Do you keep records?

[sreed2006]

On a Flickr forum, the question was asked, "What camera did you use the most this year?" http://www.flickr.com/groups/ishootfilm/discuss/72157638629535005/page1/

Some responders knew exactly which camera they had used the most. Some responders relied only on recollection, and some just made a wild guess.

In your photography, do you record which camera, film, lens, lab, and so on were used, and the money spent? Do you keep records of just some things, or keep incomplete records? Do you record nothing?

 

[Boris Stupak]

Are you kidding?

No.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Who cares which camera I used? I don't, so why should anyone else?

Addendum: The film I use is written on the side of the film, and I record date, developer, time, temperature in the darkroom. But not camera or lens. If it's important, I'll remember. If not...

Cheers,

R.

 

[Mackinaw]

For B&W, I like shooting film which I process myself. I do write on the negative storage sheet the film, chemicals used, processing time, etc., for future reference. I don't record the camera I've used.

Jim B.

 

[willie_901]

Lightroom automatically keeps these records from the raw file metadata.

If I re-scan film I add the information myself by selecting all the images and clicking the moist a couple of times.

 

[ruby.monkey]

I use some indication of lens, film, and body, when naming my scans; and digital photos have the Exif data to help me remember.

As for more formal records, the closest I have is the tags on photos I upload to flickr - and those are more for anyone who uses flickr to get an idea of how a particular lens or film might perform.

 

[Bill Clark]

Film:
Negs kept in an envelope, written on the outside, date, places, film type & ASA used, developer with dilution, temp of developer and time. Camera & lens used.
Make contact print, envelope taped to back. Organize contact prints by month & year into file cabinets.

Digital:
Similar organization, electronic, but rely on meta data. Organize into folders by year, folder for each month, each gig, each card used with RAW and JPEG folders. Made some folders with DNG files, I question the value.

 

[iamzip]

I don't keep records, but I have a pretty good idea what camera was used most. I use digital much more than film, and usually my dslr, although this past June I got a pentax Q that I have been using quite a lot.

 

[sreed2006]

Keeping records of how negatives were processed seems almost essential, unless one has an excellent recall or is lucky enough to get good consistent results based on a formula written somewhere.

I don't keep records of everything, but I did keep records this year of the films used, how they were processed, and the camera and lenses used for each roll. For digital - that's what EXIF is for.

 

[DKimg]

I use some indication of lens, film, and body, when naming my scans, even the developing time (to the extent of pushing or pulling film). If it was something unique then I keep more records of it for the future! 🙂

 

[mwoenv]

I've gradually recorded more information.

Since I have a bunch of cameras and want to enjoy them pretty much equally I record the camera and number of rolls of film I've shot; started this year.

I place a sticker on each roll's negative sleeve with a roll number, camera, film, developer, and month/year; the roll number is needed along with the negative number for printing records.

For darkroom prints, of course exposure time, lens/f-stop, paper used, enlarger height, b&w contrast filter, color Y&M values, and subject are recorded; needed to make future prints.

B&w and color chemical use vs. capacity is recorded to know when chemicals are spent. Since I use stock D76 or XTOL and get great results at the published development times (thanks to good temperature control), developing details do not vary.

Sounds like a lot but it beomes routine.

 

[Michael Markey]

In all honesty ... I`d be worried if I did.

 

[Lauffray]

Not sure it counts as records, but I follow my development pretty close, I note down times, developer, dilution etc
It's pretty much the only thing I'm a little OCD about

 

[daveleo]

I store pictures on my computer in folders like "D60", "LX3", "X100" etc etc.
Can't recall why I set it up that way (probably bookkeeping habits from my engineering days). I never explicitly "kept records" other than putting things in those file folders.

My negatives and slides are mixed together in a file cabinet.

 

[Tijmendal]

I kinda do.
What I do is the following:
- With a sharpie I write down the number of the roll on the film-canister and on the leader. I'm at roll 58 now (I start at 1 every new year)
- I write the number of the roll in a little notebook, as well as the date I put the roll in, what ISO it's shot at, what camera I put it in and lastly a couple of keywords where I shot the roll.
- When scanning, I rename the roll so every file is called Roll_#_1, Roll_#_2 etc.
- When I put my negs in archival sleeves I just write down the number of the roll on the sleeve.
- I'm planning on copying all the info from my notebook into a spreadsheet so it's digital/backed-up and easier to scan through. Haven't done that yet though.

Basically, my workflow consists of 'attaching' a number to every roll. I find it very easy and it takes me 30 seconds for every roll. Well worth it IMO.

I don't keep track of aperture/shutter speeds; that's WAY too much trouble.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

In all honesty ... I`d be worried if I did.

Yup!

😀 😀 😀

 

[Steve M.]

If you develop and print in a darkroom, it behooves one to keep detailed records. Or else.

 

[dof]

I keep a "Darkroom Cookbook" that outlines all of the important aspects of my film processing. Not every roll of film gets recorded, but I do note changes in films, developers, timing and subject matter. As images are printed, either in the darkroom or via a digital printer, I go back and make follow-up notes.

As and example, I was recently in Minneapolis and had the joy of experiencing a fresh snowfall one day there. Given that a glistening white blanket covering an entire city is a unique subject, I will definitely make notes on developer, time, temperature and the results for these new rolls.

It's actually quite easy to determine which camera I used most each year. I'm rather a serial monogamist with them and tend to use one nearly exclusively for months or even years.

 

[pete hogan]

Record film type and lens used on e-images and on prints, sometimes the year. Sakura Pigma Micron pens, most durable.

 

[nikon_sam]

When testing a lens, camera, flash or film I'll record what I'm doing but at some point I'll throw that information away...