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steveo_mcg

steveo_mcg

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I was out for a couple of hours at the weekend walking around South Queensferry taking photo's of the bridge(s). I ended up taking a few frames at each location I thought could be interesting. When I finished at the last location still with one frame left to shoot as I headed back to the car, I ended up with a shot of the high street but I doubt it'll be very good. I did the same with the Boots slide film in the OM but I've been trying to use that up so I can batch up the three processed paid ones into one envelope.

I was just thinking to myself how normally I keep the last frame like a smoker keeps his last match to the point of virtually wasting it just to get the film finished and developed.
 
I'm guilty of this as well, unless I'm out all day and use more than one film the last shot is usually a nothing shot, often in the back garden.
I am trying to not waste them now though, especially if its a roll of 120, to bloody expensive to waste.

Andy
 
Ha, we've all done that! I always remember when i was a kid either having one frame left in the camera for months, or an envelope full of last frame photos of the dog, back garden, etc. It's one thing I didn't miss when I bought a digital camera in 2002, but when I'm shooting film these days, I find I use up full rolls on a shoot or at worst, half a roll which I finish off next time.
 
Using 35mm you could swap the film over to one or two cameras...I do this frequently to try and give all my cameras a work out and does give a bit of incentive to use more film esp if using a 36exp roll and you could compare some lenses for say sharpness after taking shots with a similar lens in the other cameras which would help to use the film up.
 
hyeongsoong said:
How do you do that ? Surly if you open it up it will all be wasted ?
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Note the frame count on camera 1, then wind the film back carefully not to put the film leader into the cassette...then put the film in camera 2, put a lens cap on and cover the viewfinder (just in case of light leak), also set the lens at f16 and shutter speed at 1/1000 (just in case of light leak) and wind on and fire.... add about three to the count taken from the camera 1 (this is the leader) and add an extra one or two just in case, as you don't want to over lap your previous shots in camera 1.
I've used this method for three cameras and the girls at Asda get a bit confused (but no problem) when scanning to CD as the consecutive frames don't line up like if it was only one film.
If you get it wrong you can always get some interesting shots :)
cockup.jpg
 
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I try to always keep one last frame just in case the aliens land:lol:
 
I quite often process a film with 1 or 2 shots left. Rather than wait another week or two to see the results. I tend to get 38 shots from a 36 exposure roll though, so it doesn't bother me.

But I always have spare rolls with me (except when I go on a planned landscape photography weekend - as Robhooley and Woodsy can attest). So I rarely worry about having to save that last shot. I can't stand having to hold off on shots due to a shortage of frames left. Life's too short to second guess. The weekend in question I refer to was an ordeal. Couldn't even find some cheap film at the local supermarkets, so I just had 20 odd shots on the roll in the camera for 2 sunsets and a sunrise and everything in between. So incredibly frustrating!

Just carry more film! If something is worth shooting then take the picture. But holding off because you might have a better shot later rarely pays off imho.
 
Was talking about this to a fellow photographer, we both do this all the time... He said when he can, he tries to takes his last frame sitting on his sofa looking at the clock. He's got around 50 photos of his clock and different times, looks pretty cool!
 
waxycamera said:
Was talking about this to a fellow photographer, we both do this all the time... He said when he can, he tries to takes his last frame sitting on his sofa looking at the clock. He's got around 50 photos of his clock and different times, looks pretty cool!
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Well I have many of my back garden as to make sure no light has entered when first loading the camera, usually wind on three frames, then one extra just in case....and you have got it in one, it must be a shot of the back garden.
 
I'm terrible for this. I've got two shots left on a roll of something b/w in my little Olympus XA. Wasting them would be pointless though, as I've not bought any Rodinal yet :D
 
I've got a related "expensive film" problem... put some transparency film in when I ran out of negative film last week in Scotland, and used about a third of it on some nice landscapes with lovely afternoon light. Now back in the midlands... and the camera's sitting there looking at me saying "this is going to cost you, better make it worth your while!"... and it's grey and flat. Luckily the MX and 85mm are back from Miles Whitehead, so I've something else to carry round.
 
I wasted half a roll of Delta the other day purely to see if the shots I wanted had worked. Well worth it for experimental value but I wouldn't do it otherwise. I've got half rolls all over the place where I've got impatient and chopped off the used portion and developed that!
 
Back when I used film regularly, I would (if I was trying to finish a film) take a shot of a piece of paper with my name and address on it. Of course, that was "only" 35mm and I would usually get 39 shots to a 36 exp. film so frame # 38 or 39 was a bonus shot anyway!
 
New one this evening, took my daughter out for a walk down to catch the sun set at Queensferry, blasted child kicked off whilst I was waiting on the light for the last frame! After trying to calm her for an eternity I just fired off the frame and went back to the car (her screaming the whole time).
 
steveo_mcg said:
New one this evening, took my daughter out for a walk down to catch the sun set at Queensferry, blasted child kicked off whilst I was waiting on the light for the last frame! After trying to calm her for an eternity I just fired off the frame and went back to the car (her screaming the whole time).
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LOL ( sorry!...bit mean but kids are kids!)

Just wondered if you captured her face when you fired off the last frame....it would be worth looking back on when she has her 40th!!
 
Would it not make sense to carry a ... cough... digital P&S for any "just in case " moments?
 
Asha said:
LOL ( sorry!...bit mean but kids are kids!)

Just wondered if you captured her face when you fired off the last frame....it would be worth looking back on when she has her 40th!!
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If it wasn't velvia I would have but at the speed she was flailing it would have been a blurred mass of angry baby! I've got one of her being more cute on another roll which I expect will be just as embarrassing.
 
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steveo_mcg said:
I've got one of her being more cute on another roll which I expect will be just as embarrassing.
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I suspect you'll already be looking at getting em stockpiled in readiness for "Pay Back Time" :D :D
 
huxleypiggles said:
Would it not make sense to carry a ... cough... digital P&S for any "just in case " moments?
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My phone does double duty as light meter and P&S since the death of my Ixus but I was out to try and get a shot I've had in my head for a while.
 
Asha said:
I suspect you'll already be looking at getting em stockpiled in readiness for "Pay Back Time" :D :D
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Oh yeah the shear volume of material will easily make up for the fact it's mostly guff.
 
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