

FPP Color Infrared Film / Kodak Aerochrome Film Overview: Film Photography Project (FPP) Color Infrared film is a duplication of discontinued Kodak Aerochrome film.
Infrared film is infrared sensitive which creates false colors on your negative. So expect lots of funky colors, especially reds and purples.
It’s helpful to use a #12 yellow filter when shooting (find #12 yellow filters on Amazon), and the film will need to be processed at a lab experience with E-6 developing (The Darkroom lab is recommended).
At the time of this article, FPP has discontinued their infrared film, but you can find Color Infrared Film on eBay here. Warning! It can be quite expensive, usually around $40/roll.
FPP Color Infrared Film / Kodak Aerochrome Film Review by Jessica Bellinger
Like all films, color infrared film has its special character, something that makes it totally unique. I love the bright rare colors it has. It’s totally not conventional, but it’s beautiful and catches your attention.


A Little About Color Infrared Film
There is a whole science behind how it works and many doctrines on how to shoot it correctly. But I will just give some basics.
Basically, they do not make this film anymore. All the left over stock is very expensive (you can find it on eBay for about $30-$40 per roll, wow!) and expired. So sometimes it doesn’t act quite right.
It can see infrared light that human eyes cannot. It turns the light bright pink, which shows up a lot in the greens, as you can tell. It’s a very dreamy film, and the possibilities are endless.

How To Shoot Infrared Film
You have to have a lot of light. Infrared film needs the infrared light to pick it up.
I noticed it liked to be shot at higher apertures in direct sunlight. It needs to be metered at box speed, and it can get overexposed very easily.
It’s recommended to use the yellow filter for more dramatic results, but you can use orange and red filters for different results as well. (Find yellow, orange, and red filters on Amazon)

Pros and Cons of Color Infrared Film
Infrared film is fun, super creative, and always a surprise. Truly one of the raddest films I have ever used.
On the other side, it’s expensive. It’s also finicky, since its all expired.
I had trouble with some of the skin tones of the model. It tended to turn EVERYTHING pink.
Also, it’s E-6 processing, so you have to make sure you send it to a lab that really knows what they are doing with E-6. The Darkroom was highly recommended as a lab that understands this film well.

Thank you so much, Jessica! You can see more of Jessica’s work on her website and Instagram. You can also find Jessica’s other Shoot It With Film articles here.
Leave your questions about color infrared film in the comments, and if you want to pick up some for yourself, check it out on eBay here!
Click here to read all of our film reviews!

Blog Comments
Aaron Kulkis
August 21, 2019 at 9:57 pm
You will NEVER get natural skin tones with a color infrared film made in the fashion of Ektachrome Infrared or Aerochrome III Infrared, for the simple reason that they are false-color films, and not designed in any way, shape or form, to render the true color of anything.
Normal film sensitization dyes and color development dye bindings:
Light Band=> Resultant color dyes when developed with E-6 processing (appearance)
Infrared => no effect
Red => magenta + yellow (Red)
Green => yellow + cyan (Green)
Blue => magenta + cyan (Blue)
Color Infrared film sensitization dyes and color development dye bindings
Light band ==> resultant color dyes when developed with E-6 processing (appearance)
Infrared => magenta + yellow (Red)
Red => yellow + cyan (Green)
Green => magenta + cyan (Blue)
Blue = none (white) [This is why you shoot color infrared with a red, orange, or yellow filter — to filter blue light from hitting this film — unlike normal color films, this film has NO yellow filter between the blue-sensitive layer and the rest of the emulsion layers]
Conversely, if you use C-41 processing
Normal color film
Light Band ==> resultant color dyes when developed with C-41 processing (appearance)
Infrared => no effect
Red => cyan
Green => magenta
Blue => yellow
Infrared color film
Sens. Dye ==> resultant color dyes when developed with C-41 processing (appearance)
Infrared => cyan
Red => magenta
Green => yellow
Blue => cyan + yellow + magenta (BLACK)
[This is why you shoot color infrared with a red, orange, or yellow filter — to filter blue light from hitting this film]