BillO Loc: Eastern Shore Maryland

I've been trying to relearn much of what I knew as I ease back into photography. Challenging for me is keeping track of what I have done with camera and film, roll to roll and photo to photo. Figuring out what worked well and what didn't.
Is there a common or simple system for keeping that info? Lord knows I can't keep it in my head. (This harkens to another discussion on memory in a different topic).
Do you keep notebook or an i missing some inherent function in film or camera. I predominantly shoot film but would think the question is common to either film or digital.
Suggestions welcome.
Bill

riffmax

That right there was what prevented me from really learning much until I switched to digital. I tried a notebook, but it really wasn't that helpful. I couldn't afford to purchase and develop enough film to actually learn!

riderxlx Loc: DFW area Texas

Are use the notebook or notepad to write down the settings of each shot also are used a little pocket voice recorder cell phones have that feature now so I could make verbal notes of each shot trick was after the film was developed knowing which shot was number 123 or four that I had made notes on so it was a little tricky but that’s how I had to work with but it work for me

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I used to use a pocket recorder to remember settings when I shot film all the time. Now that digital cameras keep all that info for me, I no longer carry the recorder. When I got the images back from the developed film, I would choose the ones I thought best and wrote the info on the back of the picture. Sometimes, if one was really bad, I did the same thing with it!

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I use a small softbound journal. https://www.staples.com/Eccolo-Flexible-Journal-Black-Leather-4-x-6/product_865887?akamai-feo=off

I've used these for years.

I should clarify this. The initial exposure/processing information is calculated using my iPhone. The phone keeps the records. After returning home, I'll transfer that information to the journal. In some rare cases, I'll enter the information directly into the journal.
--Bob

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

Like so many others I find that just looking at the exif data on the digital shots tells the story. Even though it eats batteries, keeping the GPS on the camera turned on adds Location data to the exif.

To tell the truth I tried keeping exposure information notes and found that every shot was different so other than f11 at 500 on the beech, the exposure notes were basically worthless.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

A notebook or pocket recorder in manual days. Once AF cameras came out, a data back helped...If they were available for the model you had that is.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Regarding digital, the modern cameras, even cell phones, record the exposure data and applicable camera settings into the resulting image files. This data is known as EXIF (Exchangeable image file format). The operating system of your computer can read and display this information, but typically, you'll access and utilize this information from within your image-editor software. Advanced tools with a digital library manager, such as Adobe Lightroom, allow you to search / filter the images in your library by the EXIF attributes such as show all images from camera abc, or lens xys, or ISO-500, or aperture f/4.5, or shutterspeed 1/500 and so forth.

Regarding film, the final top-line releases from Nikon and Canon began to capture shooting data inside the camera, examples: Canon EOS 1v, Nikon F5, F6, Minolta Max9 (see complete list at: http://www.meta35.com/cameras/). With the extraction tool from Meta35, you can extract these shooting data from the camera and merge into the scanned JPEGs from the developed negatives. My experience with the EOS 1v is the lens focal length is captured, but not the details of the lens. I can infer the lens used from the focal length (or human memory) and use other EXIF-editing tools to add the lens model to the EXIF in the JPEG for a nearly complete EXIF payload in the image file as if it came out of a DSLR.

David Kay Loc: Arlington Heights IL

what are you using on your phone to keep the information?

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

I would think the "notepad" app would be whats used...My wife uses that feature for her grocery lists & I have used it to store dimensions of items I needed to know before making a purchase (like a bathroom vanity)

GrandmaG Loc: Flat Rock, MI

Apple comes with two apps, "Notes" and "Reminders". Reminders is better for repetitive lists like grocery lists and it can be synced with another apple user. Notes is a free-writing app and you can use the mic and talk to it. Androids have similar apps because my daughter uses it all the time.

That being said, I find that I would like other information besides the EXIF that can be reviewed in a pp app, like: if EC was used, the mode used, creative style and others.

I rename my images on import, so getting this information from the camera is difficult. Neither of my cameras have GPS either and I need to remember to take an image with my phone to capture that info.

Also, if you have Microsoft Office, you can create a chart in Excel or OneNote and add the info in the field more quickly than writing everything down or even talking to an app on your phone. These apps are on my phone and I save the document to Dropbox. To truly coordinate everything, I would have to import without renaming, transfer all info to the spreadsheet, then rename my photos.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

David, I'm going to assume, since you mentioned phone, you are addressing this to me. The program I use is expodev.
--Bob

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

That data is all recorded in the exif data file, when shooting digital, when I'm shooting film, it is all recorded on the negs outside of the picture frame ( it actually exceeds any data I have seen from a digital camera)!

David Kay Loc: Arlington Heights IL

That must be an ios only app.
Thanks Bob

BillO Loc: Eastern Shore Maryland

Thanks for all the good ideas. For some reason I never thought about using my iPhone for notes or recording. Makes sense. Now I just have to muster the discipline to do it.
My laptop quit on me yesterday too. Now I am reduced to either my phone or a little kindle fire until I decide to replace it and with what. At least I had my photos backed up so I didn't lose anything irreplaceable.
My wife likes her IPad but I am not sure that is what I need. I prefer Windows and keyboard.