Infrared Adventures Part I

I picked up a new toy this week! It's a Kolari Pocket Full Spectrum Camera!

Full spectrum means that it's been converted to capture not just visible light, but infrared and ultraviolet light as well.

I was reading an article in Outdoor Photographer Magazine the other week, and I came across an article about an outdoor photographer who shoots travel and adventures photos in infrared. The images looked amazing - really otherworldly and fantastical. I immediately became curious about IR photography, but found out that it took either really specialized equipment or sacrificing an old DSLR camera for a full-spectrum conversion (a process involving opening up the camera and removing the IR filter in front of the sensor). 

While browsing around the internet, though, I came across a company called Kolari Vision which offers the very cheapest way to get into IR and full spectrum photography. They sell a tiny little camera called the Kolari Pocket, which is a modified virion of the Canon ELPH 180, probably the cheapest point-and-shoot on the market right now. By converting such a cheap pocket camera, the company makes it possible for people who are interested in trying IR photography to get into the hobby without spending a ton of money up front.

My tiny little camera came in the mail this week, and while I haven't really had much of a chance to try it out, I've shot a few photos from my balcony at my apartment. I'm excited to take it on my travels!

The camera came with four lenses, and I'm waiting on three more to arrive (they were backordered, hence this is just part 1 of this series). I'll show you those when they get here.

I'll show what a few of these infrared filters can do with a little demonstration of a series of photos from my apartment building in Bangkok.

Hot Mirror Filter

The first filter that the camera came with is called the "hot mirror". Essentially, it's an external filter of the piece that the company originally removed in order to convert the camera to full spectrum. Using this filter basically makes the camera take "normal" photos. I don't think I'll ever really use this filter much, as I have a better DSLR and even my phone takes perfectly fine photos. The point of the Kolari Pocket is to capture infrared. Anyway, I suppose it's good to have the hot mirror just in  case.

In any case, you can see what the view out my balcony window looks like before I demonstrate the various other filters that I have.

590nm Filter

The first filter that I have, and one that I'm quite excited about, is the 590nm (nanometer) "ultra color" filter. It lets in infrared light, of course, but also lets in a good deal of visible light too, meaning that the camera can take really spectacularly colored photos.

You do have to "channel swap" the red and blue color channels in postprocessing to get the ultra color, but the results are pretty cool. I'm not so good at this yet, but I've seen some really amazing images people have shot in ultra color. I'm hoping to get better at white balance and exposure in order to create some super cool images in 590.

720nm Filter

Next up in 720nm, the "standard" infrared filter. It lets in the industry standard infrared spectrum to create really sharp black and white pictures. It's possible to pull color out of these pictures as well, making the trees golden and the sky a dark, dark blue, but I haven't found a good way to access that data within the photo yet.

If you channel swap the blue and red channels, you get a fairly subdued image in slightly more realistic colors. The sky is still a dark IR gradient, but trees are a soft golden, and colors look a bit more natural. This is a very "standard" and classic type of IR photo, the same type of photo you can take with a super long exposure with an IR blocking filter on a standard DSLR.

This one is still shot in color, and you can see a little bit of blue in the trees. I could channel swap it to get some color, but it just didn't look as good. I'll need to play around more. Otherwise, 720 looks great in black and white.

IR Chrome Filter

The final filter is the one I'm most excited about. It's called IR Chrome, and it's designed to recreate the legendary (and tragically discontinued) Kodak Aerochrome film. Aerochrome was a stunning infrared film used by the government to identify enemy combatants in the jungles of Vietnam (as it reflected off chlorophyll in bright red, but artificial green remained green). It was also used by the forestry departments and other government agencies, as well as by artists and photographers for stunning otherworldly photos.

The IR Chrome is the most faithful digital recreation of Aerochrome. It requires no postprocessing, but captures natural greens in shades of red and orange, while leaving the blue sky blue.

At first I didn't have the white balance set correctly, but after messing with the settings, the pictures began to look a bit better.

I especially like this photo of the neighborhood canal! I think that the red of the trees and the blue canal water contrast nicely.

This is an awfully boring picture, but it's meant to show something really neat. Notice how the green plant shows up in brilliant red, yet the artificial AstroTurf is still green? It's because of the way that infrared light reflects off of chlorophyll. It doesn't just show green as red. Here you can really see how jungle camouflage would be useless when photographed by IR surveillance cameras. 

So far, IR Chrome is my favorite, purely because of the stunning colors and the lack of a need for postprocessing. I'm hoping to try other photoshoots soon!

I've been a little bored lately, and in a bit of a creative slump. I'm hoping that this cheap little camera will help me to see the world in a new perspective, and will make for some fun and unique photo walks in Bangkok!

I'll be back in a few weeks with three more filters (as soon as they arrive), but you can certainly expect a few more infrared photo walks in the near future.

Photo Walk #4: Construction and Fruit

Check out my last couple of photo walks here:

Photo Walk #2: https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2021/05/photo-walk-2-neighborhood-photo-walk.html

Photo Walk #3: https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2021/05/photo-walk-3-bus-ride-to-yodpiman-market.html

This week, I had a fantastic conversation with Robert Massey from the Travel and Adventure Photography School Podcast on my own podcast (Attempt Adventure) about travel photography. I think that the readers of my blog might really enjoy this episode! You can listen to it here:

 

Our chat inspired me to go out on another photo walk and try getting off of automatic mode on my camera. Here are some photos from a walk near my neighborhood. There's not much of a focus. I'm realizing that I really need to work on finding and developing my style!

I hope that you enjoy these scenes of daily life in Bangkok. I don't always get the chance to show what everyday scenes here look like, but I hope that this "Photo Walk" series that I've started during this semi-lockdown is able to give my readers a sense of what everyday life is like here in the "Big Mango".

All photos shot on my trusty Canon 500d DSLR.

I tried my hand at a bit of abstract urban photography. Here you can see some construction at an in-progress Skytrain line. I tried to emphasize geometry and structure in this image. I admit, abstract photography isn't my typical style.

Construction makes for interesting geometric lines and a sense of order which you don't often find in the chaos of Bangkok!

A canal is decorated with bright and colorful graffiti. I like the way that the colors stand out against the drab grey of the nearby concrete and the muddy canal.

Lotus flowers at a local market. I didn't focus perfectly in this shot, but I like the way the colors turned out. I need to improve my macro / closeup photographic skills.

Marigolds! These flowers are nearly-ubiquitous at Thai temples and shrines, and they always add a wonderful warm pop of color to any Thai scene.

This flower market sells garlands which are given as gifts to show appreciation to parents, grandparents, teachers, and others whom you respect. The garlands are also offered at shrines, spirit houses, and temples.

Buddhist stuff at a "Buddhist stuff shop". Here you can see bowls, flowers, scented oil, and other stuff which I can't identify. These shops are common at local markets.

The fruit looked especially nice that morning!

Durian, the "King of Fruit"!

Beautiful fresh oranges stacked neatly at a fruit market.

Rambutan, one of the first fruits I tried in Thailand. They look weird, don't they?

Bananas... perhaps not the most inspired photo!

Fresh durian. I nearly got in trouble for walking through a subway station with a package of this fresh durian in my bag. Because of its strong smell, it is forbidden on public transport in Bangkok! Fortunately, since I was just walking through the station, they let me go. I honestly forgot!

This local vendor cut the mango expertly before serving it atop a small box of delicious sweetened sticky rice! Thai mango sticky rice is not only my favorite Thai dessert, it's my favorite Thai dish!

Critique: Fruit is such a cliché, isn't it? But it's so colorful, that I can't resist photographing it.

I think that I struggle a bit with focusing. I have relied too much on my phone's autofocus feature, and I am not so used to using a DSLR. Some of my photos are not nearly as sharp as I would like them to be, or even as sharp as they are on my iPhone. I know that my camera is capable of it, so I'm going to work hard to keep improving. 

I'd also like to continue developing my style. Right now, I'm just shooting pretty much anything that is interesting to me. While that's great, I definitely need to start to figure out exactly what kind of travel photographer I want to be. Because of COVID-19, I'm sort of stuck in Bangkok. Right now, I'm forced to focus on street photography, which is a challenge for me, because I'm not always comfortable with that. It's good, though, because it forces me to be more creative and get outside of my regular comfort zone!

I'll be back in the future with another photo walk!

COVID-19 Update #14: Vaccines, Private Hospitals, and Serious Numbers

 Previous COVID-19 Update (#13): https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-very-somber-songkran.html

Things have gotten bad in Thailand in the past few weeks. I guess maybe we got complacent, or maybe we didn't realize how lucky we were with our low numbers last year. Now, for the first time, Thailand is entering a serious wave of COVID-19. I suppose we are lucky that things didn't get serious until the vaccine has already been developed, but it's a lot scarier here now than it ever was last year. In fact, today, Thailand passed 100,000 active cases of the virus for the first time. We have now had over 500 deaths (in perspective, last year we had 60 total), with thousands of new cases reported every day.

Some provinces like tourist favorite Phuket and "dark horse" Lampang in the north are racing towards heard immunity!

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2116599/lampang-leads-provincial-race-for-herd-immunity

Frustratingly, Bangkok has had trouble with its vaccine rollout. There's been confusion lately about who will be eligible for vaccinations. Different ministers and agencies have made different announcements as to the eligibility of farangs, or foreigners, for vaccination. This week, however, it has been officially announced that everyone in Thailand, regardless of nationality, will eventually be eligible for the vaccination program.

Sinovac, the Chinese vaccine, is still the preferred vaccine, but the Thai government is drafting legislation allowing private hospitals to import vaccines by negotiating with pharmaceutical companies directly, increasing the chances of more popular and effective vaccines like the Phizer or J&J vaccine to be administered. It's all very complicated, and I don't claim to understand the entire situation. However, I'm confident in the Thai government's ability to inoculate all of us. There is no anti-vax movement here in Thailand, meaning that we should be able to reach heard immunity much faster than the US or some other countries despite the current surging COVID-19 numbers.

Over the past two years, I am so grateful for how well the Thai government has taken care of its expat population. They've offered us emergency visa extensions and are treating us like citizens when it comes to eventually registering for the vaccine. Thanks, Thailand!

Until things settle down, I'm staying indoors, staying safe, and socially-distancing with my mandatory mask while on walks. Stay safe and healthy, everyone!

Photo Walk #3: A Bus Ride to Yodpiman Market

Photo Walk #1: https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2021/03/my-cameras-canon-eos-500d.html

Photo Walk #2: https://michaeldesrosiers.blogspot.com/2021/05/photo-walk-2-neighborhood-photo-walk.html

I'm off on another photo walk, but this time, it's a little different. With a ten baht coin in my pocket, I could buy fare for more or less any bus in the city. I grabbed my trusty Canon, boarded the first bus that I saw, and waited to find out where it would take me.

I hopped on Public Bus #8 and rode it all the way to the end of the line. I wasn't sure where it would end up, but I had a general idea that it would take me somewhere in the Old Town. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I enjoyed the breeze blowing in through the open window. I was ready for an adventure.

Along the way, we came to Victory Monument, the big roundabout in the middle of Bangkok's downtown. The Victory Monument itself was built in 1941 to celebrate Thai victory in the Franco-Siamese War, when the Siamese army drove back the French, thwarting their colonial ambitions and keeping Thailand, to this day, the only Southeast Asian nation never to have been colonized by a foreign power.

The area around Victory Monument is always abuzz with color and activity. Colorful taxis, noisy buses, market stalls, shops, restaurants, shopping malls, and more circle the monument.

The bus ended up in a quieter part of town, alongside the river. I had never taken the #8 all the way to the end of the line before; generally I get out around the Golden Mount. I have been trying to make a point of riding the bus more often lately.

I had taken the #8 bus, infamous for it's crazy drivers, but convenient with me as the only bus that really goes everywhere I might want to go. The #8 isn't airconditioned, but it only costs 10 baht to go anywhere in the city. In my opinion, it's one of the best ways to get around Bangkok, especially if you can sit by the window, feel the cool breeze, and watch the city scenery go past.

Since I was in an area that I had been to, but had never really explored much, I was excited to set out on foot and snap some photos. The COVID-19 situation is getting bad again here, so of course I was wearing my mask and staying as safe as possible. Trying to explore outdoors is my way of getting exercise and fresh air while mostly avoiding people! Due to the restrictions, most places were closed, and there weren't many people around.

I stood along the river in the nearly deserted Yodpiman Riverwalk, and looked out at the distant Wat Rakhang. It was quiet - almost spooky - along the Riverwalk. Most of the shops were closed, and besides a lone Starbucks and the bored-looking security guard, it was empty. COVID has been really bad for business, especially at places like this that generally cater to tourists.

A little ways down I could see the burgundy dome of Santa Cruz Church, one of the oldest Portuguese outposts in Thailand.

It was a beautiful sunny day. Winters here in Thailand always come with a grey and constantly overcast sky, so I'm happy to see the blue sky again. I've missed it for the past few months.

I've ordered a circular polarizer filter for my camera, and I'm waiting for it to arrive. It should help bring out the beautiful colors of the sky, and help make the water look more interesting in my photos.

As I walked along the river, the strong smell of garlic hit my nose. I was near the famous Yodpiman Market, and as I got closer, I could see pallets of bundled garlic ready to be set out or sold at the market stalls. I admit, it made me a little hungry!

The Yodpiman Market is best known for its early morning flower trade. I was a bit too late for that, though. You have to arrive around 4:00 in the morning if you want to see the busiest and most colorful moments of the flower market! 

Yodpiman Market also sells lots of food, produce, dried goods, and more.

There's a large golden shrine right in the center of the market. If you visit at just the right time, a beam of light from the skylight falls directly on the glittering shine, making it seem to glow from deep within the dimly-lit market.

I believe the shrine is dedicated to His Majesty King Rama V, but I didn't get a good enough look at the statue inside to be sure.

Some small shops just outside of the market were selling flowers beneath colorful pendant banners.

I decided that I wanted to visit this temple to take some photos, but the gates were locked.

The Rama I Memorial is one of the most famous monuments in the city. It was built in 1932 to celebrate the 150th anniversary founding of Bangkok and the current Rattanakosin Kingdom of Thai history.

The monument is dedicated to King Phutthayotfa Chulalok Maharaj, or Rama I, who founded the ruling Chakri Dynasty and established the new capital of Siam at Bangkok.

The monument is beautifully detailed, and sits alongside the banks of the river near one of the city's many bridges.

It was a quiet day. Maybe people were staying inside because of COVID, or maybe to avoid the hot weather.

A neighborhood tom cat was sitting outside a small local shop. Sometimes cats don't care to have their pictures taken, but this little guy was quite photogenic and didn't mind at all.