How Do I Shoot Infrared Images

Infrared photography has been around for a long time, but capturing these stunning pictures on film required true perseverance. Digital imaging has changed all of that. Shooting infrared photos has never been easier or more fun.
When you shoot infrared, you're actually dealing with a spectrum of light that's outside our normal range of perception. But with the assistance of a special filter, such as an IR 87 or Hoya R72, many digital cameras can produce the telltale dramatic effects, including a darkened sky, vivid clouds, and foliage emitting an eerie glow.
But not all digital cameras see the infrared spectrum equally. Ironically, as manufacturers made improvements in color fidelity, they often compromised the camera's infrared capability. For example, the older Canon G1 records fantastic infrared, but the newer models don't work quite as well. (This is a good argument for holding on to your previous cameras after upgrading.)
If you want to test your digicams to see which one will work the best for this type of shooting, line them up on a table in a darkened room. Enable picture-taking mode and make sure the LCD monitor is on. Then point your television remote control at each lens and press a control button, such as the channel changer. The camera that shows the brightest light emitting from the remote control will be your best infrared capture device.
Attach an infrared filter such as the Hoya R72 to your camera, grab your tripod, and look for a brightly lit scene that has sky, clouds, and trees. Set your aperture at f-5.8 or f-8 to help compensate for the different way infrared "sees" the world; the focusing plane in this type of photography is slightly different, and the added depth of field produced by a smaller aperture will help keep things sharp. Be sure to turn on the self-timer so you don't jar the camera during exposure, and record a frame. The world you see in your LCD monitor will look much different from what you observe with your eyes.

TIP: If you shoot your infrared images in color, you can later convert them to black and white on your computer. You can also create some interesting effects on the computer by converting only selected areas to black and white and leaving others in color. You'll need a good image editor (such as Photoshop Elements) to achieve this effect.