naos
23 Skidoo
I've collected hundreds of rolls of film and photos. Now I need some help putting them in some sort of file system. Could some of you old timers please give me some tips?
kshapero
South Florida Man
I am an old timer. Negs in a box. Hope I never have to dig up a particular neg.
majid
Fazal Majid
I store my negatives in Print-File archival sleeves (7 strips of 5 frames each, or 4 rows of 3 frames for 6x6 and 4 rows of 1 frame for 6x17). If I have more than 35 frames, I use two sheets, but I never squeeze two rolls of film onto a single sheet. Even if this wastes space, it makes things easier to find.
I file the negatives in chronological order: I write a serial number for the roll (4 digits for the year, plus three digits for the roll), and a brief description The sheets then go into Beseler plastic archival binder boxes.
Prior to cutting up the negatives, I scan the entire film strip using a Nikon Coolscan 5000ED with a SA-30 strip film adapter. The file names reference the roll number, e.g. frame 0 of roll 3 for 2008 would be 2008_003_00.tif. I back up the raw scans, then toss the scans of bad frames out, and import the remaining ones into Kavasoft Shoebox, my catalog program (eventually into Lightroom).
I use the digital files to retrieve the negatives as needed.
You could avoid scanning each frame (and the expense of a LS-5000/SA-30) by just making contact sheets and scanning them on a flatbed. I like having the scans for backup purposes, even if I hardly do any post-processing on them unless I actually need to print digitally or upload to a web server.
I file the negatives in chronological order: I write a serial number for the roll (4 digits for the year, plus three digits for the roll), and a brief description The sheets then go into Beseler plastic archival binder boxes.
Prior to cutting up the negatives, I scan the entire film strip using a Nikon Coolscan 5000ED with a SA-30 strip film adapter. The file names reference the roll number, e.g. frame 0 of roll 3 for 2008 would be 2008_003_00.tif. I back up the raw scans, then toss the scans of bad frames out, and import the remaining ones into Kavasoft Shoebox, my catalog program (eventually into Lightroom).
I use the digital files to retrieve the negatives as needed.
You could avoid scanning each frame (and the expense of a LS-5000/SA-30) by just making contact sheets and scanning them on a flatbed. I like having the scans for backup purposes, even if I hardly do any post-processing on them unless I actually need to print digitally or upload to a web server.
40oz
...
I'm certainly not an old-timer, but I scan each roll, saving the scans in a folder named with the date, camera, and film. I store the negatives in a printfile page labeled with the scan date, taking date, camera, and film. These pages are kept in a binder in order of scan date. It's easy to find a desired frame, and easy to peruse my shots like a digital photo album.
I can lose the digital files and still have all relevant data required to find a particular shot. God forbid I lose the negatives, but as long as my laptop or backup files survive, I won't lose the record of my life.
I can lose the digital files and still have all relevant data required to find a particular shot. God forbid I lose the negatives, but as long as my laptop or backup files survive, I won't lose the record of my life.
chrish
Chris H
I do the same thing except...
I have the coolscan V so i can only scan up to 6 negs at a time. I number all my sheets with a 3 digit serial number then when I scan the file I name it page-row-column.jpg. If I ever need to find the original negative and I know the file name is "034-2-4.jpg" it'll be found on the 34th page, 4th shot on the second strip. Each page I mark with the date I got the film developed, the camera used, and the event the pictures are from. If its B&W I write down some developing info too.
otaku
Established
All my new/recent photos whether film or digital are online and on my pc best way to store them imo. I have several very large drawers full of photos though from before I went and bought a pc etc I still haven't got around to scanning all of them
TheHub
Well-known
I keep them in negative binders.
On the computer they're kept in folders: camera name - film name - developer - date
On the computer they're kept in folders: camera name - film name - developer - date
Gumby
Veteran
For the pst few years I have been piling negs and proof sheets in chronological order, in a file cabinet. Oldest ones on bottom of the pile; most recent on top. It's pathetic, I know, but being organized takes more timethan I have available.
Morca007
Matt
Negatives are stored in print file sleeves in a binder, top is oldest, back is newest. Each negative is scanned and saved as a 1200 DPI image to my external hard-drive. It would be nice to have the space (and a good enough scanner) to keep nice, large scans of each stored, but oh well.
pfoto
Well-known
I use the PrintFile archival sleeves 35-6HB for my 35mm negs. On the top of the sleeve I write year-date-roll # and the 27th neg on the second roll shot today if scanned would have the the file label 08_08-14_R2_27.tif. I'm in the process of getting my first binder and choosing between PrintFile and Archival Methods for a binder/slip-case combo.
majid
Fazal Majid
One thing surprisingly few people know - you can buy plastic strip inserts that slip into Print-File sleeves and allow you to hang them in vertical filing cabinets. The part number is SLB-1. If you do opt for this solution, put some silica gel in the cabinet to absorb humidity.
sienarot
Well-known
Archival sleeves in a binder, ordered by date.