Basic Photographic Materials and Processes [Paperback]

Ira Current (Author), John Compton (Author), Leslie Stroebel (Author), Richard D. Zakia (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0240800265 | ISBN-13: 978-0240800264 | Publication Date: January 25, 1990

Students and seasoned photographers have relied on Basic Photographic Materials and Processes for its comprehensive explanation of the photographic process, giving them the technical base they need to achieve the effects they want. Heavily illustrated and enhanced with study questions, this book has served as an excellent resource both in and out of the classroom.

Basic Photographic Materials and Processes, Second Edition continues to present the fundamental principles of the craft and science of photography in a clear, practical manner. To bring this classic text completely up-to-date, in-depth information on digital imaging has been added, including the scanning, storage and printing of digital images, as well as conversion from analog to digital.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard D. Zakia, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus at Rochester Institute of Technology, has taught in many areas of photography including graphic design and multimedia design. During his 34 years at R.I.T., Dr. Zakia served as the chair of the Fine Art Photography Department and Graduate Program in Imaging Arts, and for a six-year period was a photographic engineer in development and research at Kodak. He is the recipient of the Eisenhart Outstanding Teaching Award and the author/co-author of 12 books on photography, including The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press (January 25, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240800265
• ISBN-13: 978-0240800264
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,674,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive school-book, January 4, 2001

By 

Allan Engelhardt "Just Another Reader" (Bedfordshire, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Basic Photographic Materials and Processes, Second Edition (Paperback)

This is a rather comprehensive introduction to the theory of photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Rochester (NY) is of course where the headquarters of the Eastman Kodak Company is located...

Note the word "theory" above. That the volume contains an appendix on the calculation of basic logarithms should give you a clue to the nature of this book.

This is a book about the physical properties of light, the chemical properties of photographic papers and film, and so on. It is not a book about composition and "beauty".

Photography is an art and also a craft. You would buy this book to become a better craftsman.

After a boring introduction to one of the most exciting topics I can think of (Light and Photometry) the volume covers exposure both at the picture taking (camera) stage and post-exposure (printing). These are extremely useful chapters for any photographer.

There then follows five chapters and 160 large pages whit what is essentially an introduction to science for photographers. You wouldn't guess it from the chapter headings, but you are given a brief introduction to statistics, sensiometry (excellent chapter!), optics, chemistry, and physical chemistry. Only what is relevant for photography is presented, and it is done at a fairly high-level. The level may suit you or frustrate you. The style is unlikely to excite you...

Finally, on page 213 we get practical and hands-on again with a chapter on black-and-while development followed, after a section on archival, by one of the gems of this book: tonal reproduction. Starting from the foundation it has developed over the five "boring" chapters it shows how to achieve the tonal reproduction that you want, and shows the Zone System as a practical approximation. Understanding the Zone System in this light (pun intended) will give you a great background on when and how to use it, and when not to use it: it is only an approximation.

The remaining chapters are classics and include excellent sections on visual perception, colors and color reporductions.

This book is a must read! I considered deducting a single star in the rating because the book is very focused on black-and-white photography. It does cover color, but not in the level of detail that I would have liked. In the end I decided that it would be unfair to give this book anything less than 5 stars: you should read it.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a must-have for any photography professional., July 31, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Hermosa Beach, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Basic Photographic Materials and Processes (Paperback)

Having taken the "Materials and Processes" class at RIT and having read this book several times, I can say without hesitation that if you are a professional working in the technical side of photography, you need this book. This is the most complete, yet concise explaination of photographic principles you can find in one book. If you can find a copy of the grey hardcover edition, so much the better. If you are a photography student and are serious about understanding the science and technique of photography, I strongly recommend this book. I am a technical specialist for a major film manufacturer and not only does this book reside on my desk, it is used as a reference more than any other I own.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, readable resource for photographic theory., March 29, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Basic Photographic Materials and Processes (Paperback)

A very informative guide to all things photographic. This book covers all the basics (why light chemically reacts with photographic film) to advanced topics of photometry and the preparation of your own printing paper. I was looking for a source covering the chemical processes involved in all stages of the photographic process, including home preparation of basic photo chemistry. BPMP covers the gamut of chemistry but also has sections devoted to optics, printing, camera design, and lots of other topics in between. It's much more informative than the Hedgecoe or Kodak "basic manuals" but not so advanced as to read like an advanced physics text. It's the ONE book I use for referencing the nuts and bolts of the photographic process. Readable and insightful. Four Stars