Black & White Guide/ HandBooks

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Several months ago I asked a very general question re: black & white photography. I appreciate the fine responses to it. However, with the exception of Adams' trio ("The Camera...Negative...Print"), I received almost no other suggestions re: black & white guide/handbooks. With your indulgence, are there other volumes that forum members would recommend which specialize in b&w techniques, etc. . Always grateful for your help. Max

-- Max Wall (mtwall@earthlink.net), September 03, 2001

Answers

Try Henry Horenstein's 'Black-and-White Photography' and 'Beyond Basic Photography.' It's a lot more accessible than the Adams books and more attuned to 35 mm and rollfilm work. www.agfafoto.com has some good general tutorials.

-- Joe Brugger (joebugger@news.oregonian.com), September 03, 2001.

One book I like is "THE ART OF BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY", by John Garrett, published by Amphoto. It is not written in an overly technical style that bogs down the reading. It covers both actual shooting as well as the darkroom, and is heavily illustrated with real photos taken by the author while he was working as a photojournalist. It has a tone geared towards a journalistic style of photography, rather than the fine art goal of the Adams books, but as a user of Leicas and Nikons, it seems that these results are more attainable to me.

Each photo in the book, besides giving the technical details of the camera and lens used, also has information such as the paper, paper developer, time used during enlargement, filters and specific dodging and burning information if used.

If you are in a book store check it out. If it is not available to preview, the ISBN is 0-8174-3534-4.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), September 03, 2001.


Although not limited to B&W, Hedgecoe's "The Photographer's Handbook" is a handy compendium of tricks and techniques. Kodak has also [ublished several pamphlets on their B&W products, and while the focus is on Kodak, they contain useful general information, as well.

An online resource you might try is the B&W Forum at http://www.biphoto.com/bwforum/ The people on the forum are friendly, have a wide variety of experience, and are quick to help others who have questions. There are even a couple of Leica users there. ;-)

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), September 03, 2001.


Max

For a plunge into darkroom technique don't miss to check out Julien Busselle's "Processing and Printing". A superbly illustrated handbook with a special stress on multigrade paper tips and tricks.

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), September 04, 2001.

I like the Suess books. Not Dr. Suess.

Amazon has it.

-- Pete Su (psu_13@yahoo.com), September 04, 2001.



Carson Grave's The Zone System for 35mm Photographers: A Basic Guide to Exposure Control gave me a clear and concise introduction to the Zone System without inducing large format envy (I've been infected with large format fever since but that's another story). If you process and print yourself then I also recommend his companion volume The Elements of Black and White Printing. I will also add my recommendation for Bernhard Suess' wonderful Creative Black-and-White Photography: Advanced Camera and Darkroom Techniques.

-- Bong Munoz (bong@techie.com), September 04, 2001.

"Darkroom," Ed. Eleanor Lewis (Lustrum Press 1977)(Cloth: ISBN 0- 912810-20-3; Paper 0-912810-19-x).

"Darkroom2," Ed. Jain Kelly (Lustrum Press 1978)(Hardbound: ISBN 0- 912810-22-x; Paper 0-912810-21-1).

Ralph Gibson published these books in the 70s. "Darkroom" contains the working approaches, philosophies and techniques, film, chemicals, processing, etc, etc of a very broad spectrum of well-known photographers presented in essay form--namely, Wynn Bullock, Jerry Burchard, Larry Clark, Linda Connor, Ralph Gibson, Betty Hahn, Eikoh Hosoe, George Krause, Elaine Mayes, Duane Michals, W. Eugene Smith, George Tice, and Jerry Uelsmann.

"Darkroom2" contains the same format for Judy Dater, Frank Gohlke, Emmet Gowin, Charles Harbutt, Lisette Model, Hans Namuth, Doug Prince, Aaaron Siskind, Neal Slavin and Cole Weston.

After these, check out "The Craft of Photography," David Vestal (Harper & Row 1974)(ISBN 0-06-014497-1).

And, Ralph Gibson also published "Nude Theory," Ed. Jain Kelly (Lustrum Press 1979)(ISBN 0-912810-24-6) which presents different photographers approaches and techniques on nudes in basically the same format as the "Darkroom" series. "Nude Theory" contains essays written by Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Harry Callahan, Lucien Clergue, Ralph Gibson, Kenneth Josephson, Andre Kertesz, Duane Michals, and Helmut Newton.

-- Cosmo Genovese (cosmo@rome.com), September 04, 2001.


John Hedgecoe's book entitled "A Complete Guide to Black and White Photography" is an excellent book for those interested in B+W work. I purchased a copy a few years ago and have seen it, now in soft cover, at Borders Book store. I am certain you can locate a copy at any well stocked store that carries new books or at a used book store with some searching.The narrative is easy to read and the photographs demonstrate Hedgecoe's point of discussion. I use it for reference as well as general reading. I don't think you will be disappointed with the book.

-- John Alfred Tropiano (jat18@psu.edu), September 06, 2001.

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