There are a lot of mistakes in this IR photography book!

[Rolland Rainbow Elliott <X93ELLIOTT1@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi everyone, 
I just picked up a copy of a book called "Creative Photo Printmaking by
Theresa Airey, published by Amphoto Books, and copyright 1996.

It has an entire chapter that talks about IR photography, which is why I
bought it.  Unfortunately it isn't a very good chapter, because it has a lot
of mistakes in it.  I mention this (not to bash the author) but to clarify
and acurately portray some IR photography facts.  

The book says "Human bodies give off a great deal of heat, especially if
they are very warm, such as after running or jogging.  IR film permits you to
capture the heat emanating from the body." It also states:  "To get the msot
dramatic images from your infrared film, you need three optimum conditions:
blue skies, ample sunshine, and high temperatures."

This is simply not true!  IR film only records near IR light not IR heat.  If
the film could actually record heat, you could expose the film by simply
holding it in your hand. As far as needing high temperatures to get dramatic
images, this is also untrue.  I have some great dramatic landscape pictures
that were taken on cool Fall days. By saying things like "Body heat can be
recorded as an aura." one can tell that the author obviously doesn't know the
technical details behind IR film.  

The book also contains two identical pictures.  One is taken with a #25 red
filter and HIE and the other is taken with a 87 filter and HIE.  The
picture taken with the 87 filter is very overexposed, while the picture taken
with the 25 filter looks properly exposed.  The author says: "There was very
little difference between the #25 red filter and the #87 red filter - and
certainly not enough to warrant the inconvienience of continually taking the
filter off and on."  

If you take a look at Laurie White's IR book, one can see that there IS A
DIFFERENCE between the two filters.  While it isn't dramatic, it certainly is
noticible.  The author explains her overexposed picture (taken with the 87
filter and HIE) by saying: "[The] 87 red filter ...records more
infrared...Many of the details in the leaves are lost because so much
infrared radiation is being reflected and recoreded on the film."

Actually the 87 filter does not recored more infrared, it just records less
of the visible light spectrum.  If the author knew how to readjust the film's
EI she would get better pictures with an 87 filter and HIE.

I find the next part very confusing:
"Any film fixer will do, but I prefer Kodak's Rapid Fix. Once you use the
fixer, store it in a seperate jug labeled "IR Fix." This way, you won't
contaminate your other films with infrared radiation."

I've always used the same fixer for both my B&W and IR films and have no
problems.  I have no idea how IR radiation (which is light or heat) could
come off of the film and contaminate the fixer.

I would deffinetely not recommend this book to a beginner in IR photography
since it has so many false facts in it.  It does bring up some interesting
questions though.  I'll save those questions for my next message.

Rolland "Book Review" Elliott
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