A poll about your field notes

[Heroique]

For just about every LF shot I take, I write down notes w/pencil and spiral pad.

Depending on conditions & my attitude, this scribbling may record no more than exposure – shutter speed and aperture. Other times, I may wax poetic – or scientific – and fill pages. A few times, the “need for speed,” or even my spiritual absorption in a scene, means no notes are taken – that is, not until well after the shot.

It leaves me curious about what field notes you write down (if anything at all) for landscapes, architecture, portrait, or studio shots. If you do, I’d enjoy learning more about your habits in this quick poll – and hearing additional comments. And if you remember a concrete situation why notes were critical to take – or better to forego – please share!

[Jan Pedersen]

I write for every shot, speed, f stop, lens used, filter if any and how i need to develope (N+-) Rarely what the subject was but i often regret not taking those notes.

[Vaughn]

I use Rite-in-the-Rain surveyors notebooks. Waterproof.

They have become a photography diary...fun to go through. Info gets transferred to the outside of the negative's paper envelope. Never (or rarley) a quetion of where and when I have taken an image.

Vaughn

[Ben Syverson]

Would any of you guys use an iPhone app that served this purpose?

[John Kasaian]

Sometimes I'll sketch the scene first, if it is a landscape.
Unless it is tricky, I'll guess at the meter reading. If I know for sure it will be tricky I'lll have some notes made beforehand to consult and these will be in a small spiral notebook. If there is info I want to keep with the negative I'll use a little post it note directly on the film holder (it'll usually fall off though, endowing my spent film holders an element of mystery which I find invigorating)

[Louie Powell]

I note the holder number, the basic exposure information, whether the metering indicated N, N-1, or whatever processing, and possibly something about the subject, date and/or time if that seems pertinent. I use an inexpensive 'perfect bound' notebook (spirals take more space, and over time the wire spiral becomes distorted), and later transfer the information to a record sheet that resides in a binder next to a proof sheet and that also holds processing and printing notes.

And unlike Herioque, I use a fountain pen for my notes. A fountain pen adds a measure of elegance to the process - and draws almost as much spectator attention as the big camera!

[Ron McElroy]

On my record sheets I record the date, place, scene description, exposure keys and filter info and development. Sometimes I record my thoughts, but these generally go into a notebook I carry. These sheets are in a pad and I put the sheet into the ziplock bag along with the film holder.

[N Dhananjay]

I typically write holder no. and side, focal length, f-stop and shutter speed, but most importantly, I make a quick pencil sketch to aid developing by inspection. As a side point, I have become increasingl interested in how my photography and sketching/painting have been influenced by the other. Cheers, DJ

[Eric James]

More power to you guys - I'm lucky if I get an "exposed" sticker on the Quickload clip.

[Shen45]

BTZS -- PalmPilot and ExpoDev. The best of all worlds :)

[spiky247]

I use my iPhone, it also works as my stop watch :-)
I write the basics, metering, filters, f stop, shutter speed, lens, and a rough description of the location.

[Brian Ellis]

I used the BTZS expo-dev program in a Casio pocket computer for some years. It retained all sorts of information for every shot, including lens focal length, aperture, shutter speed, bellows compensation, filter factors, and a bunch of other stuff I now forget. I used to religiously copy it all down by hand when I got home and kept it with each negative. But I never found a need or real use for most of that information so when the Casio broke and I had to start keeping notes I confined them to Holder #, anticipated development (normal, plus, minus, etc.), and if a filter was used, which filter and what compensation. I don't think I've made any real use of the filter information either but I still keep it.

[Daniel_Buck]

I honestly don't take any notes for exposure, or other stuff. I expose everything to be developed the same, so notes don't mean much to me. If by chance I come across a scene i want to develop differently (that's rare), then I'll take some sort of note to indicate how I want to develop it. I used to take notes to indicate my exposure and my filtering, but now that I'm more comfortable with everything, I don't see the point in taking notes, at least the way I shoot anyway :-)

Well, there is one situation where I'll take a quick note, but the note is only to remind myself of which sides of the sheet have been exposed, when I'm shooting 1/2 sheets with 1/2 a dark slide for a longer image ratio. When I'm shooting 4x10 shots in 8x10 holders (two exposures for each sheet) I have my holders marked A and B for left and right side, and then the usual number on each holder. For example, a holder would contain 7A and 7B on one side, and 8A and 8B. I will have each number witten down on a sheet of paper (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B and so on). If i take an exposure of the entire 8x10 sheet, I'll mark off both A and B for that side. If I take a 4x10 shot, I'll mark off just A, and then mark off B when I shoot the B side of the sheet. I only take these notes when I bring my 4x10 dark-slide cover with me, if I'm not planning on shooting 4x10 1/2 sheets of 8x10, then I will not bother making a note of which sheets are exposed, I'll just rely on the orientation of the dark slide to indicate if it's been exposed or not.

[seabird]

I use a small spiral bound notebook and in the field I typically record:

Location/Description
Date
Holder No.
Lens
Shutter speed
Aperture
Filter
Indicated Development (eg N-, N or N+)

Being an accountant by profession I then transfer these to an excel spreadsheet. :)
But I supplement the field notes with the following additional info:

film and EI (either FP4+ or Velvia 50 these days but have used others in the past)
camera body s/no (I have more than one)
developer (eg Rodinal)
dilution (eg 1+50 or 1+100)
development time in minutes
development equipment (ie Jobo, tube etc)

Cheers

[belle]

My field note contain the following information:
1. Date, Time, & Location
2. Subject
3. Lens used
4. Exposure information
5. Film used
6. Note about the area

[jnantz]

no notes at all, unless the image was done
for a job, then i use a compass and find the direction i
was facing and write a brief architectural description
" looking n/w facing eastern wing showing elaborately brick plating"
just so i can ID the image after the it is processed ...

if it was a portrait, might i just write down the person's name

[sun of sand]

I like to pen a poem for each photograph


no, I don't do that.

title/description
exposure
holder
development
time of day
interesting weather/light and maybe a note on movements used

[Mick Fagan]

If I'm just out for a quick trip for a specific shot, I generally don't make notes as I then return and develop. On an extended trip and especially packing medium and fast speed film, I make notes.

For years I have used a pencil and a spiral bound notebook, which apart from thickening pencil points and breaking pencil points, have been fine. I used pencil because if the book gets damp, or worse, wet, the written word stays.

I used ball point pens many years ago and once got rather wet, including my notes. The writing became a smear across the pages, hence pencils from then on.

A few years ago the Fisher Space Pen became cheap in this country, I bought one, best little thing I acquired in ages.

A bonus is that in the darkroom, I can write on the back of RC prints whilst they are under water in the wash. When one is cranking out prints in quick succession with a roller transport machine, identification can be helpful.

One quirk I found with the space pen and under water writing, is that the normally black ink, turns blue when used underwater.

I usually only take notation of whether or not a filter was used and which lens, although I can invariably remember or figure out the lens used anyway.

If massive shift or other such thing is used I'll include this, but realistically, I find I don't use or require much else.

Mick.

[Chris C]

I used to write everything down, from exposure info to scene info and every little gear detail. I soon became bored of it, and now just pop off shots and try to remember everything in my head. I only shoot one type of B&W film and one type of colour, and generally only have one kind of developer going at any one time so those details are easy to remember. Pretty much the only thing I need to remember is shutter speed and aperture, but in saying that I pretty much never look at negs and think "I wonder what I shot that at?".

[Struan Gray]

I like to pen a poem for each photograph

Cold, rain, dull sad light
Disappointment fixed and dried
Forums are more fun

[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.


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. :D

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.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2485/3837270462_2ed7d29edc_b.jpg

[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

[pablo batt]

perhaps if you have to write something down about the scene in front of you, to remember why you took the picture then its not really worth wasting the film.

i find the anal approach most amusing, using excel and specially printed sheets hehe thats funny

i am now going to use a rubber and remove the asa no. i marked on my holders just to be original lol

and im going to remove all the manufacturer badges of my cameras and stick them to my forehead ,that will make me an artist lol

[rdenney]

I always used a small, bound writing journal, making exposure-time descriptions on the left calendar and printing instructions on the right calendar. The binding has fallen apart, probably because I jammed a bunch of Polaroids into it, but I still have it and use it when scanning old negatives.

I only occasionally used it with medium-format, and I wish my Pentax 6x7 had the same slick feature my 645N and NII has. The 645's encode exposure information in tiny lettering along the edge of each frame. I kept the book in my view camera case and so didn't usually have it along for medium-format work unless I was there with the view camera also.

My notes often include drawings, and always include measured and placed zonal values for the visualized tones. It includes development information for the negative, and exposure information (plus a dodging and burning plan) for the print. I always included the date and film holder number, and these are keyed with my negative sleeves in the notebook where I keep my negatives. The basic description I write in the notes usually becomes the "title" for the photo.

I've bought a new record ledger book that has a better binding and more room for the shakier handwriting I now have, and even though I carry an iPhone which screams for the appropriate app I will still used hand-written notes for large-format work.

Rick "thinking hand-written notes are part of the large-format contemplative experience" Denney

[William McEwen]

I like to pen a poem for each photograph



A field note:

This will be a great shot, I’m hopin’
I love how the landscape is slopin’
The light is just right
The bellows are tight
And I remembered to shoot not wide open

[darr]

perhaps if you have to write something down about the scene in front of you, to remember why you took the picture then its not really worth wasting the film.

i find the anal approach most amusing, using excel and specially printed sheets hehe thats funny

i am now going to use a rubber and remove the asa no. i marked on my holders just to be original lol

and im going to remove all the manufacturer badges of my cameras and stick them to my forehead ,that will make me an artist lol

It sounds like you do not process your own film, use exposure compensation methods or utilize the zone system; maybe you do a lot of finger crossing. I find your arrogance most amusing as it spells out your abilities or lack off. Don't throw stones if you do not understand others abilities to reach for excellence. :D

[darr]

"well im not a photographer and never want to be, i am a camera repair person, thats why i take pics ,i just love cameras." pablo batt
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showpost.php?p=496540&postcount=100

Oh, that explains a lot.

[Vaughn]

It sounds like you do not process your own film, use exposure compensation methods or utilize the zone system; maybe you do a lot of finger crossing. I find your arrogance most amusing as it spells out your abilities or lack off. Don't throw stones if you do not understand others abilities to reach for excellence. :D

Either that, or he is not old enough to have a sufficient number of years and images behind him to teach him how easy it is to forget!:D

Added...

Ahhh...that does explain it!

[rdenney]

i am now going to use a rubber

Highly recommended.

Rick "ahem!" Denney

[Steve M Hostetter]

let me ask this, what will the zone system tell me that a polaroid or a digital LCD display can not..?

[rdenney]

let me ask this, what will the zone system do for me that a polaroid or a digital LCD display can not..?

Provide pleasure.

Rick "who doesn't shoot large format just to make a picture" Denney

[bvstaples]

It sounds like you do not process your own film, use exposure compensation methods or utilize the zone system; maybe you do a lot of finger crossing. I find your arrogance most amusing as it spells out your abilities or lack off. Don't throw stones if you do not understand others abilities to reach for excellence. :D

Darlene:

Just curious, I know why you responded to Pablo, but it sounds to me that you're guilty of the same arrogance. I do process my own film, but don't use the zone system or any other detailed exposure compensation philosophy. I utilize the "Ultimate Exposure Computer" which is basically a "shoot from the hip" determination of the exposure. My darkroom techniques are standard: I don't do N+1/N-1 type processing, just soup the stuff up. My printing is also somewhat standard, with simple dodge/burn for adjustments, though I'm utilizing a semi-digital workflow more and more. I get the idea from your post that if one doesn't utilize certain methods that it signifies their "abilities or lack off" and that they perhaps don't "reach for excellence." Is this what you're trying to say? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Brian

[bvstaples]

For what it's worth, I utilize a small handheld digital voice recorder to take my notes. I can then download them into my laptop. I could convert them to text but I find the original voice files more interesting. It's sort of like a personal blog. I still have a Moleskin notebook I scribble in occasionally, but most notes at the camera are kept in the voice recorder.

I use to record everything technical about the shot: subject, detail, composition notes, time,place, light angles; film details, exposure details, possible processing notes, and then a waxing philosophical of why I took the shot. Over the years I've come up with a "short-hand" for most of what I was trying to record, so I could get to what I felt was the most important thing—the waxing philosophical. I found describing my creative vision and outlook on the scene before me more telling than the technical data. It held more personal value for me.

Brian

[Heroique]

With all the LF practitioners here, I was expecting this great wealth of helpful insights.

What is really surprising is how many Painters, Poets, and Story-tellers are among us. (That might explain some of the acute sensitivities being defended, too.)

Quite a multi-talented crowd:


Sometimes I'll sketch the scene first, if it is a landscape [...]


[...] Sometimes I record my thoughts, but these generally go into a notebook I carry. [...]


[...] Most importantly, I make a quick pencil sketch to aid developing by inspection. As a side point, I have become increasingly interested in how my photography and sketching/painting have been influenced by the other. […]


Cold, rain, dull sad light
Disappointment fixed and dried
Forums are more fun. [Ed. note: a "poem from the field" by Struan Gray]


I have […] 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. [...]


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 […] scene sketch. […] It's really quick to fill out, even with the quick scene sketch taking only a minute or so. […]


[…] My notes often include drawings. […]



This will be a great shot, I’m hopin’
I love how the landscape is slopin’
The light is just right
The bellows are tight
And I remembered to shoot not wide open


[...] Over the years I've come up with a "short-hand" for most of what I was trying to record, so I could get to what I felt was the most important thing—the waxing philosophical. I found describing my creative vision and outlook on the scene before me more telling than the technical data. It held more personal value for me.

[darr]

Darlene:

Just curious, I know why you responded to Pablo, but it sounds to me that you're guilty of the same arrogance. I do process my own film, but don't use the zone system or any other detailed exposure compensation philosophy. I utilize the "Ultimate Exposure Computer" which is basically a "shoot from the hip" determination of the exposure. My darkroom techniques are standard: I don't do N+1/N-1 type processing, just soup the stuff up. My printing is also somewhat standard, with simple dodge/burn for adjustments, though I'm utilizing a semi-digital workflow more and more. I get the idea from your post that if one doesn't utilize certain methods that it signifies their "abilities or lack off" and that they perhaps don't "reach for excellence." Is this what you're trying to say? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Brian

Brian,

You misunderstand my post. Whatever way works for you, then do it. :)

As someone that has spent over twenty years teaching and fifteen years living off my sole income as a photographer, I tend to get annoyed when someone pokes fun at others doing their thing. I find the need to keep records during shoots since I use the zone system from exposure through development. I also rack out my bellows, pull long exposures when necessary, and push/pull film. I myself cannot simply shoot film at the manufactures ASA or process according to the label as I found in the beginning of my photography endeavors, the results looked anemic for me and I wanted more in my work. For the photographers that "shoot from the hip," more power to them. I kind of do that with my D200 and a zoom lens (but add post processing in LR or PS also follows which is not really "shooting from the hip" if I add my time into it).

LF for me is a process that I enjoy and part of the process is the journey to the result which for me requires: previsualization, exposure compensation and sometimes a re shoot IF I do not keep track of what I have done and need to do next.

Kind regards,
Darr

[Jiri Vasina]

When I seriously started photography (in the old analog times ten years ago :) ) with 35mm I did not take any notes.

When I moved in format to MF (Pentax 6x7cm) I tried to keep some notes, but forgot quite often. (that's also true for 4x5", especially when I shoot color)

As I moved even larger to 13x18cm/5x8", I keep notes on each photo: date, location, holder number, lens, aperture, time, filters used and also development (N, N-1, N+1). It helps me a lot, especially when I want to find what I did wrong. Also, I can then decide which equipment is used so seldom as to being unnecessary. And it only takes such a short time to write that few notes down, especially when I compare it with the time spent preparing the shot...

I understand that some people do not need it (though I don't understand the notion of it being anal), but for me it's just part of the LF experience...

Jiri

[pablo batt]

i prefer to bracket, shutters slow/speed up in differing temps, shit happens but im certainly not going to interrupt the pleasure by writing in my spreadsheet a load of unnecessary and ANAL info that is just not helpful at all.

none of this is quanta physics you know, well it is, but i just dont like rocket science

no image is ever going to beat the just being there experience, soak it up ,take a deep breath and click, click, and there you go, then sit back and enjoy the true original through the best camera you will ever own , your eyes.

leave spreadsheets for accountants.

[Brian Ellis]

Highly recommended.

Rick "ahem!" Denney

I had the same thought. Surprisingly considerate of him, wouldn't you say? While there's no fix for what's already out there, at least he's making sure it goes no further. :)

[The Lazy Painter]

i prefer to bracket, shutters slow/speed up in differing temps, shit happens but im certainly not going to interrupt the pleasure by writing in my spreadsheet a load of unnecessary and ANAL info that is just not helpful at all.

none of this is quanta physics you know, well it is, but i just dont like rocket science

no image is ever going to beat the just being there experience, soak it up ,take a deep breath and click, click, and there you go, then sit back and enjoy the true original through the best camera you will ever own , your eyes.

leave spreadsheets for accountants.

I'd prefer to develope the skills to get the shot right in one take, instead of having to bracket and waste money/time processing multiple sheets of film. Especially as I want to move towards working in the wet plate process, where bracketing is much less practical.

I'd also have to disagree that making notes is a waste of time, for a beginner like myself I find having detailed notes is incredibly useful as it allows me to analyze the resulting image and the conditions that created it. I'd agree that it's not essential to have detailed notes to make good pictures, but for learning and developing your craft they can be very helpful.

To each their own though, it sounds like you're more interested in the experience then the results. The line "no image is ever going to beat the just being there experience" is interesting to me as it's the reason I got into photography. I want to learn how to share my subjective experience with others through photography, the more I understand all the facets of making a strong image the easier I'll be able to convey my feelings to others. It sounds like you're more interested in making snapshots as momentos for yourself, very different motivations. I don't understand why you'd denigrate others because they have a different motivation for their work, seems like an insular way to interact with people.

[sun of sand]

I don't think he misunderstood anything there, Darr.

Not saying it wasn't just as fair to say
but hardly a misunderstanding of what you were saying

Your "clarification" doesn't have any of that in it but that doesn't mean you didn't say it




I think we need another poem in the thread
Give it a title and you could win


lovely cherry trees
oh nooo oh no jesus please
don't on ground glass sneeze

I like it

[darr]

I don't think he misunderstood anything there, Darr.

Not saying it wasn't just as fair to say
but hardly a misunderstanding of what you were saying

Your "clarification" doesn't have any of that in it but that doesn't mean you didn't say it




I think we need another poem in the thread
Give it a title and you could win


lovely cherry trees
oh nooo oh no jesus please
don't on ground glass sneeze

I like it

???

[Heroique]

i prefer to bracket, shutters slow/speed up in differing temps, shit happens but im certainly not going to interrupt the pleasure by writing in my spreadsheet a load of unnecessary and ANAL info that is just not helpful at all.

none of this is quanta physics you know, well it is, but i just dont like rocket science

no image is ever going to beat the just being there experience, soak it up ,take a deep breath and click, click, and there you go, then sit back and enjoy the true original through the best camera you will ever own , your eyes.

leave spreadsheets for accountants.

Pablo, forgive me if I’m mistaken, but either you don’t quite mean what you say, or perhaps you don’t quite say what you mean. Either way, there may be points in your post for which I feel an unaccountable and chilly sympathy.

My imagination tells me that the following “version” of your post might have been more representative of your thoughts:


I prefer to bracket since, for example, shutter speed can vary with temperature – but despite making this and other occasional technical considerations, I’m certainly not going to allow them to interrupt my pleasure by accounting for and recording them. That’s neither helpful nor pleasurable to me.

Indeed, doing so is plain distracting – and besides, I just don’t like the difficulty of it all.

Let’s put it this way: when I consider the technical part of my image, I begin losing the enjoyment and immediacy of just “being there.”

Heck, I can be more direct still: The whole photographic process is secondary to me. It interferes with why I’m out there in the first place – to soak it up, to take a deep breath, to sit back and enjoy the un-mediated scene through the best “camera” I will ever possess, my own eyes.

Yes, I recognize this approach runs counter to what many others have shared in this thread. And I’m pleased to acknowledge that approach – even if I don’t accept it, even if it’s all quite alien to me – since, after all, you are generous enough to acknowledge mine. :)

[JohnGC]

Really lousy my memory is,
So detailed notes I write and write.
F-stop, factors and all the biz,
I put it down and keep it tight,
Three pages worth, so fast, it's a wiz.

Sometimes, when the shot is right,
I'm having so much fun, that is,
I get so lost within the sight.
kinda like when we were kids,
it's then you know, I forget to write!


Not very good, I know, but poetry isn't I want to be famous for...:D

[seabird]

leave spreadsheets for accountants.

Please refer my earlier post: I AM an accountant - but I also enjoy making images with my LF gear.:)

Cheers

[Andrew O'Neill]

date, film holder no., film & format, subject/location, low reading, high reading, N, EI, Filter & factor, Reciprocity, Bellows Ext, Adjusted N (if any due to filters), Exposure,
Developer.

If the subject permits, these are filled in before exposure. When I'm rushed, the bolded headings absolutely must be filled in, otherwise I will forget.
Sometimes a sketch the subject and write notes about lighting, weather, how windy, etc. Funny thing though, when I look at the negatives years later, I can remember the situation quite clearly, and events leading up to it.

[pablo batt]

I prefer to bracket since, for example, shutter speed can vary with temperature – but despite making this and other occasional technical considerations, I’m certainly not going to allow them to interrupt my pleasure by accounting for and recording them. That’s neither helpful nor pleasurable to me.

Indeed, doing so is plain distracting – and besides, I just don’t like the difficulty of it all.

Let’s put it this way: when I consider the technical part of my image, I begin losing the enjoyment and immediacy of just “being there.”

Heck, I can be more direct still: The whole photographic process is secondary to me. It interferes with why I’m out there in the first place – to soak it up, to take a deep breath, to sit back and enjoy the un-mediated scene through the best “camera” I will ever possess, my own eyes.

Yes, I recognize this approach runs counter to what many others have shared in this thread. And I’m pleased to acknowledge that approach – even if I don’t accept it, even if it’s all quite alien to me – since, after all, you are generous enough to acknowledge mine.

now why would i want to waffle on like that, Europeans get to the point ,we dont need to overplay politeness , we are thicker skinned than us citizens lol

[William McEwen]

Safelights are red
Bad stop bath is blue
Damn neg is overdeveloped
Should have been N minus two

[sun of sand]

I prefer to bracket since, for example, shutter speed can vary with temperature – but despite making this and other occasional technical considerations, I’m certainly not going to allow them to interrupt my pleasure by accounting for and recording them. That’s neither helpful nor pleasurable to me.

Indeed, doing so is plain distracting – and besides, I just don’t like the difficulty of it all.

Let’s put it this way: when I consider the technical part of my image, I begin losing the enjoyment and immediacy of just “being there.”

Heck, I can be more direct still: The whole photographic process is secondary to me. It interferes with why I’m out there in the first place – to soak it up, to take a deep breath, to sit back and enjoy the un-mediated scene through the best “camera” I will ever possess, my own eyes.

Yes, I recognize this approach runs counter to what many others have shared in this thread. And I’m pleased to acknowledge that approach – even if I don’t accept it, even if it’s all quite alien to me – since, after all, you are generous enough to acknowledge mine.


Dude ..wtf?

Are you going to sit here and tell me you couldn't quite understand him and yet can reword his sentiment for him

Your revison sounds like an acedemic intellectual ass

[sun of sand]

I like the poetry

I made a good contribution to this thread

[Steve M Hostetter]

a guy named ansel came up with the zone
back when cars wound up and Percy Killbride (Pa Kettle) was half grown
i asked this chic darlene why she's so set in her ways
she said shut the fu.. up grasshopper can't you see i'm the master these days

I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee
i'll smoke you like a bad habbit if you mess with me
I know you think I'm slow cause I go by the book
but I'll run circles around you till you lose that look

I know she won't answer my questions cause she's above all that
so i'll just sit here and twiddle my thumbs like some snot nosed brat
anymore when I hear she's in town
i'll put my tail between my legs and run with a drooling frown

I know you think i'm a pud for letting a girl pick on me
but what you don't know is she's that bad roller derby queen from Tallahassee

[Mark Sawyer]

I just list the basics on a stick-on post-it note. Lens, f/stop, shutter speed if it's worth noting, and the development time, which is calculated along with the exposure as its counterpart. I keep the notes coordinated with the negative through processing, then transfer the info to the negative sleeve, along with the date. On a few sleeves, if I think I'll be printing the negative again, I add printing info, like burn/dodge contour maps or contrast notes. Not a formula for replication, but a starting point for next time.

I'm starting to think, though, that when making notes in the field, I should also list an excuse for why I won't like the negative. It would save time coming up with excuses later...

[Struan Gray]

lovely cherry trees
oh nooo oh no jesus please
don't on ground glass sneeze

Give it a title and you could win


"A breathtaking view"

or

"A viewtaking breath"


<ontopic>
I used to take lots of notes, and still do when I'm trying anything new like dabbling in strobe lighting. But for my normal landscapes I work in areas I know, I use one film, which is colour so it only offers very restricted development manipulations, and I simply know how I like to expose it. Taking notes just drowns the muse in paperwork. I do bracket depth of field to cover my bases on the bokeh front.

It helps that I never have any difficulty remembering where I took a particular shot. *When* causes me endless problems, but I can recall where I was standing, and find it on a large scale map, for several years after exposure. That reduces the need to note down subject details.
</ontopic>

[Renato Tonelli]

Nice survey on the different approaches people have.
I strive to take notes but often don't as when I am shooting a scene and will expose several sheets as the cloud formations change.
I still have a nice stash of the Zone VI sheets to record exposure and some of my own. I think it's useful to keep information and go over it: keeps me sharper. I just wish I would exercise more discipline.

[Oren Grad]

For LF, I scribble down for each sheet the film holder ID, lens, shutter speed and aperture. When I get back home I transcribe the information into a permanent log along with the camera, film, location and date. If I suspect something might have gone wrong I'll add a brief note with relevant details so I can check against the negatives after I've developed the film.

[Diane Maher]

I usually write down where I am, the camera and lens used, film and ISO, filter(s) used, and aperture and shutter speed. Sometimes I will write my thoughts down, but that is usually after the exposure has been made or during a long exposure. I use a Rite in the Rain journal.

[eric mac]

A lot of great ideas here. I use pre printed index cards with the usual info that eventually goes in to the sleeve next to the negative. I do like the idea of notating where you placed an important object into which Zone. I think I will add this to my cards.


Eric

[Mark Sampson]

I used to use the Zone VI notebook. It's still in the camera bag but I've been too lazy to use it this year, which is a mistake. I've lost several shots through not keeping track, and that has to stop. I also bought an original "Ansel Adams Exposure Record" notebook, the prototype for the Z-VI one, for a dollar; but it's far more complicated than I need, and is more an interesting artifact than a working tool.

[bgh]

Moleskine notebook, gridded pages. I sometimes think that I keep a photo log just because I love these notebooks! The little elastic band that keeps it shut is way cool, to my way of thinking anyway.

Content? Date, subject, film holder no., lens, aperture and speed, camera movements, and, on occasion, developing notes (I'm only now learning how to make those decisions...). I don't bother with recording any other thoughts--the images are what trigger my memories, and it is the rare occasion when I have something profound, or even of interest, to say.

But, let's face it--content is secondary to the fun of writing in my Moleskines!

[Diane Maher]

I usually write down where I am, the camera and lens used, film and ISO, filter(s) used, and aperture and shutter speed. Sometimes I will write my thoughts down, but that is usually after the exposure has been made or during a long exposure. I use a Rite in the Rain journal.
I forgot to add that I do write down the film holder number. :o

[Ron Marshall]

I've gotten lazy of late, but for the first couple of years shooting LF I recorded the highlight and shadow readings for each image, as well as the exposure I used.

[Aahx]

I take notes depending on what I am photographing. For my color transparancy landscape stuff I generaly don't bother. As I am running test shots with Fuji instant prior too the final image I see what I am going to get. If i am testing new equipment I take very detailed notes. If I am doing painting with light, or night photos that require resprocity adjustments I also take notes. Pretty much any notes I do take I write with a light felt tip on the Quickload sleeve before or after the shot. And then transpose it later at the office or home to a notebook before film development. I also will put notes on the back of Fujiroids as well on occasion. It realy depends on the circomstances, and the complexity of what I am photographing.

Now would I bother with an Iphone app to put notes in? Hmm.. possibly but only to replace the transposing i do later at the office/home as a means of recording what I do to then move to my mainframe. I will still do the initial notes on the quickload sheets/Fujiroids for my workflow. As this means the notes for each image are always matched with the film sheets prior to the processing. Writing a few quick notes with a felt tip, is more time efficant for me that loading up an app... and proceding through menu's to type in notes via an abysmaly small keyboard with my thick fingers. Bottom line in the field I often would rather spend the time taking the next shot than staring at a Iphone.

[William McEwen]

Moleskine notebook, gridded pages. I sometimes think that I keep a photo log just because I love these notebooks! The little elastic band that keeps it shut is way cool, to my way of thinking anyway.

Content? Date, subject, film holder no., lens, aperture and speed, camera movements, and, on occasion, developing notes (I'm only now learning how to make those decisions...). I don't bother with recording any other thoughts--the images are what trigger my memories, and it is the rare occasion when I have something profound, or even of interest, to say.

But, let's face it--content is secondary to the fun of writing in my Moleskines!

Moleskine notebooks are terrific.

[Renato Tonelli]

Moleskine notebook, gridded pages. I sometimes think that I keep a photo log just because I love these notebooks! The little elastic band that keeps it shut is way cool, to my way of thinking anyway.

.....

But, let's face it--content is secondary to the fun of writing in my Moleskines!

:D
I got a big kick out of this; I totally identify with it. I am more diligent taking notes whenever I have one of these notebooks with me. And how about that little flap in the back? I cut a small piece of 18% gray card and put it there - handy for close ups of flowers and the like. Naturally, I wished that the Moleskine would be waterproof as well.:D

[nathanm]

I used my digital camera to do voice annotation one time, which was more or less a test to see how it worked. It's kinda cool, you can have Adobe Bridge play the sound when you click on the thumbnail. If I was really dilligent or was going to shoot a lot of stuff I'd probably do that again, but for the most part I don't write anything down. Numbering systems can get dicey once the film leaves the holder.

A little exposure\camera setup video probably wouldn't be a bad idea either, for posterity. Although said video could disprove any impressive story you may wish to give about your would-be famous photograph.

[William McEwen]

Picker's version:

I still keep the notebook in my camera bag -- it's been about 25 years now! But I use regular small notebook paper, and not the pre-printed Zone VI sheets. I did record every exposure faithfully on the Zone VI sheets for many years, though.

Photo of notebook and sheet here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/williammcewen/3845916514/

[ImSoNegative]

I always keep a small notebook in my backpack, i write down holder number, exposure time, f stop, filter if one is used and developing time i will use.

[ic-racer]

I only keep notes when doing a test or diagnosing a problem. Othewise, no pre-processing notes. I do keep brief processing notes for every rool or sheet I have ever processed. On rare occasion I may include some info about the exposure, lens, camera or location in the processing record.

[jvuokko]

I write notes. On all formats I use (35mm, 120 and 4x5).
When I photograph handheld with 35mm or 120, I tend to write down only subjects. The lens, filtration, exposure times etc. are extra that I write if I have time.
Mostly it's enought to write down the subject..

When doing more serious photography with 120 and LF, I make always careful notes.
I don't use any kind of exposure card. Instead I use just ordinary notebooks where I write freely the subject, perhaps time of day, sometimes my feelings, the thing that get my atraction first, my visualization...
The way I metered light, zones, filtration, sometimes even tilt/shift if I am at doubt that I am working at the limits of the camera.

Sometimes I draw a rough scetch of the scene, marking important tones. Sometimes I wrote couple of pages about the photograph process, plans how to develop or just about my feelings.

It really has become kind a photography journal to me. Have do it so long, that I cannot imagine of taking photographs without writing things down on the notebook.

I might even write if I have migraine or I am really need of taking a d*mp.. The notes has all kind of information that might only have memorial purpose or might explain why I made stupid error..

About twenty years ago I tried to use formal exposure record cards, but they just didn't work with my style. There was always too few room for notes and everything felt restrictive.

One thing that I have found is that now when many of the negatives has scanned and I should build some kind of database, I haven't yet figured out the best way to put all that data to the computer.
Perhaps I keep them only at my notebooks :)


The notebook is also valuable tool. I have all kinds of precalculated data, mnemonics, formulas etc. written down to the notebooks. This information I transfer always from old notebook to the new.

[ljb0904]

I use my iBrain. But I have a problem with hard drive crashes...

[Gary L. Quay]

My time behind the camera isn't leisurely enough for good notes. I use the exposure records that Ansel Adams developed for the Zone System, and sometimes I remember to write stuff on them.

--Gary