Books on alternative processes

[tjaded]

I'm looking for recomendations of good, thorough books about various alternative processes. If you have a recommendation, let me know! There are so many books out there and I hate it when I buy one that is a dud...

 

[SuzanneR]

It's out of print, AFAIK, but "Keepers of Light" by William Crawford is excellent. If you can find a copy, grab it!

 

[Kerik]

These are two of the best (and much more current than KOL):

"The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes" by Christopher James

"Coming into Focus: A Step-by-Step Guide to Alternative Photographic Printing Processes" by John Barnier

 

[Ole]

There's a big list at http://www.alternativephotography.com/books/books_selfpublished.html

But that was what you didn't want? Try one of Randall Webb's books (find it on Amazon). They're inspiring, comprehensive, but not at all complete.

On second thought, read http://www.alternativephotography.com .

 

[Jerevan]

Coming into Focus by John Barnier (ISBN 0-8118-1894-2) from Chronicle Books is a really good one, I think. It's a good starter, with good layout and nice examples of prints and easy how-tos. I still sometimes read the chapter about Collodion and hope I one day will get lucky enough to be able to do an ambrotype in reality...

 

[John Jarosz]

"The Keepers of Light" by William Crawford is a first-rate book. By now I'm sure someone that reads it for the firast time will find it full of sources and information that is out of date. But, it would still be my first choice as a starting point for alt.

John

 

[terri]

I've enjoyed "Creative Photo Printmaking" by Theresa Airey. Of course, we must now pass over the great chapter on Polaroid's Time Zero film and manipulation of SX-70 prints. But with any of these books that have been out for a few years, there will be sections that are rendered obsolete due to paper or film changes.

I also like "Alternative Photographic Processes" by Randall Webb and Martin Reed. And, though not really a true "alt-process" book, "Photographic Possibilities" by Robert Hirsch and John Valentino is an enjoyable read.

I'd like to hear more from everyone; I never get tired of reading these books.

 

[Allen Friday]

Another vote for "Coming into Focus." Great place to start, but with enough detail and depth to keep you going for a long time.

 

[Jerevan]

Spirits of Salts by Randall Webb and Martin Reed is pretty okay too. Long time since I read it now, but I remember it as a good book. The blurb on Silverprint says it's "profusely illustrated".

 

[Roger Hicks]

Spirits of Salts by Randall Webb and Martin Reed is pretty okay too. Long time since I read it now, but I remember it as a good book. The blurb on Silverprint says it's "profusely illustrated".

Superb book. I have it, and find that for the basics of any process, it's just about all you need. After that, it's practice.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Soeren]

There is a lot of articles on the Alternative Photography website allmost making books unnecessary. I bought "Alternative Processes Condensed" though its wellwritten it don't give info on the Cyanotype, Argyrotype and Kalitype that's not available for free. The author also covers Gumprinting but that is not interesting for me so I havn't seeked info about that elsewhere.
I consider buing spirits of salts but I have just ordered Primitive Photography so it will have to wait a while.
Cheers
Søren

 

[doughowk]

Though not a book, the World Journal of Post-Factory Photography has a wealth of information. You can buy all 9 issues directly from Judy Seigel, the editor.

 

[smieglitz]

I have probably 6 or 7 alternative process books including several mentioned in this thread. My vote goes to "Coming Into Focus".

Joe

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Another vote for Coming Into Focus for a one-stop shop for alt-process stuff.

I've actually met Theresa Airey - she lives up near Baltimore, and used to come in the store where I worked from time to time. Very nice lady, and does some good work, but she is definitely more on the art than the science end of photography. In her chapter on using IR film, she mentions that you should use a separate developing tank for IR film because the IR radiation can contaminate your non IR film! What's next, tinfoil hats to keep the aliens from reading your mind?

 

[terri]

Another vote for Coming Into Focus for a one-stop shop for alt-process stuff.

I've actually met Theresa Airey - she lives up near Baltimore, and used to come in the store where I worked from time to time. Very nice lady, and does some good work, but she is definitely more on the art than the science end of photography. In her chapter on using IR film, she mentions that you should use a separate developing tank for IR film because the IR radiation can contaminate your non IR film! What's next, tinfoil hats to keep the aliens from reading your mind?

ha ha!! I'm going to have to pull that book out and find that passage, as I don't recall it. And I hung over her IR chapter because of her great detail as far as testing, use of various filters and such.

Actually, although her alt book is really good, and I got a lot of use out of it, she's really quite the digital guru these days.

 

[donbga]

Another vote for Coming Into Focus for a one-stop shop for alt-process stuff.

I've actually met Theresa Airey - she lives up near Baltimore, and used to come in the store where I worked from time to time. Very nice lady, and does some good work, but she is definitely more on the art than the science end of photography. In her chapter on using IR film, she mentions that you should use a separate developing tank for IR film because the IR radiation can contaminate your non IR film! What's next, tinfoil hats to keep the aliens from reading your mind?

That was quite a few years ago. I remeber it well. I wasn't going to mention it myself but since you have I can recall see received a healthy dose of rebuke on the old CompuServe photo forum. Or to put it another way she was the laughing stock of IR photography for a while.

When I first read the passage I though it was intended as a wierd joke. Apparently it wasn't.

 

[Chazzy]

What I like about Coming into Focus is that it is big, fat and complete. Also, Barnier treats the reader as an adult who is capable of understanding that mercuric chloride doesn't belong in one's oatmeal--one of my alternative process books keeps repeating dire warnings for the clueless over and over and over again. But for someone who wants a book that is more accessible, the Jill Enfield book would be excellent.

 

[donbga]

What I like about Coming into Focus is that it is big, fat and complete. Also, Barnier treats the reader as an adult who is capable of understanding that mercuric chloride doesn't belong in one's oatmeal--one of my alternative process books keeps repeating dire warnings for the clueless over and over and over again. But for someone who wants a book that is more accessible, the Jill Enfield book would be excellent.

Chazzy,

Read this and you may change your mind about mecuric chloride:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury(II)_chloride

 

[terri]

That was quite a few years ago. I remeber it well. I wasn't going to mention it myself but since you have I can recall see received a healthy dose of rebuke on the old CompuServe photo forum. Or to put it another way she was the laughing stock of IR photography for a while.

When I first read the passage I though it was intended as a wierd joke. Apparently it wasn't.

Okay, not to beat a dead horse, but I had to find the passage mentioned here. Specifically, it was about fixer, and storing it in a separate container to avoid contaminating other films with IR radiation. She holds an MFA in photography, so it's hard to accept this got in there. And yes, the book has been out for a number of years.

I like Jill Enfield's book, as well. Both are good volumes and cover several different alt processes. I also have Coming into Focus, but I admit I was researching mainly bromoil printmaking when I bought it, and have only skimmed over the other parts. I prefer Gene Laughter's methods over Barnier's for bromoil.

 

[PhotoPete]

The opening chapter of Keepers of the Light, on the subject of photographic syntax, is a must-read, regardless of one's level of interest in alt processes.

 

[mikeg]

I recently bought Jill Enfield's Photo-imaging "A complete guide to alternative processes". It's OK, but I was a bit disappointed with it. Most of the processes that I was looking for weren't covered in this "complete guide" In particular, no gum bichromate, albumen, or salt prints. What is covered was interesting but definitely not a complete guide. I'm sure this won't matter to most people but the one thing which really wound me up about the book is the mish-mash of units used in the chemical formulae! Although, I'm not a chemist, I am a scientist working in a chemical research company and this really annoyed my scientific mind! Temperatures given in F, liquids measured in ounces, litres or ml, solids in ounces, pounds, grammes, even teaspoons. Occasionally mixing Imperial with metric measurements in the same formula!

That feels better! Rant over Other than that it's an interesting read with some good images.

Cheers

Mike

 

[terri]

Yes, I'm generally happier with a book if I can see the table of contents in advance. Funny, I never thought about the "mish mash" of chemical units in Enfield's book, but I can see where that would be annoying - as well as potentially confusing. Back when I first read it, it was more for the Polaroid processes and hand coloring info.

Mike, is there an alt book out there you DO recommend? So far I have most of the ones mentioned. "Keepers of the Light" is one I've heard of before, and it is now on my short list of ones to buy. I enjoy all of them and seeing different approaches in technique.

 

[mikeg]

I'm looking for book recommendations myself. I'm a beginner in this area and I wanted a good general guide. I've learnt a lot from the Enfield book, it's certainly not a bad book and what it does cover it covers really well, it's just that it didn't cover the areas that I was particularly interested in! There's some superb images, but I felt slightly cheated by the "complete" tag in the book title. If you want general info, along with stuff on IR, liquid emulsion, inkjet transfers, cyanotypes, kallitypes, platinum/palladium, tintypes, polaroid transfers and hand painting b&w then it's very good.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Lukas Werth]

Coming somewhat late to this thread...
Someone mentioned "spirits of salts". In fact, I remember to have written a review on Amazon on this book: to put it short, this is in my view nota verry good book, as you can probably bring no single process to work properly if you rely on the informations given there. The authors try to cover everything, but really explain very little.

Crawford's "keepersof light" is much better, in fact, I think, a valuable classic, but pretty outmoded in may of its technical details by now.

I recently read Mice Ware's "The Chrysotype Manual", available from siderotype.com, which does not only cover chrysotypes (gold prints, similar to Platinum prints, but offering other possibilities, like different colours; see also my website), but contains an extensive general introduction into printing with metal salts (i.e. siderotypes) Some parts do not make a very easy read, but I can only recommend the book in the highest terms. It offeres basic insights valuable for different processes. Maybe somewhat taxing for an absolute beginner, but i would still say, why start with something second rate?

 

[semeuse]

"Keepers of Light" is what got me interested in alt-processes - it really is an excellent book. "The New Photography" by Marilyn Sward and Catherine Reeve (also out of print), while leaning quite hard into the art, is also an excellent work. Of the newer titles, I would go with "Coming Into Focus." Though, if I had to pick the ONE book for alternative processes, it would have to be "The Silver Sunbeam" by John Towler. It's the original photography bible