Third Edition of the Darkroom Cookbook coming up!

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

I just got the announcement from Amazon in my inbox today:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0240810554/ref=pe_606_10230730_pe_ar_d1

I am looking forward to see this in print. I already own the Film Developing Cookbook, so I hope the new Darkroom Cookbook will have interesting new information!

 

[bsdunek]

Thanks for the heads up. I put it on my wish list.

 

[arigram]

What's new?

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

No idea, the preview chapter is not up yet.

Steve Anchell posts here every once in a while, so I hope he'll see the thread.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Well, it probably fixes that dangerous typo about handling sodium hydroxide repeated several times throughout the book that was corrected with an errata sheet. Having had to demand an errata sheet for an editor's error in an anthology where I'd published a translation of a literary work once, I know those things always get lost.

In any case, I probably use it more than any other technical photo book these days, so I'll be interested to see the update.

 

[Photo Engineer]

What about Anchell and Troop? Any opinions out there?

PE

 

[Steve Anchell]

The Darkroom Cookbook, 3rd Edition

Yes, Mark, the third edition of The Darkroom Cookbook is on its way to the press. Thank you for mentioning it on APUG.

For this edition I asked other photographers, many of them APUG members, for personal contributions. These include Bruce Barnbaum, Rod Dresser, Jay Dusard, Patrick Gainer, Richard Garrod, Henry Gilpin, Gordon Hutchings, Sandy King, Les McLean, Saïd Nuseibeh, France Scully Osterman, Mark Osterman, Tim Rudman, Ryuijie, John Sexton, John Wimberly, and David Wood. Each has contributed some tip or technique on their area of expertise along with a representative photo.

The formulas were gone over with a fine tooth comb by Mark Booth of Washington, Paul Lewis of Canada, Ian Grant of the U.K. and Turkey, and Larry Hussar of Michigan. For example, in Kodak DK-15 I specified 5.5 grams of metol, they corrected it to be 5.7 grams! And that’s just one example.

In addition, the chapter on toning was thoroughly gone through by Tim Rudman; the chapter on Printing Out Paper was almost entirely rewritten by the Ostermans; Patrick Gainer shared formulas and information on glycol/TEA; Sandy King helped with the pyrocatechin section; David Wood of .dr5 Chrome Lab worked with me on reversal processing and even provided variations of the formulas he uses; and there were a number of other contributions.

The new edition includes:

1. A chapter on reversal processing and enlarging negatives (Shutterbug magazine has agreed to publish an excerpt on enlarging negatives in an upcoming issue).

2. Several new pyro formulas.

3. Updated information on pushing film.

4. Expanded chapter on pyro and pyrocatechin.

5. Expanded chapter on printing.

6. Expanded chapter on toning (thanks to Tim).

7. Expanded chapter on Salted Paper and Printing Out Paper, including the formula and technique for Collodio-Chloride Printing Out Paper, which hasn’t been published for over 100 years. This was provided by Mark Osterman of the George Eastman House.

The real prize, for me, is new information on the Weston’s amidol formulas and a section about Brett and his working methods, including a rare photo of Brett with his 11x14” view camera, and two hand-written notes (reproduced) shared by Brett’s close friend, photographer Richard Miller.

And yes, David, the faux pas on sodium hydroxide was fixed. My sincerest apologies to all for letting that one slip past me in the heat (no pun intended) of editing the second Cookbook – for which I take full responsibility. It is thanks to user groups such as APUG that those things get caught and people saved from potential harm.

As soon as I can I will post an excerpt or two on my web site. I'll letcha know when that occurs.

P.S., Arigram, does that answer your question . . . what's new?

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Sounds excellent, Steve. I'll be looking forward to it!

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Wow, sounds like an interesting tome! Glad you took time to fill us in, Steve. I recognize many of the names from APUG, so maybe in a few years this will be the APUG Cookbook?

 

[CRhymer]

Placed my order.
Cheers,
Clarence

 

[rwyoung]

Pre-order completed! Got to use some of my Amazon.com gift certificates left over from Xmas!

 

[arigram]

Thank you Mr. Anchell, I will consider buying it even though never got to use the second edition I have. If I continue with film, it is my safety net for when I will not be able to buy bottled chemicals locally.

 

[Uhner]

Excellent, sounds like an interesting read indeed. Apparently Christmas comes in September this year.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I've pre-ordered.

It's great to see a book like this coming out right now. Just a couple of days ago I was picking up some supplies from the ever shrinking darkroom section at B&H and the staff seemed a bit morose and apologetic that fewer and fewer items were on the shelves. A new book is good news.

 

[Steve Anchell]

I would like to point out to everyone that how well the Cookbook sells will be a prime indicator of interest in the darkroom. If it does well it will send a message to publishers, magazine editors, and equipment manufacturers that there is still a market for silver.

Publishing companies closely follow established indicators. One is how well a book does in pre-sales. A second is how well in does in the first two weeks. I urge you to do whatever you can to encourage your associates and APUG members to purchase a copy so that we are heard load and clear.

 

[bdial]

Your local indie bookseller can pre-order it too, by the way. Just give them the title, publisher (focal press), and the author, the ISBN helps too (978-0-240-81055-3).

 

[Steve Anchell]

Thank you for that. I am a big proponent of supporting local businesses. If you cannot find it at a local bookstore you can order it from Amazon. They already have it discounted!

 

[Photo Engineer]

Steve;

I know how hard it is to write a book and get it to press.

I wish you all the best and I hope that you are richly rewarded for your efforts.

Kudos.

Ron

 

[Jon King]

Your local indie bookseller can pre-order it too, by the way. Just give them the title, publisher (focal press), and the author, the ISBN helps too (978-0-240-81055-3).

As in Toadstool? I'll probably get to the Milford store this weekend to order it - thanks for the ISBN info Barry

I have the first edition.. + all the corrections.. I think I'm more than ready for the third. Thank you Steve, for both the additions to this third addition and letting us know what they are.

 

[bdial]

Yep, as in Toadstool. I'm planning a visit by one of them this weekend to do the same. Two orders on the same weekend for Darkroom Cookbook ought to freak them out a bit

A little off topic, but the Peterborough store has Christopher James's The book of Alternative Photographic Processes on the shelf.

 

[Moopheus]

Publishing companies closely follow established indicators. One is how well a book does in pre-sales. A second is how well in does in the first two weeks.

No, no, publishers will give a book at least four weeks to sell. I mean, sheesh, it's not Hollywood. Also, bookstores find it essential to make sure that the book is off the shelf and packed up for returns before any reviews appear that let readers know the book exists.

 

[Steve Anchell]

DCB Sales

Dear Moopheus,

You are correct. Stores give at least 4 weeks, and usually longer, to see how a book will sell.

However, publishers monitor book sales over certain predetermined periods. The first is, of course, pre-sales which are closely watched, but the most important is the first two weeks of publication. If a title/subject does well in the first two weeks (which includes the pre-sale figures) the publisher - and competing publishers - are more likely to publish additional books by the same author OR by other authors on the same subject.

For me, I'm booked out, thank you. But if we as workers in silver wish to see more books on silver by other authors published by Focal Press, Watson-Guptill, et al, then the DCB needs to have a good showing.

Bear in mind that since 1994 when it was first published the DCB has sold approximately 12,000 copies, total.

A successful digital book does that in one year and some as much as 50,000+. We need to rally behind this book in order to let the industry know that we're still here.

 

[Steve Anchell]

I was just informed that you can purchase it from the publisher, Focal Press, http://www.elsevierdirect.com/product.jsp?isbn=9780240810553. If you cannot get it from the local bookstore, please buy from Focal. This is the most direct way to let them know we are here.

 

[Lee L]

Steve,

The link you gave doesn't work without cookies enabled, and doesn't tell you that if you don't have them enabled. It redirects to a page that appears only as an endless loop. BTW, that page also shows 89 errors reported by the W3C validator.

Lee

 

[Steve Anchell]

Thank you for checking it out and reporting back. The way I found it was to type in www.focalpress.com and in their search box I typed in The Darkroom Cookbook and it took me right to the 3rd edition. Give that a try, Lee.