Infrared has long been a popular way to produce unique images. In fact, some photographers continue using film cameras in large part to be able to capture genuine infrared images with a traditional look. Other photographers have had digital cameras altered (or simply use an infrared filter on certain models) to produce a similar (though not identical) effect. However, even when you haven’t used one of these options, you can still simulate the look of infrared to produce a dreamy, ethereal interpretation of an image using Photoshop.

Because infrared is reflected back most by green objects, such as foliage, those are generally the subjects captured for infrared photography. It also means that if such an image is captured in color it can be converted to an infrared appearance by (among other things) boosting the green channel.

On a recent trip to Japan I photographed a Zen garden. I was disappointed by the results I achieved, because a straight photograph didn’t capture the mood of this remarkable place. Adding an infrared effect transformed the image into one that better represented the feeling one would get standing there enjoying in the gardens.

Start by creating a new Black & White adjustment layer. Click the Add New Adjustment Layer button (it has a half-black and half-white circle icon on it) at the bottom of the Layers palette. Increase the value for Greens significantly, probably somewhere between 200% and 300%. You might also want to increase the value for Yellows, since many green areas in a photographic image contain considerable amounts of yellow.

If the sky is visible in the image, reduce the value for Blues to darken the sky. Infrared is generally exhibited by a near-black sky, so you’ll want to darken significantly. If reducing the Blues slider doesn’t produce the desired effect, you’ll probably need to make a targeted adjustment to darken the sky separately. Resist the urge to darken the Cyans in order to affect the sky, as that will tend to reduce the brightening you already applied to the Greens.

To create the halo effect commonly found with infrared images, create a duplicate of the Background image layer by dragging the thumbnail for the Background image layer it to the Create a New Layer button (it has a blank sheet of paper icon) at the bottom of the Layers palette. Reduce the opacity for this layer to about 50% using the control at the top-right of the Layers palette. Next, choose Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, set the Radius value to about 10 pixels, and click OK.

If you want to produce an effect that more closely matches what you would achieve with infrared film, hold the Alt/Option key and click the Create a New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette. In the New Layer dialog box, set the Mode to Hard Light and check the box to fill with 50% gray (I also recommend giving this new layer a meaningful name, such as “Film Grain”). Click OK, and then select Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Set the Distribution to Gaussian and then adjust the Amount setting to apply noise to taste. I find that values of between about 2% and 6% work well for most images. Click OK when you’re satisfied with the result. You can also reduce the opacity of this layer to mitigate the effect if necessary.

The final result is a dreamy interpretation of your image that closely simulates the effect you might have achieved if the image had been captured with infrared film.

© Tim Grey