Digital Outback Photo - Photography using Digital SLRs

 

Workflow Technique #015

"Chromasoftware IR Filter"

review by Uwe Steinmueller

Sponsored by

 
 

There is no doubt for me that infrared B&W photos have some dreamlike magic as these photos tend to be even more abstract than usual B&W photos.

Probably there is no real way to simulate the effect of IR photography with Photoshop filters. But some filters and actions have tried to simulate the feeling of real IR filters (softness, green gets white, ..).

The newcomer Chromasoftware just launched their interpretation of a Photoshop IR filter. We gave it a try.
 


Aspen in the Sierra (Nikon D1x)
 


IR Filter User Interface (show softening)


"Show Softening" off
 

The description of the controls is from the help page:

IR Bias


Controls how much 'non infra red' light goes through the filter. Useful when processing portraits and people.

Softness


Adjust the softness of the image. Due to intense CPU usage when rendering softness, it is not displayed in the preview window unless 'Show Softening' checkbox is checked. However, it is applied to the final image regardless of the 'Show softening' checkbox state.

Contrast


Adjusts the contrast of the image.

Show Softening

Softening is a computing intensive task that is why the IR plug-in allows to disable the softening preview. Unless Softness is set to 0 the softening is performed is performed on the real image in any case.
 
To find good settings might take you some time (especially as the preview cannot show the full image for larger photos). But once you have found a pleasing setting you can save and recall the settings (as with all Chromasoft Filters).
 
 
You can see a larger version of this photos at PhotoSIG.
 
My initial reaction to this filter is that it fun to use and does a good job.
 

Recommended
 
You can download a demo version from Chromasoftware here.
 
 
 

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