With Photoshop it is possible to simulate the look of infrared film using the actions palette. This gives the photographer two paths for shooting infrared: using traditional infrared films, or converting an ordinary scanned image (originally shot on color negative or color slide or captured digitally) into a black and white digital file with all the characteristics of a traditional infrared print. For the purist, using film preserves that element of surprise--never knowing exactly what you might get until you see your developed film. Using photoshop allows the photographer to fine-tune the effects (e.g., adjusting the darker and lighter areas of the image to achieve a desired effect)