CIR Infrared Negative Film

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).  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

Color infrared film does have technical specifications that should be adhered to for scientific applications. For artistic purposes, 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, reflectance, altitude, exposure time, etc., all greatly affect the outcome of the photography.

 

My opinion is that a #12 Wratten yellow 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 #22 orange filter. Using a red filter is not preferable and a R72 infrared filter 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 an unacceptable image.

 

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 CIR, 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 between 320 and 400 ISO using a #12 Wratten filter in normal daylight conditions. This speed rating is “nominal” and is meant to be a starting point!

 

PROCESSING

This is a print film and is designed for C-41 process. 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. Film 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.