John Blakemore S Black and White Photography Workshop

I can thoroughly recommend this book to everyone, even those who have gone digital. John talks about how and why he has made a photograph and also discusses the Zone system. The zone system has always been a bit hard for a lot of people to follow but I think John has made it more accessable. The point is even if you are a Digital photographer the same principles apply. The rest of the book deals on "seeing" and "reasons" to make a photograph, also on burning and dodging, which is just the same in Photoshop as it is in the Darkroom. John is one of the Worlds finest teachers and photographers and this book should be on every photographers bookshelf. Even if you only just look at the pictures.

This is not a technical book on black and white photography. Although the author provides some technical material, it assumes that you are already past the basics. This book is more about developing and refining your aesthetic, the part of photography that is harder to teach and may I say harder to learn. The author takes you on a journey through a series of images discussing everything from the original motivation behind the capture to the final execution of the print. Throughout it is sprinkled with delightful insights and perceptive observations. The author also shows prints that were left out of the final portfolio and discusses what artistic criteria they failed to meet. Quite instructive indeed. I found this book useful, despite the fact that I usually print digitally from film scans. I also found the images a welcome deviation from the usual punched up prints that are popular today. However, you need not ascribe to the author's taste to benefit from the book.