STORING FILM
Film should be kept in the original package in a freezer or refrigerator. Unexposed film can handle up to one month at temperatures not exceeding 55°F (13°C) . If kept frozen, the film will last several years at least. To prevent moisture condensation, allow film to reach room temperature before opening container, otherwise sticking or spotting may occur. Warm-up time from a refrigerator is about 1 hour and about 2 hours from a freezer.
LOADING AND UNLOADING
Load and unload film in low light whenever possible to eliminate the possibility of fogging. Unlike 35mm cassettes, you don’t need to load in total darkness, although loading in brightly lit situations is not advisable. The film has a paper backing which protects it from most light. General rule of thumb is to always be aware of your light situation when loading this film and try to have your back to the light source.
Some modern cameras have infrared sensors and electronics that cause fogging on infrared film. The edge area of the film is most frequently affected, but this fog may sometimes extend into the image area. Inform yourself as to whether or not your camera has electronic sensors built in. Exposed film should always be returned immediately to a black canister (do not transfer to clear canister).
SHOOTING
Filters: This film does have technical specifications that should be adhered to for scientific applications. However, I made this product for artistic purposes and so these rules need not be strictly observed. Contrary, you should explore the possibilities associated with infrared light and experiment with the versatility of this film.
Infrared light. Infrared light is invisible to the eye and to your light meter. It’s difficult to predict and many factors come into play. The quality, position and temperature of the light source, shooting location, reflectance, altitude, exposure time, etc., all greatly affect the outcome of the photography.
Kodak recommends using a #12 Wratten yellow filter. My opinion is that this filter is a safe bet. However, it is not the only option. A different filter may be more suitable for your application. It is also a matter of taste and objective which filter to use. I prefer a light orange filter for many of my portraits, but do not like it as much for landscapes. Using a red filter is a risk. Although you can get some fantastic results, you are most likely to end up with a pure red photo with a deep yellow cast across it. A black and white infrared filter such as the R72 is out of the question and should not be used. There are color infrared filters (CIR) on the market that perform well, but they are expensive and hard to find. Using no filter will yield a monochrome magenta result in most cases.
FOCUS
You should not use the infrared focus line on your camera, if you have one. Focus compensation is only for black and white infrared film.
With Aerochrome, you can just focus as you usually do.
FILM SPEED
As with all infrared films, the actual film speed is relative to the specific lighting conditions. I rate an average film speed at around 400 ISO using a #12 Wratten filter in normal daylight conditions. This 400 speed rating is “nominal” and is meant to be a starting point! Remember that this film is not very tolerant, with exposure latitude limited to ± 1/2 stop.
PROCESSING
This is a chrome slide film and is designed to be processed in standard Kodak E6 or Kodak AR-5. A negative can be achieved by cross-processing in C-41 as with any color slide film. The Photography can be further influenced by lab process such as exposure time, developer, push processing, etc.
Follow these procedures when processing infrared film:
The film must be opened, handled and processed in total darkness.
Do not process in equipment using infrared film scanning for replenishment rates
Turn off all sensors and LED displays
Do not use temperature probes
Turn off all infrared camera-to-light sources
Do not process infrared film in labs that will not turn off the infrared sensors in their machines for you.
The infrared sources used by photofinishers will fog CIR Film.
The lab technician must be willing to turn off the infrared cameras and not use infrared goggles. Labs using roller-transport processors should first verify the presence of infrared sensors. Many of these processors have a manual replenishment mode, which will turn off the sensors. ilm fogged by infrared radiation in the lab will have an overall magenta/ red appearance. Damage from sensors can completely fog the infrared layer, leaving only an image from the red and green sensitive layers. A good indicator that the film has been fogged in this manner is that the space between photos is also affected, when it should normally be black. Labs receiving film for processing must keep it in a black container until it can be opened in complete darkness.
