Shooting infrared is only half the story. The images that come straight out of a full spectrum camera — even with an infrared filter attached — rarely look like the finished infrared photographs you see online. The characteristic glowing white foliage, dramatic dark skies, and striking false colours are largely the product of post-processing. The good news is that the workflow is straightforward once you understand the steps. This guide walks you through the essentials. For a guide to getting your settings right in the field first, read: White Balance and Exposure Settings for Infrared Photography.
Shoot in RAW
Before we get into post-processing, one piece of advice that applies to all infrared photography: always shoot in RAW format, not JPEG. RAW files contain the full data captured by the sensor, giving you far more latitude to adjust white balance, exposure, and colour in post-processing. JPEG files are processed in-camera and discard a significant amount of data, which limits what you can recover or adjust later. For infrared work in particular, the white balance flexibility of RAW is essential.
Step 1: White Balance Correction
The first thing you'll notice when you open an infrared RAW file is a strong red or orange cast. This is normal — it's caused by the infrared light that your filter is allowing through. The first step in post-processing is to correct the white balance to neutralise this cast.
In Lightroom or Camera Raw, drag the Temperature slider to the left (cooler) until the image looks more neutral. For most infrared images shot with a 590nm or 680nm filter, you'll end up with the temperature slider somewhere between 2000K and 3500K — much cooler than any standard photography scenario. The exact value will vary depending on your filter, your camera, and the lighting conditions.
If you set a custom white balance in-camera before shooting (using green grass as a reference), this step will be much easier as the starting point will already be closer to neutral.
Step 2: Channel Swap for False Colour (Optional but Powerful)
If you're shooting with a 590nm, 680nm and even a 720nm filter and want to achieve the classic false-colour infrared look — blue skies and golden or white foliage — you'll need to perform a channel swap. This is the technique that transforms the red-dominated infrared image into the striking false-colour results you see in fine art infrared photography.
In Photoshop, the channel swap is done using the Channel Mixer:
- Go to Image → Adjustments → Channel Mixer
- Select the Red output channel and set Red to 0% and Blue to 100%
- Select the Blue output channel and set Blue to 0% and Red to 100%
- Leave the Green channel unchanged
- Click OK
After the channel swap, foliage that was red or orange will shift towards blue or cyan, and the sky — which was blue — will shift towards red or gold. From here, you can use Hue/Saturation adjustments to fine-tune the colours to your taste. For a specific creative look, see our guide: How to Achieve the Aerochrome Look in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Step 3: Black and White Conversion
If you're shooting with a 720nm or 850nm filter — or if you simply prefer the classic monochrome infrared look — converting to black and white is the next step. Don't just desaturate the image; use a proper black and white conversion to get the most out of the tonal range.
In Lightroom, use the Black & White mix panel (under the Colour section) to adjust how individual colours are rendered as grey tones. Boosting the red and orange channels will make foliage appear brighter and more luminous. Reducing the blue channel will darken skies for a more dramatic effect. This selective control is what gives infrared black and white images their distinctive, high-contrast look.
In Photoshop, use a Black & White adjustment layer for the same effect, with sliders for each colour range.
Step 4: Contrast and Tone Adjustments
Infrared images often benefit from stronger contrast than standard photographs. The combination of bright, luminous foliage and dark skies creates a naturally high-contrast scene, and pushing this further in post-processing enhances the dramatic quality of the image.
- Use the Tone Curve to add contrast by creating a gentle S-curve — lifting the highlights and deepening the shadows.
- Adjust Highlights and Shadows to recover detail in bright foliage or dark sky areas if needed.
- Use Clarity to enhance midtone contrast and bring out texture in foliage and clouds.
Step 5: Dealing with Infrared Glow and Haze
Infrared images sometimes have a soft, dreamy glow — particularly around bright foliage. Some photographers embrace this glow as part of the aesthetic; others prefer a sharper result. To reduce infrared glow and haze, try increasing Dehaze in Lightroom or Camera Raw. Be careful not to overdo it — a small amount goes a long way.
Step 6: Final Creative Adjustments
Once the technical corrections are done, the creative adjustments are where you put your personal stamp on the image:
- Vignetting — a subtle darkening of the corners draws the eye to the centre of the frame and adds a classic, timeless quality to infrared landscapes.
- Grain — adding a small amount of film grain can complement the infrared aesthetic and reduce the overly digital look of smooth tonal areas.
- Colour grading — for false-colour images, experiment with split toning or colour grading to add warmth to highlights or coolness to shadows for a more refined final look.
- Cropping and straightening — infrared landscapes often benefit from a panoramic crop that emphasises the dramatic sky and glowing foliage.
A Simple Workflow Summary
- Open your RAW file in Lightroom or Camera Raw
- Correct white balance — drag Temperature slider to the left until the image looks neutral
- For false colour: perform a channel swap in Photoshop, then adjust hues to taste
- For black and white: use the B&W mix panel to control tonal rendering
- Add contrast using the Tone Curve
- Apply Dehaze if needed to reduce haze and improve clarity
- Make final creative adjustments — vignette, grain, colour grading
- Export at full resolution
Infrared post-processing rewards experimentation. Every filter, every camera, and every scene will respond slightly differently, and developing your own workflow is part of finding your infrared style. The key is to shoot in RAW, correct white balance first, and then let the creative process take over.
If you're just getting started with full spectrum photography, explore our range of essential filters and converted cameras to find the right setup for your work.