Record keeping

[degruyl]

How many of you keep records of how film was shot, and how do you correlate it to the film? What do you record? Little notebook and numbers on the roll is what I have come up with, so far, but I am open to ideas.

My specific question involves labeling 120 and keeping notes on which roll is what, in case I need to vary the development.

(yeah, I am familiar with AA's The Negative, but I have not really internalized it)

Finally, how do you correlate the film you send out for processing with your notes?

I suppose this might be the wrong forum, so move it if you must.

 

[Roger Hicks]

For 35mm: no notes at all, ever, before the film is developed. Life ain't long enough. I'd rathet take pics than take notes -- and besides, I can always screw up on the notes (forget a label).

For 120: sometimes a roll number e.g 'Lijiang 1... Lijiang 2... Lijiang 3'

For cut fim: pencil note on the film-holder.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Al Kaplan]

Once in awhile I scribble on a piece of paper folded in my shirt pocket. Mostly I just remember. Lately I've been posting some pix from the early 1960's on my blog http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com and it amazes me that I can remember which camera and lens, the subjects' first and last names all kinds of nitpicking details. I can't see any reason to record exposure data though, nor do I usually remember it.

 

[kipkeston]

notes: weather condition, indoor/outdoor, and the number of frames shot if the roll isn't finished. With a print: the exposure and treatment.

 

[degruyl]

Once in awhile I scribble on a piece of paper folded in my shirt pocket. Mostly I just remember. Lately I've been posting some pix from the early 1960's on my blog http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com and it amazes me that I can remember which camera and lens, the subjects' first and last names all kinds of nitpicking details. I can't see any reason to record exposure data though, nor do I usually remember it.

In fact, I am truly amazed at how much you remember after forty odd years. I have no hope of doing that.

I can remember the camera, and I might remember the lens, but damned if I can remember anything more substantial. I doubt it is worth it, in general, but it would be nice to know that the roll is full of high contrast images that might want to be developed to reduce said contrast. Or vice versa. Assuming I ever shoot something that is not high contrast, which appears to be rare.

 

[degruyl]

For 35mm: no notes at all, ever, before the film is developed. Life ain't long enough. I'd rathet take pics than take notes -- and besides, I can always screw up on the notes (forget a label).

For 120: sometimes a roll number e.g 'Lijiang 1... Lijiang 2... Lijiang 3'

For cut fim: pencil note on the film-holder.

Cheers,

R.

I have no hope of taking notes for 35mm film. I'm lucky if I remember whether the last roll in the camera is slide, b&W or color negative. Sometimes I get lucky and do not put the yellow filter on, even though I am sure (and wrong) that it is Tri-X.

I generally use a roll of 120 for one or two subjects, so the notes would not be too crazy at all. Unfortunately, I am usually hurrying to put another roll of film in the camera, rather than noting a roll number or something on the film.

Pre-printed stickers might work, I guess. It might end up being something else to fumble with.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I have no hope of taking notes for 35mm film. I'm lucky if I remember whether the last roll in the camera is slide, b&W or color negative. Sometimes I get lucky and do not put the yellow filter on, even though I am sure (and wrong) that it is Tri-X.

I generally use a roll of 120 for one or two subjects, so the notes would not be too crazy at all. Unfortunately, I am usually hurrying to put another roll of film in the camera, rather than noting a roll number or something on the film.

Pre-printed stickers might work, I guess. It might end up being something else to fumble with.

Dear David,

Exactly!

Cheers,

R.

 

[sepiareverb]

I usually put the roll number on a roll of 35mm when it comes out of the camera- note the body it came out of and the lens used in the notebook- this has helped in tracking down problems (saved me testing to find a worn out shutter brake). If I'm hurrying a simple numbering of films for the day gets done, the details recalled back in the car or studio. Also any push/pull gets noted on the cassette & in the book. Takes much less than a minute to do all this even when standing.

After development when the films get sleeved the body/lens/development get noted on the PrintFile page.

 

[Al Kaplan]

You can file little notches in the film gate, then blacken the metal with a Sharpie. Every body will produce negatives with its distinctive mark.

 

[xxloverxx]

I keep records of the general location and the date, regardless of what format I shoot; this helps as I have my negatives scanned and file them on my computer as well, so being able to refer back to the date and location is essential

As I only shoot 3 rolls of 36 exp. a month, it's not uncommon for me to come back with 1 shot a day - hence I have a sheet of lined A4 paper numbered 1-36 (fits perfectly on 1 side, 1 line each exposure) and when I come back, I "enter" my record. A typical record sheet would look like:

Fuji 400H
Loaded 20th October 2009, Nikon FM
1. City Garden & Central, 20th October 2009
2. "
3. "
4. Dinner at Grandparents', 22nd October 2009
5. Sunset at Shek O Beach, 23rd October 2009
6. "
7. "
8. "
9. "
10. "
etc. until I finish the roll. When I get my negatives back in the little plastic folder, I use a permanent marker and copy all of this information down on it too (it's a lot of work, but worth it as sheets of paper are just more bulk in the shelf); the same information goes on the paper CD holder. They're then filed into my shelf; I have a 1/8th-of-A4 sheet with the month written on it. I do keep the index sheets for the CD and even the receipt (just incase anything happens) inside the CD holder.
Turns out to be a lot of writing and sorting, but hey, it works…when I'm shooting multiple rolls at a time (in 2 different cameras), since the record paper is in my bookshelf, I just put the film canister over it and can instantly tell which piece of paper to write on (Kodak BW400CN's canister is different from, say, Fuji 400H). Just so I have no excuse to be lazy, I also keep a pen next to my boxes of film 😉