Find photographic film quickly with color-coded labels
by Chris Nicholson

When doing photography work, I've always carried at least two types of film with me. Usually I have Fuji Provia and Fuji Velvia on hand at all times, and sometimes I'll throw in some black and white film, or some Fuji Press 800.

However, one problem that arose when carrying multiple films was how to organize them for the easiest way to work. At first, I kept different films in different pockets of my photography vest, but I didn't like the fact that I was using extra pockets that could otherwise be holding lenses, caps, shutter release cables, filters or snacks. Plus, I liked having all my film in one pocket. That way, by habit, I would always know where to reach for film — after all, the more routine you can make the details of working, the easier it will be to concentrate on things like composition, light and exposure.

The problem with keeping all my film in one pocket, though, was that whenever I pulled out a roll, I'd have to open the container to see what kind of film it was. That defeated the point of making the task routine.

Eucalyptus and storm clouds, Australia; photographed with Fuji Velvia. Nikon F5, Nikkor 35-70mm f/2.8. More Australia Pictures.

To resolve this issue, I began color-coding my film with 1/2-inch dot labels (such as those made by Avery, available in office supply stores). To the top of each film container I affix a label: yellow for Fuji Velvia, red for Fuji Provia. (If I'm carrying other films, the containers usually look different anyway, so I can easily distinguish them).

With the color-coding system, I can grab a couple rolls of film and see from a glance which one is the type of film I want, and it's all very routine.