JBrunners guide #1 Magic bullets for B&W beginners.

JBrunner · Jul 24, 2009

JBrunner submitted a new resource:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists) - JBrunners guide #1 Magic bullets for B&W beginners.

In this article, I am going to lay out a camera, lens, exposure, film, developing, paper and printing regimen that will speed you on your way to achieving print Nirvana.

Camera: A good one that works, and that feels at home. Learn how it works, and keep clean and in good working order. Find out what CLA means.

Lens: The best one(s) you can afford. Lenses are a place where money usually pays dividends. Don't get too hung up though, they can't make you a great photographer. Be a photographer...

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

MattKing · Jul 24, 2009

Jason:

This reads well. Are you going to do more? If so, you may want to number them (i.e. JBrunner's guide #1 - "Magic bullets for B&W, for beginners")

Matt

P.S. you may want to correct "begginners" in the title.

JBrunner · Jul 24, 2009

MattKing said:
Jason:

This reads well. Are you going to do more? If so, you may want to number them (i.e. JBrunner's guide #1 - "Magic bullets for B&W, for beginners")

Matt

P.S. you may want to correct "begginners" in the title.

Thanks Matt.

brian d · Jul 24, 2009

Nice, wish I could have seen something like that a few years back

rpsawin · Jul 24, 2009

This could have saved me $1,000's.....

Best,

Bob

Rob Skeoch · Jul 24, 2009

good advice allround.
What does CLA mean.
-Rob

David Brown · Jul 24, 2009

JBrunner said:
The magic bullet for beginners is consistency with well established processes, and careful and methodical observation of cause and effect.

And, read the d%$& instructions!

Anscojohn · Jul 24, 2009

Jason: Excellent advice. Now, let's see if the noobs take it!

Sirius Glass · Jul 24, 2009

Rob Skeoch said:
good advice allround.
What does CLA mean.
-Rob

CLA = Clean, Lubricate and Adjust

Put that in your LOAA!

Steve

2F/2F · Jul 25, 2009

Nice, J.

Would you mind if I distributed it to college students, or used it as a base for my own handout? I will be TAing for beginning and for experimental/alt process this coming semester.

If no, I totally understand, and thanks for writing it for the APUG community. If nothing else, this will inspire me to urge the dept. head to draft something similar.

JBrunner · Jul 25, 2009

2F/2F said:
Nice, J.

Would you mind if I distributed it to college students, or used it as a base for my own handout? I will be TAing for beginning and for experimental/alt process this coming semester.

If no, I totally understand, and thanks for writing it for the APUG community. If nothing else, this will inspire me to urge the dept. head to draft something similar.

This is for the benefit of every beginner, everywhere. Please feel free to use it in any way that might help new film photographers.

Thomas Bertilsson · Jul 25, 2009

Jason,

An excellent piece of advice. And, it holds true for photographers that have been at it for a while as well! There really isn't much of a reason either, other than to satisfy your curiosity, to dive in and use 'exotic' materials once you're a seasoned and skilled photographer / printer / artist.

I look at splendid artists like Bill Schwab. He is a very good example for those that think they need flashy materials. He's used the same Hasselblad camera for decades, and he keeps it CLA'd and serviced by experts. One film (Tri-X), one developer (HC-110), one paper (Ilford), one paper developer (Ilford), and sepia and selenium toners. That's it. And now go look at his prints!
I have had the fortune of holding many of his prints in my hands, and they are SPECTACULAR! He's an amazing artist.

For me, I use that almost like a mantra. My materials are different (easy to get stuff), but I'm using one film, one developer, two papers (one for standard printing, both work with lith chemistry), and two paper developers (standard and lith). And I have to tell you that I was farting around (flailing, as you say) for too long with various films and chemistry. You're absolutely right; it got me NOWHERE!

You will also be doing yourself a favor by using the same materials over and over. If you ever want to, or have to, exhibit your work, you will have a cohesive look to them. This makes it much easier for you. I am right now printing up portfolios, which is a chore, because I have used at least five different kinds of paper to make individual prints within a series - now I have to do it all over again on the SAME paper.

You speak the truth. No materials will make a great photographer and printer. But a great photographer and printer will make GOOD materials sing. It takes a lot of practice to get there; I've been doing this for eight years now, and I still consider myself very much a learner.

Thank you, Jason! I will actually take your words, transfer them to a Word document, snazz it up, make sure it's clear where the words came from, and give it to everybody and anybody I know that is a photography beginner.

- Thomas

Brandon D. · Jul 25, 2009

As a beginner myself (who has just recently began developing B&W negatives), I was impressed to find out about the wide range of things you can do with just one film and one developer [combination]. I'm just glad that I can accomplish a lot of looks, or effects, while keeping my darkroom very simple.

Sirius Glass · Jul 25, 2009

Sirius Glass said:
CLA = Clean, Lubricate and Adjust

Put that in your LOAA!

Steve

LOAA = List of Acronymns and Abbreviations

Aren't you glad you asked?

Steve

Prest_400 · Jul 25, 2009

Great article Jason; Let's see if in a few months the last half part of the manual can be of use to me. I've still got to start B&W film dev.

I was bored this evening, and I did this simple PDF in 15 minutes. PDF's are a more consistent format than .doc and such. It works great with any OS and PDF reader, so it's a good format for sharing.
The text is 99% identical; I only modified the "AA's The negative" for "Ansel Adams' The negative". I had some strange feeling that led me to do this evil action. I hope JB won't mind the little change

JBrunner · Jul 26, 2009

Prest_400 said:
Great article Jason; Let's see if in a few months the last half part of the manual can be of use to me. I've still got to start B&W film dev.

I was bored this evening, and I did this simple PDF in 15 minutes. PDF's are a more consistent format than .doc and such. It works great with any OS and PDF reader, so it's a good format for sharing.
The text is 99% identical; I only modified the "AA's The negative" for "Ansel Adams' The negative". I had some strange feeling that led me to do this evil action. I hope JB won't mind the little change

Dude, that's awesome. Many thanks.

Tony Egan · Jul 26, 2009

One "rule" I have tried to follow lately is only print negatives you REALLY, REALLY want to print. Don't be diverted by the "should dos", "must dos", "he/she'll like this ones", "this shows how smart I ams" etc etc. Fun and joy and satisfaction is slaving over a print you really love. Slaving over anything else is ultimately not very satisfying and steals time from the others. You will always(eventually) have hundreds or thousands of negs that will never see the light of an enlarger so always start with the "next favourite" one that inspires you.

Good work JB.

Marv · Jul 26, 2009

Developing: Says it all, there is nothing worse than flailing and nothing harder than trying to help a flailer. Good concise read Jason.

Uncle Bill · Jul 26, 2009

Perfect advice Jason, wish I followed it when I started.

Sirius Glass · Jul 26, 2009

Jason, next thing we know you will be publishing books as well as your videos, just like ... who was that who was here ... Roger Hicks.

Steve

clayne · Jul 26, 2009

Jason has always been well balanced and down to earth about calm successful approaches to most things. I wish I was able to take on his temperament ;-).

Ralph Javins · Jul 27, 2009

Sirius Glass said:
LOAA = List of Acronymns and Abbreviations

Aren't you glad you asked?

Steve

Good morning, Steve;

Thank you for answering before I had asked.

My first thought was; "Oh, no. Another new Palm Pilot or I-pod, or something has come out."

And, for Jason, also; "Thank you." A nice concise statement of a worthwhile goal to achieve in our early days in photography. No, take out the part about "in our early days."

Jeremy · Jul 27, 2009

One comment I keep making to my students:

"The fastest way to become a better photographer is to make photographs."

It's amazing how many people don't take this to heart.

Sirius Glass · Jul 27, 2009

Jeremy said:
One comment I keep making to my students:

"The fastest way to become a better photographer is to make photographs."

It's amazing how many people don't take this to heart.

Or the counter point: Learning photography by only reading and talking is like learning to drive a car by only reading books.

Steve

jaimeb82 · Jul 28, 2009

Thanks for the guidelines Jason, that pdf is going into my camera bag. I just realized that I use to many different types of films, so I am going to have to commit to one and learn it upside down. I also recommend to anyone that starts with film photography to take a look at JBrunner videos at his web site or in youtube, he makes explanations really easy and really fun. Fun is one of the keys, as he points out in several occasions. Thanks for putting me back on the right track.

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