Ep. 41: Color-IR without channel Swap? - 630 nm

To get an appealing color infrared with yellow foliage and blue sky a channel swap is usually necessary. With the exception of the InfraBlue filter, obviously this is true, but there may be subjects that simply look better without a channel swap. But when is that the case, and how do you know what works better?

This infrared tutorial is not primarily about the technique but about the aesthetics and different image effects that white balance and channel swapping can have. Of course, the whole topic is 100% subjective, but in my experience it can be advantageous to deliberately not set the white balance correctly, or not to perform the channel swap. The latter applies especially to subjects where the sky is missing. Then a blue vegetation can unfold its charm without disturbance and create a harmonious picture with its complementary elements.

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