How many sheets of the same composition

[Renato Tonelli]

How many sheets of film of the same composition do you shoot at the same f/stop, same shutter speed. I shoot two sheets. Too many times I would discover spots where it is most difficult to get rid of (sky area). Now, of course, none of the negatives show any spots - Murphy's Law in reverse.
Just curious as to your shooting habits.

[Keith Pitman]

One.

[Patrik Roseen]

I am an amateur and only need to satisfy myself, so I shoot just one frame.

However, if I am photographing for someone else I will do several of the same subject, but with different position, time, aperture etc. That way I can present more than one successful unique photograph.

[Aender Brepsom]

I just shoot one. It is expensive enough.
If I do shoot a second one, it is with a slightly different exposure, and only in difficult situations.

If have not had any problems with spots as I only use Quickloads.
After the processing, my slides are scanned, and a dust spot could easily be removed in PS.

What I do sometimes is shoot the same scene on 4x5 and on 6x9cm, using a shorter lens for 6x9, in order to keep the composition (almost) identical.

[Ralph Barker]

For far-away places, usually two - that way I have a backup neg should one get damaged. I feel the cost of the extra sheet of film is small compared to the expense of getting there.

[Daniel_Buck]

just one for me. I suppose if I went somewhere far away that I wouldn't get a practical chance to go to again, I might take a few extra exposures.

Quite often, I'll take another exposure with a slightly different composition (usually a vertical, and a horizontal) but not for the purpose of a 'backup', just for a different take on the subject.

[Bruce Watson]

Typically one. I'll burn two if I I'm worried about motion due to wind, or if the clouds are rapidly changing, that sort of thing. I may do two if I'm worried about DOF in which case I'll change the f/stop and shutter speed, but I keep the same exposure.

I used to shoot two of everything, but over time I learned that I never used the duplicates. I got good enough setting exposures that I didn't need to bracket, and good enough at processing that I don't destroy much film that way. In other words, it ceased to be a good value to shoot in-the-field-dups. So I quit.

That's the key I think. If you think shooting duplicates is a good value for you, then go for it. If not, don't. All depends on what makes a comfortable workflow for you.

[QT Luong]

In general two. If I don't process the duplicate, the cost is less than one dollar with the cheap film I am using. Even if eventually processed identical (most of the time), the duplicate is useful for sending out.

[Peter Lewin]

If the image is interesting, but not more than that, one sheet. If I see something which really grabs me as something special, two sheets in order to have a backup if something goes wrong during development, etc. (I've learned that even if a location is local, and I can go back, its never the same the second time, so the issue for me isn't so much distance, as whether the image really seems special at the time.)

[Kirk Gittings]

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

[evan clarke]

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

[Dan Schmidt]

I usually shoot one. If the light changed dramatically i'll shoot a second.

This is both because i don't want to get too emotionally invested in an image (those are never my best images) and because I can't carry around too many 8x10 holders

but there are no rules here, or anywhere for that matter


-dan

[Jim Becia]

It depends on the situation and the subject matter. If it includes trees and the wind is a factor, I'll shoot upwards of 4 to insure a perfect transparency. If it's rocks, only two sheets. However, then I'll also shoot a couple of shots in the oposite orientation, vertical and then horizontal. To me, film is not to be "saved" when I go on a trip. I just got back from Colorado. The expense to me was the time, food, and lodging in getting and staying there. The film and processing were the cheapest parts of the whole trip. I shot about 150 pieces of film so with processing I was around $550. Considering gas alone was more than that, I look at film as the least of my expenses when I travel. Do I take too many shots of a subject sometimes, yes, but I would rather have a couple of extra duplicates as insurance. Also, I seem to get in situations where the light is changing fast so a few extra sheets is insurance. Also, I like to shoot a couple of different films sometimes to see the difference in their rendering of the subject. That is always an interesting learning experience for me. Jim

[Vaughn]

Usually two, sometimes one. Several if the light "improves" after I take one or two.

But usually two...often developed differently for use with different processes.

Vaughn

[BrianShaw]

One to three. Much of the time only one.

[John Curran]

Pretty much two, in case I want to develop differently.

[matthew blais]

Two

[Ken Lee]

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

When doing development by inspection, you can experiment with the second sheet at development time, and you can also rescue an image if it start to look different than you thought. I find this true when doing close shots, with lots of bellows extension. Contrast tends to need boosting.

[Matus Kalisky]

I usually do one, but just yesterday when photographing in the underground of the GSI (research centre) I did at two different locatins 2 and 4 photos respectively, but allways with different f-stop as I am curious how the depth of field and resulting impression of the image will change. But it was BW and I should develope them tonight.



I shoot two sheets. Too many times I would discover spots where it is most difficult to get rid of (sky area). Now, of course, none of the negatives show any spots - Murphy's Law in reverse.

well, I did two exposures of the same subject (positive and negative color) during my last trips to Alps - and - both are bad - focus mistake. I focused the first one wrongly and did not check the focus before taking the other one. But that's my way :D

[Leonard Metcalf]

One

-though on some rare occasions I shoot a black and white sheet and trannie - funny as only one ever turns out... I think this is my intuition thinking after the fact, and making sure I get it with the other film....

[jnantz]

only 2

[D. Bryant]

How many sheets of film of the same composition do you shoot at the same f/stop, same shutter speed. I shoot two sheets. Too many times I would discover spots where it is most difficult to get rid of (sky area). Now, of course, none of the negatives show any spots - Murphy's Law in reverse.
Just curious as to your shooting habits.
One of the reasons I like shooting smaller formats such as 4x5 or 5x7 is that it is relatively affordable to make dupe exposures for later development options and to bracket my compositions.

So at least 2.

Don Bryant

[John Bowen]

To me, film is not to be "saved" when I go on a trip. I just got back from Colorado. The expense to me was the time, food, and lodging in getting and staying there. The film and processing were the cheapest parts of the whole trip. I shot about 150 pieces of film so with processing I was around $550. Considering gas alone was more than that, I look at film as the least of my expenses when I travel. Do I take too many shots of a subject sometimes, yes, but I would rather have a couple of extra duplicates as insurance. Jim

Jim said it best, the cost of the film is the least expensive component of a photo trip (and that includes 8x10 & 7x17 TMY film). Almost always 2 exposures. Nothing worse then returning from a trip to find a speck of dust or two on your finest image..

Planning a trip to Acadia later this month. 6-8 days of photographing and I will take 400+ sheets of film, 30 8x10 holders, and 9 7x17 holders with me. On a trip like that, the last thing I want to do is run out of film!!

[bgh]

It depends. For my HABS/HAER work, always two of each composition--one set for archival processing that is delivered to the SHPO, NPS, or other appropriate agency, and a backup set either for my files or, if the worst happens, to replace the primary set in case of loss or damage.

On the rare occasion that I shoot for my own amusement, I use only one negative per view.

Bruce

[photographs42]

Like many here, I make two identical negatives. Lots of times I don’t make any, but if I feel the image is worthwhile, I make two. I seldom have dust or scratches anymore but there are so many other things that can go wrong, a backup negative is just good, cheap insurance. If you are strictly a hobbyist, the extra cost and effort might not be worth it, but I have some older negatives that cost me hours of extra work every time I print them.

The problem is, we never know which negatives are going to be the “keepers”. My most popular image is one that I thought would be good at the time I made the negative, (I wouldn’t have made it if I didn’t think so, but some I am more sure of) but I never would have guessed it would become my best seller. Unfortunately, even though I made two, there are some dust spots on both of them.

When it became obvious that I was going to spend half my life spotting these prints I resorted to a digital solution. I had the negative drum scanned, the spots retouched, and a new negative made. There was some trial and error involved and I ended up going to two different companies who each made more than a couple of negatives before I was satisfied with the results. I think I spent three or four hundred dollars before I got something I could use. Part of the problem was that I wanted a 5x7 B&W negative and they were set up to make 4x5 or 8x10 color negatives. Putting a 5x7 image on an 8x10 piece of film was no real trick but they were not calibrated to make B&W negatives and a color negative doesn’t print like Tri-X. While I was at it, I also took care of dodging and burning so the new negative prints without manipulation which is a plus. I have sold almost 400 prints from this negative to date, mostly 8x10 but many up to 24x30, so the effort paid off.

I have noticed that there are NEVER any blemishes on the negatives that I don’t choose to print.
Jerome

[Jim Noel]

One unless the lighting is so unusual as to make me undecided as to development.

[SamReeves]

I'm in the "two" crowd. One for B&W and one for color film.

[Alan Davenport]

One, usually. On the rare occasion that I get paranoid about the exposure or something else, I'll take a second frame.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

I shoot mostly 4X5 and 5X7 so film is pretty affordable, therefore I almost always expose 2 sheets as this gives me development options as well as a backup in case one is really messed up in development (or I damage it somehow). Also, I don't use Readyloads / Quickloads very often but when I do I usually save them for when I have a large portion of sky as it seems dust ALWAYS is in the sky! :-)

[QT Luong]

I'd add that it's much easier to keep track of things when I stay to the routine of 2. This way 1 image = 1 holder. The only real exceptions are when I am short of film or when I do several variants of the same image.

[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