Shoot infrared images with a filter

A lens-mounted infrared filter produces effective results, but you need to shoot long exposures

01 Take the long view

Infrared filters cut out a lot of light, so you’ll need to set up for a long exposure. Mount your camera on a tripod and work out your composition, then screw on the filter. If you’re shooting trees and foliage wait for the direct sunlight to hit them, as it’ll make the shot much more punchy.

02 Use Live View

Once the filter is attached to your lens your viewfinder will be useless, but you can still get a view of the scene if you switch to Live View and temporarily turn the mode dial to P. This will enable you to fine-tune your composition and zoom in to focus on your subject.

03 Set up your camera

Your metering won’t be accurate, so shoot in Manual mode and take test shots to work out your exposure (on a sunny day we used 20 secs at f/18, ISO400). To avoid shake, use a cable release or select Exposure Delay Mode, which locks up the mirror and delays the shutter by a second or two.

04 Choose an exposure

A long exposure means that any moving elements in your scene, such as clouds or rustling trees, will come out blurred. This can add to the dreamlike effect, but if it’s not what you want, open up the aperture or increase the ISO to give you a faster shutter speed.