Internship

aka my next 2 months.

For my first required internship I will be working for the North Carolina Department of Archeology in downtown Raleigh.

I'll be photographing and cataloging archaeological artifacts from all over NC, scanning and digitizing old/antique photographs and negatives, creating posters and multimedia presentations, and possibly also working within the NC department of forensics.

It'll be a difficult adjustment working 7:30am to 4:30pm (possibly later on Wednesdays). But I have family in Raleigh I can crash with, though not entirely comfortably. So, I'll probably split my time between commuting and staying in Raleigh.

I also don't know my way around that area very well but look forward to exploring downtown, Wade Ave, etc. And I welcome any help doing so.

I also don't know if it's a paid internship yet, but being a underfunded government department, I kind of doubt it.

It seems to be a pretty chill, laid back place. I'll pretty-much get to do my own thing. And I'm encouraged to work on things I find enjoyable and/or interesting.

So, this should be pretty cool.

Infrared Portraits

Nikon F2
Nikon 55mm f/3.5 AI lens
Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AI lens
Vivitar 285HV x 2
with DIY IR gels
Efke IR 820 35mm film
D-76 - 8min - 20 degrees celsius

Setup Shots:

Infrared Macro

Nikon F2
Nikon 55mm f/3.5 AI macro lens
with Extension Tube
and Nikon PB-6 Bellows Extension
Vivitar 285HV x 2
with DIY IR gels
Efke IR 820 35mm film
D-76 - 8min - 20 degrees celsius

Setup Shots:

Interview Portraits

Shots from John's interview Soundslides assignment.











Model/interviewee: Luc Dunn

Canon Rebel XT (350D)
Canon 17-40mm f/4L lens
Canon 430EX Speedlite flash
Canon ST-E2 Speedlite Transmitter
Vivitar 285HV flash

efka IR 820

First attempt at infrared portraits using efke IR 820.







This is the result of trying to salvage an extremely underexposed negative through scanning. The initial preview showed pure black. I brought out the image by pushing it as far as i could using levels and curves in the Imacon scanning software.

The specs are not grain but minuet amounts of dust that wouldn't usually be scene in a normal scan. Bringing the image out brought the debris out as well.

I don't have any IR filters, so I shot in the dark using modified Vivitar 285HVs, one with a double layer of processed unexposed 35mm Ektachrome (reducing it to about a 1"x2" flash area) and another with a red gel folded over 16 times (acting also as a diffuser).

I metered at 100 iso based on the film's data sheet (25 iso when using IR filters).

The gelled flash produced more visible light metering f/3.5 at about a foot, while the chrome flash produced more pure IR light metering f/8 at about a foot, both at full-power. Though, I'm not entirely sure how well my Sekonic L-358 would meter pure IR light.

I processed in D-76 at 20 degrees celsius for 8 minutes. My chems should be good, but it's possible they could be getting weak.

I'm not sure exactly where everything went wrong.

Next time I will meter at 25 iso. I will use sheets of processed unexposed 4x5 Ektachrome (instead of 35mm) with larger more powerful strobes and/or directly on the lens as a makeshift IR filter.

Mamiya C220
Mamiya-Sekor 80mm f/2.8TLR lens
efke IR 820 120 film
(modified) Vivitar 285HV flash
Imacon multi-format film scanner

There are no setup shots.

A Strange Honesty of Infrared

Nikon D300
Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AI lens
with improvised IR filter
Vivitar 285HV flash
with improvided IR gel
manually fired
processed/adjusted in Lightroom

DIY Digital Infrared

Most digital cameras are not sensitive enough to capture into the infrared spectrum.
There are ways of modifying sensors for infrared, but it's difficult and usually risks disabling the entire camera.
But there are ways of simulating IR photography.













I taped a makeshift IR filter (unexposed piece of processed Ektachrome film) inside the lens at the bayonet mount (it can be placed on the end of the lens, but found it easier to tape inside). I used my Vivitar 285HV with a red gel folded over several times to light.

The viewfinder cannot be used with the IR "filter" attached. So, I set my distance on the lens and estimated distance. So, This, with the wide open aperture, led to some pretty sketchy focusing.

ISO-1600
Aperture- wide open (f/3.5)
Flash- full power (M)
Flash-to-subject distance- ~6-8"

Canon Rebel XT
Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens
Canon offshoe cord
Vivitar 285HV flash

Self Macro

Photographed my own eye
mounted camera on tripod composed/focused using a mirror and the D300's "live view" feature held the flash in one hand
held the mirror and tripped the shutter with the other

1:1

Nikon D300
Nikon 55mm f/3.5 AI Macro lens
with Extension Tube
Canon 430EX Speedlite flash
with offshoe cord
and mini softbox

Franklin Street

Photokids out and about in Chapel Hill















Nikon D300
Nikon 24-85mm f/2.8-4D AF lens
ambient light
settings:
-(customized) Vivid Picture Control
-Active D-lighting
-high ISO 1600-6400
-14-bit RAW
lots of postwork in Lightroom

The Need For Sleep

1:1

impromptu macro

Nikon D300
Nikon 55mm f/3.5 Macro lens
+ Nikon ~22mm Extension Tube
overhead tungsten lamp
handheld
a lot of postwork in LightRoom