Infrared photography can be difficult and each photographer uses a slightly different process to get their end result.
Personally, I use a converted camera, custom white balance (in-camera) and a two-stage editing process.
I do everything on my iPad Pro, too!
Designer
This is what my photo looks like straight off the camera. The “how” is a post for a different day, but this is my starting point for the editing process.
My first step is to pull the photo into Affinity Designer. I work with high resolution, so I create a new project set to 24×36 inches and 300 DPI.
I “place” the photo, resize it to 24×36 inches and center it on the art board.
The next step is the important part – channel swapping.
As you can see from the above image, this is what gives my photos the crazy combination of colors.
There are three color channels – red, green and blue – so there’s a large selection of combinations to choose from.
I use a special checklist with my favorite combinations to help with decision-making. I keep a tally of which ones I’ve used recently, so there’s variation to my overall collection.
After I make my color decision, I export the photo as a JPEG to Lightroom.
*Pro tip: name the file before you export and double check the DPI math on the final screen, so the photo remains high resolution.
Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is where I do my basic editing. I often use the “dehaze” slider to bring out the clear, crispness and boost color at the same time. I’ll adjust shadows and highlights, add a slight vignette and sometimes I’ll adjust the color.
For this particular photo, I decided to adjust the red to a more raspberry pink color and the green to blueberry.
And with that final adjustment, I’m done! I export with a watermark and send it over to Instagram.
Overall, my process is quick and easy. It’s taken me years to fine-tune things, but it’s been well worth the effort!
Please note: This post is not sponsored.
Jessica Pierce 