Taking notes at shooting

[Steve Smith]

Nothing at all.

I used to take notes - Then I realised that I never made any use of them!


Steve.

[Joe Lipka]

If you're starting out with view cameras, making the notes is really a good thing to remind you what everything looks like when you made the exposure. Then you look at the negative and see if you "got" what you thought you did. Then you can adjust your future exposures based on that. Two things to remember about this.

1. If you make notes in the field, make sure you study them and use them. (Thanks to Steve for adding that really important point.) Data is no good unless and until you convert the data into knowledge.

2. Once you gained the knowledge from those notes, you can dispense with the note taking. Why? Because all that note taking slows down the creative process of photography. And isn't that why you're doing photography in the first place? To make photographs, not to do sensiometric studies.

[mindthemix]

Thank you so much everyone for all your input and detailed feedback.

I'm new to film and taking notes is one of the pending tasks that I need to resolve. I love guessing and taking reading at the same level.

Right now I'm delighted with the film experience and paying more attention to the composition but I'm sure the notes will provide some organized knowledge.

Thanks again for your prompt to my post.

Happy New Year!

[eclarke]

I do 99% sheet film. I have color coded, paper gaffer's tape for emulsions which I affix to both sides of a holder. I record the subject, date, filtration, lens, rated film speed, aperture, shutter speed and zones. If I have a notion about development, I record that. Once I develop the film, I add that little bit of info to the tape, peel it from the holder and stick it on the negative envelope. Never have to transpose, correlate, copy or maintain a log or spreadsheet of the information..it's automatic..

[fotch]

None. One picture is worth a thousand words. I might take a picture for the purpose of reminding me what I was doing, such as a lighting set up.

[juan]

I've been taking notes for more than 40-years. If you're learning, I'd suggest you write down everything - aperture, shutter speed, meter readings, Zone placement if you're using that system, subject, location, date, any observations about weather or light, then when developing write down the developer, time, temperature, fixer used, etc. All of this will greatly help you analyze what your doing and help you make mistakes into learning moments.

I still make these notes for large format - for roll film, i make a general note about the roll.

When I go back and print old negatives, the notes help me decide how to print, and help me remember just when and where the negative was exposed.
juan

[CPorter]

2. Once you gained the knowledge from those notes, you can dispense with the note taking. Why? Because all that note taking slows down the creative process of photography.

It's a free country , all are entitled to their opinion, but I urge the OP not to listen to these "types" of replies------what that really means is that, and this is my opinion, note taking is not good for you, but that is what is more appropriately known as a "you" problem and has nothing to do with a want or desire to make notes. Just sayin, that's all...........

[ntenny]

It's a free country , all are entitled to their opinion, but I urge the OP not to listen to these "types" of replies------what that really means is that, and this is my opinion, note taking is not good for you, but that is what is more appropriately known as a "you" problem and has nothing to do with a want or desire to make notes. Just sayin, that's all...........

I suppose for people for whom it works, it's not really a "problem", just a way of working.

-NT

[eclarke]

If you make a small amount of photographs, come home and develop them, it's probably not important. I make dual exposures and make between 1500 and 2000 sheets a year. Sometimes it can be months before I develop and I like to have all the info right at hand when I process.

[CPorter]

I suppose for people for whom it works, it's not really a "problem", just a way of working.

-NT

That's how I see it........