Infrared Photography Part 1: Sigma SD1M
I first tried infrared (IR) photography back in the mid-1990s with a Nikon F3 camera and lenses and the now discontinued Kodak High-Speed Infrared film (Kodak HIE). It was more difficult to shoot IR film when compared to my recent tryout with IR digital because: (1) the film had to be loaded and unloaded in total darkness which made reloading out in the field difficult and (2), you had to wait for the film to be processed to see the results.
Black & White Film Clip Testing
A film clip test can reveal if your developer and fixer are in good working order. If you enjoy shooting B&W films and want to learn how to develop your film (see my article on how to develop B&W film here), you should include learning how to do a film clip test. I have listened to photographers over the years say how they lost film to a bad developer (it can happen), or their reusable fixer reached its limit, and they made the mistake of using it one more time, only to find out it was too weak to do the work. If these photographers had only done a simple film clip test before they started the development process, it could have saved them their film and disappointment. This article outlines how I do my film clip tests.
Polaroid 55 P/N: How I Shoot It
Polaroid Type 55 film was designed for large format cameras and was popular among professional photographers and artists. It offered a unique and versatile feature: each exposure produced both a positive print and a high-quality negative. This made it a favorite among photographers who needed an instant print for quick reference and a negative for further processing and enlargement.