Keeping track of negatives in the field

[Kermit Burroughs]

Honestly unsure what forum this best went in, so Mods, feel free to move.

How do you keep track of sheet film in the field? Let say you take a primary and a backup of each shot. You could have 2 boxes for primary and backup, but if you developed a primary neg and decided you want to change development for the backup,you'd never know which neg was the backup?
(Now that I'm typing this, I guess you just keep your negs in order and have notes on which is which?)

Last trip I didn't keep track so the backups amounted to nothing but a spare. Not bad in itself, but not the desired outcome.

Is there any really good way to do this?

[Lenny Eiger]

Is there any really good way to do this?

Well, what you are talking about is having a spare to develop differently. I would say that the best way is to get confident about your choice of development and not need a second sheet. If you are this organized already you should be able to nail it.... every time.

<Unabashed plug>If you want a great note taker, you can consider my iPhone app, PhotoToolsPro - see it in the New Product section.</Unabashed plug>

Good luck,

Lenny

[BetterSense]

Have enough film holders to not have to unload them in the field?

[Kermit Burroughs]

Have enough film holders to not have to unload them in the field?

That would get pretty heavy!

[Lenny Eiger]

That would get pretty heavy!

If you're talking 4x5, I think not. I have a small backpack and used to stick 10-12 holders in there. It's very reasonable for an afternoon of shooting. (The rest of them can be in the car.) Weight is all the more reason to take one shot per photo.

And 4x5 holders are dirt cheap. You can buy used ones for very little, in packs of 10 or so. Not so with 8x10's.....

Lenny

[Kermit Burroughs]

Yes, 4x5, but I'm talking possibly a couple of miles to hike. Not positive at this point.
But, even if I tote in 12 holders (very doable), I've still got to be organized when I unload. Other than taking notes and being careful, I can't come up with another solution.

Perhaps I should clarify that I'm talking about a week long trip where I'm camping and flying out and back home. Ready/quikloads would be great, but that ain't happening.

[Lenny Eiger]

But, even if I tote in 12 holders (very doable), I've still got to be organized when I unload. Other than taking notes and being careful, I can't come up with another solution.

I'd take 8 or 10 and be more careful with what you actually shoot... I don't want to belabor this point, but in PhotoToolsPro, there is an area where you can indicate holder# and side. (It also does the zone system calculations for you, including development number.)

Perhaps I should clarify that I'm talking about a week long trip where I'm camping and flying out and back home. Ready/quikloads would be great, but that ain't happening.

I think it is very difficult to keep things ordered from a week long trip. I backpacked and took only one box and kept track of the order - 3 N-3's on the top, then 7 N-2's etc. Drove me crazy and there was way too much handling of the film (scratches, etc.). I always have a box for each development time. I think the answer is to be really careful with choosing your development, and if you feel you need to bracket development, then put one in the N box, the other in the N-1. You shouldn't be more than a stop off... but if you have to, develop all the film. What else you gonna do with it?


Lenny

[BetterSense]

You could simplify a lot by standardizing your development--then you wouldn't have to sort N, N-1 and so on at least. I use variable-contrast paper, and I've just about given up adjusting development for scene contrast (at least with TMAX). I have IR goggles so any adjustment I make is based on DBI.

[Scott Walker]

I carry 10 holders for 8x10 and 25 holders for 4x5 and use Lennys i-phone app (great tool) to keep everything sorted out.

Wanting to work mostly with 8x10 now I can see issuses with bulk & weight in my future, so far I only have 10 holders for 8x10 and it has not been an issue yet as I switch to 4x5 once I am out of 8x10 film.

I don't think packing 25 8x10 holders is going to be happening and that is the number of holders I have become comfortable with so if there is a good way of keeping film sorted out once out of the holders I would love to hear about it as well.

I seldom do a backup immage but if I was to do a complete film change of all my holders in the field that would be 70 sheets of film to try and keep sorted. I know I could not do that without issues unless I developed all the film the same which of course would be silly.

[Michael_4514]

I assume you're using an empty film box for your exposed film. Why not just cut up a bunch paper to something just under 4x5, put your shooting notes for each exposure on one, and then put the notes in the box on top of the exposed negative? Sometimes (when I'm feeling really organized) when I load film, I put the loaded holder in a quart sized baggie with a piece of paper noting the type of film and date loaded. The same paper is used for my notes and they could be used to keep track of the exposed film in the box as well.

Most of the time I'm not so organized and just rely on standard shooting and developing techniques and hope for the best.