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Infrared Technique for Photoshop by Roger Daines

Infrared Technique for Photoshop
Roger B. Daines

1. Select and load an image with high contrast, it works better. If you need to add contrast, go to image menu, adjustments, contrast and brightness and add contrast, try 50%.
Click OK

2. Create new adjustment layer in Layers Palette by clicking on icon at bottom of palette. Select Channel Mixer from pop-up menu.
Take Green channel to maximum, 200%. Compensate with red and blue channels to equal a total of 100%
E.G. Set red channel @ minus 70% and blue channel @ minus 30%.
You may need to do some interpolation for best results.
Image will now have an almost color infrared look.
Change to black and white by checking “Monochrome” box. (If you need to, re-open Channel double click the icon on the new adjustment layer you just made.)
Click OK.

3. Click on background layer in Layers palette and open the Channels Palette. Click on the Green channel. Keep the rest of the channels on view by clicking the top channel icon.

4. Go to Filter menu, blur, Gaussian blur, radius of about 3 pixels to selected Green channel only. (Over blurring can be undone with Fade, filter). Click OK

5. Go to Edit, fade Gaussian blur. Select radius opacity to 25% and change blending mode to Screen. (Fading a “normal” blur filtration in lighter mode will cause a soft-focus effect. Fading in “screen” blending mode will add a more luminous look to the Green channel.)
You can now start to see the results of Green channel blurring. If blur is too strong, fade opacity by using the fade dialog slider.
Click OK

6. To add a grainy effect select background layer in Layers palette. Go to Filters menu, filter, noise, add noise. With a low res. image try 4%, with a high res. image try 50%. It’s up to you.

7. If you need to, go to Image menu, adjustments, levels, select RGB in the top box if it’s not there already and adjust the middle slider for density.

If what you see is what you like go to Layers palette and flatten image.

Have fun. All the adjustments are subjective and it’s up to you what you play with.