Negative Archival and Numbering System

[Vlad Soare]

Hello,

What system do you use to number and identify your large format negatives, and to quickly find the negative that a certain print has been made from? I have a system that works well with small and medium format negatives, but it doesn't quite seem to suit large format ones.
I'd like to hear about your methods. I could use some ideas. :)

Thank you.

[Michael Graves]

I'm supposed to identify and file them?

[David de Gruyl]

I'm also at a loss. I wish I could number and file them, but somehow I just toss them in a box and shuffle when I am looking for a particular negative to print.

Needless to say, this is suboptimal.

Why not extend your system for smaller formats?

[jslabovitz]

I've only started shooting large format (5x7), but so far what's worked is adopting my roll-film system, which I've used since 1997: each roll is identified with a code representing the date it was started (eg, today's code would be "110126"; if I shot another roll, it would be "110126b"), followed by a sequence number for the shot -- so the fifth image on a roll started today would be called "110126.05".

This gives me several advantages:

- I don't have to keep track of any absolute roll or other long-running sequence numbers. If I am shooting many rolls/shots during a day, I generally have them all with me, so I can figure out the next identifier.

- The identifier sorts well (except for pre-2000 shots) in a file browser or image-management application.

- The identifier is not biased towards any particular project, camera, etc., so I don't run into the issue of needing multiple identifiers for the same image.

For large-format, I've simply figured that anything shot on a given date counts as one roll, and the individual shots are numbered according to the order they were shot. So I end up using the same sort of identifier.

When I use a particular negative, I use the same identifier on the scan file, print, web page, etc. (This doesn't work, of course, if I combine multiple negatives, but I don't often do that.)

Hope this helps.

[Leigh]

I use the same system for all formats:

nYYMMDDrr-ff

n = format identifier
YYMMDD = date
rr = roll or sheet number
-ff = frame number, for prints from roll film

I maintain a subject index that cross-references to the individual roll or frame.

This system works nicely with computer databases.

- Leigh

[Jeff Bannow]

All rolls of film are marked with a unique code, to help identify and track negatives and prints.

The format is as follows:
YYMMDD-#SS-FF
YY – year / MM – month / DD – day / # – roll number for that date /
SS – format code / FF – frame number

Ex.: 960515-166-08 is the 8th frame from the 1st roll of 6x6 film, from May 15th, 1996.

Format codes:

DIG – digital “negatives”
35 – 35mm
35S – 35mm slide
645 – 6x4.5 (120)
66 – 6x6 (120)
67 – 6x7 (120)
69 – 6x9 (120)
612 – 6x12 (120)
45 – 4x5
810 – 8x10

[ic-racer]

For rollfilm I started at #1 back in 1975 and just have numbered each roll consecutively for each format.

For LF I number each negative file page only with date of processing.

I figure the date is all I need to record. Since I don't include the sun or moon in my images, it will be difficult for the workers at the High Altitude Observatory at Boulder, Colorado to date my famous images....:)

[Bruce Barlow]

For sheet film, I write the identifier on the film edge with a Staedtler .1mm pen:

FYYNN, where F is Format (8 for 8x10, 5 for 5x7, 4 for 4x5)
YY is year (10, now 11) and NN is the consecutive number.

The pen's nice because it shows up on the proof.

[Ben Syverson]

My rollfilm numbering is in the format:
FFF-RRRR-NN
Where FFF is the format, RRRR is the roll number with leading zeros, and NN is the frame number. So 135-0149-30.psd would be the 30th frame of the 149th roll of 135 in my archive. This has the advantage of grouping nicely when you sort by filename on the computer. When possible I note the dates on the PrintFile negative page.

I also have a low-contrast 1200 dpi "contact scan" of every roll of film—like a contact sheet, it's just a scan of the whole negative page. That way I can refer back to a roll easily, and at 1200 dpi, I can see which frames are grossly out of focus. Those filenames take the same format, but instead of the frame number, I add the camera used:
135-0149-hexar.jpg

I'm not as careful with sheet film when it comes to numbering. However, I have digital photos that correspond to every sheet of film I've shot, so it's always possible to know the date and time.

[Vlad Soare]

Thank you.
My system for small and medium formats is similar to those presented here, though not as detailed. I just mark the year, the format, and a three digit sequence number, based on the assumption that I'll probably never shoot more than 999 films per year. Then on the back of each print I write a code like "09M007/5", which means the fifth frame on the seventh film made in 2009. Different formats go in different folders, and one PrintFile page contains one film. Other details, like date, subject, location, etc. are written on a small label in a corner of the page.
Encoding the shooting date in the negative's identifier would not work for me, because I almost never shoot a whole film in one day. In fact, with 35mm, it's not uncommon for me to shoot a film over the course of one or even two months. :)

I tried to use the same system with large format, but I didn't know how to define one film. I may take one picture today, two tomorrow, one next week, and so on. That's why I tried to consider each sheet as being one film, and giving each sheet a three digit sequence number. Like "10P037" meaning the 37th sheet shot in 2010 (the P stands for the Romanian word designating large format sheets). It does work, but I think it would be nicer if I could find a criterion for grouping the sheets somehow. Maybe I'll try to consider "one film" as being all sheets shot in the same week or month. Or maybe I'll regard every four sheets of 4x5" (and every one sheet of 8x10") as one film, to make one "film" correspond to one PrintFile page, like it does with smaller formats. :)

Bruce, I like your idea of writing the code directly on the sheet of film. It never occurred to me to do that. I'll try it.

Jeff, I think I've discovered a bug in your system. :D
Would 1645 mean the first 645 film, or the 16th 4x5"? :D

[Doremus Scudder]

Vlad,

My simple and low-tech filing method: First, all negatives are shot in holders that have number notches in the flaps, so the negs have the numbers exposed on them (except for the shots in which there are clear areas around the notches...).

These go in roughly numerical order into PrintFile pages (4 negs to a page) and then into PrintFile binders (I don't know if you can get that system where you are... but you should be able to find something similar). I file the contact proof sheets and the original exposure records (1 per shot) made in the field together with the negs in the binders. This means I have negative, proof and exposure info all together.

The binders are numbered in succession. When printing, the printing record (these are now all in Word.doc files for me, one per print series made) gets the number of the binder followed by the number of the negative along with title, description and printing info. For example: Neg. no: 24/52 (binder 24, neg 52) Title: Sand and Driftwood Date: 3 Jan. 2007 then paper/grade/developer, etc., etc.

I have holders numbered from 1- 100 and use them in succession. Sometimes I have two negatives of the same number in the same binder, but they are far apart chronologically and in the binders. The subject and the date on the printing records make locating them easy.

I keep a separate Word.doc with the approx. dates of the negs in each binder.

I'm up to about 30 binders of keeper negs now and have no problem finding negs when I need to reprint.

Best,

Doremus Scudder

[Jeff Bannow]

Jeff, I think I've discovered a bug in your system. :D
Would 1645 mean the first 645 film, or the 16th 4x5"? :D

Good point - Good thing I don't shoot much 6x4.5. :)
(Currently shot 1 roll of it.)

[Milton Tierney]

I only shoot 4x5’s. With my LF I number them by state , color neg or color positive or black and white, then a consecutive number. Example: MD_BW_257 or VA_CP_301

After scanning I make a contacts by state, four per 8.5x11 paper. The contact sheet as the file number of each image and then the contact sheet is filed by state. Each film is stored in its own sleeve and that is stored in an individual envelope along with exposure, date & development notes. The film number is written on the envelope in pencil. The film and contacts are stored separately. I use Lightroom to make the contact sheets and to make any other needed info.

[rguinter]

My system is similar to ic-racer described in his post #7 but a little more involved.

My first roll of MF was labeled 001 way back when I first started shooting. With the various cameras I have I can produce 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, 16, 18, or 30-shots on a roll. So the number of any particular shot would be that number placed after the roll number: e.g., 547-15.

For large format I've done 4x5-inch and 8x10-inch only since starting. These are labeled incrementally according to indivual shots: e.g., LF-547.

I keep separate hard-bound field notebooks for MF and LF and before a book is started I number the pages with a hand-stamp: for MF each page is consecutive and for LF I use 4-lines for each increment.

Since I carry the respective field notebook with each camera kit I simply keep notes within the numbered area on each page immediately as I'm shooting: e.g., camera, lens, film type, holder number (if applicable), subject, eV of the scene, and exposure data.

After the film is developed I go back to the field notebook and I place a number in the left margin that indicates how close my exposure was to what I intended: e.g., (0) means perfect exposure, (-1) means 1-stop underexposed, (2) means 2-stops overexposed, etc.

Sometimes a bit time consuming to do all this in the field but it quickly builds an invaluable reference of what exposures work well, with what equipment, under what lighting conditions, etc.

Been my system for more than twenty years of MF and LF photography.

Bob G.

[Stephen Willard]

I am a landscape photographer, and what helps me manage my images is location information. I do not care what year or format is used. I sell prints and not formats. Everything I do is about locations of where I will be going, and what photographs I took while I was there. Its the image location that counts. So I use an encoding that encapsulates location.

The encoding is simply PL-SL-dd where

PL is a two character abbreviation of the primary location
SL is a two character abbreviation of the secondary location
dd is a two digit sequence number of the photographs that I took at that location

For example, the photograph CB-RG-03 was the third image I took at Crested Butte (CB) Colorado up the Rustlers Gulch (RG) drainage. This encoding has made it a lot easier for me to manage my images than using a date based cataloging system. I know that Rustlers Gulch is filled with wildflowers, and if I want images of wildflowers, then I will go to the alphabetical location of CB-RG and there will be a number of images of wildflowers.

For the record I shoot 4x10 and 5x7 and both formats are mixed together, but sorted by my location numbering scheme.