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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Zone system for B&W paper, May 4, 1998
This review is from: Gradient Light: The Art and Craft of Using Variable-Contrast Paper (Paperback)
'Gradient Light' is another excellent book produced by master printer Eddie Ephraums. He really takes the use of variable contrast black & white paper to a higher level with detailed examples of his work and information on the entire process from conceptualizing the shot and the print, to shooting, developing the negative, and printing and toning. This book presents a precise system for creating high quality prints in the darkroom. Mr. Ephraums has presented the serious photographer with a Zone system for VC paper. A definite addition for any serious printer. Even a beginner can distill good information and learn the importance of careful note taking and planning and execution of their photographic vision. I can't wait until Ephruams' next book.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Tips from a master printer, March 6, 2000
This review is from: Gradient Light: The Art and Craft of Using Variable-Contrast Paper (Paperback)
Dodging, toning and related topics for the advanced printer. Skips basic lessons on the orginal print process and delves right into advaced techniques; superb in this regard. Split contrast printing delt with in detail. If you wish to use VC papers this book would be a good investment, as he teaches a printer some really crafty tricks in this area (such as using a #1 filter to burn-in clouds while using a #3 or 4 filter for the rest of the exposure). Great for fine art printers everywhere.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not what I expected, October 28, 2001
This review is from: Gradient Light: The Art and Craft of Using Variable-Contrast Paper (Paperback)
I was looking for a good book for learning how to use split printing on variable contrast papers and any other useful sort of tips...P>Mostly this is a book about how this individual person used techniques to create certain prints that he fancies very good. Frankly, I'm not very impressed with most of them, and in fact I think the color slides -- that are shown to illustrate the scene "as it was" in comparison to the b&w negatives he took -- are often better than the resultant b&w print. Moreover he uses color toning as a crutch to prop up his inherently weak photographs; I have nothing against toning, and in fact I think a couple of the prints in here are quite good and helped by the toning, but if the print can't stand on its own, blurring it for "artistic effect" and toning doesn't really help that much. While he discusses the methods used to create each print, he does not discuss them very fully, and he doesn't usually say how he came to choose those methods to get the "best print" he could. There is some how-to info in the back but it's not very comprehensive. If I had known this was how the book was before, I would not have bought it. There is simply far too much white space and not enough useful information for someone wishing to learn the techniques to improve their own prints.
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