While it’s not a how-to, I’ve found “Ansel Adams 400 photographs” to be very instructional.
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
AndyH
Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire
In reference to translation of Adams’s work into digital terms, the concepts of light and shadow, dynamic range, perspective, lighting setups, perspective control, filtering light, etc. are all easy. The camera work advice stands on its own, and the rest is now much easier, using your post processing software. In reading them, just skip the film based parts if not interested, but virtually everything I know about B/W photography came from this series. I believe they were all available bound together at one time - they’re actually very slim volumes individually.
Andy
Dont neglect watching some old black and white movies... You can find them on YouTube for free. Film Noir movies seem to be among the best with great contrast and mood setting techniques
AndyH wrote:
Ansel Adams’s original five volume set. The Camera, The Negative, The Primt, Natural Light, Artificial Light. Film based, but still the best, and easily adapted to digital.
Andy
I wrote a simple, English sentence, “What book on digital, b&w photography do you recommend?” You suggested a five volume set of books on film-based photography. Why?
aschweik wrote:
Recently I picked up a copy of "Working in Bl... (
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Oh, goodness! Someone finally quit listening to herself ramble and strut and gave me a straight answer. Thank you, thank you, thank you...
I will add to the comments re: Ansel Adams 5-vol set. . .Truly The Best! With the added pleasure of "watching" a master at work that comes with reading Adams' books!
A few years ago, I "did" an "Adams Trip" to Yosemite . . .On a sunny Spring morning, I set out on Cross-Country skis (with a set of the books for reference in my backpack) to "visit the photographs" in an attempt to take the same shots using the books as a "User's Manual." Since I was much younger, I wasn't troubled by the weight of the backpack [Adams' books; a pair of binoculars' and, a pair of Nikon F-100's; several lenses; a tripod; and, 20 or so rolls of film] I was able to take duplicate shots using both cameras equipped with different lenses. . .And, came away with a "book" of my own (I took notes, using a pocket dictator, for transcription later)
It was a great experience. . .Yosemite in all it's magnificence was worth the "walk" all by itself. . .And, Mr Adams was "frosting on the cake!"
PS. . .At that time of the year, I had much of the Park to myself! And, was not bothered by "foot traffic interference!" <smile>
PS#2. . .re: someone's comment re: a single book. . .Read any ONE of Adams' books. . .Or, read them all. . .The man knew how to shoot B&W. . .And, your time will be well-spent. . .You'll gain from the experience. . .Because you're dealing with a topic that virtually cannot be covered in one shot!
AndyH wrote:
Ansel Adams’s original five volume set. The Camera, The Negative, The Primt, Natural Light, Artificial Light. Film based, but still the best, and easily adapted to digital.
Andy
Except they won't have anything about the digital B&W conversion, which is the most important aspect of digital B&W photography, and they will have way more information about film processing and darkroom printing which isn't applicable to digital.
NikonUser101 wrote:
I will add to the comments re: Ansel Adams 5-vol set. . .Truly The Best! With the added pleasure of "watching" a master at work that comes with reading Adams' books!
A few years ago, I "did" an "Adams Trip" to Yosemite . . .On a sunny Spring morning, I set out on Cross-Country skis (with a set of the books for reference in my backpack) to "visit the photographs" in an attempt to take the same shots using the books as a "User's Manual." Since I was much younger, I wasn't troubled by the weight of the backpack [Adams' books; a pair of binoculars' and, a pair of Nikon F-100's; several lenses; a tripod; and, 20 or so rolls of film] I was able to take duplicate shots using both cameras equipped with different lenses. . .And, came away with a "book" of my own (I took notes, using a pocket dictator, for transcription later)
It was a great experience. . .Yosemite in all it's magnificence was worth the "walk" all by itself. . .And, Mr Adams was "frosting on the cake!"
PS. . .At that time of the year, I had much of the Park to myself! And, was not bothered by "foot traffic interference!" <smile>
I will add to the comments re: Ansel Adams 5-vol ... (
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Note to administrator: we need a new forum, “Ramblings Of People Who Ignore Topics And Just Ramble.”
JohnSwanda wrote:
Except they won't have anything about the digital B&W conversion, which is the most important aspect of digital B&W photography, and they will have way more information about film processing and darkroom printing which isn't applicable to digital.
GOODNESS! Someone understands! There is hope!! Bless you, John Swanda, bless you...
granbob
Loc: SW Wisc; E Iowa; W Illinois
I recently purchased "Nik Software Captured: The Complete Guide to Using Nik Software's Photographic Tools" by Tony Corbell & Josh Haftel and have found it very well written and extremely helpful. Its copyright date is 2012. I found a used copy via Albris. While this book is not exactly what the OP asked for, I thought I would list it as it may be helpful to others who are venturing into the use of Nik software. The authors use many illustrations showing monitor screen shots and the effects of various Nik editing tools.
TriX
Loc: Raleigh, NC
JohnSwanda wrote:
Except they won't have anything about the digital B&W conversion, which is the most important aspect of digital B&W photography, and they will have way more information about film processing and darkroom printing which isn't applicable to digital.
Points taken (and valid), but I personally have found that a great deal of Ansel Adam's techniques regarding light, and especially the zone system are the basis of good B&W photography, whether executed in the film or digital world. When my son asked a similar question at about age 13, I gave him the 3 classic Ansel Adams books to read. He still has and occasionally refers to them as he prepares his lesson plans and content - he's a photography and graphic arts teacher, much like the OP.
frjack wrote:
Any books of the photography of Fr. Frank Browne, SJ, (1880-1960) the Jesuit priest who took the only photos of the Titanic while it was at sailing. Browne's uncle Robert, the Bishop of Coyne who raised him and his brother after their father's death (and purchased young Frank his first camera), bought him passage on the Titanic's voyage from Southampton, England to Queenstown, Ireland via Cherbourg, France. He took multiple photos onboard, including the radio room, the gym, and many of the passengers. He disembarked at Queenstown under orders from his provincial superior despite a couple offering to pay his passage to the U.S. He released his photos after the sinking. Any photos in the media taken aboard ship while it was sailing were taken by Fr. Browne. He continued to photograph mostly in Ireland, for the rest of his life.
After his death a trunk containing approximately 20,000 acetate negatives was discovered by a Jesuit historian. Apparently all were labeled and dated. They were preserved in digital format. Over twenty volumes of his work have been released thus far. He is considered one of the premier chroniclers of life in Ireland and Dublin of the early twentieth century.
The superb photos demonstrate an eye for composition as well as narrative. They are worthy of study before going out to shoot black and white.
Any books of the photography of Fr. Frank Browne,... (
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Really interesting account - I'm going to look him up.
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