First steps on IR processing.

[chris dees]

I have an IR converted Nikon 1 V1 and doing my first steps on IR-processing.
This is on one of the "Wadden Island" in the Netherlands.

I could use some help in processing.

Nikon 1 V1, 6.7-13 at 6.7 (=18mm in FX)
ISO 100, 5.6 1/640

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Hi Chris. IR processing to taste is not done in a few minute's learning time.

Here you apparently did some kind of 'click-white' operation and if using an R72 or equivalent filter, are graced with cold blue ground and dirty yellow-brownish skies. Many recommend you should swap the colour channels in Photoshop (red => blue and vice versa) so the sky becomes blue and the ground whiter. Personally I fail to see the reason why one would do this. Surely you don't shoot IR just to have the outcome look somewhat similar to what you get in normal light?

You need to realise that the RAW software also plays a part in the IR workflow. Some programs, such as PhotoNinja, can bring out great detail, contrast and sharpness, but struggles with a pleasant colour rendition. Others, such as the non-too-reputable Corel AfterShot Pro (v.2) can occasionally be tweaked to yield very pleasant colours. Details might suffer a bit, though, with ASP.

I find myself often processing the same RAW file in PN and in ASP, then combine the TIFs later in Photoshop and play around to see what the composite can achieve.

Alternatively, you can work the file with b/w conversion tools.

IR call for ingenuity in seeing as well as in the final processing. Part of the allure perhaps.

[chris dees]

AFAIK it's an 720nm filter. I made an custom WB for this.
My main RAW converter is LR6, but LR can't represent the correct White Balance. I converted this image with Nikon ViewNX-i to a Tiff-file and imported it in LR. I tried a red-blue channel swap in Photoshop, but I didn't liked it very much.

This one is underexposed for 1.5 stop and converted in B&W, up lifted the shadows and whites.

The first one is more or less my standerd LR PP

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Do remember there is NO "correct" white balance for IR. Any colour present is entirely false and IR "white" is nothing like visible white.

With IR, anything goes. You can render the picture as it pleases you the most.