IR film processing

I bought some IR film over the winter and have been trying to find a place to process it before I shoot it. I haven't been able to find a place in Chicago that will do it so I was wondering if there was a place I could send it to to get it processed?

You're aware of precautions you have to take in handling it, right? IR radiation penetrates the felt lips of the cartridge, so you have to load and unload the camera in complete darkness, being careful to keep the cartridge in its dark cannister at all times as well.

Yes, I read about that and I haven't loaded any film yet. It's still in the boxes right now. I trying to get this figured out before I start.

IR film is easy to process on your own in regular black and white chemistry. Calumet in Chicago should have everything you need for it. I'm not personally familiar with photo labs there that do B&W processing.

That's interesting. I processed B&W film in school and it wasn't that hard to do. I'll have to do some research (Google here I come) on that.

RDKirk wrote in post #9957199
You're aware of precautions you have to take in handling it, right? IR radiation penetrates the felt lips of the cartridge, so you have to load and unload the camera in complete darkness, being careful to keep the cartridge in its dark cannister at all times as well.

... or you can use a changing bag (if they still make them.)

There's no info paper in the film box?

I haven't opened the box yet. I'll do that over the weekend.

CannedHeat wrote in post #9962189
... or you can use a changing bag (if they still make them.)

Yes, they do. But I found that changing bags tend to leak IR at the sleeves.

RDKirk wrote in post #9963973
Yes, they do. But I found that changing bags tend to leak IR at the sleeves.

Very interesting. I shot IR film for years, and never once detected any fogging. I used the bag in bright sunlight. But I have not shot IR film for a long, long time so perhaps emulsions, sensitivities, wavelengths etc. are different now.

CannedHeat wrote in post #9964475
Very interesting. I shot IR film for years, and never once detected any fogging. I used the bag in bright sunlight. But I have not shot IR film for a long, long time so perhaps emulsions, sensitivities, wavelengths etc. are different now.

Mine was a long time, too, but I did have some issues with IR leakage through the sleeves. Maybe it was because I was much thinner in my younger days.

The lower speed B&W films & color IR Aero Ektachrome I used were OK loaded in the shade. I think it was just the high speed ones that needed to be loaded in darkness.

PhotosGuy wrote in post #9967233
The lower speed B&W films ...

I don't think I was aware there was more than one speed. I always shot with one model - Kodak 5281 or something like that - and assumed that's all there was.

To be honest, I think I prefer the film images over digital IR. I was looking at some old prints the other day and they seem to have a softer, more surreal look to them. If it just wasn't for all that grain.

I used IR for portraits. It's a distinctly surreal look--skin and the irises of eyes reflect IR intensely. Interestingly, the color of skin or eyes matters only slightly--all eyes and skin reflects IR at about the same level, creating the same light-toned ethereal effect. Since they're already in the "ethereal realm" of fantasy skin tones the softness and grain doesn't much matter for portrait applications.