How to Give Photos a Compelling Infrared Effect in Photoshop (VIDEO)
Infrared photography is a popular method of transforming ordinary scenes into images with a unique, otherworldly look. Some photographers pursue this technique by paying to have one of their camera converted to infrared, while others purchase an IR lens filter to mimic the effect.
There’s also a very effective method for getting the job done in Photoshop and doing so won’t cost you a dime. In this eye-opening tutorial from Mike Rogala you’ll learn how easy it is to unlock the beauty of infrared photography with a quick-and-impressive edit.
Rogala is an experienced landscape photographer and a popular post-processing expert. The technique he explains today is easy enough for inexperienced shooters to achieve. He walks you through the straightforward process in less than five minutes, beginning with a brief discussion of how IR photography works.
Understanding how to adjust colors in an important part of the process for creating this compelling effect, and Rogala quickly demonstrates how this is done. You’ll then learn how enhance an image further with straightforward Photoshop tools to create what Rogala describes as “professional looking results.”
Rogala suggests grabbing one of your favorite outdoor photos so that you can make the adjustments yourself as he walks you through the simple steps to achieve captivating IR images. Then if you like what you see and become enchanted with this style of imagery, you can always invest in an IR-converted camera which will usually deliver superior results with a minimum of post-capture work.
Landscape scenes full of foliage provide the best opportunity for infrared imagery, but Rogala has a few suggestions for experimenting with other types of subjects too. Rogala’s Photoshop technique is so easy to explain that we’ll let him do the honors rather than summarizing the quick process.
We do, however, have this word of caution: This method is so much fun that you may find it difficult to stop using it over and over again. Once you’re done watching head over to Rogala’s instructional YouTube channel where there are many more straightforward shooting and editing tips to be found.
We also suggest watching a tutorial we featured recently with another accomplished pro who explains why unlocking the potential of your camera’s Metering modes will enable you to capture the best possible photographs in every situation.
