Michael Ocana's posterous

Here are some tips how to take care for a good camera to function properly and live longer :

1. Regularly clean your lens with a lint-free cloth, using towels or the bottom of the shirt can cause scratches on your lens, which can affect the quality of your pictures. Use a lens cap when your camera isn’t in use to protect your lens.

2. Transport and store your camera in a structured camera bag with a soft inside, this will protect your camera both from the environment and from falls. When not in use, store your camera where it’s safe from falls or being damaged accidentally.

Here are some tips how to take care for a good camera to function properly and live longer :

1. Regularly clean your lens with a lint-free cloth, using towels or the bottom of the shirt can cause scratches on your lens, which can affect the quality of your pictures. Use a lens cap when your camera isn’t in use to protect your lens.

2. Transport and store your camera in a structured camera bag with a soft inside, this will protect your camera both from the environment and from falls. When not in use, store your camera where it’s safe from falls or being damaged accidentally.

By : Michael M. Ocana

A lot of online tutorials for IR photography can be found in the internet. But for me there are some missing parts to complete the IR shooting. You need to set the proper White-Balance to achieve a good result in IR.

Let's start now.

In IR Photography White-balance is very important to get the expected results. At first shoot first in a green foilage of grass avoid the shadow.

1st Steps here

1. Set your ISO as high as you can for example 3200.
2. Set your aperture as lowest as you can for example F/4.
3. Set you shutter speed lowest, at least to get more lights
4. Set to JPEG do not use RAW.
5. Screw-in the IR Filter to your lens.
6. Shooting handheld is ok, no need to be sharp turn-off the auto-focus.

The expected result for this image for white-balance

Now you're ready to shoot actual using IR Filter

2nd Steps here

1. Set your ISO as lowest as you can for example 100.
2. Set your aperture staring F/8.
3. Set your shutter speed start from 30s or 45s (use bulb mode for this).
4. Set to RAW format.
5. Set your white-balance to the above image (refer to your manual how to set custom white-balance)
6. Mount your camera in your tripod.
7. Focus your subject first.
8. Turn-off the autofocus.
9. Screw-in the IR filter to your lens.
10. Shoot!

The expected result for this image after shooting.

Open your image to Adobe Camera Raw

1. Set your temperature to 2000.
2. Adjust the tint from -20 to 0, depends on your needs.
3. Adjust your exposure to +1.5 or higher
4. Boost your clarity to +100.
5. Adjust the saturation starting from -23 or below depends on your needs.
6. Adjust the contrast and blacks depends on your needs.

The expected result for this image after Adobe Camera Raw

Open the image in Photoshop.

1. Add layer for Levels, click the Auto button.
2. Add layer for Channel-Mixer
3. Select Red Channel
    - Red = 0
    - Blue = 100
    - Play with the constant start from +14
4. Select Blue Channel
    - Red = 100
    - Blue = 0
    - Play with the constant start from -26

Result after Adobe Photoshop processing

You can play also Layer Curves to add more effects in your IR Image.

Start here to add more colours on your IR images.

This is just a quick guide on shooting IR, if you have comments and suggestions to add please feel free to email and we will add your additional tips on this blog.

my email : michaelocana@live.com

My practice today with 2 source of lights. Nissin Di622 and Yongnou YN460II

Nissin Di622 from left with DIY Snoot, Yongnou YN460II below of glass table with Rosco Strobist green Colored Gel

"1987 Ford Mustang GT"

"Good morning nation!"

This is my Day 17 of my challenge, I feel that I'm doing this challenge for a year already. Tough challenge but it's worth it.

I've read so many still-life photos and study the lighting setup for each of them, and I tried 2 concept at home. I don't have any materials to use so I tried the reversed cups and my eggs hehehehe

I forgot to picture my lighting setup, maybe on the next days will not be forgotten.

On my 16th day of practice I tried the Falling lemon in a pan of water, with stacking of Rosco Strobist colored gels. to view my complete setup and screenshot visit my flickr site. or click the image to jump to my flickr.

My tries for my Day 15. I have water drops way back 2009 and I'm not happy if I looked back on those shots hehehe
So my water drops again, hope I did this right for now.

I called this "Splashing pumpkins"

"Cool Reggae Man"

To see my set-up for the water drops please visit my flick album. Michael Ocana's flicker album

My shots for the day 14. I'm practicing strobes for kids. Hope I got it right.

Joshua Luis -> Flashgun Shoot thru umbrella

Joseph Jude -> Flashgun with DIY Snoot

2 weeks ago I started my Project 365 days of photos. This is my way of improving myself in photography, everyday I click my camera any subject or concept I want. I'll just skip my day 1-12 and let me jump to my day 13 for this post. But if you want to view my entire project just click my flickr album.

Day 13/365 - "Crayons"

"Strawberry"