Finding A Development Time For HIE
by George L Smyth
HIE is an odd animal in the respect that the results that can be obtained from it are remarkably wide. In the past I’ve refrained from recommending a specific development time for the film because the results I try to obtain may be completely different from that which someone else is shooting for. In this article I explain the lengthy testing process I went through, which then allowed me to successfully shoot the film. This work up front saved me from the disappointment of not achieving the results I had been expecting.
The testing was prompted from the fact that I was getting horrible results using HC-110 Dil. B and only found minimal success by adjusting it to Dil. F. This had come about because I had been following someone’s recommendation, which probably worked well for the results they were expecting to achieve, but had no relevance for my expectations.
I covered my lens with a #25 filter and metered through it. I then shot two frames of the sky to serve as reference (I will explain in a moment). I found a scene that would work well with infrared - a gazebo with trees and a blue sky with clouds.
I put my camera on a tripod and set the meter to EI 50 and took a picture. I then changed the exposure to EI 100 and took the same picture. Then EI 200, EI 400 and EI 800. I now had five frames with different exposures. I reset the meter to EI 50 and went through the series again, and again, and again until I ran out of film. This left me with two frames of sky and seven series of five different exposures each - 37 frames.
The reason I rarely bracket when shooting is that the development needs to fit the exposure. This is why I enjoy shooting large format, as I can "underexpose" and "overdevelop" a single image to get the tonal qualities just right. With 35mm if you "overexpose" a frame then regular development is likely to become "overdevelopment." This is why the next step in the procedure is to develop each of the sets of five frames differently.
The reason for shooting the sky for the first couple of frames is that you need to know where to begin the actual five frame series. Start by clipping several inches from the beginning of the roll and developing it in Dektol - a couple of minutes is fine. Stop and fix as usual and see what you have got. If you get nothing then click a couple more inches and repeat.
Once you do get something, you will then know where the actual test frames begin on the remainder of the roll. By counting the sprocket holes, cut the film where the frames will begin.
Now get a strip of five frames from something else you have already shot and use it as a measuring device. This will let you know where to make your cut so that you can cut exactly five frames from what is now the beginning of the roll. Don't worry if you make a mistake - you want to develop five strips and if the first one is off then you can compensate when you cut the second strip.
Use a traditional developer that is readily available. I chose D76 because I can mix a batch at any time with the raw chemicals in case Kodak ever decides to stop selling it. Find a developing suggestion from anywhere on the Internet http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.html is a good possibility), and develop for that time. Stop, fix, wash, Photoflo and dry.
You now have a starting point. Decrease your development time by 15% and develop the next strip, decrease by another 15% and develop that strip. Now increase the development time 15% from the original and develop it, and increase an additional 15% and develop it.
What you now have is five strips of film with 25 images, each with a different exposure/development. Make 5X7" prints of each frame as best as possible - record the exposure and development information on the back of each print. This will be the most time-consuming portion of the exercise.
What you now have are 25 pictures that will guide you on how you can use this film. You will find that HIE is one of the most versatile films out there, with the ability to give you a high contrast, sharp image, as well as a low contrast ethereal image. This is great for the artist who does not want to follow the conventions, but dictate their own direction. Somewhere in the group of pictures you will probably find exactly what you are looking for, and since you know the exposure and development of that image, then you can replicate the results whenever you wish.
Most people will not go through all of this work, but I have found that some time spent up front getting an understanding of the matter at hand is always rewarded in the ability to get the results I want. It certainly does not help to shoot and hope, as you then just get whatever results happen to come your way.