Customer Reviews

Photo-Imaging: A Complete Visual Guide to Alternative Techniques and Processes (Photography for All Levels: Advanced)

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I've seen Jill Enfield's work frequently in magazines and books, and was thrilled when I found out she was writing her own text. I teach experimental photography at a university, so any book of this nature that comes on the market, I buy. When this came in the mail from Amazon.com (promptly, I might add) I was impressed. Watson Guptill knows how to lay out a textbook so that it appeals to the reader, and is well supported by images, not only with examples of the processes but with "how to" pictures, also. It is user friendly, especially for those who are somewhat newer to the photographic medium and experimental in nature. That said, I learned new things (e.g. the chapter on tintypes) that I will use in my experimental photography class!
These topics are included: black and white infrared, liquid emulsion, enlarging negatives for alternative processes, ink jet transfers, polaroid processes, cyanotypes, kallitypes, platinum printing, palladium printing, tintypes, hand coloring, and other stuff. It is a good combination of what are traditionally termed "alt process" (platinum, cyanotypes, etc.) and what are more experimental things to try.
For this type of book the price at Amazon.com is excellent--most books of this caliber range from [$$$].

Enfield's book has a very impressive sounding title but compared to The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes (Christopher James), or Coming Into Focus (John Barnier), it falls far short of being "A Complete Guide." This book is a nice introduction to some of the techniques a beginning student, interested in the subject, might investigate.

Photo-Imaging is beautifully written and illustrated--an essential volume for anyone interested in alternative photographic processes. The writing is clear and simple. Jill Enfield makes it easy to experiment with new photographic techniques. There are lots of helpful tips and hints based on Enfield's extensive experience with alternative processes. I particulary like the detailed supplier information she lists.

While I sometimes wished she had included additional historical and chemical details, it's a minor quibble because this book has carefully distilled the essential information needed to get up and running with each process. This book is a great value considering the low cost and the extensive information included. No fluff or filler--just concise information.

When I became 'caught up' in this book, and began to enjoy the succinct and down to earth advice about alternative techniques and processes, it was hard for me to stop reading this quite lengthy and detailed exposé . Certainly not offered as a cold hard facts technical 'bible', author and skilled teacher Jill Enfield has written a friendly, easy to read, interesting, informative and dare I say seductive book. Certainly, there are plenty of cold hard facts, but more importantly, Ms Enfield has set it all out in such an easy to read style and a 'anyone can do it' fashion, that you will be wanting to start many of these techniques TODAY ! I have other excellent books about alternative processes, and some (even the 'standards' for the genre) are just a little too scientific for me. I think Jill Enfield got it right. If you are looking for a user friendly, 'golly gee', 'I can do that' recipe book that is easy to read, with easy to follow instructions, and best of all, a book that helps you to get some nice results very quickly, then this is the book for you. (PS. I first got this book from my library, then got a loan time extension, then handed it back, then realized I HAD to have my own copy. Save yourself some time and trouble ... get your copy from the get go).

I was looking for information on paper sizing for inkjet printing. I not only found it but also found a plethora of other related pieces of information that prompted me to other and unforeseen venues.

Photo-Imaging by Jill Enfield has received the 2002 Golden Light Book Awards Best Technical Book Award. The award is sponsored by The Maine Photographic Workshops, The International Film Workshops
and Rockport College. A panel of distinguished jurors reviews books and selects those that make a significant contribution to the art and literature of the medium. Submissions are judged on qualities such as writing, editing, photo reproduction, design and printing, and the contents' overall importance to their perspective mediums. The Jury, which reviews all entries, is comprised of several renowned photographers, filmmakers, publishers, writers and editors.