Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Notices

Go Back   Film and Darkroom User > Reviews > Books

  ***   Click here for the FADU 2015/2014 Yearbooks   ***

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 30th January 2016, 10:44 AM
Martyn Martyn is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Padiham, Lancashire
Posts: 34
Default Darkroom - Lustrum Press

A recent purchase and an interesting read, the Darkroom by Lustrum Press, edited by Eleanor Lewis. It goes to show that there are many ways to skin a cat and produce a B/W print as there are photographers. Inexpensive and informative from Amazon. 0-912810-20-3
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 30th January 2016, 11:52 AM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Daventry, Northants
Posts: 8,968
Default

Thanks, Martyn, I take it this is the 1977 book of that title by Wynn Bullock et al.

Am I right? A couple of good reviews but I often wonder if there really is any real "pots of gold" or "secrets" so to speak there that haven't already been mentioned in other books. The other danger with a 40 year old book is that it describes equipment or chemicals, especially off the shelf chemicals that are difficult or impossible to obtain.

How many of the authors are/were U.S. based? This can make things even more difficult in terms of material availability.

I tend to buy such books, enjoy them to an extent but wonder afterwards if it actually represented money well spent

Mike
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 30th January 2016, 02:35 PM
TonyMiller TonyMiller is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 890
Default

Agree - an excellent book - always interesting to see the working methods of b&w photographer/ printers. Lustrum Press was founded by Ralph Gibson and I think I read on here that Darkroom2 is worth a look also.
__________________
regards,

Tony
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 30th January 2016, 07:06 PM
Roy_H's Avatar
Roy_H Roy_H is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 353
Default

I've had both Darkroom and Darkroom 2 since they were published and found them extremely useful back in the day.
This thread has caused me to dig them out of the bookshelves and it's nice to see that they are just as relevant and interesting today!
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 30th January 2016, 09:41 PM
Martyn Martyn is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Padiham, Lancashire
Posts: 34
Default

Yes, Wynn Bullock, Ralph Gibson and others. I agree that there is very little new here but still an interesting read. I also ordered Contact Theory, also by lustrum, at the same time - it is yet to arrive. As a bit of a book collector I just can't resist.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 30th January 2016, 10:33 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Daventry, Northants
Posts: 8,968
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martyn View Post
Yes, Wynn Bullock, Ralph Gibson and others. I agree that there is very little new here but still an interesting read.
Yes that's my problem as well. I don't think I have any photographic books that were not interesting reads. In terms of interest value in cost per hour terms they probably represent good value.

Mike
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 31st January 2016, 09:32 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Midlands/Aegean
Posts: 1,988
Default

I've bought the book thanks to this thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike O'Pray View Post
How many of the authors are/were U.S. based? This can make things even more difficult in terms of material availability.

Mike
All the contributors are American however it doesn't worry me that all the papers used will have disappeared, and some chemistry is no longer available.

In 1977 we had a very poor choice of papers here in the UK. Ilford and Kodak sold no warm tone papers here, fibre based papers almost disappeared, then Agfa pulled out of the conventional B&W in the UK no longer importing their B&W films, papers and chemistry.

Luckily Peter Goldfied (Goldfinger) began privately importing Agfa materials, Iford listened to demand and brought out Galerie and things improved.

Should be an interesting read

Ian
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 31st January 2016, 03:59 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 1,426
Default

Ian, have Ilford changed Galerie since they first brought it out, or is the current paper the same as the original?

Alan
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 31st January 2016, 04:45 PM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Midlands/Aegean
Posts: 1,988
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Clark View Post
Ian, have Ilford changed Galerie since they first brought it out, or is the current paper the same as the original?

Alan
I don't think they've changed it, but they did reduce the range of grades available. Their FB Multigrade papers have unproved quite significantly since first introduced and the market for GAlerie shrank.

Ian
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 31st January 2016, 05:14 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 1,426
Default

Thanks Ian

Alan
Reply With Quote
Reply
Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Mamiya Press Martyn Cameras - medium format 1 25th January 2015 08:43 PM
T-shirt heat press as a dry mounting press Maurizio Equipment miscellaneous 5 13th March 2012 08:15 PM
WTB a Press Shutter Jon Butler Sale or Wanted 0 7th January 2011 09:28 PM
For sale - dry mounting press Rob Archer Sale or Wanted 0 12th August 2009 06:01 PM
Hot Press Jet Mounter Argentum Print Finishing 0 2nd October 2008 04:55 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 09:12 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.