the 37th shot

[bulevardi]

Ok,

It happens, when shooting a film of 36, you're just shot 36 pics and the roll is finished.

It happens, when you still have one frame left, and you can burn a 37th photo!

If you're really lucky, a 38th shot can be made, depending on the camera you use, the wrong length instead of a standard length film,
you started shooting too early at 'frame n -1', or some different parameter that let a wonder occur to get you shoot a 38th shot.

My question to you is: what do you do with that very last shot?
- you shoot a random snapshot to get the job done
- you shoot a picture of yourself
- you rewind the film without shooting the last one
- you do something experimental to f*ck up the last one
or B: something else, perhaps !!

Tell me your story, what do you do in those difficult circumstances.

 

[Spleenrippa]

I usually don't bother with the 36th shot, let alone the 37th. Too much of a pain when your archival sleeves hold 7 strips of 5 frames.

 

[umcelinho]

I consistently get 39 frames on my M4. sometimes even 40. same with the M6 I used to have.

I don't really worry about these shots, if the shutter has cocked the frame will be fully exposed. I usually shooting something random for shot 0 though. 00 usually gets cut in half.

 

[jsrockit]

I don't look at the counter until the film's gone. 😉

 

[zauhar]

I usually get 37 frames on my M3, and occasionally on my Canon 7. I just treat it as a "bonus" frame, maybe less critical of what/how I shoot.

I use 6 X 6 archive sleeves, leave the 7-frame strip at the top and hanging out a little on the sides.

Randy

 

[hausen]

I like spleenrippas idea. Think I will stop at 35 as well. Those extra frames are annoying to file and cutting film into 6s means my contact sheets have to be landscape rather than portrait. Great idea thanks.

 

[back alley]

sounds like a good name for a magazine column...😉

 

[benlees]

I rarely look at the counter so having that extra shot causes me some grief; my printfiles are 6x6 so where am I going to put it? I have a sheet where those extra ones are banished, forever chided and then ignored and for wasting my time.:angel:

 

[robklurfield]

I was getting 37 or more frames often enough that I switched to the 7 row x 6 frame archival sheets. Problem solved. Frame counter? Gee whiz, maybe I should look at that once in a while (perhaps even remembering to reset it on the M2 and Barnack).

 

[t.s.k.]

I had an M3 DS that framed so tight that I could count on at least 40 exposures.
6x7 printfiles takes the pesk out of those "pesky" extra frames.

sounds like a good name for a magazine column

+1...Not a good name but a GREAT NAME 🙂

 

[Rogier]

Often the 1st and last frame is the best shot because it was shot carelessly and spontaneous ;-)

 

[dovi]

Sometimes that lat frame is interesting...

 

[finguanzo]

I dont remember who it was, but there was a photog that made a book about all his first frames, I remembering it being pretty good..

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

Someone on the forum mentioned before that the frames 00 and 37, 38 ect are the only frames that can record fairies and elves.

For me I usually just keep shooting. Sometimes when I load the camera and have a shot on frame 0 I take a picture of my phone to get the date. Just in case I forget to write down the date when I change the film.

 

[ChrisP]

Usually swear. My MX never gets 37 frames. If I get the 37th than it usually means the film didn't get loaded correctly (I shoot alot while drinking), and that I didn't get any of the last 36 shots I thought I took.

 

[farlymac]

If I loaded the camera right, it should get 38 exposures. But with an auto-loading model, you are lucky to get the full 36 sometimes.

PF

 

[steelydam]

I always shoot til the roll is done without looking at the counter. I use 6 row/6 frame neg sleeves and when I have an extra frame I either cut out the crappiest frame from the whole roll and throw it away or if I can't make up my mind I just make a cut after 4th frame of the last 7-shot strip and overlap it in the sleeve with one frame from the smaller piece containing 3 frames.

 

[Todd.Hanz]

the last frame of any film usually is my favorite shot of the roll, I waste it on someone in my family and it always seems to be a winner.

Todd

 

[sanmich]

Sometimes I finish the roll early just to be ready with a new roll when I want to shoot.
Most of the time, I don't know what the frame count is and shoot until I stop.

 

[Paolo Bonello]

I always shoot the last shot whether it is 37, 38 or 36. My hit rate is about the same as the rest of the roll. I occassionally will process it early if I get home and realize i'm a few short of using them all.

The other thing is that I buy 7x 6frame neg sleeves. And recently I was advised (by a member and photography teacher in Sydney - Michael W on RFF) to use 9x12" paper to do contact sheets which fits the whole 7 x6 frame sleeve very nicely. I use the Foma brand paper. That was a great bit of advice IMO.