An idea for making notes for darkroom printing

Mainecoonmaniac · Dec 3, 2013

I've tried for years to take good notes when I print in the darkroom. I'm dyslexic and I have horrible handwriting and typing is the only saving grace for note taking. I use an Ipad for note taking for various aspects of my life including shopping list, saving recipes and the list goes on. I'm a big fan of Evernote. It works on my computer and Ipad and will sync between devices. There's also Skitch, a cousin of Evernote that will let you doodle with your finger on your tablet and make notes on photos. Here's a sample.

The cool thing is that it's synced into the cloud and I can search for the note. Being horribly disorganized and tend to lose paper, I'll probably stick with this.

Christopher Walrath · Dec 3, 2013

Good idea. I've always just scribbled my notes in a notebook. I keep a list of negs printed in the front. Also, this way, if I make special dodge/burn cut, I keep in the pages with that negs notes.

pstake · Dec 3, 2013

Mainecoonmaniac said:
I've tried for years to take good notes when I print in the darkroom. I'm dyslexic and I have horrible handwriting and typing is the only saving grace for note taking. I use an Ipad for note taking for various aspects of my life including shopping list, saving recipes and the list goes on. I'm a big fan of Evernote. It works on my computer and Ipad and will sync between devices. There's also Skitch, a cousin of Evernote that will let you doodle with your finger on your tablet and make notes on photos. Here's a sample.

The cool thing is that it's synced into the cloud and I can search for the note. Being horribly disorganized and tend to lose paper, I'll probably stick with this.

View attachment 77874

Great idea! I wonder if I can do that with my lowly iphone.

Mainecoonmaniac · Dec 3, 2013

Tablets are going down in price. I've seen android tablets for under $200 this Xmas season.

Mark_S · Dec 3, 2013

I am still pretty last century in the darkroom. I use a 3x5 card to record exposure information for each negative, and I store the card with the negative in a negative sheet - when I print, I put the printing info on the other side of the card. One sheet holds negative, 3x5 card and contact so everything is in one place.

Mainecoonmaniac · Dec 3, 2013

Great idea!

Mark_S said:
I am still pretty last century in the darkroom. I use a 3x5 card to record exposure information for each negative, and I store the card with the negative in a negative sheet - when I print, I put the printing info on the other side of the card. One sheet holds negative, 3x5 card and contact so everything is in one place.

The cellulose analog method is a proven method that doesn't:
1. Crash
2. Need electricity
Not dependent on the whims of software companies and can be read 100 years from now.

Newt_on_Swings · Dec 3, 2013

I usually jot basic info like lens, timing, contrast filters on back of paper with a pencil before i expose it.

This is a cool method! Would the touch sensors work through a sheet of rubylith? Would be sort of like the screen protectors, but youd have to tape it on somehow. Maybe a simple flap you can remove when your done.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mainecoonmaniac · Dec 3, 2013

Maybe...

Newt_on_Swings said:
I usually jot basic info like lens, timing, contrast filters on back of paper with a pencil before i expose it.

This is a cool method! Would the touch sensors work through a sheet of rubylith? Would be sort of like the screen protectors, but youd have to tape it on somehow. Maybe a simple flap you can remove when your done.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They do have screen protectors for tablets and phones. I guess you gotta tryit.

MartinP · Dec 4, 2013

I'd suggest looking in to making your notes by stops of adjustment instead of seconds. That way you can more easily change print-size without having to recalculate your previous instructions. Most of the time, adjustments 'required' should be fairly self evident compared to a contact-print, but notes can help reduce paper usage by a sheet or so if you want to replicate a previous print quickly.

Maris · Dec 4, 2013

Mainecoonmaniac said:
The cellulose analog method is a proven method that doesn't:
1. Crash
2. Need electricity
Not dependent on the whims of software companies and can be read 100 years from now.

I envy those who are savvy with electronic devices. But I'm not so I have to do things the old way. I keep my hand-annotated darkroom notes on 8x10 paper forms printed out with a cheap laser printer. The notes then go together with the gelatin-silver photographs and the negatives in the same archive box. The part of the creative journey that happens in the darkroom is easy to repeat if I get orders for more photographs. And sometime in the future people I may never meet might be amused at all the fuss. Here's an example of notes and a resultant photograph:

This is my darkroom record for making photographs from a series of negatives including negative #14. This negative will yield the photograph entitled "Twisted Snow Gum, Charlotte Pass.

Gelatin-silver photograph on Ultrafine Silver Eagle VC FB photographic paper, image size 21.2cm X 16.2cm, from a 4x5 Efke IR820 negative exposed in a Tachihara 45GF double extension field view camera fitted with a Schneider Super Angulon 75mm f5.6 lens and IR680 filter.
Titled and signed recto, stamped verso.

Thomas Bertilsson · Dec 4, 2013

Mainecoonmaniac said:
I've tried for years to take good notes when I print in the darkroom. I'm dyslexic and I have horrible handwriting and typing is the only saving grace for note taking. I use an Ipad for note taking for various aspects of my life including shopping list, saving recipes and the list goes on. I'm a big fan of Evernote. It works on my computer and Ipad and will sync between devices. There's also Skitch, a cousin of Evernote that will let you doodle with your finger on your tablet and make notes on photos. Here's a sample.

The cool thing is that it's synced into the cloud and I can search for the note. Being horribly disorganized and tend to lose paper, I'll probably stick with this.

View attachment 77874

Just out of curiosity, how do you keep track of what notes go with what print? Do you print out a copy of your picture notes and keep with the print?

My own hand written method is to make notes on a print exposure record like the attached one. I hole punch the paper and file it with the negative sleeve.
That works well for me, because the pile of negatives is growing, and it's near impossible to keep it organized in any other way.

Mainecoonmaniac · Dec 5, 2013

I use paoer notes also

Thomas Bertilsson said:
Just out of curiosity, how do you keep track of what notes go with what print? Do you print out a copy of your picture notes and keep with the print?

My own hand written method is to make notes on a print exposure record like the attached one. I hole punch the paper and file it with the negative sleeve.
That works well for me, because the pile of negatives is growing, and it's near impossible to keep it organized in any other way.

I only make notes if I the printing is super complex or if I plan to make more of the same print later. Your system looks great along with other APUGers.

For me, I don't like complicated solutions unless I find an advantage. Being dyslexic, I have horrible hand writing and I'm very disorganized. While in college, using a computer to write my papers saved my professors from reading my illegible handwriting. I still struggle with writing by hand. Typing is also tough because I also have dysgraphia. Spell check is a saving grace for me.

Thomas Bertilsson · Dec 5, 2013

Mainecoonmaniac said:
I only make notes if I the printing is super complex or if I plan to make more of the same print later. Your system looks great along with other APUGers.

For me, I don't like complicated solutions unless I find an advantage. Being dyslexic, I have horrible hand writing and I'm very disorganized. While in college, using a computer to write my papers saved my professors from reading my illegible handwriting. I still struggle with writing by hand. Typing is also tough because I also have dysgraphia. Spell check is a saving grace for me.

Ok. I was only trying to understand how you keep your notes associated with a particular negative or print.

Understand about dyslexia. My step son has a mild version of it. I know it can be challenging.

An idea for making notes for darkroom printing

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