DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 

DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> IR Channel Switch Tutorial...
Pages:  
Showing posts 1 - 8 of 8, (reverse)
AuthorThread
 07/09/2003 09:07:06 PM · #1
I have been asked by many people here (and from other forums) how I accomplish my IR shots. I am almost embarrassed in doing this because I am a relative newbee to this stuff. I am probably stepping out of place giving a tutorial, but I hope it can help others so they won't have to bust their asss trying to figure this stuff out like I had to. It is actually pretty simple, but there are some points that must be made...

First the camera. Some cameras can't achieve a good channel switch image. They can produce some incredible IR images, but the latitude of color that their sensor picks up just isn't wide enough to produce a good switch image. I use a Canon Pro90 IS. IMO it is THE camera for IR images. The Image Stabilization is the bomb. The sensor is real IR sensitive. I can get 1/50th of a second exposures with a 72 filter. I have actually shot hand held. The IS helps a ton. The problem? 2.26 mega pixels. Oh well, with Fred Miranda's Star Interpolation you can get a good 8x10 out of it. That is all I need. Like I mentioned I use a Hoya R72 NIR filter (Near Infrared). It is called "Near Infrared" because IR actually begins at 850 nanometers and the 72 filter allows 720-1200 nanometers af light threw so it is still seeing color in the visible spectrum. That is what gives the results that I like.

OK here we go. Nice sunny day. Beautiful puffy clouds in the sky. Grab your camera and tripod and head out. Always use your tripod. Always, always, always. Without it you are dead. Find an interesting subject, compose, exposeâ€Â¦



Now in Photoshop open the image. Go into the menus:
IMAGE > ADJUSTMENTS >CHANNEL MIXER .
Once it opens you will be in the Red channel. This is evident by it saying “red” in the “output channel” pull down menu. In the Red channel (which by default has Red @100% and the Green and Blue @0) move the Red slider to 0 and the Blue slider to 100â€Â¦ This is what is should look like when you are doneâ€Â¦



Don’t hit OK yet. Next we will move the blue channel. Go into the “output channel” pull down (still in channel mixer) and select the Blue channel. Now move the Blue slider to 0 and the Red Slider to 100. When you are done it should look like thisâ€Â¦



You have now put the blue channel in the red and the red channel in the blue. Now hit OK. The only thing left to do is to hit Auto color...



That’s really it. I will then move the image with small curve moves or some dodging and burning if necessary. This process brings out a ton of noise. There is a ton to begin with IN IR images. I always use Neat Image or Fred Miranda’s ISO noise reduction depending on what part of the image is noisy.

Now for the key. They most important thing in IR images. If the image isn’t good without an IR filter it won’t be good with an IR filter. Pretty white leaves are only good for an image or two. If it isn’t interesting, well composed and really “WOW” filled it will be a boring IR image just like it would be a boring color imageâ€Â¦.

Final imageâ€Â¦ (no other edits made after autocolor)â€Â¦



Hope this helpsâ€Â¦

Dave
 07/09/2003 09:42:44 PM · #2
I tried this and this is what I got:

//www.pbase.com/image/18883539

June
 07/09/2003 09:52:05 PM · #3
June:

Did you shoot with an IR filter lens? If not, you can still make a regular photo look like a black and white IR shot.

Dave:

What does the Auto Color do? I don't have it in my old version of photoshop, but I can't even comprehend what it would do. :)
 07/09/2003 09:55:33 PM · #4
Jason, Try auto level.... Dave
 07/09/2003 10:12:54 PM · #5
June that is an outstanding image... Yeah, you have to start out with an IR image shot with a Hoya 72 IR filter....

I really like the results you got. Just excellent...

Dave
 07/10/2003 08:25:52 AM · #6
Dave, thanks for posting this ... I'm finally understanding the steps! :) Now I just have to get my hands on Photoshop since neither Photoshop LE, Photoshop Elements, or Ulead Impact LE has the channel mixer or lets me isolate one of the channels in some other way :( I guess that explains why I just couldn't get people's explanations before :-P

I think it would be great if you sent this to the Admins to actually add as a tutorial to the tutorial section, otherwise it'll be lost after the thread disappears from the page ...
 07/10/2003 08:09:06 PM · #7
June that is an outstanding image... Yeah, you have to start out with an IR image shot with a Hoya 72 IR filter....

I really like the results you got. Just excellent...

Dave


Thanks!
 07/10/2003 08:56:40 PM · #8
Originally posted by Davenit:
Jason, Try auto level.... Dave


I know all about photoshop and levels (I usually don't use autolevels cause I want to have full control over it), I was just wondering what auto color did, since it seems to be something seperate from auto levels and I don't have Photoshop 7 yet.
Pages:  
Current Server Time: 08/27/2025 07:52:13 PM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 08/27/2025 07:52:13 PM EDT.