Ever wondered what the world looks like through an infrared lens? It’s like stepping into a surreal, dreamlike realm where colors shift, and the familiar becomes extraordinary. But here’s the kicker: you don’t need a fancy, modified camera to capture this magic—your smartphone can do it too! Yes, you read that right. Infrared photography, once the domain of specialized gear, is now accessible to anyone with a phone and a bit of curiosity. But how does it work, and what’s the catch? Let’s dive in.
Infrared photography is all about capturing light beyond the visible spectrum, creating images that feel otherworldly. Traditionally, cameras block out infrared light using a ‘hot mirror filter’ placed in front of the sensor. This is why most digital cameras—DSLRs, mirrorless, or point-and-shoots—struggle to capture infrared without significant modifications. And this is the part most people miss: smartphones, while also equipped with hot mirror filters, aren’t as effective at blocking infrared light as their ‘real’ camera counterparts. This quirk opens up a world of possibilities for infrared experimentation right in your pocket.
But here’s where it gets controversial: some argue that smartphone infrared photography isn’t ‘true’ infrared because it relies on the inefficiency of the filter rather than a dedicated conversion. What do you think? Is it still infrared if it’s not as pure as a modified camera’s output? Let’s explore and decide for ourselves.
For this experiment, I used an iPhone 17 Pro paired with a 720nm HOYA filter. The process was absurdly simple: I held the filter over the lens and snapped away using Apple’s Camera app. Shooting in ProRAW ensured I had maximum detail to work with, though it did result in massive 100MB DNG files. Pro tip: store these locally—cloud services like iCloud or Google Photos aren’t designed for such heavy lifting.
While holding the filter by hand works, it’s far from ideal. Light leaks around the edges if the filter isn’t perfectly aligned, and your thumb might photobomb the shot. In a perfect world, you’d use a filter mount from brands like Moment or SmallRig, or even a 3D-printed solution. The filter size isn’t critical—I chose 52mm for compatibility with other lenses—but if you’re using an ultrawide lens, a larger filter might be better.
And this is the part most people miss: even with a filter, smartphone cameras often exhibit a ‘hot spot’ near the center of the frame, where infrared light is more pronounced. Is this a flaw or a feature? It’s up to you to decide. I found the main ‘wide’ camera on the iPhone 17 Pro produced the best results, but experimentation is key.
Processing infrared photos on a smartphone is surprisingly intuitive. You get a live preview of the infrared effect in the viewfinder, making it easy to hunt for compelling subjects. In low-light conditions, night mode can help capture more detail. Post-processing is where the magic happens. Here’s my workflow:
- Convert the image to black and white by setting saturation to 0.
- Adjust shadows, highlights, and exposure to balance the image. I often reduce highlights and boost shadows for more detail.
- Gradually increase contrast to restore depth after flattening the image.
- Fine-tune exposure and raise the black point to enhance the sky and dark areas.
- Tweak clarity, brilliance, and brightness to suit the scene.
- Add vignetting to draw focus to the center.
These steps are just a starting point—feel free to break the rules and experiment. After all, infrared photography is as much about creativity as it is about technique.
Controversial question: Does the ease of smartphone infrared photography democratize the art form, or does it dilute its uniqueness? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear your take.
Finally, if you’re inspired to try this yourself, any decent 720nm filter will do. I opted for a HOYA filter for $30, but no-brand options from AliExpress are worth considering too. The world of infrared awaits—what will you capture?
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Specs:
- SoC: A19 Pro chip
- Display: 6.3-inches
Google Pixel 10 Pro Specs:
- Brand: Google
- SoC: Google Tensor G5
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Specs:
- Brand: Samsung
- SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
- Display: 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz
- RAM: 12GB
- Battery: 5,000mAh with 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0.
