First Test: Harlim’s IR Camera for Underwater Photography by Edo Ang in Manado and Brunei

Cement Wreck 9663. Photo by Edo Ang

It was a clear day in Manado, on Sunday, Sep 11. Edo Ang, Harlim, and I went to Tasik Ria Resort, Manado, North Sulawesi to attend Canon-Fotografer.net Gathering Series 2011. It’s just perfect day to do first test of customized infra red (IR) camera modified by Harlim for underwater photography.

Harlim is a well-known photographer and IR modificator based in Jakarta, while Edo Ang is an award-winning underwater photographer based in Manado. After a month long-distance talk and discussion about IR for underwater photography, Edo decided to send his Canon EOS 5D Mk II over to Harlim. The modification is to remove hot-mirror inside camera body and replace it with customized IR filter.

Tasik Ria 3924. Photo by Edo Ang

Edo’s first interest about IR was when he saw my Harlim-modified IR camera, which convert skin tone but keep blue color in the sky remains. Based on that interest, Harlim’s target for Edo is to enhance sensor’s red sensitivity to IR wavelength and blue to ultraviolet (UV) wavelength. It is assumed that underwater organisms emit fluorescent cast.

The shoots in first test were done in both with flash and without flash. Harlim put 2 kinds of filter in front of flash, IR excitation filter and UV excitation filter. It is also to test half-half shoot in sea level, which is also Edo’s target.

Tasik Ria 3889. Photo by Edo Ang

Edo’s Canon EOS 5D Mk II was put inside Nexus housing and taken underwater just around Tasik Ria dive center pier. Depth was shallow, not more than 4 meter. We needed to quickly discuss the shoots which have just taken, and to come back underwater again.

To observe the shoots and discover new things, we decided to do very minor digital adjustment. White balance (WB) was set to custom and done on shooting. Minor adjustment is limited to brightness and contrast. All pictures is in RAW to be kept for further examination.

Cement Wreck 9826. Photo by Edo Ang

The result of first test in Tasik Ria is great. This is not the first IR camera taken for underwater shooting, but we believe that this is the one-of-a-kind IR camera which is custom modified for specific target of color cast.

The shoot without flash is interesting. It is proven that in 4-meter depth the IR light is very-well recorded without artificial light from flash. “For next test later, I would to test IR visibility in depth more than 4 meter,” said Harlim.

Cement Wreck 9883. Photo by Edo Ang

Shoot with flash result is even more interesting. The assumption of fluorescent emission is proven. The colors look surreal while blue cast in sea water remains original.

A couple days later, Edo flew over to Brunei and bring along the IR camera. I have just received his pictures sent over by e-mail today. All pictures were taken in Cement Wreck, Brunei in depth not more than 30 meter.

I’d better not saying any comment about the Cement Wreck test results. It’s you, the readers who are free to write your comments here.