General

Even though the photography world seems to be going completely digital, film will probably not die out any time too soon, and the last to die will more than likely be black and white film. There will still be hard core enthusiasts who will enjoy the medium of black and white film and know that nothing compares with the excitement of developing one's own photographs. For those who wish to learn this art form, Henry Horenstein's BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY; A BASIC MANUAL is an excellent resource. This book is sued by many instructors as a textbook. It contains excellent information about the basics of photography including camera, lens, shutter and exposure and the developing process. Throughout the book there are many compositional techniques as well as the use of filters to enhance photographs. Though this is a manual for black and white photographers, those interested in color photography will find the boo helpful since understanding eth techniques involved in black and white photography help detect important nuances in color photography that can truly enhance a photograph.

Quick! What f-stop should you use when you've got 400 film, 1/250 sec. shutter speed and it's a cloudy day? Stumped? Maybe you don't know the difference between an f-stop and a stop sign? Or maybe you just got a new camera and can't figure out why there are so many knobs and buttons. If any of the above apply to you, then this book must be in your collection. Horenstein's book is helpful for the beginning photographer or for those who want to experiment with black and white photography, a lost art making a comeback. It teaches you about photographic composition, film speed, aperture settings, and shutter speeds. You'll even learn how to develop your own film, if you're so inclined. Even if you just want great pictures that will last a lifetime (did you know that color photos are more likely to fade over time than black and white?), you'll enjoy experimenting with the techniques offered in this helpful manual.

If you are new to black and white film photography and you intend to work in the darkroom, there is no better place to start than with this book. It has for a long time been the definitive college level introductory text, and for good reason.