Digitalsilverimaging

The Fine Art of Printing in a Digital World

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Nik Software July Newsletter feaures DSI promotion

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Nik Software has included Digital Silver Imaging in their July newsletter under their promotions section. Nik Silver Efex Pro is our favorite Photoshop Plugin. It has dramatically improved our work flow at the lab and consistently produces the best files we have printed here on our true gelatin silver papers. Nik has recognized DSI as one of the premier B&W; digital photo labs in the country.

Remember, you can order Nik Software and use the DSI code for a 15% discount plus get processing discounts only at DSI.

Order your copy of Nik Software today through DSI and save!

INFRARED DIGITAL CAMERA CONVERSIONS – FREE SHIPPING!

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Digital Silver Imaging has partnered with Precision Camera of CT to provide the absolute best Digital IR conversions. Precision Camera offers the finest in camera repair and has factory trained technicians. They also have the most sophisticated camera and lens calibration equipment. Precision’s is also doing the conversions at a fraction of the cost compared to the competition. You shouldn’t have to spend too much to turn your under utilized camera into a creative tool.

Digital Silver Imaging has partnered with Precision because Infrared Photography has generally been a Black & White medium. When Precision launched the new service, we decided to partner with Precision to unite the their technical component of IR photography with our true B&W; printing services. It makes perfect sense to bring these two services together.

Click here for more details

DSI is offering free return shipping on any conversion in July or August.

Keiko Hiromi at Gallery Bauhaus, Tokyo

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One of our friends, Keiko Hiromi, documentary photographer from Dorchester, has her work exhibiting at Gallery Bauhaus in Tokyo (Japanese language website).

Keiko’s work from Jacques Cabaret features performance and backstage photos of drag queens, and is some of the coolest work I have printed in a long time.

For those of us who don’t read Japanese, here are details –

Galley Bauhaus
Open 11am~7pm
Closed on Sunday, Monday and Holidays

Address: 2-19-14-101 Soto Kanda Chiyoda-Ku Tokyo
Phone #: 03-5294-2566

If you’re lucky enough to be in Japan this July, check out the show.

– Jay

Photoshop Infrared compared to Digital Camera Infrared

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We asked Mark Soares, Professional Services Representative from Precision Camera, to help explain the difference between Infrared (IR) photography done in Photoshop as compared to converting a digital camera to do infrared capture.

Here is how he explained it to us:

“There are a few differences between the real thing and a Photoshop filter applied in post processing. When you use an in-camera high pass filter you are only allowing the camera to expose for the infrared wavelengths, which means your image will be free of most visible light. This may not seem like a big deal to some people but the fact is, when shooting a true IR picture you want to have an image that is as true to that wavelength as possible. Just like the manufacturer’s applied a lowpass filter to block IR light from affecting the image, you should block out everything else when shooting an IR picture.

When using a camera that is converted to expose for the full spectrum, your camera will expose for all the wavelengths. This causes the image to be soft by nature because the IR focal plane is behind the visible light plane, and the UV plane in turn is in front of the visible light plane – when you sandwich all those wavelengths into one flat image, because they have different focal planes the image will be softer.

The other issue with using a full spectrum camera and performing adjustments in postprocessing is that Photoshop will usually perform an adjustment where one of the channels (green usually) is copied, then blurred on purpose (to create the softness which is natural in IR photo) and overlayed on top of the image. The file is then converted to B&W; and the contrast punched up. There is some deterioration of the image there since you are manipulating it to the point of losing detail in the highlights. The end result will not look like a 100% true IR image because the postprocessing is dependent on the amount of green in the image, whereas the IR image will factor in the actual IR light from the subject being photographed.

The best analogy I can come up with is comparing it to music.
An image captured with a full spectrum camera is like listening to the whole song (guitar, bass, drums, vocals). If you wanted to remove all the instruments and just listen to the vocals, it would be very difficult because all the information is intertwined and embedded with each other. Basically, the instruments and vocals have combined to create one song which cannot be broken down to its basic elements (unless you have the original tracks of course).

An image captured with an infrared camera is like a song with just the vocals (for example), and all the drums, bass and guitar are not audible, in fact, they have never been recorded. The sound will be nice and clear without any distortion because you are not manipulating it to get the vocals out, like you would if you wanted just the vocals from the full song.
A dedicated IR camera is a very limited device, however, it is very good at what it does. It allows for the isolation of a wavelength range with minimal deterioration of the image.
That’s my take on it!

Mark Soares – Precision Camera


© Ron Rosenstock

Great description, Mark! If you’re looking to have your camera converted, Digital Silver Imaging has partnered with Precision to bring you the absolute best Digital IR conversions at a very competitive price.
Click here for more details about our IR conversions.