Infrared Fun with the FPP Infrared Film

I recently posted about using an expired roll of Kodak HIE IR film, and while it is certainly an amazing film - largely due to the fact that you can get excellent results just by using a common R25A red filter, it’s sadly no longer manufactured.  However, I also listed a bunch of b&w films that have IR sensitivity and work well with a R72 filter.  The downside of that R72 filter is that it is nearly opaque, and you really cant’t use an SLR for composing an image without taking the filter off, composing, and putting it back on for the shot.  I was able to find a 40.5mm screw-on R72 filter that fits a 53mm f/2.8 Industar LTM lens on my Canon 7 rangefinder camera.  That made a big difference in making IR photography easy!

The Canon 7 has an external Selenium meter, which I never use. From my experience and what I have seen, indicates that with a 200 ISO film with a R72 filter, I’ll need to set my aperture at f/16 at either 1 sec or 1/2 sec in full sun.  You really can’t use an internal meter for IR, as the R72 filter cuts out most of the visible light.  Generally, that’s about 5 to 8 stops of light, so that is going to be in the realm of 1/8 to 1 sec, depending on the quality of the reflected IR and the film used.  Bracketing exposures is your friend.

The Infra Red film from the Film Photography Project is rated at ISO 200, without a filter.  It’s also on a very thin Mylar base.  Load the film indoors.  Make sure it’s engaged on the take-up spool before closing the back of the camera.  I suggest using a rangefinder camera or even a zone-focus 35mm with a R72 filter on the lens.  Some photographers have used 35mm Holgas and the B setting. You won’t be looking through the filter like you would in an SLR. That’s a BIG help!  If your lens has an IR focus mark (not all lenses do), use it, but if you are shooting at an aperture of f/11 or f/16, it’s not going to be a big deal.  Set your shutter speed to 1/2 sec to get that full “Wood effect” of white foliage that makes IR photography so surreal.  Don’t over-think it.  Keep your aperture constant at f/16 and yes, use a damned tripod.  You can forgo the tripod if you open your aperture to f/5.6 at 1/30 sec, but you will lose the greater depth of field that f/16 provides.  

I’ve shot several rolls of the FPP Infra-Red, and overall, I am very pleased with the results.  You won’t get the exact same results as the Kodak HIE film, which did not have an anti-halation coating.  So, with that film, you also got some “blooming” from bright subjects that you won’t get with the other films currently available.  You MUST use an R72 filter with this film, as there is too much visible light coming through with a red 25A filter.  The R72 filter starts at 720nm of light wavelengths, which is in the infrared spectrum.  You CAN shoot this film as a normal 200 ISO b&w film, and get good results, as it is very fine-grained.  However, use it as an IR film for its spectral sensitivity and the unique images that you’ll get.

Examples from two rolls:

Roll 1 shot with a Nikon F... Developed with D-76

Roll 2, Shot with the Canon 7, developed in Rodinal.

As you can see, the FPP InfraRed is definitely able to give you that surreal monochrome IR look.  Make sure that you have plenty of sun.  In the first set of images, there were scattered clouds among the mountains, and that definitely wasn't ideal.  The one really good IR image was shot in full afternoon sun.  In the second roll, all were taken within 30 minutes, on a bright sunny afternoon.  I love what I got with the Canon 7, and that will obviously be my go-to for shooting 35mm IR films.

2023 - Another great year for film users

Millbrook Diner, Kodak Aerocolor.

Here it is, almost the end of December, and it’s a good time to review some events of 2023, both good and bad, that involve film-based photography.  In the digital world, it’s all about mirrorless wonders from Nikon, Canon, Leica, Fuji, etc., but over here in film land, we rarely get new film cameras, so we get excited by new film stocks, right?  Of course, there was the announcement by Ricoh/Pentax about a new film camera project, and we will have to wait to see where that goes. The release of the Polaroid I-2 advanced instant camera was met with enthusiasm by many, and jeers by a few. I’m never going back to any instant cameras, but if I was looking for  one, the I-2 certainly has all the bells and whistles that makes it stand out apart from any others currently on the market.  

I can’t really get excited by any of the simple-use cameras that arrived in 2023.  I get that they are designed to attract a different segment of the market, and anything new and shiny that takes 35mm film is at least better than nothing at all.  The Kodak Ektar H35N doesn’t do it for me, as I’ve had my fling with GOOD half-frame cameras, and I’m not about to use another one.  But if you are looking to maximize your picture-taking on a single roll of film, the H-35N could be a good choice for you.  Take a look at Dave Mihaly’s YouTube videos and make your decision from them.  Yes, I have done a lot of photography with cheap plastic cameras, and I have my favorites.  But, I don’t need to buy any of these “new” plastic cameras currently being sold.  

That brings me to Lomography, which as long been the home of the plastic fantastic (and not necessarily cheap).  Some models that were out of stock are now back in production, such as the Lomo Kino (at $60, a bargain), and the Spinner 360 (less than $50).  Say what you want, but Lomo has been innovative, interesting, and has been a big booster for analog photography.  

I’m sure there have been some interesting introductions of other film cameras this year, and I apologize for not covering some of the boutique offerings in the pinhole and large-format world.  As the saying goes, “if you know, you know.”

FILMS

The year started out with the stock of color films being low, and price hikes had a lot of folks bitching about that. I get it, and for some people, finding that they’d spent over $15 for a roll of film, $30 for processing and prints or scans, it was a bridge too far.  It wasn’t the best for anyone wanting to get started, especially with their $50 simple-use camera, and getting back a bunch of underexposed shots.  For us old-timers (since I’m not a 30-something YouTuber - I’m twice their age, so I’m probably a film dinosaur) film prices haven’t been the limiting factor in the avocation.  But  yes, color film was definitely more expensive in the beginning of the year than at the end, when Kodak and Lomography were discounting their 120 film stocks.  

The rising prices and scarcity of C-41 films definitely drove up the interest in using ECN-2 films, especially from sellers that were removing the remjet so that the films could be developed by any C-41 lab.  That lead us to the Cinestill 800T shit show, and enough has already been said about that on social media, YouTube, and blogs.  My opinion, for what it’s worth, is that Cinestill was improperly granted a license to trademark 800T.  Second, they don’t want competition from sellers like Reflx Labs in China.  Third, we all want a bargain, so vote with your wallet.  Rem-jet removed films such as Amber (from RETO), Reflx Labs, and others are definitely cheaper than the Cinestill versions — and they are the same emulsions. 

Lomography’s introduction of Lomochrome Color ’92 added another unique film stock to an already interesting array of films.  I reviewed that film (https://randomphoto.blogspot.com/2023/08/one-roll-review-lomochrome-color-92.html) in August.  With Metropolis, Turquoise, and Purple, you can do some fun stuff.  Lomochrome Purple in particular, gives results somewhat akin to a color IR film.  

The winner for the least-hyped color film is Kodak Aerocolor, which is being repackaged under various names, such as Elektra 100, Santa Color 100, Reflx Lab Pro 100, and Karmir 160.  Aerocolor is a fine-grained aerial photography film with great latitude, and a lot of people are just discovering it.  If Kodak/Alaris could get their shit together, they’d be offering Aerocolor  as a Kodak product in 35mm and 120.  Instead, they have siloed the different divisions and that’s to their detriment.  

 

The winner for the most-hyped color film is obviously Harman Phoenix.  I’ve never seen a film rollout like this one, and love it or hate it, Phoenix is a unique emulsion. Lens caps off to Harman for their foray into the world of color.  I’ve shot one roll so far, and I’ll wait for a day with light clouds and no bright sun for the next one.   

I believe that the Kentmere Pan 100 and 400 are two of the least-expensive b&w films out there, and in my experience, give outstanding results.  I’ve used them for years, when they were only sold as Ultrafine Extreme by Photo Warehouse, in California. Now, in their own branding, the Kentmere films are an excellent value in 35mm and 120.

Reflx Lab in China has been doing a great job with their branding and selling of various film stocks, and their recent introductions of several ECN-2 films with the remjet removed so that they can be developed as C-41 is a great thing.  In my local camera store - Ball Photo, in Asheville, I’m seeing more variety of films than ever before.  Sure, some of them are just rebranded stocks, but if that gets someone to try one out, all the better.

The Film Photography Project just keeps rolling along with their films for still and cine cameras.  Their catalogue of FPP-branded film stocks is impressive, and while it’s the place to go for the unusual, they also sell the major brands at the best prices.  

Another very positive development (the photo puns write themselves) is the production of Kodak-branded photochemistry coming back to the USA.  Photo Systems, Inc. in Dexter, MI which used to be known as Unicolor, will be producing Kodak-branded photo chemistry.  I toured that facility a number of years ago, and it looks like Dexter, MI will be seeing ever more semi-trucks coming and going from that factory.  In case anyone forgets, Kingsport, TN is the home of Eastman Chemical, which used to make photo chemistry there.  That’s about an hour from my home.

Deaths (certainly not comprehensive)

The permanence of great photography is exemplified by Elliot Erwitt, who died at the age of 95. His images have appeared in various books and monographs.  He left us with many indelible images of the every-day that were never ordinary.  https://www.elliotterwitt.com/

John Fielder, a well-known photographer of the natural scenes in Colorado, died at 73. 

https://www.cpr.org/2023/08/13/john-fielder-photographer-colorado-outdoors-died-at-73-years-old/

Frank Borman, astronaut, died in November, at the age of  95 - took the first photograph on the Apollo 8 mission of the earth from the moon - that image is lesser known than the one taken by William Anders - Earth Rise- which inspired a consciousness  of Earth being our home, alone in the cosmos.  Those Hasselblad cameras were instrumental in the Apollo program, and the quality of the images from them are unsurpassed, especially when you consider the environment in which they were used.

Frank Borman's photo

Larry Fink, well-known for his photography in Greenwich Village, and chronicling the Beat generation, died at 72.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt9M2aQAFT0

Lawrence McFarland, photographer and educator, died at 81.  Known for his landscapes, he was a respected professor of photography at the University of Texas, Austin. https://www.lawrencemcfarlandphoto.com/home

John Benton-Harris, photographer/visual sociologist, died at 83.  An American in the UK, he was renowned for his photo essays of the British people. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/oct/23/john-benton-harris-obituary

Helen Marcus, a noted photographer of the famous in New York, died at 97. Her career started late - at age 50.  Her black and white portraits of famous writers such as Tom Wolfe and Toni Morrison are iconic.  https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4601#m61893

Georgia M. Coxe, died at 92.  She was known both for her poetry and her photography, which in my mind, is an ideal combination. https://provincetownindependent.org/obituaries/2023/09/20/poet-and-photographer-georgia-coxe-dies-at-92/

North Carolinian photographer, Bruce Roberts, died at 93.  He pioneered the use of 35mm in newspaper reportage, and photographed a LOT of North Carolina for Southern Living and Our State magazines.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Roberts_(photographer)

Cary Wolinsky, who often photographed for National Geographic magazine, died at 75. He was an astute photographer whose creativity with the camera is well-known. https://thephotosociety.org/cary-wolinsky-1948-2023/

Lisl Steiner, a photojournalist, documentarian, and film-maker, died t 95.  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/18/arts/lisl-steiner-dead.html

There are a lot of photographers that have lived into their 90s, so I guess there’s hope for me yet.

What else to say about 2023?  I published 4 zines, which was pretty good. All of them were well-received.  I shot well over 100 rolls of film, developed most of it myself.  The nascent Asheville Camera Club published a zine, and is now meeting monthly. For once, I am just a participant, not an organizer.   I didn’t go on any lengthy road trips, which I hope to make up for in 2024.  However, I did pretty well with trips to Michigan, Ohio, New York, and South Carolina.

I hope 2024 goes well for everyone (well, almost everyone - democracy has to survive). 

How did 2023 work out for you?

Coming soon... FPP's 620 Color!

Back in October, I received some rolls of film to test for the Film Photography Project.  Two were from  a batch of color film rolled onto 620 spools by a vendor for the FPP.  What's not to like?  How many of us have cameras that use 620 film?  Back when I was testing various models for my guide to medium format toy cameras, (Monochrome Mania No. 3 - now out of print), I respooled a bunch of b&w film.  My fingers got cramps doing it.  Aside from a few cameras that really deserve my respooling efforts, I haven't used 620 all that much lately.  However, COLOR on 620 is pretty hard to resist.  My favorite low-fi 620 cameras have been the Kodak Brownie Reflex 20 (pictured below) and the Kodak Brownie Twin 20.  Both cameras are quite similar feature-wise, and a lot of fun to use.  I loaded the FPP 620 Color Beta Test 2023 into the Reflex 20, and shot the roll locally and while on my trip to Dutchess County, NY at the end of October.

When I went to unload the finished roll from the camera, it slipped from my hand and I had to re-roll the backing paper a bit to tighten it, so I probably introduced some edge light leaks, which showed up when I got the developed film back from Ball Photo in Asheville.

Anyhow, I love the results overall, and the Film Photography Project's new 620 film is for now, a "beta" film, yet to be officially released.  Keep your eye on their announcements for this film.  It's certainly going to be a welcome addition for anyone wanting to use a 620 camera!

FPP X-Ray 120 film

While there are a lot of exotic emulsions that are available for 35mm, there are significantly fewer options for 120 film.  So, imagine my surprise when I saw a 120 film that’s NOT available in 35mm.  The Film Photography Project has recently released FPP X-RAY 120 film that is a 100 ISO high-contrast orthochromatic film that can be developed in typical black and white chemicals.  

I really didn’t know what to think when I first realized that it was called an X-ray film, as I am used to seeing films sold as sheet film - and with the other oddball things like some x-ray films being coated on both sides, and of very low ISO ratings.  This IS NOT one of those films.  For one, it’s on a PET base, and has a recommended ISO of 100, though I have seen where it could be rated up to 400 with decent results.  Second, like other X-ray films, it’s orthochromatic, and is insensitive to red light, so you could develop it under a red safelight.   It has no anti-halation layer, so it’s best to load the film in subdued light, or you might get light piping.

Zeiss Ikon Box Tengor

I’m game for oddball films, and I had no preconceived notions about this film.  I loaded one roll into a Zeiss Ikon Box Tengor 56 box camera, and the other roll into my Yashicamat 124.  The choice to use it in the box camera was a spur of the moment thing, when I was out having a beer or two with my friend Bill Pivetta.  Maybe a bad idea, but as you’ll see, maybe not.

The Yashicamat is a camera that would be a good test for this film, since I have excellent control over my exposures.  I rated the film at ISO 100, and used the TLR’s built-in meter.  I shot most of that roll at an Asheville camera group meetup on April 16, and that was a better test of this film.

I developed both rolls in D-96 for 6.5 minutes at 20°C, and probably 6 minutes would have been just fine, as well.  I was just aiming for what I thought might be a good well-developed negative, given that the instructions read 6 min in D-76.

Results

Zeiss Ikon Box Tengor

Beach Volleyball at the Highland Brewery meadow 

Great mural in West Asheville, featuring Dolly and RuPaul

The results from the Box Tengor were actually pretty good, though some of the shots were overexposed.  There’s also a bit of "blooming"in some of those images, because of the uncoated lens, as well as the overexposure.  I picked two of the best 6x9 cm negatives.

Yashicamat 124

That's Reuben's Yashicamat 124.

Thanks for posing, Emily!

 Luckily, Emily stopped by at our meeting, and while she’s a photographer, she is also an  art model, so she posed for a few shots at the Wedge Brewery, and I was able to test the remainder of the roll of the X-ray film under somewhat cloudy bright conditions.  

Over near Craggy Gardens off the Blue Ridge Parkway

The results from the Yashicamat were very good, and it’s obvious that the film is very fine-grained, with great tonal range -- and orthochromatic, as reds are very dark.  The detail was excellent. I need to buy some more rolls of this film and really test it with different lighting situations and subjects.

Overall, I think this a film with the potential to create some very interesting images.  I love the packaging from the FPP (which of course has nothing to do with selecting this film!), and the film has edge markings for frame numbers.  The backing paper has very easily seen black markings on a white background, so for those of you that use a red window to line up your exposures, it will be easy to line up to the proper spot for each exposure.  I think this might be a fun film to use in a Holga on a sunny day.  For the Box Tengor, the shutter speed is about 1/30 sec, which in full sun, even at f/16, would be overexposed by two stops.  You can’t use a red filter, because it’s an ortho film.  A neutral density gel would possibly work well with a simple box camera in full sun. 

One Roll Review - FPP's Sun Color C-41 film

One Under the Sun

Leave it to Mike Raso of the Film Photography Project to come up with yet another interesting low-ISO film.  Not Yeti, but a C-41 color film called Sun Color.  When I was in Cleveland, Ohio for our FPP recording sessions, Mike handed me a couple of rolls to try out.  It's not my first rodeo with super slow films, as you well know by now.  However, a C-41 film with an ISO of 1 isn't something that comes along every day.  In keeping with its name, I chose a super sunny day here in North Carolina to give my first roll a test.  I loaded the Sun Color into my Nikon FM2N, and went for a stroll through part of the Asheville River Arts District, which I have found to be an excellent spot to shoot test rolls - especially color film.

I should point out that with an ISO of 1, my camera's meter system does not allow me to go below 12.  Since the FM2N is completely manual, I chose to use Sunny-16 with my Sun Color.  To break that down to shoot handheld, remember that  Sunny-16 is the ISO = shutter speed at f/16 in full sun, which means that if I shot Sunny 1 at f/16, I'd need a 1-second exposure.  Well, that's not going to work handheld, is it?  So, using my fingers to count, 1 sec @ f/16, equals f/2.8 @1/30 sec. - 5 stops opened from f/16.  Assuming that since it's a C-41 film, it should have some latitude, I can just walk around shooting at 1/30 at f/2.8-f/4 in full sun and get reasonable  results.  I could also use my iPhone light meter app, but I went with my Sunny-16 mojo and shot the roll handheld as I walked around.  

Here's the great reason to use an ultra-low ISO film -- you can shoot wide open if you want to, in full sun, and reap the benefit of shallow depth of field - especially for close objects and portraits.  I didn't do any portraits that day, but maybe with my second roll, I will.

I developed the Sun Color in my FPP C-41 kit - the original two-step kit, and was pleased to see the film looked quite good as I hung it up to dry.  It's a special-purpose cine film, since it has the slightly rounded sprocket holes characteristic of cine 35mm film.  Not being an ECN-2 film, it can be developed at a lab without any problems.  

The yellow walls - beige-ish.

Supposed to be the colors of Ukraine

My results

As you can see in the photos, colors are muted in the color chart, and while green and red red show, yellow seems to come out as white or very, very pale yellow, as seen with the photo of the blue and yellow shipping containers. Yet, the traffic sign neon yellow show up!  Blues are more cyan, and orange is muddy, but still, the colors are somewhat unpredictable, which means more fun. I rank this film in the same league as some of the Lomo experimental films - it's going to surprise you and still delight you with the results.  

These mailboxes are bright orange and yellow.

Overall, I am really pleased with the results from this unique film.   Don't be afraid of shooting with low-ISO films - they offer a different set of challenges, to be sure.  Whether you shoot color or black and white, low-ISO films can really change your game when it comes to street photography.  Going handheld isn't a problem on a sunny day, and I do recommend a tripod for overcast and certainly evening shots.  I don't know how this film would do for city lights at night, but it's gong to be long exposures, for sure!  I suggest you start out with Sun Color on a sunny day, and see where it takes you.