ASSIGNMENT #9: OH FOR GOD'S SAKE

check your fixer people! 
​before you develop your film.

Assignment #9: To shoot a roll of IR (infrared) film. 
Now, to do this. One must load it in complete darkness. AND --> one must also have a manual camera WITHOUT a light meter on the inside. ANY illumination on the film (IR film) will ruin it. OK. I got all of that and with some nervous loading in my dark bathroom, I got it successfully loaded.
NEXT, I went on a walk up a twisty, small street near my place and up into a park ON A MUCHO SUNNY DAY! Apparently the IR film works best in direct, bright sunlight. So the walk was great. The twisty street I rarely visit was great. The park was beautiful and also great. I was excited to develop the IR film and see what I'd caught.
SO, I mixed HC developer 1:5 ratio. That was new. And--> I used the steel cannister and reel, that was also new, but I'd been practicing for months so, again, after some nervous time rolling the film on in total darkness...SUCCESS. Whew! 
FINALLY, I start developing the film. 7 minutes in the HC developer, agitating for the first 30 seconds and then every minute, agitating for only 10 seconds until 7 minutes is up! I've been through this so many times now, I can do this part in my sleep. 
After fixing, washing, hypo clear, etc...I pull the film out...anticipation building...
THERE IS NOTHING. Film comes out almost entirely clear. WHAT?!
Damn. 
I checked my fix solution with hypocheck.
Damn. Damn. And double-damn. My fixer was bad.
I KNEW TO CHECK IT.
I KNEW IT MIGHT HAVE GONE BAD.
WHY DID IT NOT OCCUR TO ME JUST BEFORE THIS ROLL???!
I WAS TOO EXCITED ABOUT CONTEMPLATING AND PRACTICING ALL THE NEW SKILLS--NEW DEVELOPMENT SOLUTION RATIO---NEW TIME--NEW TANK, ETC.

I now will never forget this lesson. Always. Always. Always forever and ever check your FIX BEFORE YOU DEVELOP.
I have now thrown out old fix and hypoclear (my photo flo is used from direct solution so it's fine) and am ready to develop once more.

So instead of showing you great and amazingly funky pictures taken on IR film.
I have one photo of completely clear film upon which I failed and learned a HUGE TON of a lesson.
Rock on people.