Hi Bill,
Here's my receipe for shooting B&W infrared. It's a pain. Don't do it unless
you have an image already in mind that will be enhanced by the roadblocks that
this technology puts in your way. In school we used only high speed B&W
infrared. I don't remember exactly what it's called. It was hideously
expensive, (like $10 for 36 exporures, no shorter rolls available), especially
aftter you add in the other mandatory expenses.
1. Plan the shoot. Think like Mary Ellen Mark. Children in circus gear, etc.
The idea is to pick subject matter that's unearthly so the infra-red is just
another weird aspect to an already weird image. Stick a 17mm wide angle in
someone's laughing face, while a welder works. Watch Twin Peaks for
inspiration.
2. A deep red filter is mandatory. It won't work without a #25 filter, period.
See #6 before you go to the store.
3. Load in complete darkness.
4. Don't even think about metering. Use the cheat sheet.
5. Yeah, you have to shift the focus to the "infrared" mark on the lens.
That's the simplest thing about using the damned stuff.
6. Bracket in huge steps. I think I did +1.5, +3, -1.5 and -3.
7. As I recall, I also had to buy a bottle of HC-110 for that one roll!
Normal D-76 was not recommended.
That's it.
I set up a "picnic scene" in the foreground and the cooling tower of a nuclear
power plant in the background. Twice actually. I mis-loaded the camera (in
complete darkness, remember?) I had to do the shoot all over again.
The field grass came out white, as if the shoot was after a snow storm. The
sky was nearly black as if I had used a #25 filter (gee). The cooling tower
was nearly white on the sun side and nearly black on the shadow side. In other
words, the contrast was ultra-high and unpredictable. It's wacky stuff so
unless you have a weird scene already in mind, I'd skip it.
Lama
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