Southern California was supposed to be the first serious use of the converted Nikon D700. I name this post infrared impressions because the resulting images are different from what we expect to see in a color photo. I had reported on the conversion of the camera and the procedure of editing the images in an …
Infrared Impressions of Southern California with a Converted Nikon D700 Read More
Even if you’re new to film photography, you’ve probably heard about the various types of B&W emulsions which are out there: orthochromatic, panchromatic, infrared and so on. If you’re a bit more experienced – or just a nerd – you might even know what these terms mean. They refer to different spectral sensitivities – how sensitive the film is to different wavelengths (colours) of light.
The term spectral sensitivity might sound boring and/or scary – the kind of jargon which photography veterans use to bamboozle and discourage newbies. In this article, I’ll try to demystify the term, and to explain how an understanding of film characteristics can help us get the kind of results we want.
There are so many different types of B&W film out there. Exploring their variety and complexity can expand our creative options. Besides, it’s fun!
From very early in my photography I have been fascinated by the unique look and simply luscious tones infrared images can produce. Ansel on steroids. I have only been able to produce anything like decent images recently but pre-digital, inspired by Sir Simon Marsden’s work (www.sirsimonmrsden.co.uk or www.jamescwilliamsphoto.com), I tried some Ilford SFX 200 film that has extended sensitivity up to 740 nm (nanometers). At the time I only had a 6x red R25 filter which produced an infrared result of sorts and I didn’t take it any further. Sir Simon used the same R25 filter but with Kodak High Speed Infrared, sensitive up to 900nm and with less sensitivity to visible light. That combination and a lack of an anti-halation layer gave much more dramatic results with the halo effect so characteristic of his work.
Before Kate and I went to Paris in 2010, a good friend visited one of my digital-infrared exhibits and– the following Christmas– gave me a Nikon CoolPix 990 that he’d converted to digital-IR! The camera may only have a 3.4MP sensor, but it’s still a favorite IR shooter.
Here are 5 (+5) favorite shots from my Roving CoolPix 990’s adventures in Paris. (They were not post-processed or colorized in any way.)
A comment on my review of Rollei Infrared film triggered this follow up. In his comment, Neal Wellons pointed out, quite correctly, that, for infrared photography, using a rangefinder camera would be much simpler than a single lens reflex (SLR) which is what I had available for the article. The rangefinder route certainly would be more hassle free than the SLR, so I decided I should try out some IR in my Retina IIc rangefinder.
