- Paperback: 386 pages
- Publisher: Delmar Cengage Learning (21 July 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0766820777
- ISBN-13: 978-0766820777
- Product Dimensions: 27.4 x 21.6 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,061,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Synopsis
Including his own work among that of featured photographic artists, James (Art Institute of Boston) explores contemporary and traditional innovative alternative and non-silver processes in a conversational, opinionated manner. He overviews historical development and options for the pinhole camera, the negative, digital art forms, plastic cameras, a
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Book,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes (Paperback)
Christopher James has written the most reader friendly, technically demystifying, and visually rich books that I have seen in a very long time. The "Little History" sections that begin nearly every chapter are fun to read and full of the connections, anecdotes, and colorful characters, that has made the photographic arts so compelling to historians and artists.Technically, the book is clear and informative (winner of the Golden Light Technical Book of the Year in 2001) and goes to great lengths to be sure the reader will have little difficulty comprehending and working with the myriad processes covered. Besides James's very accessible writing style, which reads like conversation between friends, the collection of illustrated work is truly outstanding. It is significant that of the over 300 illustrations, a good percentage were made by James's students and those of other artists, and teachers, represented in the book. It is important to note that the production values in this full color book are outstanding. James has collected a rich contemporary survey of alternative process work, likely the most comprehensive in print, and this alone makes his book a terrific resource for students of any age. For teachers, it clearly "sets-the-bar" with a buffet of visual possibilities. I viewed an exhibition of the work in the book last fall, at The Art Institute of Boston, and can assure you that the quality of reproduction is first rate. All in all, this is a wonderful book to read, work with in the studio, and to enjoy purely for the images. If you've ever had an interest in alternative process photography, this is The Book to have.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Could have been clearer,
By Nick Canham (Cardiff, Wales) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes (Paperback)
This book is quite exhaustive in its coverage of the subject matter, including even quirky material on the use of fruit to create photographic images.
However, it is a book which suffers from a lack of effective editing. The overall structure is unclear: why include a chapter on plastic cameras in a book on processes? why cover paper-sizing in the middle not the start? why deal with the processes in the particular order chosen? Furthermore, the structure of each chapter is quite inconsistent. These defects make the processes difficult to follow. I came to this expecting clearly staged explanations of how to use negatives and how to assemble a basic set of equipment. Instead, negatives are poorly described, and the use of a contact frame is not really fully explained anywhere. It's possible to work out what's required by cross-referencing, but given that acquiring, making, and using this equipment is essential to most of the processes, more clarity would have been helpful in this area. The author's style is chatty and expansive. I can see how this might appeal to some readers. Personally, I feel this adds to the overall lack of focus of the book. Similarly, many of the illustrations are strictly unnecessary, and line-drawings illustrating the processes themselves would have been more useful. A minor point is that this very long book is printed on relatively low quality paper. To conclude, the author clearly knows his area, and there's much here that is good. It's not the sort of book someone would buy unless they have some idea of what they're letting themselves in for. Nevertheless, had more overall structure been applied and the chatty tone curtailed, a more systematic book would have been the result. Given that this is a specialist antiquarian area of photography to which newcomers like me will be increasingly scarce, it's a shame that such a volume does not welcome us in with a more user-friendly style.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews) 21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
even if you have a slight interest..,
By "stapler57" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes (Paperback)
As far as I am concerned, this is THE BOOK. It is so incredibly useful and I've learned so much from reading it. It's very well written, easy to follow, tons of references. Wow. I recommend this book to anyone interested in alternative process photography. Anyone interested in photography even. It is wonderful. Basically, in photography, Silver is used a lot in the photographic papers. Alternative processing uses anything BUT silver. Platnium/palladium, gold, Iron.. even berries and various plants. This book gives a wonderful over-view of it all and tells you how to do it. There is even a bit of history about the different processes complete with wonderful pictures. I love this book. 35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Scholar and the Artist in Perfect Synchrony!,
By Grady Harp - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes (Paperback)
Christopher James has been satisfying the art world for 20+ years now, combining his gifts as a photographer (who has been pushing the creative envelope all along) with his equally successful foray into the studio of the painter. In both areas Christopher has started with the keen observing eye. Representing what those investigating eyes have captured has always included experimenting with the medium: watercolors are painted on a paper ground that has been altered with gum arabic/graphite/jade resist and photographs that have been pulled through a Diana camera or glazed and adroitly enameled so that viewing becoms a three dimensional experience. But Christopher is also highly regarded as a short story writer and it is this last variation of his artistic temperament that makes his new book so successful.This is an invaluable book, an exemplary resource text about Alternative Photographic Processes. But, and here is the Christopher James rule of thumb, this "text" is deliciously readable. Even for collectors who are looking for some degree of insight into the magic of the medium this book has much to offer. I found myself actually READING the text, not just paging through a beautifully designed tome on great photographs. Highly recommended for the artists who need to know these techniques.........and equally highly recommended for those of us who marvel at the variations of contemporary photography. 12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Informs and Inspires,
By Steve S. - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes (Paperback)
As a working professional and someone involved in the arts, it really is a magical thing to find a book that not only informs, but also inspires. Christopher James' Book of Alternative Photographic Processes is a wonderful example of what all `how to' books should aspire to. Certainly, those interested in a workbook coving the materials, procedures, and skills required to produce various alternative process images will be more than pleased with the information provided but thanks to James' entertaining and enlightened approach to the subject, readers will find themselves coming back to this book not only for its technical knowledge, but also because it is simply a joy to read. Mr. James makes even the more demanding practices seem well within the reach of those who would like to experiment and always elevates the reader with his positive, straightforward style. This is not a dry science book, nor is it a subjective treatise on what `art' should be; reading it is akin to spending time with a good-natured yet extremely knowledgeable companion who has agreed to pass on their photographic mastery. Aside from the enjoyable (and often witty) text, the selection of photographs and artwork illustrating the book is superb and a fantastic resource for those curious what can be achieved by artists who invest themselves in these techniques. It is telling that James' students created many of these wonderful works and James' own photos, taken with toy cameras, are stunning and reflect the sensibilities found in the text. While it may be possible to find volumes with more detailed explanations of the chemistry, history, and variations of specific processes, the Book of Alternative Photographic Processes is much greater than the sum of its parts. Yes, if you read this you can learn to make a gum print. But of much greater import, you will find yourself captivated and excited about making gum prints or working with any of the other techniques described. Most highly recommended and I hope to see more from Mr. James soon. |
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