Many years ago, not long before they stopped making it, I bought two rolls of Kodak HIE infrared film.
For some reason or another, I never got around to using it that summer. Either the conditions didn't seem right, or where I was going didn't seem right, or I was doing something where i shot colour, or whatever. So as the leaves fell from the trees I shoved the rolls in my freezer for the next year. But then it was 'out of sight, out of mind' and I kept not quite getting around to using them. I used one a few years ago, but there was that last roll and I was waiting for a good situation.
Last Monday I had to go into central London, so decided I should do something while I'm there. It was far too nice to go into a museum, and so it hit me that I should go to Highgate Cemetery, and if I was doing that, I should use my last roll of HIE.
lasthie-004 by
Antony J Shepherd, on Flickr
So I did. It seemed like a good idea.
lasthie-006 by
Antony J Shepherd, on Flickr
Before I set off I slapped my last roll of HIE and my Voigtlander Bessa R3A in the changing bag and loaded the film by touch, possibly wasting a frame at the start by making very sure the film was winding on OK.
lasthie-015 by
Antony J Shepherd, on Flickr
Sadly, I had a bit of a development disaster - the film was a bit loth to go into the spiral, and while in the end it seemed to have all gone in, the last wrap-around stuck to the layer inside it, so didn't get developed, and I lost about 10 frames.
lasthie-021 by
Antony J Shepherd, on Flickr
I do like the whole look of this, and it's a shame I'll probably never use any more.
Sure, there's the odd roll on the 'bay, but pricey stuff.
lasthie-008 by
Antony J Shepherd, on Flickr
Now, I do have that roll of Efke 'Aura' film in the fridge, maybe I should use that some time this summer too!
