Hawk Photography

"Of course the red filter affects metering and exposure," Hawk says, "but that's not really a problem. You can't make exact meter readings for infrared anyway, because meters aren't calibrated for it. I use Kodak High Speed black and white infrared and rate it at its stated speed, ISO 200-but that's just the starting point. I'll always bracket my exposures one to two stops on either side, and sometimes, if I really like the scene but the light is very contrast, I'll go even more than two stops."

A final rule of infrared: keep it cool. "I carry a cooler whenever possible," Hawk says.

The adventure of infrared is…well, that it is an adventure. "You never really know what you'll get," Hawk says. "The films unpredictable and the light is often changing very quickly, and that's what makes the whole thing fun."

Typically Hawk will find that two or three images per roll of 36 exposures will be worth keeping. "But that's not necessarily because of the unpredictable nature of infrared film. That number is true of any take, really-three or four from a roll is a pretty good percentage."

While most people might think that the longer you photograph, the greater the likelihood of satisfying images, Hawk feels that the more you do it, the more critical you are of your own work. "Your standards get a little tougher for what you'll accept for yourself," he says.

Of course, winners and losers isn't really what it's all about. For Hawk it's being out in the world, enjoying and photographing. It's the total experience.

The Images

The photos you see here were all taken with a Nikon FE2 using center-weighted, match-needle exposure and wide bracketing. "It's the camera I've been using for over 20 years," Daryl Hawk says. "My familiarity with it allows me to direct all my energy into creating the photograph." The lens most likely to be on the camera is his 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom-Nikkor. He also frequently uses his 24mm f/2.8 and 35mm f/1.4 wide angle Nikkors - "they're good for low-light, walking-around-the-woods situations." Although most of the images he takes are done handheld, he always carries a tripod, "because you never know what the light will be like in dense wilderness."

The prints are made for him by a commercial lab. "I've had the same printer for 25 years," Hawk says. "He knows how I want things printed and the look I want in my photographs."

Hawk has exhibited the infrared images at galleries near his Connecticut home and featured them at The Hawk Gallery at his studio. The pictures have also been used in connection with his local cable television show, The Unconventional Traveler.