The Print (Ansel Adams Photography, Book 3)

 (16 customer reviews)

Despite the heavy emphasis on chemical and paper, this book's essentially about cropping, contrast control, and presentation. These are the core topics you'll need to master even if you only do digital photos. All the better if you use PhotoShop, because it recreates the controls (like burning and dodging) of a darkroom.One thing that may be disappointing is the focus on black and white. Color control is crucial in making color prints and intimately tied with contrast.The three books in this series can be read independently, but together provide a complete clinic from positioning the camera to displaying a final print.

Stop using this from the library... Just buy it and get it over with!!Ansel's fantastic images and stories combine with his technical discussions to provide the perfect insight into how to become the necessary craftsman. His uncompromising approach into printmaking and photography are clear and simple examples that any novice should at least start with. There are other books out there - but no better start than this. Enjoyable and instructive at the same time!

The book is excellent. Although these techniques are not widely applied today, with appropriate experience and thinking this knowledge can be applied and transferred to modern software like Adobe Photoshop. It can help relate modern and classic photography printing processes (traditional vs computerized).

One little remark would be for the publisher. The paper the book is printed is gloss with quite a high reflectance index. This results in making reading the book at certain angles quite impossible for your eyes.