Historic Photographic Processes: A Guide to Creating Handmade Photographic Images

Historic Photographic Processes is a comprehensive user's guide to the historical processes that have become popular alternatives to modern and digital technology. Though many of the techniques, applications, and equipment were first developed in the nineteenth century, these same methods can be used today to create hand-crafted images that are more attractive and permanent than conventional prints or digital outputs. Fine-art photographer Richard Farber incorporates extensive research with clearly-written directions and resource lists to provide in-depth information on eight of the most enduring processes in photographic history, including salted paper, albumen, cyanotype, kallitype, platinum/palladium, carbon/carbro, gum bichromate, and bromoil. He guides the reader through each step, from selecting the appropriate paper and sensitizing it to exposing, developing, and toning the final print. Each method is accompanied by a short explanation of how it was originally used and its significance in the evolution of photography. Historic Photographic Processes contains more than fifty color and ten black-and-white images that beautifully illustrate each of the processes described. Chapters include an introduction to photographic techniques and applications, such as useful safelights, sizing paper, measuring solutions, exposure controls, ultraviolet light sources, and making enlarged negatives, as well as an extensive section on safety in- and outside of the darkroom. The appendix provides important information on the chemicals discussed, as well as health-and-safety references, supply sources in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and a complete catalog of Internet resources. Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.