Allow me to make friendly LF suggestion #133

Thinking aloud around a three year old who is holding your film holders is not a good idea.

Saturday I was trying to take a LF portrait of my 3 month old and the 3 year old was "helping".

I asked myself "what kind of film is in these holders?"
Three year old says "I'll look" and slides the darkslide out.

I respond "nonononononononono" while nabbing the other two holders off the floor and the one out of his hands
Wife laughs heartily.

Good help is very difficult to find.

That one made my day Mark

gene

Hmmm... not LF but still:

My 2 and a half year old daughter was always fascinated by my sticking my hands in the changing bag while loading up 120 roll film into the tanks. As a reward for "looking but not touching" I would always give her the spindles and backing paper to play with after.
A few months go by, and upon my return from a pre-dawn photo expedition, I plop down about five rolls of Velvia on the table, kiss the wife who is making breakfast for my daughter, return to the table to find my daughter had become so adept with 120 film, in about 30 seconds, she had unrolled and separated two rolls of Velvia - and commenting on the pretty purple color it had turned.

Now if only I could teach her how to load the darned SS reels...

Obviously two budding analog photographers there -- already savvy enough to know how to pull dark slides and unroll backing paper, long before they can even read the development charts.

Exactly right -- teach them how to load the film; their sensitive little fingers will be able to do it in 1/4 the time, with 1/2 the errors, your can. Of course, you do have to be concerned about sticky fingerprints on the emulsion, as well as (when they're a little taller) turning on the lights so they can see what they're doing when the hit a snag of some sort...

#134?

I'll tag this one on here in the spirit of keeping things simple.

Hint #134:Always get so tied up in the excitement of the moment that you leave certain things to the Gods of chance. My helpful example? In setting up a shot of the family reunion (after cocktails, before eating) I prefocused, did all the metering necessary and bracketed to cover myself. What the Gods had charge of was the real speed of the ancient and honorable Compur shutter. I mean why bother to warm it up and check it? It's so much more fun finding out that your shots are REALLY overexposed after the reunion is over and the family has returned to homes far away!

The 35mm shots I took along with the 4x5s are going to be the best of a bad lot, I'm afraid. Color print film, casual approach (since the real photos were going to be the 4x5s) and folks too energized to stand in position for long.

How does the saying go? "Experience is that thing you need just before you get it?"

I shoot LF shots of my 2 1/2 year old daughter and my 9 month old son. Lately, my daughter has been sneaking up and turning the ballhead release just as I am all set up to shoot a shot of my son.

what makes me mad is when my 10 year old daughter gets better compositions with her little nikon point and shoot than I do with my LF equipment.

Had you spent more time training your assistant, Mark, the three-year old would have replied, "Just a second, and I'll check the notch codes in the changing bag."

That said, my guess is that this story will be enjoyed by the family for many years to come. Not a bad investment for one sheet of film.