Suggestions for traveling without enough film holders

[bvaughn4]

Hi all, If this has been covered, I apologize. Did a quick search but nothing came up.

I am going to take a short trip and plan to shoot - possibly more images than I have film holders for. I have a changing bag but my question is - if you make all these meticulous notes about your shot, then want to swap out a few exposed films, how do I keep up with what is what once I put it back into a film box for transport home?

Being a newb, I have been shooting 2 pieces of film in case of poor exposure or scratched negative. So, if I found out one of my shots needed some manipulation during processing, how would I know which image in the stack was my extra aside from them being side by side in the box?

Thanks
Bill

[ki6mf]

If you shoot back up negatives for B&W; put the first exposure in boxes marked N, N-1, N-2 N-3, Compensating. For the second negative order 5x7 mailing envelopes poly black poly bags from freesstyle photo at this URL http://www.freestylephoto.biz/5857-E...x7?cat_id=1603

Cost is $.59 each. Order as many as needed.

[bvaughn4]

Thanks Wally

[Heroique]

And for others traveling w/ envelope film (Quick Loads, etc.), you can use the envelope’s factory-stamped number to help organize your notes about it. Sometimes I’ll write brief notes directly onto the envelope … carefully!

On one trip with traditional holders, I had just one film-storage box, so I had to make careful notes about which sheet was on top, which sheet was underneath that one, etc. When I got home, first thing I did was split the sheets into multiple boxes; otherwise, I just knew I’d either lose my notes, or the notes would, eventually, stop making sense to me. I learned the hard way that splitting multiple sheets into multiple boxes, in the dark, is more “dangerous” than it sounds.

[BetterSense]

For situations like this I give up on individual development and just develop everything to a standard development. Luckily I have IR goggles for real outlier sheets. I find that with VC paper this works quite well.

[jeroldharter]

You don't mention your plans for development, e.g. a standard development time for all sheets, zone system, BTZS, etc. Obviously, if you use standard development, just put them in an empty box in order and you are done.

I would take empty film boxes for N's, or SBR's, or whatever method you plan to use for determining development times. I also take a bunch of 4x5 mat boards. If I use BTZS tubes (which can be processed 6 at a time), I place a card after every 6th sheet. That helps keep me oriented with my notes as I work through a box of film. If I am going to use a Jobo drum (which holds 10 sheets), then I put a card after every 10th sheet.

I suggest that you look into numbering your film holders. That gives you an extra reference point after the film is processed. Check this out:

http://www.doerzmanphoto.com/film_holders.html

[Vlad Soare]

I use Heroique's method. I take notes and put the exposed sheets in an empty box in the exact order in which they were exposed.
When I get home my notes tell me, for instance, that sheets no. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 (counting from the bottom up) need N development, sheets no. 3 and 5 need N+1, sheet no. 8 needs N-1. So I first extract the sheets 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 from the box and develop them normally. Then I take sheets 1 and 2 (which were the former 3 and 5) and develop them N+1. Then I take the last sheet left in the box (which I know is the former no. 8) and develop it N-1.
Of course, one must be very careful and do the counting correctly.

An easier method would be to use several empty boxes for the exposed sheets - one for each kind of development you expect to need: N, N+1, etc.. When you reload the holders you put each exposed sheet in its corresponding box.
You can use a separate box for extras. Put them in a precise order and write everything down. Make sure you do the counting right when taking the sheets out of the box for development.

[jeroldharter]

I use Heroique's method. I take notes and put the exposed sheets in an empty box in the exact order in which they were exposed.
When I get home my notes tell me, for instance, that sheets no. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 (counting from the bottom up) need N development, sheets no. 3 and 5 need N+1, sheet no. 8 needs N-1. So I first extract the sheets 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 from the box and develop them normally. Then I take sheets 1 and 2 (which were the former 3 and 5) and develop them N+1. Then I take the last sheet left in the box (which I know is the former no. 8) and develop it N-1.
Of course, one must be very careful and do the counting correctly.

An easier method would be to use several empty boxes for the exposed sheets - one for each kind of development you expect to need: N, N+1, etc.. When you reload the holders you put each exposed sheet in its corresponding box.
You can use a separate box for extras. Put them in a precise order and write everything down. Make sure you do the counting right when taking the sheets out of the box for development.

I used to do this too until I got messed up with a large number of sheets. All you have to do is mis-count one sheet in the dark and you can be impossibly off and ruin a trip. That is why I insert the piece of mat board after every 6th or 10th sheet as a way to orient myself and verify that I am on track if I am working through many sheets of film. I don't like trying to remove individual sheets from the middle of the pack because that greatly increases the chance of miscounting and scratching film

But then trying to keep track of which sheet is which through the washing, drying, and storing phase is almost impossible for me. Numbering the film holders like shown above can be a big help.