Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/09/27

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: Off topic:help on enlarger
From: Bob Parsons <bobp@dodo.demon.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 23:21:39 +0100

>And I forgot almost everything about the technique, but I don't want to
>bother you with trivial questions (the memory will come up with the
>practice). Just one, not to abuse your patient:
>Any good book about darkroom technique to advise ?
>What about Ansel Adams' The Print? Some more?
>Any help will be apreciated
>Thanks in advance
>
>Ernesto

A book I've found most useful and inspiring is one by Eddie Ephraums
called "Creative Elements. Landscape Photograpy-Darkroom Techniques".
ISBN 0-9510147-9-X Hard and paper back. The publishers are/were in 1993
21st Century Publishing Ltd. It's a book I read time and time again.
I'm not sure if it's still in print, before I bought mine I requested it
from the local library.
What's good is that he tells you exactly how each image was taken, printed,
burnt dodged etc. and toned. It's very creative. He keeps no secrets.
There is always a straight and final print shown.  The second half of the
book is more of a standard, but good, dark room manual.

There is a second book by the same author written in a similar manner
called  "Gradient Light. The art and craft of using variable contrast paper"
ISBN 0-9524346-0-1

The first book and Ansel Adams "The Print" ISBN 0-8212-2187 (paper back)
complement one another very well. I would recommend both of them.

Two other books you might try to get from your local library are
"Larry Bartlett's Black and White Photographic Printing Workshop"
ISBN 0-86343-366-9 and "The Photographer's Master Printing Course" by
Tim Rudman, ISBN 1-85732-407-2. The pictures in Larry Bartlett's book
are perhaps more in the "Leica tradition" which may make it more appealing
to you.

You are not alone, for many years ago my enlarger was an M600. I've
recently been fortunate in being able to buy a second hand V35 with which
I'm very pleased.

Good luck.

Bob.