsere Mühle einst gehörte und er auch dort kurze Zeit wohnte? Die Mühle war im Familienbesitz einer alten Familie hier, der auch James angehörte, und so kam die Mühle über ihn. Heute ist sie ein echt tolles Hotel mit teils hochromantischen Zimmern. Das oberste Zimmer kann man nur über eine Leiter erreichen und Gepäck wird mit einem Flaschenzug dahin gebracht. Ich hatte Gäste vor wenigen Jahren mit einem Jungen, der gar nicht mehr aus der Mühle ausziehen wollte. Ab und zu gehen wir dort essen.
      Don Quichote, der durch das Lesen all der klassischen Ritterromane verrückt wurde. Masterchen liest die auch gerne. Er kann sogar die ersten Strophen des ‘Parzival’ auswendig.
      Router kaputt, das ist voll blöd. So etwas schafft leider immer sogleich Stress.
      Viel Spaß beim Lesen unserer älteren Beiträge.
      Mit ganz lieben Grüßen von uns
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Thanks dear Steve for your comment and the links to your pictures.
      Hanne programmed her camera for these pictures that it can simulate the infrared effect. It’s possible to do this in the settings.
      There exists infrared filters as well but she has not used them until now.
      Wishing you a wonderful week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  27. Dear friends, lovely to see the familiar mill photographed in this exceptional way. Striking images, Hanne! You are so lucky to live in such a picturesque chocolate box village.
    I remember having seen Simon Marsden’s infrared black and white portfolio a long time ago. It was very dark, very atmospheric, I’m sure you are familiar with his work.

    Have you dared taking your camera with you when you go canoeing?
    Good luck with reorganising your library. That will keep you busy … 😉

    Summer is over, I’m back at university and must prepare my next lecture.
    Kram
    Annalena

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Dear Annalena,
      no, Dina’s camera stays at home when we go out with our canoes. Although, we have a special sack in which we could transport it safely and we haven’t fallen in yet.
      Wishing you an easy start of your work. What are lecturing about this year?
      With lots of love ❤ ❤
      KRAM
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Liebe Uschi,
      so geht’s fast jeden, der uns besuchen kam. Es ist hier schon wunderschön in jeder Hinsicht. Es ist längst nicht nur die atemberaubende Natur sondern auch die Dörfer am Meer mit ihren Feuersteinhäusern und die kleinen Gassen (lokes). Allerdings ist die Mühle schon eins der architektonischen Highlights here.
      Ganz liebe Grüße
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Hi, lieber Per Magnus,
      oh, du traust dich, in deutsch zu schreiben. Well done!
      Guten Flug, grüße Lonyearbyen von uns.
      Alles Liebe
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  32. DIna’s creativity with these scenes is wonderful ~ the stark contrast and beauty she uncovers with the infrared camera is something special. It is almost impossible to get drama out of harsh light and skies, but these are awesome…

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Good afternoon, dear Randall,
      it’s with this technique only that you get such dramatic pictures in harsh sunlight. The challenge is to program your camera for taking such infrared pictures. Clouds look very dramatic, don’t they?
      Thanks for your kind comment
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  34. Pingback: Black & White Infrared Photography – buduhost

  36. I really enjoyed Dina’s infrared photos here, Fab Four, and it was a good explanation of the complicated light. And oh my, what an absolutely gorgeous windmill this is. I don’t think I have ever seen such a grand windmill. Thanks very much.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Dear Jet
      you find our mill in Cley next the Sea on tea towels, mugs, T-shirts etc. It’s the most iconic building on our coast. It’s a cosy hotel now.
      We have several wind mills on our coast but Cley Mill is the most beautiful and well looked after.
      Thanks
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  38. Mit SW experimentiere ich gelegentlich auch – in der letzten Zeit aber weniger. Manche Fotos kommen in SW besser als in Farbe. Ganz besonders das erste Foto hier oben im Blog finde ich fantastisch!
    Liebe Gruesse ins kleine Dorf am grossen Meer,
    Pit

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Guten Morgen, lieber Pit,
      besonders ich bin ein Fan der SW Fotografie, wenn auch sich allerdings nicht jedes Objekt für SW eignet.
      Gerade bin ich dabei, eine Reise für uns vorzubereiten. 1992 fuhr ich vom Goldmann Vlg. bezahlt mit einer Fotografin durch England. Daraus entstand das Buch ‘England. Die Insel der Nebel’ und ein paar TV Filme. Nun möchten wir gerne diesen Herbst ein Teil dieser Reise wiederholen. Wir wollen nach Avebury, Glastonbury und Cerne Abbas fahren und alles auf dem Weg wie Stourhead und Wells Cathedral, die ich für die eindrucksvollste Kathedrale Englands halte, besuchen. Jetzt werde ich mich in Karten vertiefen, was ich immer noch besser finde als für solche Fahrten im Netz zu recherchieren.
      Hier haben wir wunderbares Wetter seit längerer Zeit bereits.
      Mit ganz lieben Grüßen vom kleinen Dorf am großen Meer
      Klausbernd
      und der Rest der Gang

      Like

  40. I truly appreciated Dina’s infrared photographs in this collection, Fab Four. They provided a clear and insightful depiction of intricate lighting conditions. Moreover, I must express my admiration for the stunning windmill featured in these images; it’s undoubtedly one of the most magnificent windmills I’ve ever come across. Thank you very much for sharing these remarkable visuals.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Hi
      Thanks for your kind comment. We are happy that you like Dina’s photography.
      Our windmill is iconic, well, you find its picture on tea towels, mugs etc. Now it’s a cozy hotel.
      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  41. Dear Klausbernd,
    beautiful pictures, which reminds me a little bit of the Claire-obscure paintings which also influenced filmmakers like F. W. Murnau. Through it’s hard contrast the pictures have some special effect hard to describe … maybe intense, like you described it, is the best term for it.
    Greetings from Hamburg,
    Frank aka Valentino 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Frank,
      this kind of photography enhances the intensity of a picture.
      Thanks for commenting.
      Greetings from us to you in the most beautiful city of Germany
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Amor
      we like the BW photography because it is more arty than colour photography and it’s more abstract which creates a certain alienation-effect.
      Thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hi, dear Jane,
      thank you very much for your kind comment 🙏 🙏
      IR is ideal especially in bright sunshine.
      We wish you a wonderful week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Thank you very much, our dear friend Rebecca.
      We are just busy to get our garden ready for winter, and with all of our villagers we cut the grass at the church yard and raked it. It was lots of fun.
      I just finished one book-card-app-project about dreams and was persuaded to do another one about colours. So I am kind of medium busy. The work on this colour book is quite relaxed because I have a very helpful nice editor.
      With big hugs from North Norfolk to Vancouver
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  45. Pingback: Black & White Infrared Photography – ST∆R PHOTOGRAPHY

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