Today’s review in my series of Photographers Library will be about two books by Lustrum Press called Darkroom & Darkroom 2. The books have an interesting concept. They bring together the working methods of various photographers. Let’s have a look at both of them.
Darkroom
Title: Darkroom
Author: Lustrum Press
Published by: Lustrum Press, 1977, hardback
Book Darkroom was edited by Eleanor Lewis, and has 183 pages What I like and what makes it special is that it doesn’t present “the correct way” to print. Instead, each photographer explains how they use the darkroom to achieve their particular visual style. There are details about developers, papers, enlargers, exposure, contrast, burning and dodging, intensification and alternative processes.
If you are looking for traditional darkromm manual, this certainly not it. You see, for example, how Ralph Gibson deliberately pursued dense, high-contrast negatives, while Jerry Uelsmann describes highly complex multiple-printing techniques. Larry Clark discusses his approach to printing Tulsa, including extensive burning, dodging and bleaching. In my eyes very interesting stuff.
Darkroom 2
Title: Darkroom 2
Author: Lustrum Press
Published by: Lustrum Press, 1978, softcover
The second volume follows the same philosophy but gives the photographers more space to explain their working methods. Rather than teaching a single system, it becomes almost a collection of personal darkroom philosophies.
Darkroom 2 is a great book and I like it probably more than the first one. its really great to see and read various processes from great photographers. The bit I really enjoyed was the Cole Weston section of the book. He describes printing his father Edward Weston’s negatives, including the papers, lighting and amidol developer used to achieve the characteristic Weston prints. It is a wonderful glimpse into the practical craft behind some of the most important photographs in American photography.
So, as a conclusion, what’s my verdict?
I mentioned this somewhere above. Those books are not darkroom manuals; I bought them because ecause they reveal how photographers think. The most valuable lesson is perhaps that great printers don’t necessarily follow the rules. They experiment, make decisions, exaggerate qualities they like and develop their own visual language. One darkroom practitioner may want delicate tonal separation; another may want brutal contrast and grain; another may construct an image through multiple negatives.
And thats is why I really like the books. I would say they are among the most interesting darkroom books of the 1970s.
If you are building a serious darkroom library, I would definitely buy both. And given your interest in traditional printing, large-format photography and the craft behind the finished print, I’d put them considerably higher on your reading list than another generic “how to develop and print B&W film” book.
Here is the previous book review
Here is previous Lustrum Press review