Recommend a book on Alternative Processes

[matthew klos]

I am a personal student of Christopher James, his book is friendly and very user friendly, he has been researching the topic of alt pro for some time now, and is exceptionally knowledgeable. The book is in its 2nd edition right now, and it is readily available everywhere, and no it is not out of stock. There is a part of the book that deals with Digital Negatives, and it is a good beginning and starting place for digi-negs. I have made many digital negatives, and i have made many alt-pro intended analog negatives. Between the two of you don and Michael. i will say this, if i don't have to sit down in-front of a computer and make digital negatives i wont. Digital negatives can be absolutely beautifully, i have made 20x24 platinum prints with digital negatives, and they looked just as good if i had made it on a piece of ortho film. But with digital negatives comes a cost. 1. the printer if you are doing anything bigger than 11x14 you are going to have to buy a large format printer, and those Epson's are expensive and the ink to fill them is pricy. The upkeep is time consuming, anddddd you can not run any other piece of material through that printer. Pictorico is sensitive and i have had ink heads been ruined when say a paper is run through it instead. you could go somewhere to have it printed, but i don't trust anyone with my negatives or printing my work. Ortho films in the darkroom, i think are faster. But i find it can also be hard if you have never tried it before, there is a learning curve. There is a place for both of them. But the first time you just print of a digital negative, it might not just work, and there you have it a beautiful print. They take work, they need to be tweaked and tried. there is this rumor going through the alt pro community i find, that you can simply go out and take a picture with any camera just make it into a digital negative and there you have it. It's not that simple. There is a place for both of them, but if i had it my way, id stay away from digi negs.

[PViapiano]

Oh really. What store(s) would that be?

Don Bryant

Freestyle usually has a few copies every time I'm in there...

[D. Bryant]

but if i had it my way, id stay away from digi negs.

Why?

Don

[D. Bryant]

Freestyle usually has a few copies every time I'm in there...

That's not a book store Paul and only in Cali.

Don

[Colin Graham]

I am a personal student of Christopher James, his book is friendly and very user friendly, he has been researching the topic of alt pro for some time now, and is exceptionally knowledgeable. The book is in its 2nd edition right now, and it is readily available everywhere, and no it is not out of stock. There is a part of the book that deals with Digital Negatives, and it is a good beginning and starting place for digi-negs.

I'm not sure James's book is the best place to start for digital negatives. His suggestion of making multiple negatives at different densities and then overlaying them to make a single negative to print with, along with the assertion that 'red-yellow' has been known for a long time to block UV for digital negatives (without any mention of printer or inkset) make most of the section on digital negatives seems very dated.

The book addresses a very specific workflow, the overview of the steps of printing a digital negative, but not much on the creation of profiles and adjustment curves. Even the parts addressing separation negatives seem a digest of many individual printers' approaches. He doesn't compare them meaningfully, or explain them so much as just list the steps as bullet points, so it's hard to see the overlap and true differences in the approaches. Even the section on custom profiles begins with this sentence:

"OK...I promised myself I would avoid a digital dialogue that was too technical and compulsive because that just isn't the way I work in alternative processes. Besides, there are plenty of other books that will be delighted to show you all the bells and whistles dwelling in the realm of digital imaging."

Maybe he gives more current and useful info in other parts of the chapter, but his section 'Creating Color Layers on Ink-Jet Contact Negatives' seemed so dated I couldn't read any more in the chapter. No real fault of James though. I'd hate to have to try to keep something that's evolving so quickly up to date in book edition.

[matthew klos]

yuh your not reading the correct edition of the book, that was years ago when the technology was still new. That dosnt work.

[Colin Graham]

I quoted directly from the second edition, it's the only edition I own.

[matthew klos]

Interesting. Well i know now that is now how he teaches it. Nor how i learned. I agree with him on the idea of making different negatives, to test which density will work, not sandwhiching them, but using them for testing what will give you the best result, before you say print it 16x20.

[CharlesWest]

Oh really. What store(s) would that be?

Don Bryant

Borders on Lake in Pasadena. Freestyle in Hollywood had a copy a few months ago. Samy's on Walnut and Fair Oaks. How many copies would you like? I'm sure I can find some. I keep seeing it all over! It's not rare. What's up, people? Do you need some book hook ups?

[CharlesWest]

I love Jame's book, too, for everything alt. But, for digital negatives, it's about the last book I'd reference.