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Book recommendations?

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 2:27 pm
by ak
Hello all,

I am new to film and I am looking for any book recommendations on developing. I have done some developing so it needn't be too simple. I looked on amazon but I find their reviews to be dubious at best, I also looked at my local community college and alas they just teach digital photography; Next best thing is just to teach myself.

Thanks, Adam.

Re: Book recommendations?

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 5:35 pm
by Keith Tapscott.
ak wrote:Hello all,

I am new to film and I am looking for any book recommendations on developing. I have done some developing so it needn't be too simple. I looked on amazon but I find their reviews to be dubious at best, I also looked at my local community college and alas they just teach digital photography; Next best thing is just to teach myself.

Thanks, Adam.
I assume that you are referring to B&W photo-films? This should help: http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/200629163442455.pdf

For books, I like "LEE FROST`S SIMPLE ART OF BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY". It`s not a technical book as such, it`s more like a "Get off your ass, shoot some film, process and print it" type of book.
There`s lots of good advice in the book and enjoyable to read. Fun, good photos and inspiring too. :lol:

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 6:58 pm
by Jim Appleyard
Not books, but hepful websites:

http://www.unblinkingeye.com/ go to articles

http://www.rogerandfrances.com/ the photo school may be helpful

Re: Book recommendations?

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:05 pm
by ak
Keith Tapscott. wrote:I assume that you are referring to B&W photo-films?
Yes I was, sorry for not clarifying.

Thanks for the suggestions I will check them out.

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:38 am
by foolscape
The Film Developing Cookbook by Steve Anchell & Bill Troop.

The Darkroom Coorbook by Steve Anchell.

--Gary

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:17 am
by Keith Tapscott.
The Film Developing Cookbook by Steve Anchell & Bill Troop.
The Darkroom Cookbook by Steve Anchell.

I have both of those books and they are interesting for those who want to make up their own processing solutions from basic components, but IMO they don`t offer the beginner/novice much in the way of getting started in B&W photography.

The book I referred to covers things like Cameras, lenses, filters and other equipment. Choosing films, papers and chemicals. Setting up a darkroom, developing films, choosing enlargers, making contact sheets, making enlargements, local density control (dodging and burning). Creative print making techniques such as lith printing, diffusing the image, using liquid emulsions and toning and much more. There are also many photos in the book by the author with very detailed descriptions of how the prints were made.
It is probably better for a complete beginner to grasp the basics which are covered in the book before reading the more technical publications.

Darkroom bargains.

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:14 am
by Keith Tapscott.
It is worth pointing out that you can buy secondhand darkroom equipment fairly cheap due to many photo-hobbyist switching over to digital imaging.
Film processing tanks and trays for prints are inexpensive and you can find excellent enlargers with lenses and print easels being sold dirt cheap.
I suggest using resin-coated papers for making your first contact-sheets and enlargements for their ease of processing to start with.
Liquid processing chemicals will be the easiest to use for a beginner. :idea:

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 6:46 am
by ChaseColey
A brilliant place is charity or second hand shops, alot of people dump books there that have switched to digital

Ive picked up recently:
Lanfords Darkroom Handbook
John Hedggecoe Complete Guide to Black and White Photography
Langfords Basic Photography
an almost complete set of Life Library for Photography

They are all brilliant books, and many others
they were all about £1 or £2 pounds each


Going into jessops and pick up some chemicals, big bottles of Dev, Stop and fix might only set you back 15 pounds


Its good to see you doing this yourself, in my collage its dedicated to film in the first year, then you can choose what you want to do in the second

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 7:20 am
by miha
Essential Darkroom Techniques, 3rd Edition (1999), by Jonathan Eastland.

Great book!

Miha