Light tight envelopes for 4x5 sheet film

[Mark_S]

Background:

I have evolved into a workflow which works for me: I have preprinted 3x5 cards on which I can record all of the pertinent information about a particular exposure - subject, date, time, exposure etc. At the bottom of the card is a space where I can record how the negative was processed, and on the back I write information about printing that particular image. When I expose an image, I expose both sides of the filmholder in exactly the same way, then when I get home, I process the film from the 'A' side of each film holder, and inspect the negatives. If I like what I see, I process the film from the other side of the holder the same way, if not, I have an opportunity to adjust contrast by developing the second exposure differently from the first. When done, I use one of the printfile archival storage pages to hold the two negatives, the 3x5 card, and a contact print. Everything associated with that particular image is then neatly on one page.

So far, so good.

When I go on a longer trip, where I will be exposing more sheets than I have filmholders, I reload filmholders in the field, and put the exposed sheets in an old film box. Invariably the A and B exposures get all mixed up, and my process falls apart. When Quickload was available - it was the perfect solution, but we now live in a post quickload world. What I would like to find is some sort of a light tight envelope in which I could put the two sheets of film from a holder, and attach the 3x5 card for that exposure on the outside of the envelope, and transport the film back to my darkroom as a package. I have a few of the black plastic envelopes that sheets of film come in, but not enough of those, and would like to figure out if there is something like that which I can buy in the real world. Had I been thinking, I wouldn't have thrown away all of those used quickload pouches!

Any ideas?

 

[MSchuler]

It seems to me that only the outermost envelope has to be light-tight. Maybe you can put the film into glassine or PVC envelopes, put the exposure record onto the outside of that, and put the whole thing into a larger light-tight bag (e.g., a 8x10 paper bag.)

 

[Barry S]

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/4135-Black-Bag-for-Mailer-4x5

 

[Mike Wilde]

I have a series of codes filed into the lower flip out lip of all of my double cut film holders.
Square notch is tens, half circle if five, vee notches are ones.

The number corresponding to the code is written on the memo field or dark slide edge of the holder with a balck sharpie permanant marker.
The number code becomes a visual shadow on the film edge of the holder it was exposed in.


I have three standard empty 4x5 boxes I take when travelling and will be reloading holders.
They are labelled N-1, N and N+1.
I also have a piece of dud 4x5 film in each package, with all the corners cut off a bit.
I put this piece between the first round of films and second round of films when I reload the holders more than once on a trip.

Using only one or two b&w films in 4x5 really helps with the clarity of this process.
I tend to put unloaded 100 speed sheets at the back of the stack in the say the N box and 400 speed films at the front.

Once home, I then feel for notch codes when loading the tank to process, to keep them separate.

I have a voice recorder, with a small prompt card glued and laminated to the front of it to remind me what to record, wrt location, meter suggestions, actual camera settings, filters, film holder and film used etc.

I did a big portrait shoot last week on old ortho film of a crew of boy scouts and had them process thier own negs as a part of the meeting. Used flash for consitent exposure.
To do this quickly I needed to round up all of my holders.
Turns out I have a lot more than I originally thought. Where did I acquire them all?
I have at least 15 double holders in pretty good shape, and a half dozen more dodgy ones that need hinge tape fix up loving, etc.