Do you carry a backup?

[walter23]

I was out shooting tonight, had my shot all set up, sun just above the horizon in some mixed cloud bands... hard to predict what would come next in terms of light as the clouds were moving around a fair bit. Anyway, a brief bright red glow appeared, and I messed up - pulled the dark slide with the preview lever open. I was on my last two sheets of loaded slide film (I'd taken a couple of other shots earlier). Pulled out the wasted sheet and set up the other side of the holder, and the light faded out as the sun went behind a cloud band. I waited a bit, it got almost as good, and I deliberated and hummed and hawed and stared at the horizon to decide if it would get better, stared at my meter readings, etc, and finally decided to just take the shot with good but not great light. Moments after, with my last slide exposed, the firey red glow reappeared and lit everything with reddish-orange light while the snow shadows stayed a deep blue. The colours were intense, perfect, better than I could have hoped for. But I had nothing but some B&W sheets left.

So...

Do you guys carry backup? A digital SLR, or a medium format loaded with rollfilm, or a 35mm SLR, or anything else? Or do you just rely on not screwing up and making sure you time things properly? Today while staring at all the fantastic light I was really wishing I could just yank my dead-in-the-water view camera off the tripod and pop my DSLR in place and get the shot in at least one format. But I didn't have it.

[Kirk Gittings]

I own Hassleblads, dslr's etc., but none of them are an acceptable back-up to a 4x5 to me.

I always bring 3 times as much film as I think I will need. That is my backup. I do bring backups of readyload holders, cable releases etc.

[Walter Calahan]

I always have a small digital point-n-shoot.

Fortunately I've never had a screw-up with my LF system in the field.

[eric black]

Ive had a couple of "so called" missed opportunities- sometimes its just not meant to be- no backup though- my 4x5 is heavy enough to get out into the field

[walter23]

This isn't the first time I've run low on film. Carrying a bit more (or loading the holders after I've decided what I'm going to go shoot so I have the right types) would be a good idea, I guess. If I'd had velvia or ektachrome in those other holders...

But yeah, sometimes it just doesn't come together. I've lost shots to similar screwups with my digital slr (eg, too cold & battery fails).

[Gordon Moat]

Sort of like Kirk, I always have extra film and extra holders. Worst case is I can use roll film in my Linhof back, though that would be cropped down from 4x5. I cannot recall running out of film on a shoot ever.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Greg Lockrey]

I always have a small digital point-n-shoot.

Fortunately I've never had a screw-up with my LF system in the field.

We used to say, "you can't screw up if you don't do anything".

[r.e.]

The colours were intense, perfect, better than I could have hoped for. But I had nothing but some B&W sheets left.

Why didn't you use them...

[roteague]

I normally carry extra film, the type of light you describe is a fairly normal occurrence here, so it is best to be prepared. Occasionally, I'll carry my Nikon F5 with me as well. I have a DSLR, but I don't like it much, so I don't carry it much.

[Leonard Metcalf]

Lucky that you can remember it then. Some of my best photographs were never taken, but are just beautiful memories. If you were concentrating on the photograph so much you may have missed that moment.