How many sheets of the same composition

[Ron McElroy]

With 4x5 I always shoot 2 sheets. I've found its good to have a backup for trash or processing adjustments. I've just started shooting 8x10 and only have 4 holders. I'm shooting 1 shot each on these.

[Scott Squires]

Always 2 sheets and if it is a really nice shot with changing light I will shoot 4 sheets. After spending the time and $ to get to a nice location, using extra film is cheap!

Scott

www.scottsquires.com

[Geert]

Only one. When you compose, focus, meter light, develop, dry... like you should, there's not much to lose. So, expose a backup sheet when you feel you should do.
Last summer I was traveling in the French mountains and made a double of some scenes. You will not believe me, but it were those negatives that were messed up! All others were fine.

Yesterday I made the mistake of inserting a sheet AND its backing paper in the holder. Of course, the backing paper was in front. As I made 11 different views on the same subject that day, I can't even remember what the image would have been like.

G

[Turner Reich]

Two, cheap insurance against possible flaws or accidents, which do happen on rare occasions no matter how careful I am. Sometimes I will make a small change in exposure, some call it bracketing, I call it another interpretation of the subject.

[Kevin Crisp]

Generally One. This will become two if: 1. I am really excited about it 2. I've traveled a long, long way and I'm really excited about it. If the light, sky, etc. change I don't consider that a duplicate negative (to me it is a different composition) so the general rule doesn't apply. This is driven in part by my wish to avoid reloading film holders on the road, and how much film is still left at a given point in a trip.

[Gene McCluney]

For my personal work in 4x5 and 5x7 b/w I generally shoot two, more for reasons of selecting the one without dust spots in sky.

For my professional color work in 4x5 I shoot from 2 to 4 transparencies of each view. I don't bracket though, (I test with Polaroid) and the client gets all film (billed to them, of course).

[Joseph O'Neil]

Always two, whenever possible. I'm too much of a natural klutz and I swear the guy who wrote Murphy's Law is a first cousin of mine, somehow. Cannot prove it, but i know it.

One thing I do sometimes is load each side of my holder with a different film - for example, I love both Tri-X and HP5, but each film "responds" differently to what you are shooting, so sometimes I'll load one side with Tri-X and one side with HP5, and expose both at 200 ASA.

joe

[Kirk Keyes]

Two always for insurance, if the light or clouds are changing rapidly, there is no limit if I think the image is important.

Like the other Kirk, I do this as well.

[walter23]

I've been shooting two lately in order to experiment with different development.

When I find a scene I really like that I think might work well in a couple of different media I'll shoot it in colour and black and white or infrared. For example, my favorite large format shot to date was on E100VS, HIE, and FP4+. I like all three in different ways.

If I don't have a good reason to do it I'll just shoot one. Film is expensive enough, and more importantly I've only got so many film holders that I can carry around with me. Sucks when I run out

The exception is when I realize, or think I realize, that I've made a mistake. Then I'll fire another one off as insurance.

[Chris Strobel]

Always two identical sheets, gives me an additional option for developing...EC

Same here