Taking Notes - DPChallenge Forums

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

09/27/2004 01:29:09 AM · #1

Does anyone else around here take notes when they are out making photos? If so, have any of you tried using a digital voice recorder instead of the trusty pen/paper method?

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

09/27/2004 01:33:52 AM · #2

I keep meaning to, but it's one of the things I'm worst at. However, I thought many/most newer digital cameras had the capability to make a "voice annotation" directly onto the card and attached to the photo, using the microphone used when in movie mode. I don't know about those fancy dSLRs though ...

Kylie

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

09/27/2004 01:36:36 AM · #3

I have taken notes to write down the EXIF info that doesn't get recorded, like focus method or program modes, just so I know what I did and what I am seeing.

digistoune

Canon EOS-20D

09/27/2004 01:36:36 AM · #4

I bought this red, linen covered notebook at Books-A-Million - you've probably seen them. They have an elastic strap to hold them closed. Anyway, that's what I keep in my camera bag. I like the tactile feel of pen in hand when I'm taking notes about a scene or jotting down post-processing ideas. That and I'm a freak for paper goods - don't know why :-)

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

09/27/2004 10:42:26 AM · #5

I had been using a small wire-bound notebook for notes also, but i sorta confiscated my dad's digital voice recorder this weekend. He wasn't using it and I had given him a nice tripod/head combo a few weeks ago...

My problem with the pen/paper method is time. I have found a need to make notes while shooting football games for the purpose of writing a good 'tag line' to go with the photo in the newspaper. Stopping to write these notes has been causing me to miss a couple play photo opportunities.

I was looking at Best Buy's website and there are a couple inexpensive recorders in the $50 range that will record a lot more voice time than the one I have, but I'm gonna give this thing a try for a while and see if I can replace the pen/paper with it....

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

09/27/2004 10:47:45 AM · #6

If I could figure out how to work it, the "Jukebox" (MP3 player/portable hard drive) I use to back up photos on the road can record through a built-in microphone.

digistoune

Canon EOS-20D

09/27/2004 11:13:09 AM · #7

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Ahhh, I can see how an action photographer might not want to be held up with the old pen and paper. Most of the stuff I shoot is static so worrying about missing a shot because of writing something down isn't an issue.

Gil P

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

09/27/2004 11:16:15 AM · #8

I wonder if there is still pertinence in note taking, with all the information that is found in the exif.

thatcloudthere

Canon EOS-1D

09/27/2004 11:18:05 AM · #9

Originally posted by Gil P:

I wonder if there is still pertinence in note taking, with all the information that is found in the exif.

I'd like to hear more thoughts on this...I could see that captions are a must at the time of the shoot in a sports photo, but what else do you guys write down?

I'm new, but the only written scrapbook information I have contains ideas for shots, drawings of compositions I'd like to try, reminders to return to a specific location, etc...no 'time of shot' info.

Message edited by author 2004-09-27 11:18:29.

terje

Apple iPhone

09/27/2004 11:23:36 AM · #10

I normally spend 1-2 days planning my shot and drawing it on paper, then I go out and buy what I need, and set it up. Shooting normally takes less then 1 hour, and post takes less then 20min.

09/27/2004 11:29:19 AM · #11

Originally posted by Gil P:

I wonder if there is still pertinence in note taking, with all the information that is found in the exif.

Any photojournalistic shot could benefit from notes. EXIF doesn't record any information beyond camera settings and date/time stuff. These things may not be important, but some types of notes that I have made in the past include where the sun was in relation to my subject, including an estimation of what time of day would be better for the shot. I have several wire-bound notebooks full of information I have written down in the past. "Directions" to some places are included. Maybe one day cameras will have miniature built in GPS receivers that record coordinates :) I have noted the location of quite a few different types of wildflowers so I can go back and shoot them later. I have made notes when I see wildlife... The notes aren't always about a specific photo. They are sometimes simply about a location. I also used these notebooks to write down ideas that I spotted and didn't shoot in various places...

EddyG

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

09/27/2004 11:40:19 AM · #12

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

My problem with the pen/paper method is time. I have found a need to make notes while shooting football games for the purpose of writing a good 'tag line' to go with the photo in the newspaper. Stopping to write these notes has been causing me to miss a couple play photo opportunities.

Some cameras, such as Canon's 1-series, have a built-in microphone that allows you to attach annotations to an image. They are stored as standard .WAV files and are simply downloaded off the CF card at the same time as the images (named with the corresponding image number). Makes it easier to take notes while still getting ready for the next shot looking through the viewfinder. And the annotation is inherently associated with the image, unlike a stand-alone device where you would have to do some extra "work" to make the "connection" (i.e., saying the image ID, etc.) I realize this doesn't help your situation directly, but wanted to point out that some cameras have addressed this issue quite elegantly.

Message edited by author 2004-09-27 11:43:05.

09/27/2004 11:49:00 AM · #13

Originally posted by EddyG:

Some cameras, such as Canon's 1-series, have a built-in microphone that allows you to attach annotations to an image.

That would be a nice feature to have. I can't really justify that much camera at this point in time though. I think the voice annotations with the cheap DVR unit will suffice for now. Does the 1D Mark II have the voice annotation capability? If it does, are the .wav file sizes acceptable for storage on CF? Most .wav files are pretty large... I haven't actually downloaded any to my computer from this DVR that I have now. I need to do that and see how large those files are. Mabye they aren't too massive....

Gil P

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

09/27/2004 11:49:28 AM · #14

I think that the note taking processis related to the type of photography one does.. in my case, the exif is more than sufficient (and I never really need to look at it anyway) because most of my shots are done in very controlled environements. But I can certainly understand where it will have value for other types of shooters.

smokeditor

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

09/27/2004 11:54:12 AM · #15

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

I need to do that and see how large those files are. Mabye they aren't too massive....

General rule of thumb is 10mb a stereo minute for a 16bit 44.1k audio file or 5mb a mono min. I would guess that any on camera recorder or DVR would be 8bit 22k if not lower. So you would get smaller file sizes.

EddyG

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

09/27/2004 12:00:08 PM · #16

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Does the 1D Mark II have the voice annotation capability? If it does, are the .wav file sizes acceptable for storage on CF? Most .wav files are pretty large... I haven't actually downloaded any to my computer from this DVR that I have now. I need to do that and see how large those files are. Mabye they aren't too massive....

Yes, the 1D Mark II has the capability, and the files are not large at all. They are stored as 64kbps, 8 kHz, 8-bit mono PCM-encoded WAVs. I just checked one of mine, and a 7 second annotation took 60 KB of CF space. (In other words, a drop in the bucket compared to the size of the image.)

Message edited by author 2004-09-27 12:02:15.