Beyond Basic Photography: A Technical Manual

I really like Henry Hoernstein's book, Beyond Basic Photography: A Technical Manual. I use it as a text book for my Photo II class. It brings 2nd semester students to the next level, "Old School" style. Easy to read and to the point.

As a student of Henry's at the Rhode Island School of Design I read the book BEFORE I attended RISD I was captivated by the simple ways he explained the "sometimes" complexity of photography.Such as Henry's way - making life easy and fun for everyone. I suggest checking out his other books too.

This is an ideal text for a photographer who wishes to advance his/her understanding of black & white photography methods. Without excessive detail, the steps that go into the making of a print, and the reasons that justify these steps, are clearly discussed. As the author points out from the start (in the subtitle), this is a technical manual. Those who are looking for a book on the "creative" and "inspirational" aspects of photography should look elsewhere. However, a prerequisite to "creativity" is a solid technical background, and you probably cannot learn "creativity" from a book if you haven't got it to begin with. If you think the techniques of photography are "dull", do not try this book. But for a photographer who wishes to understand them, rather than merely follow them as a cookbook recipe, this is a superb intermediate textbook.

Lets read the last part of that title again, "Technical Manual". While some people might consider the creativity or spirituality of photographs "Technical" I don't think that's what this book is supposed to be about. This book covers in detail techiques for improving image quality and technical problem solving. And it does a great job at it. The author doesn't get condescending or lose the average intelligence photographer with writing, and provides a valuable tool for improving photographs.

I used this book when I taught my advanced photography classes at FSU. Very readable and concise. I recommend it to anyone who has advanced past the beginner level & wants to know more about creating a "perfect negative".