Infrared film has been a long time passion of mine, but as I mentioned before, infrared film stocks have diminished over the years. My go to film has been Konica IR 750, but it was discontinued in 2005. My one precious roll of it is still in the freezer. I will thaw it in the summer of 2021, and see what magic is still in that little blue box. Here are some of the mages I have made with it, and a few other films, over the years.
Featured Image
©2003 Gary L. Quay.
An old barn and wheel near Goldendale, Washington. Learning to see with a camera is not always as easy as it may seem. Back when I was still dating my wife, she lived near Klickitat, Washington. On a hot, August day, we drove out of dusty Goldendale with my Hasselblad and a few rolls of Konica Infrared film. From somewhere in the dog-eared Western songbook, came this wheel and barn near a bend in the road. I set up my tripod, and lined up the shot with the wheel directly in front of the barn. Having been an artist since, well, birth, my future wife suggested moving a few steps to the left. What a difference! Finding the right angles and lines for any given image presents a challenge, and it always pays to be open to suggestion.
Camera: Hasselblad 500 CM
Lens: 80mm Zeiss Planar
Film: Konica Infrared.
Smith Rock Infrared, Oregon, July 2024
©2024 Gary L. Quay
I was in Bend in July for the Bend Summer Festival where I took part as a vendor, and I managed to make some stops on the way home. One of them was at Smith Rock where I used the Hasselblad flexbody with both a film back and a digital back. This one was with the film back. I’m happy with the way it looks.
Camera: Hasselblad Flexbody
Lens: 50mm Zeiss Distagon with a Hoya R72 filter.
FIlm: Ilford SFX 200
Grain Elevator, Biggs Junction, Infrared
©2017 Gary L. Quay
The windmills were turning, and the early spring day was bright, and warm enough for infrared film. I used one of my last rolls of Konica IR 750. I bought a brick of 10 rolls that expired in 1990 from ebay about 9 years ago. They had been freezer kept, so the fogging is at a minimum.
Camera: Hasselblad 500CM
Lens: 50mm Carl Zeiss
Film: Konica IR 750 developed in Clayton F76+
Charles Nelson House, Wasco County, Oregon
©2017 Gary L. Quay
This is my last picture of the Charles Nelson House near The Dalles, Oregon. It burned the next summer in the Substation Fire. I am happy that I got the picture on infrared film.
Camera: Hasselblad 500CM
Lens: 50mm Zeiss Distagon
Film: Konica Infrared 750
Latourell Falls, Infrared
©2003 Gary L. Quay
A summer day, very much unlike today (February 2021), found me out and about with a roll of Konica Infrared film and a desire to get some waterfall pictures. That was 18 years ago. It’s hard to believe that so much time has gone by.
Camera: Hasselblad 500CM
Lens: 80mm Carl Zeiss.
Film: Konica IR 750 (R.I.P.)
Latourell Falls Trail Infrared, Summer 2010
©2010 Gary L. Quay
This was my first roll of Efke IR 820. I’ve never used an Opaque IR filter before (successfully), but I actually got images on the film this time.
This is a picture I took up the side of a steep hill next to the Latourell Falls trail in the Columbia Gorge, Oregon. It’s a bit abstract, but there are occasions that I like that.
Camera: Hasselblad 500CM.
Lens: 50mm Carl Zeiss.
Film: Efke IR 820
The Waldron Drug Building, The Dalles, Oregon, Summer 2016
©2016 Gary L. Quay
I like this old building in The Dalles, Oregon. It’s been there for a very long time. It was cut off from town by the Union Pacific tracks, most likely in the 1960’s when I-84 was built, and the railroad was relocated (but I could be wrong), which is why the railroad ballast goes half way up the front door. I heard a rumor last year that it was going to be torn down, but it was there in January 2021 when I was through the area.
Camera: Hasselblad 500CM.
Lens: 80mm Zeiss Planar
Frilm: Ilford SFX developed in Clayton F76+
American Empress Sternwheeler at Stevenson, Washington, Infrared
©2017 Gary L. Quay
The sternwheeler American Empress was docked at Stevenson, Washington, and I happened to have some infrared film along.
Camera: Sinar Alpina with a 6×9 roll film back
Lens: 90mm Nikkor
The Charles Nelson House Near The Dalles, Oregon, Summer 2017, Infrared
©2017 Gary L. Quay
This is from my last photoshoot of the Charles Nelson House near The Dalles, Oregon. It burned the next summer in the Substation Fire. I am happy that I got the picture on infrared film.
Camera: Hasselblad 500CM
Lens: 120mm Zeiss Sonnar
Film: Konica Infrared 750
St. Johns Bridge Infrared # 2
©2009 Gary L. Quay
It was the first really warm day this spring. I was at the St. Johns Bridge in Portland, Oregon with some infrared film. For this one I used my red #25 filter, and exposed for the shadows under the bridge. Everything else, as you can see, turned white. That is what I liked about the Konica: I could get infrared without an opaque filter like a Hoya R72.
Camera: Hasselblad 500 CM
Lens: 120mm Zeiss Sonnar
Film: Konica Infrared 750 (R.I.P.) developed in Ilford Perceptol.
The Saint Johns Bridge, Portland, Oregon, Infrared
©2006 Gary L. Quay.
This is Cathedral Park in Saint Johns, Oregon with the famed St Johns Bridge in the background. I was pleasantly surprised by the way the leaves at the top of the picture turned out.
Camera: Hasselblad 500CM
Lens: 50mm Zeiss Distagon
Film: Konica 750 Infrared.
The Saint Johns Bridge, Infrared # 4
©2009 Gary L. Quay
This was shot with Konica IR 750 (R.I. P.) and a Red 29 filter. Interestingly, I forgot that I had to add a stop to make up for the darker filter. I usually use a red 25 with this film. So, I decided to push it a stop in the darkroom. I used PMK Pryo developer because of its compensating properties, It retards the highlights while bringing out the shadow detail. I lost some of the infrared look, but gained some incredible shadow detail.
Camera: Hasselblad 500 CM
Lens: 80mm Zeiss Planar
Film: Konica IR 750 developed in PMK Pyro.
The Saint Johns Bridge, Infrared # 3
©2009 Gary L. Quay
This was taken with Konica IR 750 (R.I. P.) and a Red 29 filter. Interestingly, I forgot that I had to add a stop to make up for the darker filter. I usually use a red 25 with this film. So, I decided to push it a stop in the darkroom. I used PMK Pryo developer because of its compensating properties, It retards the highlights while bringing out the shadow detail. I lost some of the infrared look, but gained some incredible shadow detail.
Camera: Hasselblad 500 CM
Lens: 80mm Zeiss Planar
Film: Konica IR 750 developed in PMK Pyro.
The Latourell Bridge on the Historic Columbia River Highway, Summer 2007
©2007 Gary L. Quay
I took this picture on my Dearly Departed Konica IR 750 (R.I.P.) film. It’s a detail photo of the latourell Falls Bridge on the Historic Columbia River Highway in the Columbia Gorge, Oregon
Camera: Hasselblad 500CM
Lens: 50mm Zeiss Planar
Film: Konica IR 750 developed in Kodak D76.
The Dalles Dam on the Columbia River, Infrared
©2017 Gary L. Quay
This is The Dalles Dam on the Columbia River as seen through infrared film
Camera: Hasselblad 500CM with 6 x 4.5 back.
Lens: 50mm Zeiss Distagon
Film: Konica IR 750 developed in Clayton F76+
Iron Door, The Dalles, Oregon, Infrared
©2017 Gary L. Quay
I posted a version of this picture in the summer. This one was taken on Infrared film, Konica IR 750 (R.I.P.) to be exact. I love the way this film looks. I’ll be sad when my last roll is finally gone. I have one left.
Camera: Hasselblad 500CM
Lens: 50mm Zeiss Distagon
Film: Konica IR 750
Through the Branches, Sellwood, Oregon
©1999 Gary L. Quay
This is the second of my infrared images of the Pioneer Church in Sellwood, Oregon. I like the way this one turned out. I replaced the original image with a much better version. I lowered the contrast a bit, and let some of the gray tones come through.
Camera: Hasselblad 500CM
Lens: 80mm Zeiss Planar
Film: Konica IR 750 developed in Kodak D76.
The Gring's Mill Bridge, Reading, PA, Infrared
©2009 Gary L. Quay
This is a resurrected image from the Great Speed Graphic Fiasco of 2009. I removed flare from a light leak with Photoshop. Old and new technology working well together. The negative is unprintable in the darkroom, but it doesn’t look too bad here.
This is a bridge at Gring’s Mill, near the Penn State University Berks Campus, where I went to school for two years in the 1980s.
Camera: Speed Graphis with 6×9 roll film back.
Lens: 90mm Nikkor with Red 25 filter.
Film: Konica 750 IR, EXP 1990!
Union Pacific Train Near the Oneonta Gorge, April 2013
©2013 Gary L. Quay
My first Infrared shot of the season. The sun was setting behind the train.
Camera: Speed Graphic 4×5.
Lens: 127mm Kodak Ektar.
Film: Rollei IR 400 developed in Ilfotec HC.
Angled Church in Heat
©1999 Gary L. Quay
This is the Pioneer Church in Sellwood, Oregon. I took it when I was first exploring infrared film in the late 1990’s. I didn’t have the focusing quite right. This puppy will never be sharp. That’s Okay. It’s meant to be spooky.
Camera: Hasselblad 500 CM
Lens: 80mm Carl Zeiss
Film: Konica IR 750