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Are You Taking Pictures/notes While Working?


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I was working on a new project: 2 different tripods out of self-made paperclay. The feet and the intended design are a bit special and the different stages complicate, so I was concentrating on my work for 5 hours yesterday and for 8 hours today. Only when I finished work for this day it leaped into my mind: darn!... and again I forgot to take pictures or notes from the different stages of my work! :angry:

 

Are you regularly taking pictures or notes while working? And how come you don't forget to do it, like I myself almost always do? The camera is on a shelf in my studio, and there is always a bunch of empty pages lying around, so.... (shrugging, and roll eyes).

 

Evelyne

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Hi Neil, maybe I should join Instagram or another social media to force myself to take pictures...

 

Yes, it's a great way to force you to do it, plus it's great free advertising, too. I've got 600 followers in IG and I don't know most of them. I like it much better than Facebook because there's no drama or games or all that other stuff that makes Facebook so annoying.

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I try to ... I never know when something might lead to something else ... but I often balance taking a shot with having to wash my hands for the tenth time.

What I most often forget to do is turn off the fluorescent lights ... so I end up with a color cast then have to correct the color balance ... I also try to keep the camera protected in a plastic bag but even though I wash my hands before shooting, I still tend to get a dirty camera.

It's like everything else in pottery ... Taking care of one problem just leads to a dozen others!

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I use the heck out of my phone's camera. I'll take shots of my green ware before it goes to the kiln, and I'll make glaze decisions while it's being fired. It cuts down on the time spent staring at a bisque piece trying to figure out what might work, instead of actually doing the glazing. I'm on Instagram too, and it does make you pause and look at your process. I'm really liking it.

 

Typically I make a batch of notes in my sketchbook before and after glazing: the first batch is the ideas I want to try, and on which pots (see above). The "after" notes detail what process I used, which glaze, and any alterations to the original plan, and how it all turned out.

Sometimes I will make notes after a sale on what got a lot of attention and what sold well, and if I get a lot of requests for a certain form. It helps focus some of my efforts.

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I take lots of notes NOW. I remember to do this because I know I will NOT remember anything in a month. I also am fanatical 

about labeling everything, especially cups of test glazes, slips, stains, bags of clay! Once I go to the next thing, I

cannot remember what was.  It is the pain of not knowing that forces me to be diligent. Tape and marker are as important

as note book.

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Honestly, I have the attention span of a gnat! :wacko: Ideas pop in and out of my head too fast for me to nail them down with pen and paper. I keep thinking I should get myself a smart phone and ditch the desk top, as I can't remember what I wandered all the way out to the computer to look up, just five minutes after I thought of it in the first place! :angry:

 

I do, sometimes, take pictures of my finished work. Then, if I can remember to do it, I'll post them on FB. Yes, I am a danger to myself and others. :blink:

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I used to take 3 or 4 rolls a week.  Back then you either developed black and white photos yourself or

dropped them off at a service to be picked up later.  But now I don't take that many pictures, since

everything has gone digital.  I have pictures in my camera but don't know how to move them from point A

to point B.  So I hire that out to friends who knows how.

I make notes / list before I make the pottery so I know what to make.  I know what it will look like and

what glaze to use before its made, which lessens any surprises there might be.

It works for me.

Alabama

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I'm using an app for my iPhone called Pottery Notes. I use it for pieces made already and has fields for notes such as clay body, glaze types, and more. You can take a photo and also save it directly to it. If I have an idea of something I want to make then I'll just use the regular notes app on my phone.

 

Paul

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I take lots of pics and am pretty good with notes. I had a lot of fun just taking shots of setting up my studio, starting with the huge pile of boxed stuff eating up my living room for months. Today I posted a  pic of my new wedging wire setup on the Equipment board here. I like to see the changes of pieces from wet to green to bisque etc. The shots also give me ideas for where to go with something next. I'm not making my own glaze or clay bodies at this time, so I just note what I used and the basics. I have most of my own clay body and glaze recipes from the '80's when I was in school that I would love to do again. I am so glad I kept my notes from back then. Not so glad I sold all my equipment and supplies tho LOL. 

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Honestly, I have the attention span of a gnat! :wacko: Ideas pop in and out of my head too fast for me to nail them down with pen and paper. I keep thinking I should get myself a smart phone and ditch the desk top, as I can't remember what I wandered all the way out to the computer to look up, just five minutes after I thought of it in the first place! :angry:

 

I do, sometimes, take pictures of my finished work. Then, if I can remember to do it, I'll post them on FB. Yes, I am a danger to myself and others. :blink:

What you have is "Googleheimers"  By the time you get to the computer you forget what you were going to look up.

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I'm using an app for my iPhone called Pottery Notes. I use it for pieces made already and has fields for notes such as clay body, glaze types, and more. You can take a photo and also save it directly to it. If I have an idea of something I want to make then I'll just use the regular notes app on my phone.

Paul

I like this app but i only have an ipad and when you install it on the ipad the photos are kinda blurry. If anybody knows the developer hint an ipad version would be fab.

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I try to take pictures of everything I think is worthy in the greenware stage and after the glaze fire.  If I am working on a large mural I take pictures throughout the whole process and make charts.   I am also a big tape and marker label maker not so good at notes.  Denice

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Honestly, I have the attention span of a gnat! :wacko: Ideas pop in and out of my head too fast for me to nail them down with pen and paper. I keep thinking I should get myself a smart phone and ditch the desk top, as I can't remember what I wandered all the way out to the computer to look up, just five minutes after I thought of it in the first place! :angry:

 

I do, sometimes, take pictures of my finished work. Then, if I can remember to do it, I'll post them on FB. Yes, I am a danger to myself and others. :blink:

What you have is "Googleheimers"  By the time you get to the computer you forget what you were going to look up.

 

Ayuup! That would be me. Guilty as charged! :lol:

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After finding out a few hundred of my test tiles got 'downsized' into a dumpster I regret not taking more pictures. I have some notes but a future without my tiles just never occured to me.

 

I'm moving into the ^10 reduction side of things a bit and will definitely be taking better notes and more pictures.

 

Thanks for the gentle reminder!

 

:)

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I was hoping for a reply more like: "don't worry sweety, we all continuously forget to take pictures/notes. You are not alone! ;):D

 

But you all (except Amy...) are dutiful. I admire that very much! Thank you all for your answers!

 

Today I took pictures (yeah!).

 

And another strange thing happens to me sometimes: I feel like a guest in my own studio if I forget to wear the apron. Ha! As soon as I put on one of my many aprons I feel like a potter again. Isn't that strange? Are you wearing an apron while working in the studio?

 

Evelyne

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i use my camera all the time.  some day i will learn how to save them and i will use up all the space available in ten minutes.

 

aprons are a nuisance to me.  i am up and down too often and have a bad habit of getting ties caught on anything possible.  it seems i am unable to deal with strings, cords, ropes, electrical cords, shoelaces, dog leashes, necklaces and anything longer than it is tall.  (how can a vacuum cord get caught on furniture in the next room???)

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Evelyne I'm guilty as charged-I to am not keeping up.

I now very ocasionally shoot a photo of a kiln load and thats about it the whole kiln load on the car-I do not keep any notes other than a log book. I will shot some new work in a blue moon-As I am not doing any NEW art shows anymore just my regular ones. I do not take many work (new pots) photos anymore.. I have so many photos of pots gone by over the years past-its really slowed me from shooting much anymore as it's just not in the need to catagory.Just last week my wife shot me throwing spoonrests for my avatar here .I have so few photos of me working. 

 

That said I just do not need another 10,000 pottery photos of my stuff.

I tend to shoot salt pots right after the fire and thats about it.

The only notes I take are sloppy new glaze tests.

Tons of clay go by without a photo.

Sorry for those who thought I was on top of this part-I used to be but its just a focus shift for me.

I still log every fire in any kiln as well as my dives-so in a way I still keep track.

I think i'm like Marcia in the keep it going mode these days and  to stop to take a photo slows that down for me.

It also means cleaning myself  of clay and get into non clay cloths.

Mark

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Evelyne  I wear aprons in my studio, when I put one on it's like a start button was pushed, I am ready to work.  I can take them off and not drag as much clay into my house when I go in for lunch or a bathroom break.  I have some from several NCECA conferences so you might look for them in the vendor area when you attend.  Also take plenty of pocket money to spend in the vendor area.    Denice

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"I was hoping for a reply more like: "don't worry sweety, we all continuously forget to take pictures/notes. You are not alone!  ;)  :D"

 

Don't worry, Evelyne, we reprobates are just not so quick to admit our failings.  Rest assured,  you are not alone.

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I tend to get engrossed in my work and forget to take pics as I go along. At the end of the day I think oh man I should have taken a picture of this that or the other step for my blog!

 

I am excellent at taking pics of the finished pieces have a permanent set up for this but during the process I am not so good at remembering. I do sketch out new designs and make some notes and such on my maquettes or papers I have taped to the wall as to what worked on a certain project. Mostly, use this maquette to make this item or use this cutter to make the base for this along with how thick the clay should be or the dimensions if they are hand cut. I tend to cut cardboard patterns a lot and then poke a hole and string them up on the wall with the notes written on the cardboard itself.

 

I am HORRIBLE at glaze notes... H O R R I B L E. Probably because I don't like glazing but also because I tend to use a bunch of different glazes from tiny sample jars. I MOSTLY remember what I do on a piece but I know I really need to get better at the glaze notes.

 

Terry

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Evelyne,even i  try to to take lot many  pictures every day of what I'm working on .Further,just not what am i working on rather anywhere and everywhere whatever is related to Ceramics"i jus pick my phone and click.

 

What more even when am i browsing this forum too,i prefer clicking and collating all the points in a folder.Store  all the pictures,notes and at the end of the week,gather in a folder,transfer or post at FLICKR...where people like me get interested and learn more..

 

Remember and njoy CLICK!CLICK!CLICK!

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