I'm getting into this discussion a bit late - but here my 2¢
Yes, some photographers use an IR camera
No - hardly anyone uses those on the lens filters anymore
Most of those images looked like they have been heavily Photoshopped using TRA actions.
But...
When shooting outdoors, in full sun, on the beach, traditional Photojournalistic techniques don't always work. What I'm talking about is that magazine style look where the background is blurry, and the subjects are sharp and in focus. That is accomplished using a big aperture (f1.2, f1.8, f2.. What this does is lets in a ton of light to the camera. In bright conditions - like a beach this means the sky and surf are blown out, or at least the colors are washed out. Many photographers turn to the actions to hide these defects (and make the image more dramatic).
If this is the case, the colors aren't recorded in the camera, and even the original digital negatives won't be much help - as I suspect is the case.
Feel free to PM me and PLEASE keep us posted! Hope it all works out for you.