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Pssst, wanna make a weird photograph? How about a moody blue cyanotype or a Kallitype? Or maybe a ziatype, anthotype, or Ambrotype? Or perhaps you'd just like to know more about image transfer processes or how to make a pinhole camera. Imagine knowing a really cool guy who casually tells you lots of valuable stuff about the history and science of photography while you're working in his experimental darkroom, and you've got the essence of the unusual and delightfulBook of Alternative Photographic Processes. Christopher James, a photographer and former Harvard University professor, leads you carefully through the chemistry and use of materials for each process. He offers numerous ways to make negatives and prepare the printing paper, and he coaches you in understanding and accepting the enormously variable effects of each method. Seven useful appendices deal with such topics as safety considerations and resources on the Web. Unlike the narrowly task-oriented approach of average how-to guide, this one points you to a much bigger world. Even the illustrations include a generous assortment of contemporary prints--among them James's own inventive images--as well as work by 19th- and early-20th-century photographers. They were the ones who pioneered most of the techniques that are now considered "alternative."
The fun of this book--even for someone unlikely ever to set foot in a darkroom--lies in the author's fascinating excursions into the wide world of knowledge, from the workings of 3-D to Charles Babbage's steam-driven punch-card systems. Equally compelling are the author's sense of humor and his utter lack of dogmatism. "In gum printing," he writes, "there are very fewabsolutelycorrect ways to do anything."--Cathy Curtis
Best book I have found so far... This book is great. It has nearly every process I was interested in, and steps you through each of them with: easy to follow instructions, checklists of chemicals, and useful/helpful pictures.
Theres enough here to interest both the amateur photographer as well as the seasoned professional who is interested in these techniques.
Check it out, I don't think you'll regret it.
one of the best this book is excellent if you're interested in alternative photographic tech's. it is very thourough and offers MANY different processes.The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes (Book of Alternative Photographic Processes) This book is great for someone who has a little experience, or for those who may have a lot. It gives a lot of great ideas for new ways of creating and working on images, and provides a lot of information on how to go about the processes. Some info is pretty technical, but there are plenty of processes that are novice-friendly.
I especially enjoyed the illustrations the book used, because they give you an idea of just what the processes can do--that way you aren't going into it totally blind.
