Update

Hello Fellow Artists:

Thank you for hanging with me while I scoured the web on information about the infrared film I am shooting and actually got to shoot and develop a test roll today! What led to this breakthrough? Wenderina and I are on vacation this week and are working on home and personal projects that we can't seem to get going during our busy lives.
The Efke 820 Infrared B&W film is drying down in the basement and I am happy to say there are images on the film, it is not fogged and the combination of exposure time and development time looks pretty good. At least good enough for a jumping off point. I'll give details to those who care to know later, but the effective ASA is around 1 (Most of your 35mm film is rated 100 - 400 speed) So in broad daylight I had exposure times like 1 and 2 seconds. You definitely need a tripod for this stuff.
It is off to the lab for scanning in the morning. I'll post images as soon as I get them back. At first look it looks like while I get good exposures this time the 'infrared' effect is a little week and I may need a darker red or even opaque filter to bring out the effects I am trying for. I'll keep you posted.
I also shot some color digital stuff this morning and will post a couple of those tomorrow. Tuesday looks like stormy weather and me be a good painting day.

Keep Making Art
Carl

InfraRed Update #2

Hi-

Well My first attempts were a real wash out. Trying to avoid common error at the lab with IR film I decided to develop it at home. My first roll I grabbed the wrong bottle and put the fixer in first. Oops. Embarrassing for an old 'lab guy' like my self. The second roll was my last roll of the old Kodak. Turns out it was 15 years old and hadn't been kept cold thru most of that time. Strike two.
I did get my first rolls of Efke 120 size IR film this week and after scouring the internet I have an exposure range and a development time that I am pretty sure will lead to good results. I'll post here as soon as I have news for you. In the meantime I will work on some watercolors this week and will post here to share with you.

Have a great week.
Carl

Update on Infrared

Hello Fellow Artists-

Here's a quick update. I am on a bit of a 'grail quest'. This blog has rekindled my interest in Infrared B&W Photography. I used to Shoot Kodak HIE B&W Infrared. Sadly this film has been discontinued. I have one roll left in my camera and am testing it against other types of B&W IR film. There are several other films on the market efke, rollei and ilford to name a few. From what I have read these films are varying sensitivities infrared spectrum and react differently than the venerable old kodak film with its glowing white trees and grasses and its dark skies. I will develop my first roll of rollei 120 infrared tonight. I have decide to develop the films at home and then have them scanned. So it may be a week or so before you see the results.
There are magical qualities to this film and it forces me to slow down because I am shooting on real film. It makes me happy to have a reason to shoot with film again, but I am used to the instant gratification of my digital workflow. This is helping me battle my all or none mentality...Ironically with black & white film.

Keep making art.
Carl

Calla Lilies

Here is an photo I took of three Calla Lilies. It reminded me that while I am very happy with the images I took this day last winter. I need to revisit the Calla Lilly. There is so much more for them to show me with their great lines and style.
While you enjoy this image I am getting back to what this blog was supposed to be about.... Balance. Balance in my life where the battle of career versus art is constantly waging. Also the battle of painter vs photographer goes on. Why not both you ask?? I seem to be wired for all or nothing. When I post on this blog it is 5 posts in a weekend and then silence all week. I am struggling with balancing all of it. I'd like to work a full 8 hour day and then turn my brain off from work stuff and paint for a few hours... I can't seem to do that. How do you manage it?

Peaceful Morning Kanawaukee

This was a peaceful quiet morning in Harriman State Park. I had the whole park to myself and really got to enjoy the beauty of this place. I have photographed there dozens of times and have not yet seen one percent of its secrets.

This park is special place for me. When I was a kid anytime my dad and I went anywhere south of home in the car I would make my dad drive through the park and have loved it ever since.

Keep making Art!

Carl

Patience

I have been going through some of my prints from back in my film shooting days and will be posting about some older images here and there.

This great shot of a chickadee landing on a branch required all of my patience. I had set out on a trail that was aptly named BirdSong Trail. I was armed with a couple of rolls of 35mm color negative film (100 asa) and my 40 mm lens. I was not planning on shooting birds, but a landscape further up the trail. After much experimentation I found the secret to get these quick moving birds. I setup my tripod close to the branch and focused on that. I then covered the branch and myself with birdseed. Then I waited (and I waited) After what seemed like an our of standing like a reverse scarecrow I was able to get this shot. Score one for being patient and not giving up even when I didn't have the right lens for the job!

Infrared Portraiture

When I was photographing weddings. Many (many, many) years ago. I decided to experiment with shooting a b&W infrared portrait of the bride and groom. It was a hit and become one of those things I did that everyone wanted included in their wedding photos.


This charming image is of my brother Doug and his wife Staci on their wedding day. The infrared film brings out dream like grainy quality. One of the tricks I learned was to photograph the bride and groom in a silhouette pose as IR film when shot thru a red filter to get the dream like quality does very strange things to people's eyes and the can end up looking really weird. Could be a great effect for shooting a rock band.... but not a wedding couple... well not most couples anyway.

technical data:
Shot with Konica TC 35 mm camera
40mm lens (focus adjusted for IR)
Dark Red Filter
1/60th second @ f11

Rhododendron - Infrared

Here is a photo of some beautiful Rhododendron in B&W Infrared. I love the beautiful glow in the whites.

Here is the Same Flower at the end of the day in color. I am thrilled with both.

My next post will be about using InfraRed B&W in portraiture.

This week the new IR film I am trying will be here for me to test. I will provide exposure guides and development times as I have decided to hand develop this film. Once developed I'll send to lab for a contact sheet and scanning.

Have a great week everyone. Keep making art!

CS