I finally feel I am getting closer to the classic false color infrared images I admire. I have a new filter. This one is the Tiffen #25 red filter, which passes down to 590nm, known as “Goldie” among IR photographers. It gives foliage a yellow color, instead of the white I was getting with the 720nm IR-pass filter I was using. This one, the #25, seems to lend itself better to false color. Anyway, it seemed like it took a lot less fussing to get to something striking that wasn’t just blue-and-white. It was also easier to use, too, because the filter does not block nearly as much visible light as the 720nm filter. I like images from both filters, but I can tell I’m going to enjoy this one.
For post-processing, I first loaded into Aperture the jpg versions of each image. Aperture does not recognize the RAW format from this camera, the Fuji IS Pro UVIR. I used the jpgs to select the RAW file I wanted to use (actually RAF in Fujispeak.) I then opened the RAF file in Gimp, which automatically loads the ufraw plugin. The ufraw plugin only works with one file at a time, so it’s harder to scan for the best image from a group. There’s probably a better workflow available, but this is working at the moment. I used ufraw’s automatic white balance, which removed the pink cast easily. I then used Gimp itself to switch the red and blue channels; this gave me the yellow foliage and blue-ish clouds. From there I played with saturation of the yellow color as well as levels and a few other minor tweaks to get the final composition seen here. The lens was the best bargain Nikon 18-55mm VR AF-S. Incidentally, I buy all my filters in 77m size, then use step-up rings to match all my lenses.
