Infrared (IR) film in winter, what could go wrong?
Settings for the session: R72 filter was used on half the roll when it was bright out; this was to maximize infrared light towards the lens onto the film. The camera was set to auto exposure, and in general, they were shot at 1s at f/11. After the sunset, I removed the R72 and shot at 2s at f/8. Everything was shot on a tripod, something I hate. Native ISO is 200, but R72 film reduces light by 5 stops and I wanted to overexpose by 1 stop, so the film was estimated to have an ISO of…. 3.
The day started out thick with clouds but with some short bursts of light, then it just freaking stayed cloudy with no rays of sun. Oh well, I’ve loaded the film and determined to see if IR is even worth the time in the dead of winter. Took the Tri-met and was trying to shoot on green leaves as much as I could. (And no IR effect).
Once we got to Pioneer Square, there were barely any leaves around, so I switched to shooting cityscape. Gray concrete on gray asphalt, as a result, has no signature IR effect. I will say, the film is smooth, and I love the contrast with half-decent exposure latitude. Much better than the Tri-X-HP5 group of friends.
I did manage to find some greenery when the sun peaked for a few minutes, and got the famous IR wood effect! I guess it could work in winter, just so much harder. Patience does pay.
We switched gears as the sun was about to set. I proposed going to a beautiful graveyard that I’ve never been to – Lone Fir Cemetery. (Side note: What’s the difference between a graveyard and a cemetery?) There are so many leaves and open spaces that any amount of sunlight will make the entire place white. The only issue is that the sun is so low in the horizon, and blocked by the clouds, that there isn’t enough light to begin with, let alone IR. I removed the R72 filter, and I still have to shoot on the tripod at extremely slow speed. These came out okay, I wouldn’t have dragged my tripod through this had I known the light conditions. Digital was so much easier.
So, IR in the winter. It is kind of doable if the sun peaks for a little while, but there is almost no effect when the clouds are blocking all the light. I think a sunny day post-snowstorm might be a good composition. (white on the floor and white on the tree with pitch black sky?) Something to think about. As for FPP IR, it is not my favorite, I much prefer Rollei IR BW, which is a stop faster with better latitude. Also, FPP IR is very thin, like a half-ply toilet paper, which makes scanning extremely difficult. Less reason to shoot more of these~
Date: Dec 18th, 2024.
Issue 87. Volume 13. Chapter 6. MA203_P67