Boo!

[Dan Fromm]

Today is the eve of All Hallows' Eve. Its time for fear.

So, what's the most frightening book on photographic technique you've read?

I nominate two, both of which make the point that "you can't accomplish that."

Image Clarity, by John Williams

Photomacrography, by H. Lou Gibson. This was published by Kodak as a pamphlet with no author named and as part of a larger book giving credit to Mr. Gibson.

Cheers,

Dan

[Gem Singer]

Almost twenty years ago, Harold Merklinger published his book, "The Ins And Outs Of Focus".

To this day, I still can't figure out what he was trying to say.

In 1993, Merklinger followed up with a second book,"Focusing The View Camera", which is available on line as a PDF file.

Slightly easier to understand, but still frighteningly difficult.

Happy Haloween.

[Robert Hughes]

I ran across one of those 19th Century photographer's guides recently; their home chemistry section was an eye opener :eek: Fuming mercury, nitric acid, lots of fun things...

[Mark Sawyer]

More a gross-out than frightening, I still think "ewww..." every time someone rediscovers "film development in human urine". :eek:

[W K Longcor]

More a gross-out than frightening, I still think "ewww..." every time someone rediscovers "film development in human urine". :eek:

Wow! I've been developing film for over 50 years -- and THAT is one I never heard before!:eek:

[russyoung]

Oh, c'mon, those books are nowhere near as scary and impenetrable as THE NEW ZONE SYSTEM MANUAL by White, Zakia and Lorenz...

Russ Young

[Bill_1856]

"The Photo-Lab Index" by Henry Lester.

[keith english]

I'll second "Image Clarity"-found it at a Library book sale. Above my head!

[Dan Fromm]

Russ, Wilhelm, I didn't ask for impenetrable, I asked for frightening. I don't know why, but I find books that lay out the limits of what can be done very frightening.

[Mark Sawyer]

I don't know why, but I find books that lay out the limits of what can be done very frightening.

Then again, perhaps the most inspiring words in the English language are: "That can't be done."

[Brian Ellis]

"Beyond The Zone System" by Phil Davis was no stroll in the park. By taking two of his workshops and spending an inordinate amount of time studying the book I finally figured it out - more or less - and used the system for about five years but it wasn't easy.

[Dan Fromm]

Then again, perhaps the most inspiring words in the English language are: "That can't be done."Mark, sometimes they're true. Gibson, for example, not only asserts that at high magnification stopping down can reduce DoF, he gives a series of shots in which the effect can be seen clearly.

Cheers,

Dan