Kolari-KV-FL1 flash in IR mode

[dancingcat]

My whiz-bang Kolari Vision flash set arrived today and although my UV filter hasn’t arrived yet, I couldn’t wait, so shot an IR “test “- sort of, considering this non-vis rookie has never shot any IR before….sooo, see below why is my IR as-shot pink?

 

First impression of the flash - the dang thang is almost bigger than my camera.  Not what you’d call “handy”, but it has a lot of bells and whistles.  I like the idea of having a multispectrum flash in the field, plus the two little focus assist flashlights (UV and IR) are going to be handy.  The flash power is pretty stout - light power adjustments and EV adjustments both take some experimentation.  I shot consistently one stop over exposed in TTL.  Just a start though.  I’m used to itty bitty Olympus macro flashes, so this bad boy is a new thing for me.  There is a general description of the flash here https://kolarivision.com/kv-fl1-flash-light-the-invisible/.

 

Camera:  Olympus EM-1mk2, Kolari full spectrum conversion.
Lens: Sigma 30mm DN (60mm full-frame equivalent)
Filter: Hoya R72 for IR, Kolari Vision hotcut pro 2 for Vis.
Flash: Kolari Vision KV-FL1, with IR cup (850nm)
Subject: random sunflowers and daisies from grocery store, probably this time of year in Texas sourced from Columbia

 

#1 Visible, no flash (all these shots are F11.. auto ISO chose 6400 for all of these shots - normally I wouldn't go that high, but the visible didn't look too bad I think.

 

 

Now I switched to the R72 IR filter and used the Kolari Vision flash with the IR cap.

Soooo, why is it pink?  I am probably making a baaad rookie mistake(s)?  This is as-shot. Details a bit blown out.

 

 

I wasn't wild about the pink.. expected white... so in Lightroom I threw this pink mess into Nik's Silver Efex.. much better.  As-shot, using Silver's neutral preset.

 

Now I'm taking the flash outside to find a cooperative cow to shoot in IR :-)...  pink cows maybe?

Lots to learn.....

 

[nfoto]

When you use the IR filter, the camera's white balance goes haywire. Most cameras will render IR shots pink, sometimes blue, or even grey. Adjust in the post pocessing to taste.

 

To evaluate proper exposure in the field, it is often convenient to set the rendering to b/w in-camera. The RAW file still records whatever colour it can.

[Andy Perrin]

Pink is normal for 720nm+ IR under a daylight white balance, if I’m remembering right. You should set a custom white balance off of PTFE/Teflon or equivalent to get rid of the pink cast. If you have the RAW and something neutral in the frame you can probably white balance it after the fact also. 

[dancingcat]

went out and shot a cow in a neighbor pasture... couldn't get this guy to pose same in between my changing filters... :-)

both shots at f11 ISO 200 handheld, IR is using KolariVision flash full bore with the IR cup .. the little IR flashlight was very useful in focusing.

same equip as above.

 

will go set custom WB with the teflon.. not sure I'm wild about pink cows... not a great IR subject, but was handy...

 

 

 

[nfoto]

It's a breeze to cast your 'pink cow' into another colour palette. For example this,

 

 

[Doug A]

Great examples of what the flash can do @Sue. Can't wait to see more.  It became easier for me once the custom WB  was set. B&W is easier to focus and compose than pink or blue.

 

I'm interested in the close up UV output. How bright is the flash? I'm hoping for F 11 at ISO 400 with flash about 12 inches from a flower. 

 

Thanks for sharing,

Doug A

[dabateman]

You can manually adjust the white balance with Olympus cameras in the custom white balance settings.  For visible you may want 5500K depending on light source. 

When you switch to IR drop that to 2200K or 2400K. Olympus cameras can set as low as 2000K in camera. 

 

Try that out.

 

I think you can also open the raw file in Olympus workspace,  and drop the custom white balance there to get an idea.

[dancingcat]

@Doug A  My UV filter should arrive this week, then I’ll shoot some flower UV with the Kolari flash and see how it does. 

[Doug A]

@Sue looking forward to your review of the new filter and flash. 

Thanks,

Doug A

[Nate]

Hi Sue, does your camera have custom white balance/or one shot white balance? You can do it in your processing software also.

So what I do, is every filter/lens/light source change is fill the frame with my plumber tape cd case card, make sure the light source is cast on it, the snap a shot. Go in camera, then hit custom white balance, and select that pic, never changes again till I change it. Another way, if you don't have a  PTFE/Teflon or equivalent, is to use green grass or concrete with that high on the spectrum R72. Don't use grass under around 550nm.

 

Here's the WB card I made with plumbers tape

[dancingcat]

Thanks @Nate that's clever... I can set custom WB in camera.. but will also make a teflon setting in Lightroom.  Need to fiddle with it.  I use auto WB when I shoot in Vis and fix in Lightroom, but that's out the window with IR it seems and maybe UV also.  All sorts of different ways to adjust WB, in camera and in post.  Moar study..!  Good thing no flowers are blooming outside yet and there's time to read :-). 

[Nate]

Just now, Sue said:

Good thing no flowers are blooming outside yet and there's time to read

Definitely, I have a foot or so snow, and it's still coming down. I might go to the store too and see what flowers they have to experiment with.

[Andy Perrin]

Wait, you can’t use Lightroom for UV white balance because it doesn’t work! See this thread for alternatives:

https://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php?/topic/5146-uv-swans/#comment-53416

 

[dancingcat]

Thanks Andy, I will try PhotoNinja when I go find a cow or a flower to do in UV.

 

As for IR, repairing the pink, there are two B&W presets in Lightroom Develop Module, B&W Landscape and B&W IR, which I've just discovered..

Applying one or the other and using that as a base to tweak seems to do the trick.  Here's the cow from above in both.

 

 

Lightroom B&W landscape preset.

 

 

Lightroom B&W IR preset.  A bit softer and darker than the landscape preset.

[Andrea B.]

Sue, I think you are doing great. I was really excited to see that someone has the Kolari flash and it is being successfully used.

 

Here is a summary of info about white balance in UV/IR work:

<> Sticky :: White Balance in UV/IR Photography <>

 

A key point is that not all converters will properly white-balance a UV or an IR file. And not all cameras can properly perform an in-camera white balance under an IR-pass or UV-pass filter. But the Oly should be able to do this quite well once you find an IR-stable standard to work with.

(....."with which to work" as my senior English teacher, Miss Mahood, would prompt me to write....no dangling prepositions for that formidable lady)

 

Meanwhile, here is a quick-and-dirty for your Oly MK2.

Put on the IR-pass filter. Then go outside and aim at a distant generic landscape scene - some grass, some sky. (Omit the cow for now.) Have the sunlight behind you. Set a proper exposure time for an f/5.6 aperture and then make an in-camera white balance "against the scene" under the IR-pass filter. This should move your IR photos out of the overwhelming pink and tame things down a bit.