What do you do to help yourself in the field?

[C. D. Keth]

Tips and tricks threads are always nice. I thought it might be nice to hear what people do back at home to help make shooting a little easier or better.

I'm a label freak. I print p-touch labels for nearly everything. I like to give myself lots of information in useful forms so I don't have to calculate or rummage for answers when I'm shooting. I like the uninterrupted creative thought it facilitates.

I have a few tiny charts on the back of my meter: exposure for expanded and contracted development, reciprocity corrections, and the focus spread chart from this website.

All of my filters get the stop correction on the edge, and that same information goes on my filter wallet thing in case the small label comes off.

Finally- and this is my favorite- all of my lenses gets a chart on the board with bellows corrections in 1/3 stop increments out as far as my bellows will extend. I just have to choose the closest correction or interpolate between them for chromes.


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8357/8274502684_7e5f058a70_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/79873735@N03/8274502684/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/79873735@N03/8274502684/) by CKeth (http://www.flickr.com/people/79873735@N03/), on Flickr

[papac]

There was some nice ideas. Liked the bellows extension list, most helpful.

I my self have a hard time with numbers, never been a friend of math, so I have to come up with thing that help me with that. When I shoot LF I have done a form that works for me. It´s a work in progress so when I come up with something new to test I just edit the psd-file and print some new.

I get two forms from a A4 printing paper. Cut it and fold it. One side pre printed with thing I easy just ring in , underscore or write with help of the pre print. I got the other sides in the fold to take notes, drawings or what I need at the moment. When developed and the neg is in a envelop I keep that in the fold as long as I work with that image. When I archive it I put the neg on one side and the note on the other.

This helps me remember what I have done and also helps me figuring out 1 stop here and 1 stop there. I´m not new to f-stops, been shooting film fore some 35 year but I still need some help on my way. For me It´s always been better to know where to find everything rather then to remember all things:)

With this system the notes can follow the neg from shoot to archive and there is plenty of room to add notes that comes up during the process.

There are some iPhone apps I use to complement this, Field tools and Reciprocity Timer.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8077/8274811090_e56398bc4c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/papac/8274811090/)
exp.form (http://www.flickr.com/photos/papac/8274811090/) by papac_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/papac/), on Flickr

[jcoldslabs]

What do I do to help myself in the field? Not nearly enough! Thanks for the post. You guys are giving me ideas.

Jonathan

[Chuck P.]

I have my exposure record card that I print on 5x8 index cards, but I don't take the cards into the field. I will dictate the exposure notes, holder ID, etc.. into a small digital voice recorder----i hate writing notes in the field. When I get home or in the truck before leaving, I will put those notes on the cards. For things such as filter factors, bellows extension, reciprocity adjustments, hyper focal distances, etc..., I keep them on a small 4x6 index cards that are spiral bound for easy access.

8546885469

[Brian Ellis]

I help myself in the field by keeping everything as simple as possible and no longer carry around or make charts, notes, cards, graphs, or anything else of that nature. I used to do all that - had my reciprocity chart, had my bellows extension card, had my ruler for measuring distances, and most importantly had my Casio pocket computer used with the BTZS system. But with a few years of experience and sticking to only one film, one developer, etc. I found that I never actually used any of that information for anything. I had great detailed records of everything I did, kept in order by date and subject matter for easy reference in the future but found that I had no reason to ever refer to any of it again.

Today all I record is the anticipated deviation from normal development time if any (i.e. N+1, N-1, etc.). I don't need charts for things like filter factors because I know them for the few filters I use or bellows compensation because I just use the 8x (some people use 10x) rule of thumb (if the object on which I'm focusing is farther away than 8x the focal length of the lens use no compensation, if it's a little closer open up a stop, it it's a lot closer open up two stops, all done by eyeballing).

If others feel that notes, charts, gadgets, labels, etc. help their photography that's fine for them, I wouldn't criticize anyone else's practices, we all have our own methods that hopefully work for us. But for me I found that most of that kind of thing just got in the way and I do much better (not to mention enjoying myself more) by keeping everything as simple as possible.

[Chuck P.]

....................but found that I had no reason to ever refer to any of it again.

I find the information most relevant when I've made mistakes and I make plenty of them; having notes to look back on can be quite rewarding.

[David Lobato]

To keep from losing caps I have sticky back Velcro on lens caps, meter cap, and other small items. Then have mating Velcro pieces on my tripod and head. It's quick to velcro small items to the tripod and keep them handy and out of the way. I also have an emergency space blanket, really a tarp, that comes out of the pack first, spread out on the dirt/grass/snow/sand/etc, then place onto it lenses/filters/film holders/meter/notebook/pencils/hat/glasses/jacket. This keeps items clean, harder to lose, and easier to access. One side is silver, the other side orange in case of emergency. I have also used it to crouch underneath during rain showers.

[ic-racer]

Tips and tricks threads are always nice. I thought it might be nice to hear what people do back at home to help make shooting a little easier or better.

Keth,
I think about things to make shooting easier quite a bit. However my setup is very much different from yours. I shoot B&W negatives and print on VC paper and use a view meter.
Therefore I don't need any development, or exposure 'compensation' in the field. With a view meter I meter a selected area of 'average' illumination and expose based on an exposure index that has worked for me for many many years. I don't use filters and carry only one lens. I can set up my 8x10, compose, focus and expose in a short time then be on to the next area of interest. I don't consider large format to be 'slow.' In fact the light I seek to photograph is frequently quite ephemeral and requires a rapid setup.

[ian kraus]

blue painters tape with film info on anything with film loaded

[Ari]

I keep it very simple: camera, lens, film, meter, tripod; extra information is stored in me noggin.

[drew.saunders]

Finally- and this is my favorite- all of my lenses gets a chart on the board with bellows corrections in 1/3 stop increments out as far as my bellows will extend. I just have to choose the closest correction or interpolate between them for chromes.

I do the same thing, but I focus each lens at infinity (conveniently there's a fairly tall office building that's far enough away from my apartment to qualify), then I measure the distance between the front of the front standard and rear of the rear standard, and make the chart based on that. Much easier than trying to figure out the film plane and lens nodal point. I also have a Calumet shutter tester, so I have the shutter corrections on the lensboard too.

[Chuck P.]

Finally- and this is my favorite- all of my lenses gets a chart on the board with bellows corrections in 1/3 stop increments out as far as my bellows will extend. I just have to choose the closest correction or interpolate between them for chromes.

I have the same bellows extension info on cards, but the more I look at the idea of putting it on the lens board, the more I like it----it's a good idea for those of us that care about such things.

[Jody_S]

To make life easier in the field? I keep a couple cans of beer in my camera case, and I always make sure to stop near a rock or log that is the right height to sit on.

[Heroique]

One might learn a practical lesson during one field trip – but forget it during the next field trip. :(

That’s why I write down “lessons learned” – and when I’m back home, I’ll add them to an ever-growing journal. During idle moments, I’ll page through it and astonish myself at what I’ve already forgotten.

Say, I have it right here near my screen. Let’s see, I’ll page back to some very early entries. Ah, here’s one from my early days that makes me chuckle at my former self:


“As you prepare the shot, don’t leave footprints where they’ll appear in the foreground of your composition.”

Avoiding that kind of mistake is second nature now, but I do recall making it a few too many times before I forced myself to write it down. Haven’t left footprints since! :D

[C. D. Keth]

I do the same thing, but I focus each lens at infinity (conveniently there's a fairly tall office building that's far enough away from my apartment to qualify), then I measure the distance between the front of the front standard and rear of the rear standard, and make the chart based on that. Much easier than trying to figure out the film plane and lens nodal point. I also have a Calumet shutter tester, so I have the shutter corrections on the lensboard too.

I just measure from the front of the lensboard to the front of the pocket where film holders sit. It's close enough. I guess if I ever get a telephoto design lens, I'll figure it out like you do for that lens.

[Vaughn]

I try to put everything away in the same spot in my pack each time.

[Ken Lee]

I listen to fine music or observe silence.

[cosmicexplosion]

So far I have two bags for dark slides. One for exposed one unexposed
I'm not yet sure how to develop for different exposures so writing down exposure time seems silly as I dev all the same, but I often mix up the dd especially in public when I'm talking.
I am thinking of getting bright coloured dot stickers from news agency to just pop on and go. Save taking two bags
I tried tape and writing but if your moving fast its hard to stop and write

[David R Munson]

The problem I have is that my mind skips around from thing to thing really quickly, so even when I'm relaxed and focused, I'll sometimes forget what I'm doing, skip a step, etc. Usually it doesn't matter much if at all, but sometimes it'll be something like forgetting to factor in my filter correctly or forgetting to meter, which can really screw things up. So, I've started using a checklist that's sort of a workflow model just so I don't miss any of the obvious steps. I'm also getting back to keeping detailed notes at the exposure stage. The point of note-taking for me is largely in the writing. I pretty much never refer to them later, but by writing things down, it's easier to internalize how I'm doing what I'm doing, why, and what effect that's having on the finished product.

[Peter Gomena]

I keep a small loose-leaf notebook, about 3x5", that has reciprocity charts for film, shutter speeds for various lenses, filter factors, etc. in it, along with blank pages for notes. Very handy. A small level and tiny tape measure for bellows extension, an old kitchen towel and a folded kitchen-sized garbage bag round out the exotic tools.

Peter Gomena

[John Kasaian]

I find that its not what I take with me, but rather what I leave behind that helps the most.

[Andrew O'Neill]

I try to be as organized as possible in the field, and as Vaughn said, "I try to put everything away in the same spot in my pack each time". It really helps to know where everything thing is, especially in those fleeting moments. I also have a large vest stuffed with stuff. Everything has its place.

[Cletus]

I keep a little Moleskine notebook with my holders. All my holders are notched so I can ID which holder a negative came from after development (ala WBM). When I load my holders, I number each of them in the notebook (1A-1; 1B-2; 2A-3; etc..). For each exposure I record: ISO (N+1, N-2, etc.), shutter speed, f-stop, filter used and a quick note on the subject. Sometimes I'll record the low, mid ansd high metered values if I need to figure out the development later.

Keeping these basic notes for each exposure that correlate with an individual holder helps with many things. When I load film in a motel, it helps me track the exposed film in the boxes. I can calculate optimum development time later in the DR, rather than on the fly when I have other things to think about. The notches in the holders have helped me learn how my filters work better than anything I've done before. If I have several exposures of the same thing using different filters, there's really no way to know which frame is which after development without the notched holders.

Keeping this little bit of info in the notebook is simple and a huge help later.

[Dan Fromm]

When I did a lot of closeup photography (flowers in the field, fish in aquaria, including a small portable photographic aquarium for field use, all 35 mm but the ideas carry over ...) I used flash rigs with little fixed output flashes. Three flavors of rig: flashes on bracket that attached to the camera body (that's what the tripod socket is for), on bracket that attached to the lens (that's what the filter threads are for), or a fixed distance from the photographic aquarium. Each rig was calibrated (aperture to use given magnification and ISO 25). Calibration tables taped to the flashes. Interpolating aperture linearly between the calibration magnifications was good enough.

This eliminated nearly all thinking about exposure when shooting flash close up. Aperture had to be tweaked for unusually dark or light subjects, that's all. My routine was: set magnification, look up aperture to use, set aperture, focus (by moving the camera and lens, not by changing magnification) and compose, push button. Note that with the first two types of rig flash-to-subject distance varies with magnification.

I now have a couple of similar flash rigs for my little Graphics. Fine for flowers when there's no wind, complete waste of time, film and processing for fish.

[ImSoNegative]

What do I do to help myself in the field? Not nearly enough! Thanks for the post. You guys are giving me ideas.

Jonathan

+1

[Vaughn]

...I'm not yet sure how to develop for different exposures so writing down exposure time seems silly as I dev all the same, but I often mix up the dd especially in public when I'm talking...

One advantage of at least taking minimal notes, is that when one gets a negative that is easy to print, and the paper and developer one uses makes the image sing -- then it is nice to go back to the record and see what went right!

But while I do keep fairly good notes, if things are moving fast (rare for me), I'd prefer to get the images on film first, then reconstruct the data as well as I can after the fact. My notebooks become a type of diary or journal...a 'hard copy' I can access without turning on a devise...well, perhaps a light bulb!

Back to making it easier in the field. One thing I take is a square (~14") of closed-cell foam...the type used by backpackers as sleeping pads before the invention of Thermo-rest pads. It is part of my home-made dividers/padding for the 8x10 pack (protecting the holders while hiking). But once the pack is opened, the pad is accessible and I can set things on it instead of directly on the ground. I can sit on it while waiting for the light to change, or for long exposures -- it keeps my behind dry, insulated, and padded against sharp point rocks and sticks!

Sample page of my notebook (Rite-In-the-Rain survey notebooks) below. I'll have to rescan this someday -- the pencil is difficult to scan. And just for fun, I have attached the scan of the platinum print made with the first negative on the page. This is from 2005, now I routinely include lens, film and format to the entry. Back in 2005, I only had one lens, and just 8x10. I went and complicated things by buying stuff!

[Chuck P.]

One advantage of at least taking minimal notes, is that when one gets a negative that is easy to print, and the paper and developer one uses makes the image sing -- then it is nice to go back to the record and see what went right!

But while I do keep fairly good notes, if things are moving fast (rare for me), I'd prefer to get the images on film first, then reconstruct the data as well as I can after the fact.

Exactly, taking good notes serves not only to diagnose what went wrong, but also to reinforce what went right. Things rarely move fast for me too, beside just not liking to write notes in the field anymore, I've found it a more fluid process to simply dictate my notes on a digital voice recorder so immediately after tripping the shutter the particulars about the exposure get recorded and sometimes the weather and prevailing light qualities.

[Preston]

I have a small notebook where I record some basic info. It has the film type and ISO, holder number, lens, exposure info, location and subject, and date.

When I shoot quickloads, I write the info on the envelope. I also have a box I made from a Fuji QL box that has two compartments; one for unexposed, and one for the exposed QL's. This prevents any confusion as to which is which. It's saved me a couple of times when I forgot to attach the 'Exposed' sticker over the clip.

Like others here, every item in my pack has its place and goes back into the same spot after use.

--P

[ROL]

blue painters tape with film info on anything with film loaded

Interesting. I use post-its.

I post this commercial parody again, only because it is sure to piss off rdenney (and everyone needs some French accordion music one and a while :p):



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAwIWZ9H3ZU

[Drew Bedo]

In-the-field I mostly use 210mm and 150mm lenses. The correction for the 210 is ~ 1/4 stop for each inch of extension and the correction for the 150 is 1/3 stop per inch. I try to keep lables off of my optical pieces, but do lable the filter wallet and each lensboard. Wish cameras came with a scale on the bed to help with extension measurements though.

To move things along, each lens has a short cable release already threaded on.
purlpe
I keep each piece of gear wrapped in a Crown Royal bag. When I pack-up any loose bags means there is a piece of gear still loose in the wilderness. This year I am trying to move to LightGear boxes from PhotoBackpacker.

While I keep trying to simplify the field kit, it always seems to be pretty heavy. . .gotta work on that!

[Ken Lee]

Interesting. I use post-its.

I post this commercial parody again, only because it is sure to piss off rdenney (and everyone needs some French accordion music one and a while :p):



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAwIWZ9H3ZU

Brilliant !

[David_Senesac]

All my exposure calculation is manually based on EV levels. So I have EV tables of shutter speed versus aperature for the 100 ASA Provia 100F film I use taped on my Gitzo tripod leg, the back of my Polaris lightmeter, and as spare loose reference sheets in my gear bag.

[mandoman7]

I've enjoyed reading about how others deal with field notes, which seems more relevant with LF than other mediums. Long ago I used to copy the forms out of Ansel's the Negative and fill them out for each shot. At some point the question of work flow arises, and when I'd get into shooting where there was repetition then I'd say screw the notes. But then, without notes you'd get penalized when problems come along and you can't remember what you did.

The thing I really like using now is this little palm sized recorder from Olympus, photo below. For one, I can record a lot more information quickly about a shot than with manual notes. I have my holders notched so I can link a great deal of information to a single sheet with this thing without stopping the work flow. The recorder is something that the press uses for interviews, I guess, but its basically a one button operation, and you can transfer the files to your pc later. In usage, I find that I also will record a lot of ideas and inspirations for later consideration that normally are forgotten before you get home, about things to bring next time or whatever. Its also useful to hear my own comments made during a shot, with waves breaking in the background for instance, when I'm scanning the film to get a sense of what I was thinking at the time.


86276

[mathieu Bauwens]

Have a good pair of shoes

86929

[cosmicexplosion]

I just came back from holidays at mystery bay in NSW Australia...just down the coast, and I took my new stable system comprising of sinar stabiliser to use my sinar P2 108 in the field, its a no head rig and very solid but heavy, so what I brought along is just a regular truck trolley and stapped my box of sinar bits on and carried tripod with said stabelizer over shoulder.

it was actually very good. I went down some basic beach paths and general tracks and sand fine, and made it possible.

I also found that shooting with out head easier than I had thought.

the stabelizer held strong in steady onshore winds, with no visible vibration with out umbrella buffer, though I did use when shooting!

[johnmsanderson]

I rarely take notes, but when I do its on my phone either text or voice recorded. I shoot color so I don't have use for many filters besides the occasional polarizer. When I'm working I like to get the shot and move to the next thing. There are times when I wish I noted f stop though, especially when learning a new format.

[John Kasaian]

I always take along a sense of humor

[Preston]

I always take along a sense of humor

Perfect!

--P

[bobwysiwyg]

I always take along a sense of humor

Yup, right next to my humility.