A poll about your field notes

[reellis67]

I used to keep a lot of information (light conditions, locations, aperture, shutter speed, and many, many more), but after some time I found that I never went back and looked at any of it. I now no longer bother and I find that I don't miss it at all.

- Randy

[Steve M Hostetter]

I have always brought a pad and pen with me with good intentions but found myself writing short stories instead of the task at hand..
I think most of that stems from my wildlife photography years of occupying my mind waiting in the field for something to happen..
No more photos then I'm able to take with an 8x10 I usually have no problem remembering all the information except the year.
I may break out the BTZS tubes here soon to give them a try since I paid good money for them and many seem to be happy with the results they get with them.
I always remain open to different methods so what I do today may not be what I'm doing down the road

[jp]

I don't write anything down presently when I am in the field. I use one type of film at a time, and one lens at a time, and I develop it within a reasonable time after taking the photo, so I know when, where, etc... when I file it and can label and date the negative organizers.

I do keep some notes on the print though. Enlarger, paper and size, how much contrast dialed in, enlargement size, f stop, time. These go in the binder with the contact prints.

Maybe I'm fussier in the darkroom than the field, but I don't like to look at a negative and guess what contrast I'd like and guess a time or do a test strip if I've already done those things last time I printed it. It's a waste of time and material for reprints. Things like a <10% exposure variation are very noticable in the darkroom when printing, but harder to quantify on a black and white negative.

[John Jarosz]

With the 8x20 I'm concerned about finding light leaks (if they occur) and knowing which holder the negative was in. So I have altered my filmholders to show a notch code at the edge of the film that will be part of the image when the neg is exposed.

Because my holders are setup this way (I only have 4), I can reference my field notes to the notch code. If I bracket (unusual at $10/shot(, the notch code tells me after development which exposure corresponds to the neg.

I record in the notebook: light meter readings (range), F stop, shutter, filter, lens data and notch code.

Does all this record keeping help? Only sometimes. ;-)

John

[Leonard Evens]

I record essentially all the information I gather in the process of setting up the shot.

I record, the film holder---mine are all numbered---the date and time, the lens, the f0stop, the exposure time. If I use a filter I make a note of that, including the plus factor in number of stops needed for the filter. I also usually record the focus spread between a near point and far point. I usually measure the amount of rise of shift in mm and record that. If I tilt, I record by how much, and indicate the direction. In that case, the focus spread is the distance between two exreme point about the exact plane of focus. Finally, I record the EV values of important elements of the scene, which for BW will help me decide the development time.

This sound like a lot to write down, but in practice it takes me at most a minute. Of course, it does take time to collect all that information, but I need to do that anyway. For example, I need to know the amount of rise to know how close I am getting to the limits of the circle of coverage. I need to know the focus spread to determine the f-stop to use, and I need to know the EVs for aspects of the scene to determine the exposure.

[darr]

I shoot mainly black & white LF and use the zone system. I made the following 5"x8" sized doc after years of scribbling. I may not use all the info contained on the cards all the time, but it is there if I need it. I print these on 5"x8" index cards and print a batch and always have some on a small clipboard during a shoot. After the shoot and processing, I catalog them along with the negative. I have enclosed a zip file with the original WORD doc for those that may want to try them out or customize them for their own film, filters, etc. The blue border is from the screen shot to jpg file and is not on the original file.

Attachment 30082

[mandoman7]

There are times when the absence of record keeping leads to repeating mistakes, like using a leaky holder or an inaccurate shutter over and over. But there are also times when all of the fussing is getting in the way of the interaction between your eye and the film. Its useful to bear in mind that many great photographs were taken when the photographer was familiar enough with his tools to be able to react impulsively and decisively without taking notes.

Having said that, sometimes I record and sometimes I do not. With new lenses and film, or filters, I will definitely record. Mostly when I have a question in my mind. Otherwise, I make a point of keeping the ears and eyes available to the scenery that I'm supposed to be reacting to.

After years of using a little book, this device came to me as a free bonus for some computer order and I found it to be THE ANSWER. Its always ready to record and you can set up different folders, and download via usb (but I never do). When driving home, I'll record stuff about what I need to think about for the next shoot, like tightening a tripod leg or whatever. You can verbalize a ton of stuff in the time it would take you to write 3 or 4 words, and it only takes one hand. I believe they're used a lot by reporters. Super for travelling and making notes about scenes.

[Michael Gordon]

Oh no! We're supposed to be keeping field notes?

[Jim Cole]

Since I've only been shooting B&W for a bit over a year, I use the form below to help me keep everything straight. It covers everything I need to know about a shot including film holder number, film, development, equipment used, scene sketch, filters, bellows factor and exposure. It's really quick to fill out, even with the quick scene sketch taking only a minute or so.

The sheets fit into a small 3-ring 7x9" notebook which can be found at most office supply stores. Two sheets fit onto a standard 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of inkjet paper which I cut apart and hole punch. The notebook travels in my film cooler or my kit when on the trail.

This form is done in Photoshop and can be modified for anyone's use. I got the original from another LF shooter many months ago and have modified it extensively for my own use. When I need to get a quick shot, I fill in the form after shooting, otherwise I take my time and get everything right.

I would be glad to share if anyone is interested.

[Vaughn]

John, that is why I write my notes after I have taken the image -- I sit down, get out my notebook and write as I appreciate the view I just photographed.

I like to keep my note-taking as "analog" as my photography. No batteries or hard drives to worry about. I can even resharpen my pencil with my knife if I need to.

Vaughn