Ralph, I typed this up in bits and pieces during the day.
I wouldnt call myself a high volume user, perhaps some people dont realise how much consumables they actually use, years ago I was a high volume user.
I have participated in a couple of postcard exchanges this year, with an average print run of 55 cards each, these are from the same negative. Then there are family print runs where I often will print 7 or 8 postcards from a single frame, from a family gathering. Being a member of a largish family means that I often will make ½ a dozen postcard prints of a niece or nephew and give them to my siblings and their partners, who in turn will post the cards to their extended family. On top of that, I also do quite a few 8x10 prints for family members and the very occasional 12x16 print
So far this year I have exposed and processed 114 rolls of 36 frame 35mm film, this means there is a minimum of 114 8x10 sheets used for contact prints. Of these 114 rolls, 24 of them were rolls where I was shooting a model; I always give my models a contact sheet of each roll, so another 24 sheets used. Wastage with contact sheets is usually 5%, as in too light or too dark, in either a partial section or the whole of the contact sheet.
I do not pay my models with money; they get prints, lots of prints. It is not uncommon for the model to be in the darkroom giving their interpretation of a final print, which often ends up hanging in their house.
Generally I will shoot up to four 35mm rolls in a session with a model, from this there are usually around 10 or so good images from the various poses each session. These will be enlarged, usually full frame, onto 8x10 paper, one for me and one for the model. The average usage here is 30 sheets of 8x10 paper.
Later, models usually receive, around 15 to 25 good prints from a session. These prints are usually chosen during sessions around our dining table with input from the model, the missus and myself, discussing the pros and cons of each potential enlargement and the cropping. Wastage from these prints is minimal, to almost nothing.
With selected frames I enlarge onto 12x16 paper, usually two or perhaps three frames will be enlarged from a session. The average usage here is 3 sheets of paper, to get to the first correct print. I rarely print more than two good prints at 12x16 so the average here is 5 sheets, per frame enlarged.
Then there are family events, social events and some themes I have happening in the background, plus some extended holidays where photography is the sole or main reason for the trip.
Ive attended two weddings this year, one of which I had a bonanza of good pictures, I used a 100 sheet box of 8x10 paper for that wedding, actually there were three sheets left over. The general guide here was about 20 frames enlarged onto 5x8 using half of an 8x10" sheet in a Jobo Varioformat easel; with about 15 or so cropped 8x10 prints. Then there was a special order from the bride (who is a next door neighbour) for 130 (trimmed slightly) 5x8 prints of her and her beloved to go out made up as thankyou cards, in a folding arrangement.
Then there is my 4x5 stuff. This year I have exposed and developed 113 sheets; I have two sheets awaiting development this evening or tomorrow. I often give a set of contact prints to the subject, or the owner of the subject, this happens about 50% of the time, so far this year, the dedicated box for the 4x5 contact sheets has 53 sheets used.
I do a very small amount of commercial work for a friend who approached me 1½ years ago; he manufactures small steel and/or milled alloy components for various industries. For this I use 4x5 and last financial year (start of July to end of June here) I used close to a 100 sheet box of FP4+ film.
All prints from this are 8x10 showing important detail in the components such as stress points, milling marks, etcetera.
Two negatives are taken of every set-up, I keep one negative, and he takes the other one with him to meetings with potential customers. The reasoning behind this is to quell fears that pictures he may be showing are doctored. He is able to show clients a detailed picture, with extremely good clarity at ½ life size, whilst at the same time he can show proof that the picture they are looking at, is not a doctored image. He is a 9001 certified manufacturer; it appears that it is important to prove he can manufacture what he says he does and how he says he does.
I used 4 by 100 sheet boxes of 8x10 paper, of which about half was counted in this years total I mentioned, previously for him.
When I go into the darkroom to print, which is usually a couple of times a week, I manage to get a good straight print using two sheets of paper, I assess it under my lighting set-up, sometimes consulting the missus. If I take more than two goes to get a finished print requiring dodging and/or burning, I take that as a failure.
This is a game I have with myself, that started about 20 odd years ago in a commercial darkroom. If work was a bit slow, we sometimes gave each other a negative and three sheets of paper, headed off to our respective darkrooms then whoever produced the best full 8x10 print, had a cup of coffee made by the others. We also did this with colour, which interestingly, is generally easier to get a good print from. I had my fair share of, made for me, cups of coffee.
I usually use dishes/trays for print developing, but whenever I have a quantity of prints to do in a session, anything over 30 or so 8x10 prints, I fire up the Durst Printo. There are some reasons for this, speed and efficiency is important, but consistency, print after print, is the main reason.
I dont watch too much television!
Mick.