My desire is to photograph 2 babies outdoors, using a red filter and would like to do infrared, but do not have the funds to experiment with that before the real photos, I know Ilford SFX, what about HP5? Any other types I can try?

-- Tricia Bassett (tmb1022@juno.com), May 01, 2001

Answers

Tricia, SFX, from what I have heard is a "pseudo" infrared but it will give you some of the infrared looks. HP5+ is a regular B/W film. See if you can get some of the Kodak High Speed Infrared film and as I recall, 1/60 at f11 with the 29A or infrared filter...

-- Scott Walton (f64sw@hotmail.com), May 01, 2001.

I use Neopan 1600 a lot with a red filter. I shot at an EI of 1000 and develop for the interpolated time between 1600 and 800 recommended by Fuji [in the little blurb that comes with each roll of film].

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), May 01, 2001.

If you want the infrared look, there is no substitute for infrared film. And you really need to be able to experiment with it in order to predict what you will get.

-- Jim MacKenzie (photojim@yahoo.com), May 01, 2001.

You will not get any infrared effect without using infrared film. Even the so called near infrared like the Ilford film you mention (there is also a similar AGFA film) will not give you much of an effect. The HP5 definitly will not reach into the IR spectrum. The new MACO infrared film is supposed to be very good, much better then the very grainy Kodak, which is also hard to handle. I heard from a friend that the best developer for true IR films is Tetenal Emofin, since it will compensate a lot and will make most of the shots usable, which is not the case with XTol or D76, since you have to expose using a trial and error method. Not the problem: With a true IR film faces will be entirely white with really NO detail at all! You should think about this, since for the scene you describe facial characterstistics seem necessary.

-- Volker Schier (Volker.Schier@fen-net.de), May 04, 2001.