Getting good prints from B&W negatives can be really challenging. It’s not so hard to get good B&W in digital, but you do have to know what a good B&W image looks like. Thanks, Randall!
I do have a ways to go with figuring out B&W ~ there is a skill as well as an art to it all, and like with everything I guess just get out and do it, then do it some more 🙂
Hope your doing well!
And look at a lot of B&W photos from past to current to see the ranges of styles, techniques and tonal quality from old prints to fully digital. It’s well worth investing a few bucks in used copies of Minor White’s “Zone System Manual How to Previsualize Your Pictures” and Ansel Adam’s “The Camera”, “The Negative” and “The Print” books (a lot of it still applies to digital). Beaumont Newhall’s “The History of Photography from 1839 to the Present Day”— “present day” being the mid 70’s, is available as a penny book on Amazon, and his book “Photography: Essays & Images: Illustrated Readings in the History of Photography” is also available for a penny on Amazon. Newhall’s books give you a good sense of how modern day thought and arguments about photography are not so modern as you might think when you read the same arguments made about photography well over 100 years ago. BTW I had Beaumont Newhall for photo history classes when I was studying photography at UNM in the early 1980’s.
This is an incredible set of books ~ to get into what is behind and what defines quality, thank you for this list of treasures. You’ve got a great quote in here: “how modern day thought and arguments about photography are not so modern as you might think when you read the same arguments made about photography well over 100 years ago” ~ which shows the wisdom of the past masters. And speaking of such, what an incredible experience to have studied the History of Photography with Beaumont Newhall, a legend ~ it’d be great to sit down over a few beers and hear your stories & experiences…very cool 🙂
Classes with Newhall were fascinating, full of stories of his personal experiences with the masters and legends of the time. I recently pulled out the books I mentioned and have been re-reading them after they sat on my shelves for years. They are fun and refreshing and they remind me of how they influenced how I work and see the world through my photography.
At my college, we had a semester photography course with a photographer who shot with Ansel Adams – the course filled up quickly and I did not get in. I didn’t get in because I really didn’t try (at the age of 20+, so much else happening at that point in life), but felt a twinge of guilt/saddness every time I walked past the building. Important moments from life come from people who can share stories “stories of his personal experiences with the masters and legends of the time” ~ I’ve got Newhall’s book being sent to my hometown this week so I’ll dive into it over X-mas when I return home. Enjoy the weekend.
Off Center & Not Even 
Happy New Week 🙂
I love this!
These are great especially that first one; pulled me right in!
Beautiful B&W shots ~ I’m just now getting into appreciating the art of the power of contrast with B&W shots, and this series shows why.
Getting good prints from B&W negatives can be really challenging. It’s not so hard to get good B&W in digital, but you do have to know what a good B&W image looks like. Thanks, Randall!
I do have a ways to go with figuring out B&W ~ there is a skill as well as an art to it all, and like with everything I guess just get out and do it, then do it some more 🙂
Hope your doing well!
And look at a lot of B&W photos from past to current to see the ranges of styles, techniques and tonal quality from old prints to fully digital. It’s well worth investing a few bucks in used copies of Minor White’s “Zone System Manual How to Previsualize Your Pictures” and Ansel Adam’s “The Camera”, “The Negative” and “The Print” books (a lot of it still applies to digital). Beaumont Newhall’s “The History of Photography from 1839 to the Present Day”— “present day” being the mid 70’s, is available as a penny book on Amazon, and his book “Photography: Essays & Images: Illustrated Readings in the History of Photography” is also available for a penny on Amazon. Newhall’s books give you a good sense of how modern day thought and arguments about photography are not so modern as you might think when you read the same arguments made about photography well over 100 years ago. BTW I had Beaumont Newhall for photo history classes when I was studying photography at UNM in the early 1980’s.
This is an incredible set of books ~ to get into what is behind and what defines quality, thank you for this list of treasures. You’ve got a great quote in here: “how modern day thought and arguments about photography are not so modern as you might think when you read the same arguments made about photography well over 100 years ago” ~ which shows the wisdom of the past masters. And speaking of such, what an incredible experience to have studied the History of Photography with Beaumont Newhall, a legend ~ it’d be great to sit down over a few beers and hear your stories & experiences…very cool 🙂
Classes with Newhall were fascinating, full of stories of his personal experiences with the masters and legends of the time. I recently pulled out the books I mentioned and have been re-reading them after they sat on my shelves for years. They are fun and refreshing and they remind me of how they influenced how I work and see the world through my photography.
At my college, we had a semester photography course with a photographer who shot with Ansel Adams – the course filled up quickly and I did not get in. I didn’t get in because I really didn’t try (at the age of 20+, so much else happening at that point in life), but felt a twinge of guilt/saddness every time I walked past the building. Important moments from life come from people who can share stories “stories of his personal experiences with the masters and legends of the time” ~ I’ve got Newhall’s book being sent to my hometown this week so I’ll dive into it over X-mas when I return home. Enjoy the weekend.
Those are the things you regret because you are two young to care enough to make the effort. Had those moments myself.
Timeless, Timothy! 🙂
Thanks, Matt!