Easy Aerochrome and Goldie Style False Colour
Here I will describe the easiest method I have found so far to produce Aerochrome and Goldie style False Colour without the need for Channel Swapping in Photoshop. Indeed almost every photo program has a Hue control, so this can be acheived with almost any photo editing program.
The photos above [Goldie] and to the left [Aerochrome] were both taken about 5mins apart using the same Lens, Filter and White Balance. They were taken in jpg and simply processed just using the Hue/Saturation and Levels controls.
Both photos were taken on my trusty Full Spectrum Converted Sony A7R with an Olympus OM 24mm f/2.8 Lens with a Hoya Orange O (G) filter, with the White Balance set on a White Subject.
The Orange O (G) Filter is the key, it is approx. 535nm and adds some Yellow and Red to the Infrared, making False Colour easy.
Aerochrome Effect with Deep Red Foliage and Realistic Blue Skies simulating the Old Kodak Aerochrome Transparency Film
Goldie Effect where Foliage is a Yellow Gold colour with Blue Skies
Step One - Take Picture.
With a Full Spectrum Camera add a Deep Orange filter like a Hoya O (G) Filter to the front of your lens. Set the White Balance by pointing the camera at a White object rather than the normal Green Grass Method. Expose as normal saving as Jpg or Raw or both, it doesn't matter, but Raw is better overall. The viewfinder image should look somewhat like this;
Step Two - Post Processing
Open the image in Photoshop or Elements or whatever program you use, it must have a Hue/Saturation Control, but nearly all editing programs do. The image should look something like the viewfinder image shown above with bright Blue looking foliage and Greeny Yellow looking Skies.
The first thing to do is adjust the Hue in the Hue/Saturation Control, Slide the Hue Slider to the Right until the sky looks about the right shade of Blue, Click OK. I find setting the HUE to about 124 works well for the Aerochrome look, a bit more for the Goldie look.
Then also in Hue/Saturation select either the RED or YELLOW in the Drop down box that normally says MASTER, Adjust the Hue and or Saturation of the Red and Yellow to taste, redder for Aerochrome and Yellower for Goldie effect.
Finally adjust Levels and other settings to taste - Job Done, it's as simple as that!!
I don't personally use Lightroom, but I would imagine the above should work OK and be the easiest way to produce False Colour in Lightroom as there is no native way to swap Channels. Please let me know if you find it does or doesn't work in Lightroom. I have found that Capture One 9 does not have enough Hue adjustment to work.
Some more Aerochrome Style Photos below, all with Sony A7R + OM 24mm Lens and Hoya Orange O (G) 535nm Filter
