The fifth edition of this comprehensive guide to darkroom photography is fully revised and updated, placing analog and traditional methods into the context of a digital world and contemporary workflows.
Including invaluable analog photography techniques, chemicals and equipment, and supported by visual examples. Over 200 updated recipes for darkroom experiments, and tips for mastering the darkroom. Includes the chemicals used to develop, fix, stop and tone, alongside invaluable information on making enlarged digital negatives, planning a darkroom, and safety in handling photographic chemicals. Featuring new sections on split-printing, solarization, and making your own gelatin emulsion. The fifth edition includes contributions and stunning black and white imagery by established artists such as Bruce Barnbaum, Tim Rudman, Christina Z. Anderson, John Sexton, and more.
This is the essential guide for any practitioner who wants to develop a thorough understanding of film and darkroom processes, techniques, and working methodologies, as well as graduate and advanced photography students with an interest in analog and darkroom photography.
Table of Contents
Thoughts About Traditional Photography
Introduction to the Fifth Edition
Acknowledgments
Contributing Photographers
Alphabetical List of Formulae
List of Formulae
Part One – Nuts & Bolts
Chapter 1: Planning a Darkroom
Chapter 2: Equipment
Part Two – Film
Chapter 3: Film
Chapter 4: Film Developers
Chapter 5: Types of Film Developers
Chapter 6: Film Development
Chapter 7: Pyrogallol and Pyrocatechin
Part Three – Print
Chapter 8: Print Developers
Chapter 9: Paper
Chapter 10: Printing Methods and Techniques
Chapter 11: Printing Techniques of Master Printers
Part Four – After Processes
Chapter 12: Stop Baths and Fixers
Chapter 13: Toning Prints
Chapter 14: Reduction and Intensification
Part Five – Alternative Processes
Chapter 15: Enlarged Digital Negatives
Chapter 16: Printing Out Processes
Chapter 17: Print Solarization
Chapter 18: Making a Simple Silver Bromide Gelatin Emulsion
Formulary
Pharmacopoeia
Appendices
1 Safety in Handling Photographic Chemicals
2 Chemicals
3 Proofing for Maximum Black
4 Archival Print Procedure
5 Time Adjustment for Enlarging and Reducing Prints
Conversion Tables
Material Sources
Bibliography
Index
Biography
Steve Anchell is an internationally published writer, award-winning photographer, and teacher with work exhibited and shown in more than 61 exhibits. He has taught for Oregon State University, Santa Fe Photography Workshops, and the International Center of Photography in NYC, and he teaches workshops. He is a member of the Freestyle Photographic Board of Advisors. Steve has five books on photography published by Focal Press: The Darkroom Cookbook, The Film Developing Cookbook, Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera, The Variable Contrast Printing Manual, and Digital Photo Assignments. He is the former editor of Photovision: Art and Technique and Focus Fine Art Photography magazines and has written for and worked as a contributing editor for numerous photography magazines.
“For everyone working with traditional film and darkroom procedures—which I rely on exclusively
for all my black and white work...because it’s still the best—The Darkroom Cookbook is essential
for your library. No other book puts it all together as thoroughly and understandably as this book.”
Bruce Barnbaum, author of The Art of Photography
“For many decades, Steve Anchell has dedicated himself to solid no-nonsense research and
information gathering on the entire breadth of black and white film and paper processing. And he
is still at it. I consider this book essential for all darkroom work and keep a much used copy right in
my darkroom. This book now stands alone for information of this kind.”
Gordon Hutchings, photographer and author of The Book of Pyro
“Steve Anchell has done a fantastic job of creating THE essential reference for everyone who uses
film or prints in a darkroom. The Darkroom Cookbook contains the best and most useful of film
photography’s formulas, plus an immense amount of information on how to use them correctly.”
John Wimberley, photographer
