Elements of Black and White Photography: The Making of Twenty Images

THIS BOOK WAS GREAT FROM THE START. IT GAVE ME A LOT OF GREAT IDEAS AND EVEN MORE INSIGHT TO THE TECHN. ON TAKING UNIQUE AND AWESOME BLACK & WHITE PHOTOS. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE. IT IS EASY TO FOLLOW AND HAS GREAT PICTURES AND IDEAS!

I have several books on B & w photography and George Todd's The Making of Twenty Images is the best I've read so far. I particulary like the fact that he includes his negatives as he reveals what went into each photograph, from composition to film development, printing and mounting.

I got this book at the same time as I got Barry Thornton's Edge of Darkness. I found they were complementary is many ways. George Todd has been at this craft of making monochrome pictures for several decades, and his skill and picture and printmaking ability shine through. Mr Todd has got the picturemaker's trinity of 'tone, detail and texture' pretty much down pat, and the book gives us fine example after fine example of that. Wheras Mr Thornton in Edge of Darkness tells us as much about his heart and his head as about his superb pictures, George Todd has provided an extremely detailed account of each picture from before the shutter was tripped to when the print was ready to mount. There is something for everyone here - technicians, printmakers, photographers, and the house guest who simply browses a well produced book of outstanding images over a cup of coffee. They won't need to read one word - the pictures will speak to them. I like the book most of all because it showcases the ability of medium format so well. If the negative sizes were not detailed, I'm sure most would think these prints were from large format negatives. I'm glad I have it in my library.