I don't scan all my keepers yet (though a slide/neg scanner
might be the tool that makes that seem reasonable), but I
do keep a database. Or try to. I'm a few months behind on
data entry for frames (though the roll table is up to date).
Mark Roberts wrote:
> BTW: In my filing system I number each roll yyy### where yyy is
> the year in hexadecimal (2001 is 7d1) and ### is the roll number
> (the first roll of film I shoot each year is 001, then 002, etc.
> -- this'll be fine until I startshooting over 999 rolls of film
> per year).
I use YYYY-NNN (where, like you, NNN is a three digit
sequential number for the year so far).
> The individual photos are the roll ID followed by the frame
> number (so the first shot on the first roll of film this year
> was 7d100101.tif)
*nod* For me it was either 2001-001#01 or 2001-001#01A
depending on where the frame boundaries lined up on that
roll. (Okay, it might have been 2001-001#00 -- I can check
if anyone cares, but I don't think anyone will).
> I keep a master list of all the rolls of film I've shot (roll
> number, location(s), film type) in an Excel spreadsheet.
I've got a properly normalized database -- I've got a table for
rolls of film (type, purchase date, expiration date, location
(fridge/freezer/camera-bag/used), and purchase cost -- I call this
the "can" table); a table for exposed rolls (roll-ID as described
above, lookup into first table, date loaded, date finished, date
sent to lab, date back from lab, which lab, processing cost, number
of frames printed, subject (three subject fields, for rolls that
didn't get used up all on one thing), notes, push/pull, and camera
used -- I call this the "roll" table); a table for frames (lookup
into exposed roll table, frame #, main subject, lens/flash/filters/
/speed/aperture (blank in most entries), date shot, list of things
visible in the photo that I might want to search on in the future,
location, caption, and notes); a table of reprint requests (who
ordered it, roll/frame, size, whether I've gotten it done yet,
whether I've mailed it yet); a table of people (name, address,
email, etc. etc.); and a table of film types (so that I can enter
"TMZ" in the film table instead of "Kodak TMax p3200", and have it
look up the fact that it's BW film DX coded 3200 ASA, and the full
name to print out on labels).
I store negatives and slides in those 3-ring-binder archive
pages, labelled with roll-ID (and some other info, like
dates & subjects).
The problems?
1) Mine's in an Excel spreadsheet too (with extensive use of
vlookup() and hlookup() references). I started it in Access
because I didn't have a real DBMS available at the time, but
got frustrated with the data-entry limitations of Access and
moved it to Excel despite the performance penalty. (The spreadsheet
paradigm is convenient for entering lots of rows into the frame
table at once -- fill in the info that changes, working down a
column, then cut&paste the info that stays the same for bunches
of frames (roll-ID, date, location, subject), _then_ commit the
whole session to disk.) Doing it in linked spreadhseets is slow,
and doesn't make ad-hoc queries convenient. My plan has been to
transfer it all into 4th Dimension (when I get around to installing
it -- need more disk space) or mySQL (when I get around to writing
a reasonably useable data-entry front end), but if John's system
does what I need without ny having to finish the job...
2) I don't have my digitized images organized (yet).
Plusses?
1) I *feel* so *organized* ;-)
2) A quick mail-merge in Word Perfect, and I've got a batch of
Avery stickers to put on slide mounts or the backs of prints;
and when someone asks a question about a print ("When was that?"
"What film was that shot on?") or wants to order a reprint,
the info is right there on the back of the print (or the slide
mount).
3) I'm just a small bit of programming away (an Excel macro
or some UNIX scripts that work on a text-exported copy) from
having the thing print out a shopping list when I go out to
buy film. (I'll get around to it soon.)
Ideally I'd like to have the whole pile of images scanned
and the database in an efficient DBMS that understands SQL,
with some glue programmed to let me do a query ("Show me
images that contain a shakuhachi") and have a browser come
up with a set of thumbnails along with the text list. And
some reference to model releases (which I don't have many
of yet).
But first I have to write the programs for other people, that
pay for my groceries.
-- Glenn
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