I have found some of the best subjects for infrared photography this past year. Bright skies, green foliage and interesting landscape objects or architecture are the key ingredients for a successful image. Cemeteries and the desert are my favorite for this type of process.

The above image has a nice balance between the foliage, mountain and sky.

One of the biggest challenges with infrared is the lens. Most will produce a hot spot (see above). I have found the Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 prime is the one I leave mostly on my converted DSLR. Most Zooms will not work for infrared. I find older prime lenses leftover from the film days work the best.

El Capitan in Yosemite is another example of what I find to be an exemplary subject.

Cumulus clouds add interest to the normally dark skies of IR.

The above image of Half Dome is layered perfectly with elements that work in IR.

Normally too many clouds or overcast days are the terrible conditions for IR, however this was shot mid-day and the clouds had many breaks, creating lots of contrast which is what you want for this type of work. The opposite of the conditions ideal for a normal image.

Another element I love with IR is photographing water.

IR transforms Lake Tahoe into blackwater.

The separation between the dunes and the mountains, along with the clouds and the sky really add interest and depth to this image above.

The giant saguaro cactus is another gem of a subject. The above image is one of my favorites despite the hot spot.

The desert is my muse...