Do you keep records?

[Richard G]

No. But Lightroom keeps track of a lot. If I have invested effort in a photo and it's any good I'll usually remember the camera, lens and film but not the exposure. Therefore if I don't remember it usually doesn't matter as likely the phot is lousey.

 

[gb hill]

********No!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I carry a Moleskine notebook that I keep notes in. When I photograph, I write the date, location, and name of the place, person, or thing I photograph. I also note what kind of film I used and which of my cameras. This all helps me because my work is documentary in nature. A lot of my early work was done before I kept notes, and now I cannot remember when I made the photos, and in some cases I cannot even remember WHERE I made them. Very frustrating! It doesn't take long to note this stuff after I finish photographing, and the notes have been invaluable to me later on. I have a big shelf full of these notebooks now, since I have been keeping notes like this for 8 years.

When I develop the film, I keep notes in a separate set of notebooks with the info on how I developed each roll (developer, dilution, temp, time, agitation). Each roll is numbered, with the roll number in the notebook and one the plastic binder page each roll of film is stored in. I also write the date and subjects in this notebook. These Developing notes have been helpful in letting me keep track of what does and does not work.

 

[Takkun]

To my amazement in my otherwise horrible memory, I can look at most pictures I've taken and remembered where and when. I've had professors tell me to always, always write down shutter speed and f/stop and the lens used. I'm far too lazy.
Out of my own curiosity, I generally note what camera a roll was shot with, not that it had any bearing on the outcome of the images themselves, unlike the lens.
I do need to get better at recording development stats.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I have EXIF for digital. Nothing to remember.

With film I have one roll per week. Developing and scanning it without delay. Usually I have file as Camera_Lems_Film_Developer. Archiving it with same info.
Sometimes it might be two or more film cameras and lens per week. I get lost few times...

 

[Pioneer]

I carry a small notebook and keep track of what film is in each camera and what lens I am using. I will occasionally record what I am photographing at the time. I also keep track of my developing and printing in that same notebook. I call it my "memory" for good reason.

It may sound a bit OCD to the rest of you but it helps me stay on top of things. It doesn't take much so I'm happy with it.

 

[Nokton48]

I have alot of different bodies and systems, but if I am testing something and want to learn from the experience, I write down details. Or if I have shot something I consider important, and want to have a record of the event for a while, especially before processing.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

i do. after i finish shooting a roll,
i usually write the camera and iso speed
on the film leader, when scanning, i
have long folder names on dev time,
temp etc. And on the plastic sleeves
for my 35mm, i do the same....

reason i do it is because i am still a newbie student of photography.
if i can record, i can learn from mistakes.

attached is a screen capture.

 

[Vince Lupo]

I'll usually keep notes if I'm doing tests on a newly purchased vintage camera and I want to make sure all is okay, or if I'm taking it on a special trip. One of the nice things about doing that is if I decide to sell the camera at some point, I can include a couple of sample shots from that camera and lens combo.

Digital-wise, the EXIF info is very helpful, but I'll also keep a record of where something was shot , particularly on a trip. As far as the lens info goes, I usually only carry a few lenses on a trip, so I can pretty well figure out whether I used the 21 Elmarit or the 75 Summarit.

 

[robert blu]

I keep record about development, sometimes about inkjet printing (papers, profile or special setting). I' not able to keep record when shooting, it disturbs my spontaneous workflow. But as Christopher says it can be frustrating when later I see a n ice photo, good lighting and interesting composition and I do not remember the details of the place, like which church was that or which square or...as an amateur it is not really important but I do not like it. Trying to improve, to take daily a few notes and incorporate when importing them in LR.
robert

 

[Bob Michaels]

I usually carry a pocket size spiral notebook where I keep track of some names or local information I may later need. But I have never tried to keep track of what lens, what camera, aperture, shutter speed or any of that technical information. I used to try to keep track of developing information but since I only have used only one iso film and one developer for the last 10+ years, that became quite redundant. My negative sheets are identified only by subject and filed accordingly.

But I differ from most here in that the only thing that is important to me is what the photo says, not how I captured it.

 

[Sparrow]

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

Yup!

😀 😀 😀

:nods-head: ... do the negatives count as a record? ... cos I keep them

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

do the negatives count as a record? ... cos I keep them

What, those little strips of plastic? I thought they were free bookmarks.

 

[pete hogan]

I keep them, though I doubt they'll ever be used again.

 

[Dwig]

These days I shoot digital exclusively. Keeping records is for computers, including the one in the camera, and not for humans. I don't collate the data, but the EXIF data is present. I sometimes add info to the IPTC section.

Back in the day when I shot that antique film stuff, I kept a few records on the backs of my proof sheets. Even then, I relied on the cameras themselves to record their "fingerprints" on each neg or transparency so that I could be certain which was guilty should some mechanical defect arise. I used an ancient sheet film trick of notching the film gate (I notched the flaps on my sheet film holders also) of each body that I acquired. The difference in the notches (number and position) would identify the body or film holder with certainty.

 

[Cyriljay]

As I am Using 3 35mm cameras and I mark on the negatives which cameras was used on particular Films and not the lens details though.

 

[35mmdelux]

I don't keep records. Ok, maybe my birth certificate long form...

No journal, no diary, no file cabinet in the garage. To the extent I've documented I've kept photographs (b/w, color, slides, K14) since before I started it as an avocation.

However it doesn't mean there is no record. At work I have a running calendar, then there are credit card companies keeping tabs on when I pass air and whatever the spy agencies gather.