10 Easy Steps to Shoot Infrared Film

Here's my quick and dirty guide.

1. Buy a roll of Kodak HIE infrared film because it gives results more free (usually a glowy, dreamy effect) than other types of films black and white infrared. You'll probably need to go to a camera store or a professional photo lab, like most consumers will not be required to wear the stuff or even know what it is.

2. Load the film in your camera in complete darkness or as close as you can. Do not open the plastic box, unless you're in total darkness! Be especially careful not to stick your finger through curtain of the camera while working in the dark. If you're outside during the day and can not find a dark, try going to a shady area and covering the camera with a leather jacket.

3. If the weather is good, set the ISO setting on your camera to 200. If it is less sunny try setting your camera to ISO 400, but try to shoot in sunny conditions - the photos will look better because there are more IR energy if it is cloudy. These settings worked perfectly for me on the EOS three I have already tried with HIE film - May they require some experimenting on your part if your camera's exposure meter differently.

4. Stick a red filter on your camera lens. (Wratten 25 red, R2 Tamron, Hoya 25A, etc.) If you do not, you lose much of the IR single aspect and you end up with a grainy photo regular black and white with bright reflections. Filters opaque light passing infrared energy can be used for IR remarkable pictures, but it is much more difficult to meter and focus to. I recommend starting with a red filter and pass IR filter with experience.

5. Focus normally. Do not adjust focus for IR, because the red filter lets in lots of natural light. You only need IR compensation focus if you use an IR filter that blocks all light or visible, or if you close up (macro) work, especially with a lens opening General.



6. The image will hopefully look okay photometer using the camera. But if there is a lot of energy bouncing around and then meter IR camera will be waived if the insurance try shooting a photo with the exposure settings recommended by the camera, then Bracket - take another photo 1 stop on the camera mounting and 1 stop under. If your camera has automatic exposure bracketing the easiest to achieve is to AEB BKT or your camera to 1 stop.

7. Take roll filled with your camera in total darkness as before. I recommend sticking the lid closed film canister as a reminder.

8. Take roll to a lab specializing in professional photography in black and white, after checking first that they know what to do with infrared film and that is something they handle regularly. Get 'em to process and print your film. (okay, so people with their own darkrooms will think that this step is cheating because it gives one of the most trouble-prone aspects of IR photography - treatment - to someone else. Well, it ' is true. But I do not have my own darkroom and do not want to spend money to try to make one.)

9. Choose the best impression (usually only one shot the three will really turn out) and hand-made custom printed enlargements. Or print some enlargements if you have access to a darkroom or darkroom facility rental. Machine-printed prints in black and white do not tend to be very good.

10. Show pictures and bask in the praise and admiration of your friends.