Please Recommend a Book for Learning B&W Photography
I am looking for a book that goes through the basics and then more detail of black and white photography. Especially, What sort of subjects are good for black and white, what kind of light is best, when to use coloured filters, and so on. A book that includes developing and darkroom advice would be nice but is not necessary.
Eddie Ephraum's Creative Elements: Landscape Photography-Darkroom Techniques or Ansel Adams' The Camera. Ephraum's book deals mainly with 35mm bw photography, and it includes camera work as well as darkroom work. A good follow-up on these is Ralph Lambrecht's and Chris Woodhouses Way Beyond Monochrome.
At the risk of immodesty, there's a hell of a lot of free information in The Photo School at www.rogerandfrances.com. Of course I hope you'll be so impressed that you subscribe as well, but even if you don't, the free stuff will answer a lot of your questions. Click on 'our books' and you'll see some ideas there too.
This is sort of like eBay for books except you don't bid. You can pick up just about anything - many for just $1. Good place to start if you want to build a library.
These are very commonly used for Photo 1 and Photo 2 classes in college. As such you can pick them up very cheaply on eBay or Abe books now at the end of a term.
Black and White Photography, a basic manual, Henry Horenstein, Little Brown
BEYOND BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY- HORENSTEIN, Henry, Little Brown
Good luck,
John Powers
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After reading several hundred books during my more than 30 years as a photographer I'd like to recommend the following book as a good basic guide for learning Black and White Photography:
Ansel Adams Guide: Basic Techniques of Photography, Vol. 1 by John P. Shaefer
Vol. 2 is great for more advanced photographers. I used my copy several times for reference. Both are good value for money.
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Hi, A very good book for b/w is John Blakemore’s Black and White Photography Workshop. John Blakemore is Emeritus Professor of Photography, University of Derby, a wonderful photographer and a great teacher. The book is available on Amazon UK and probably worldwide.
Hope you enjoy your b/w photography. Alex
I'll add in another vote for the Horenstein and Shaefer books. I'm particularly enthusiastic about the Shaefer book - it was what I used to teach myself the basics. The Horenstein books were used as texts in the classes I took when I later decided to get some formal training. You won't go wrong with any of these.