The Fly in Infrared (No, Not The Insect)

by Sean Setters

When packing up for my exodus from Savannah, GA with the center of hurricane Irma forecasted to hit the city dead on (it later hit farther west), I made sure to pack as much photography equipment as possible (we all have our priorities). One of the things I brought with me was my infrared-converted EOS 7D.

Deciding not to brave the flood of traffic heading to Atlanta, we instead headed west to New Orleans to stay with family who resides there. One of the places I visited while in New Orleans was The Fly (or, more precisely, Butterfly Riverview Park), a waterfront area located in southwest Audubon Park along the Mississippi River. The Fly is a popular hangout for college students, who typically enjoy sunbathing and other outdoor activities in the manicured lawns next to the river.

While the hordes of college students were certainly interesting, a few isolated trees on the opposite side of the road from the river bank caught my attention. With my IR-converted 7D available, I photographed a few of the trees. My favorite appears at the top of this post, and another image I enjoyed can be seen below.

Photographing isolated trees on flat land set against a bright blue sky with a Super Color IR-converted camera creates a dramatic contrast that helps draw the viewer's eyes directly to your subject. If photographed with a normal camera, the scene would have much less impact.

Upgrading DSLRs in the near future? Consider converting your older DSLR to an infrared camera to add an inspiring and creative tool to your kit.