What Reference Books do you use?

[LabRat]

I like the classic author/editors like Mees, Cleric, Neblette, Evans, Crawley, Morgan & Morgan etc...

I always like getting back to the roots... ;-)

Steve K

[Tin Can]

Randy, I'm only started testing the selective masking as described in that article/pdf, but I feel this is a very serious way to get consistent local contrast control, what is surprising to me is that this technique has not seen universal usage, IMHO this is the technique that can make people return to darkroom, not a purist technique, but providing great control while still allowing manual burning/dodging, and this makes every print unique.

It should have been obvious to me. I have made a couple enlarger center filters with pencil when I wanted to use the lamp for more even contact prints. No lens. Just a hole,

Spot meter, mylar and pencil.

[Bill Kumpf]

This is NOT helping me thin out my reference books. I may be adding some titles.

Let's expand this.

What books to get find helpful when you are looking for inspiration or need help starting the creative flow?

[ic-racer]

When I think of 'reference book' I think of a book in which I'm not going to memorize everything in it, so I need to come back to it to refresh the memory. In addition to those indicated in the first post, I refer to these two books:

https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ILIM/courses...ings/FVC16.pdf

and

http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/TIAOOFe.pdf

Though, not a book, my most active source of reference is my folder of scientific papers. Too bad it is all protected by Copyright, otherwise I'd post it all. Most of it is available from a library, however.

[bob carnie]

Brassai - any of his books stir inspiration in me.

[LabRat]

This is NOT helping me thin out my reference books. I may be adding some titles.

Let's expand this.

What books to get find helpful when you are looking for inspiration or need help starting the creative flow?

Jump into the deep end of the pool, and get shooting... You will teach yourself as you go, and the scene will teach you...

No better teacher than experience!!!

Steve K

[LabRat]

It should have been obvious to me. I have made a couple enlarger center filters with pencil when I wanted to use the lamp for more even contact prints. No lens. Just a hole,

Spot meter, mylar and pencil.

There's ways to expose a center filter on film, where the falloff replicates what is needed... Been a long time ago for me, but can be thought through to process...

Steve K

[AuditorOne]

A reference for me is something I pull off the shelf to refer to information I do not have stored in my mind.

The first, and most valuable for me, is my own binder full of manufacturer data sheets on film, developers, jobo tank capacities and my own frequently used formulas. Included with that is the Film Developers Cookbook and Digital Truth's Developing website.

Next are my camera owner manuals. With those I also include several extended owner manuals such as the Pentax Manual, the Leica Manual, the Contax, the Contaflex, the Contarex, Graphic Graflex Photography and The View Camera.

After that comes Ron Mowery's Photographic Emulsion Making, Coating and Testing. Also Denise Ross's The Light Farm. I am currently studying both of these as I prepare to make my own sheet film.

I am also diligently working my way through Tim Rudman's Master Printing Course in an attempt to improve my printing skills (my main goal for 2018.)

Finally there are dozens of books I consider to be inspirational that contain photographs to review. They are far too many to really do justice to here and there are also great sources on line from various museums and galleries. I don't think of these as reference books per se but I do refer to them an awful lot.

[AuditorOne]

A reference for me is something I pull off the shelf to refer to information I do not have stored in my mind.

The first, and most valuable for me, is my own binder full of manufacturer data sheets on film, developers, jobo tank capacities and my own frequently used formulas. Included with that is the Film Developers Cookbook and Digital Truth's Developing website.

Next are my camera owner manuals. With those I also include several extended owner manuals such as the Pentax Manual, the Leica Manual, the Contax, the Contaflex, the Contarex, Graphic Graflex Photography and The View Camera.

I would include the owners manuals for the Beseler and Leica Enlargers including their power sources and color heads. If I am printing a lot I don't always need them but there are still times when I am doing something different where I have to pull them off the shelf.

After that comes Ron Mowery's Photographic Emulsion Making, Coating and Testing. Also Denise Ross's The Light Farm. I am currently studying both of these as I prepare to make my own sheet film.

I am also diligently working my way through Tim Rudman's Master Printing Course in an attempt to improve my printing skills (my main goal for 2018.)

Finally there are dozens of books I consider to be inspirational that contain photographs to review. They are far too many to really do justice to here and there are also great sources on line from various museums and galleries. I don't think of these as reference books per se but I do refer to them an awful lot.

[LabRat]

Back to the question, I guess that reference books that you will refer to (thanks IC), would be a keeper, plenty of dated 70/80/90's magazine publisher paperback-like books like "how to photograph models" can go, stuff that you won't get back to like maybe hand coloring etc, getting rid of old stacks of magazines like Shutterbug, PDN, Pop or Modern Photography, Peter Lik books (burn), other larger coffee table books of other people's work you won't look at again (you just missed the window of gifting these away to curse friends, relatives, etc for Xmas), etc...

A donation to a good local or school library will make you feel good, and others can enjoy/learn...

Happy editing!!!

Steve K