Infrared film

[busybee]

I haven't tried infrared photography but I'd sure like to. Where do I get, and what type of infrared film is the best?

Thank-you.

[Marko]

Personally I love Infrared!

I use Kodak Hi speed infrared exclusively. IMO it has the most infrared effect of any infrared film I've tried. The only disadventage is that there is a lot of dodging and burning in order to get a great print.

In the attached image, you can see some of the classic infrared attributes - namely glow on the subject, the flowers and in the trees.

Where to get it? It is usually only available in Photography stores. Call first though to see if the have it.

Here is a good link from Kodak that talks about infrared.

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/f13/f13.jhtml

[explorerh_h]

I just got a Hoya infrared filter for my Fuji S2. Even digital infrared is fun.

http://explorerh.com/infra/test2.jpg

http://explorerh.com/infra/test8.jpg

http://explorerh.com/infra/test3.jpg

[Marko]

These pictures are BEAUTIFUL. I don't have much experience with colour infrared but these shots work.

Excellent job!

I'm going to get a good digital camera VERY soon - especially now that I've seen how much fun colour infrared can be. You got me stoked!

Marko

[explorerh_h]

These pictures are BEAUTIFUL. I don't have much experience with colour infrared but these shots work.

Excellent job!

I'm going to get a good digital camera VERY soon - especially now that I've seen how much fun colour infrared can be. You got me stoked!

Marko
Thanks very much. Here is a full set of samples, http://explorerh.com/heat/ I just got the Hoya this past week, so these were all I have had time to shoot. I am planning on getting up at the crack of dawn to try and capture some cool morning mist.

A word on the infrared, I have read here and there that certain DSLRs will not shoot infrared. For example, the Fuji S3 supposedly will not, but my Fuji S2 does. I have also read that certain lens/body combos will result in hot spots within your image.

[Marko]

Nice shots on your site as well.

I just looked more closely at shot 3 in this series. It's truly beautiful. The curves in the ground and the trees gives the shot a lot of mouvement.

If this were my shot and I were photoshopping it to what in my opinion would be perfection, the only things I would do would be to crop slightly on the left side, burn in the light trees slightly on the left side, and dodge slightly on the lower right side. That said it does hold its own the way it is.

Marko

[tegan]

I have never used infrared filters because I have never done black and white but I just bought 75 software filters today including infrared, so I will have fun experimenting with them.

Tegan

[Marko]

Hi Tegan,

I'd LOVE to know which digital infrared filter you bought and I'd love to see some examples...as soon as you are able.

Thanks!

Marko

[tegan]

Hi Marko:

I bought the Nik Colour FX filters which were expensive but they are very sophisticated, professional, and offer a considerable degree of control and high quality.

Still getting used to them, but I am highly impressed.

tegan

[Marko]

Thanks for the speedy answer! I'd LOVE to see some examples, even if they are just work prints.

Here is a link to a photo I did a few years back with regular infrared film and printed it in the darkroom. http://www.photography.ca/Forums/showthread.php?p=377

I'd so love to be able to do the same thing digitally.

Thanks!

Marko

[photoshots]

I love the pictures you have taken guys... I myself dont know yet how to do that using films.. but with the use of editing softwares.. piece of cake.. hehe anyways great shots.. i really hope i could do that soon... its totally awesome

[clusty]

I've been doing some digital IR.
Are there any real advantages of using film BW IR?
You might gain light but you loose the instant preview capability (which I find crucial as you have to bracket both exposure and focus).

Anyone found a way to buy kodak color infrared film?
It is either prohibitively expensive expired or non-existing.

[clusty]

http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs18/i/2007/168/f/4/Zen_Master__s_hideout_by_clusty1.jpg
....
To show off two of my best IR shots :D

[clusty]

http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs17/i/2007/168/8/7/Windy_road_to_valhalla_by_clusty1.jpg

both taken at the Montreal Botanical garden

[Marko]

VERY nice infrared images clusty! That second image is especially gorgeous.
Care to give a bit of info away? Was this done with a modified camera or photoshop.

BTW - the main advantage IMO of actual film was the increased tonal range. Digital is FAR easier and you can get very similar results.

[clusty]

VERY nice infrared images clusty! That second image is especially gorgeous.
Care to give a bit of info away? Was this done with a modified camera or photoshop.

BTW - the main advantage IMO of actual film was the increased tonal range. Digital is FAR easier and you can get very similar results.


They were done with a EOS 350D with a 50mm f1.8 lens and a hoya r72 filter.
I played a little bit with levels in PS and switched Red/Blue channels - a common technique to obtain more plausible results, namely the blue sky.

The main nuisance was the fact that it took around 40-50 seconds to expose the image right. The catch to get colored images is to use a weak filter - hoya and push exposure time to maximum so you get as much normal light (color) besides the ethereal IR effect.

I also have a modified IR powershot camera, but the images are almost 100% black and white so they are a bit banal. harder to find a suitable subject for them.



Any ideas where one could find color IR film ?
...the famous kodak ektachrome aerial surveillance film

[Marko]

I also have a modified IR powershot camera, but the images are almost 100% black and white so they are a bit banal. harder to find a suitable subject for them.

I guess it depends on what you like to shoot. I was addicted to traditional infra-red for a number of years shooting exclusively Kodak B/w hi speed infrared. Then I'd hand-paint many of those images. For me, NOT banal at all.

Sorry I have no idea where to get that colour infrared.. But I'd start with Google searches and pro camera shops in my area.

Best!

Marko

[scorpio_e]

I just got my Hoya filter so I am readay to shoot!!!

If I am not mistaken,there is a mark on older lenses to reference the focusing point when shooting "film" infrared.

[Maksymenko]

Beautiful pictures. I tried infrared with Nikon D2Xs. Get crazy exposure times like 1-2 minutes and pretty bad pictures with hot spots as a result.