Fall infrared follow-up

Last week, I shared thoughts on adding an infrared camera to your fall color scouting. Here are some more IR images that were harvested form that scouting session. Infrared imagery gives you lots more opportunity to capture photos when the light isn’t ‘right’ for your color capture.

The glow

When you are processing your infrared photos, it takes a bit more work as they come out of the camera as a magenta color. To get that “IR look” of the film days, it needs some massaging of the files. Here’s a link to processing infrared images. Here’s an extra tip for getting the Glow. After getting your image to the black and white change the Mode from Grayscale to RGB color. You can then use filters such as NIK EFX to add the glow to the fluorescing leaves in the scene. you’ll find that in the Color EFX and it’s called Glamour Glow. Another way is to add a Diffuse Glow in Photoshop. It doesn’t hurt to add just a bit of noise as well.

Delores River in Colorado. A mid morning color image has less impact than the infrared capture.

Contrast

Contrast is a hallmark of IR images. Blue skies turn toward black; water will as well. If there was no wind rippling the water, the lake image would have been a black blob. As it is with a breeze, there are some nice specular highlights that add interest. Green leaves, clouds and even evergreens can skew toward white.

Enjoy

Many times infrared photography moves me out of my box and I start spending more time thinking and working on composition. Anything that moves me in a new direction is welcome in my photo world. I hope it is for you as well.

This turned into a study in light and shadow that wasn’t apparent when viewing the scene in color.

As always, if you have any questions drop them in the comments below or send me an email ([email protected]).

Yours in Creative Photography,

Bob

• Posted on October 18, 2024