[LargeFormat] keeping track of negatives

[Tim Atherton]

My Agency uses a similar format on our databse - 020706-TIM01 0r 02 or
whatever  In this case we use initials to identify the photographer - (or in
my case name, as we already have one TA and it would get confusing..)

So it's date it was loaded into the database (or you could use date shot, or
date loaded into sheets - doesn't really matter); photographer identifier;
individual image number

Obviously you don't need the name if it's just your own stuff, so you, so
you could add in say format and sheet number:

020706A45-01 and  020706C120-09 suchlike

I must say, having the date in there helps for all sorts of reasons... and
gives you an automatically increasing database number...

tim

> -----Original Message-----
> From: largeformat-admin@f32.net [mailto:largeformat-admin@f32.net]On
> Behalf Of Gilbert Dumont
> Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2002 3:08 AM
> To: largeformat@f32.net
> Subject: Re: [LargeFormat] keeping track of negatives
>
>
> > Sheet film I number consecutively, restarting at 1 each year.  I number
> B+W and
> > color seperately: e.g., starting at 2002BW45-1, 2002C45-1.  The ids are
> written
> > on the plastic sheet but not on the film. Each roll of roll film (OT) is
> > numbered, e.g., 2002BW120-1.  When I make a print, the
> identication number
> of
> > the negative is written on the back.  For roll film, the frame number is
> added,
> > e.g., 2002BW120-1-6.
>
> FWIW
> I tried several methods of numbering my negatives and prints, based upon
> subject, filmtype, consecutive order etc. For me the most
> effective way was
> to use the complete date like this : yy mm dd Letter. (020522C = the third
> sheet / film of 22 may 2002)
>
> My reasons for this are:
>
> 1) Date information is stored inside the number. When I can remember the
> approximate year or month the shoot took place, I just check my
> old agenda's
> or notebooks to retreive the negative quickly.
> 2) Each date is unique, with a logic we are all used to.
> 3) Beginning with the year and the month, I can store all my negatives
> chronologically by year => month => day.
> 3) The letter indicates the film or the sheet. I never shoot more than 26
> films or 26 sheets a day. But if you do you can letter them AA, AB etc.
> 4) When printing I add a number behind the letter indicating the number of
> the negative on this film.
> 5) You can add a code indicating B&W Colour or Diapositive behind
> the whole
> number. This way it doesn't interfere with the classification.
> 6) Based upon these numbers it's easy to make a chronological
> database with
> descriptions of each negative.
> 7) When printing I always write the negativenumber on the back, together
> with the date the print was made and a the number of prints (
> 4/10 = fourth
> out of ten prints)
> 8) With a very fine archival felt pen I write the negative number on the
> small unexposed border of each sheet, or between the sprockets of
> the film.
> Since I strated this I never lost any films or sheets anymore.
>
> One last tip. To facilitate sliding the negatives in and out of
> the storage
> sheets, I clip off all the sharp corners with a nail clipper. The nail
> clipper is quicker and less risky than scissors.
>
> Gilbert
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> LargeFormat mailing list
> LargeFormat@f32.net
> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/largeformat
>