Comments for The Black and White Art of Luca Paradisi

Comment on Wahine, The Fine Art Photography of Kim Taylor Reece by M. Beasley

M. Beasley — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 00:43:34 +0000

Review by M. Beasley for Wahine, The Fine Art Photography of Kim Taylor Reece Rating: I love pictures by Kim Taylor Reece. I see them everywhere, and they never fail to capture my attention. It's very worth it to buy this collection if you can appreciate how he captured these women in their natural beauty. I especially love his pictures of ancient hula.

Comment on Wahine, The Fine Art Photography of Kim Taylor Reece by Kevin O'Brien

Kevin O'Brien — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 00:22:19 +0000

Review by Kevin O'Brien for Wahine, The Fine Art Photography of Kim Taylor Reece Rating: This book is a complete waste of the paper it is printed on. The photographs are trite, ordinary, and utterly lacking in creativity and imagination. Any high-school photography student has done more interesting work. In addition, the format is deliberately deceiving. You get to pay for a large-format book with snapshot-size photos. Most of the photos are 4x6 inches, many are smaller, and there is only one photo every other page. Skip this one.

Comment on Wahine, The Fine Art Photography of Kim Taylor Reece by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 23:43:14 +0000

Review by for Wahine, The Fine Art Photography of Kim Taylor Reece Rating: While Kim Taylor Reece is obviously a fine photographer, the book itself is lousy. While the cover is typical of both the quality & nature of the rest of the photos, the ones inside are - for the most part - just way too small. One would expect something more than mostly postcard-size pictures in a book 10" x 11". Too bad...

Comment on Wahine, The Fine Art Photography of Kim Taylor Reece by Shel

Shel — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 22:43:36 +0000

Review by Shel for Wahine, The Fine Art Photography of Kim Taylor Reece Rating: Kim Taylor Reece is by far the leader among photographers currently working in the time-honored tradition of images of Hawaiian women. He brings a rare sense of humor, amazing timing, superb tonality (a la Ansel Adams), natural settings, authentic garb, and eroticism (where this collection opens up new ground) to the subject. True, the images could've been enlarged by shrinking the borders, but anyone really enthused about these works may obtain very large prints from Mr. Reece. As a photographer myself, I'd be hard pressed to improve on any aspect of "Wahine". Considering the reasonable price, I would recommend this book to anyone mesmerized by the unique beauty of the women of Hawaii.

Comment on Ballet – Fine Art Photography (Volume 1) by Handsome CEO

Handsome CEO — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 10:50:39 +0000

Review by Handsome CEO for Ballet - Fine Art Photography (Volume 1) Rating: The Cover promised me sensous pictures of beautiful young ballet dancers and that is exactly what I got. I like it very much!

Comment on Swanstock: Fine Art Photography by Angus Jenkinson

Angus Jenkinson — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:57:21 +0000

Review by Angus Jenkinson for Swanstock: Fine Art Photography Rating: The Swanstock Collection was started by a woman called Swanson and acquired by the Image Bank and then I believe Getty. this is a fine colleciton of artistic stock photography - the collected photographres want to demonstrate their creative abilities. The book was published in 1998 for promotional reasons and copies are available at prices betweeen $4 and $150 from varoius booksellers

Comment on Platinum and Palladium Printing, Second Edition by Nasser Alhameli

Nasser Alhameli — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 23:45:24 +0000

Review by Nasser Alhameli for Platinum and Palladium Printing, Second Edition Rating: I would call this book "Platinum &palladium photography from A to z". Believe it or not I could preduce a pt and pl print with only reading this book, the book would give a helpful heading and explains the tools, comicals, papers,lighting, do and don'ts.
the book have a records of too many tests of paper types and chemicals methods for contrast control, many explanation for type of lighting and so much more. I tell you! I did not attend any work shops nor set down with people who print platinum and palladium photos because I live in U.A.E. where no one knows what is pt & pl photography, but I order the book and started to read and try until I made a good print from the firs try.

Comment on Platinum and Palladium Printing, Second Edition by Brian Pawlowski

Brian Pawlowski — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 23:29:21 +0000

Review by Brian Pawlowski for Platinum and Palladium Printing, Second Edition Rating: This is the bible of Platinum and Palladium printing. The second edition has two or three significant additions over the first edition. It has a quick start chapter to get that first print out. Yes, the book is very technical in some of its treatment of the material - and that is the reason you will go back to it again and again. But the process is fairly straightforward in its essence and working through the steps to get that first print clarifies much of the material to come later on. Second, I think the material covering Palladium printing with the Na2 contrast control method is essential knowledge today. It's surprising the more I've read of the history of Platino/Palladio processes how much information was lost that had to be "discovered" again. Third, there is a strong treatment on the effect of paper choice and characteristics of some papers (at least one of which is no longer being made since the second edition came out) that can help you understand how to find appropriate papers for other alternative processes. Finally, the appendices from different authors provide viewpoints of the process that round out treatment of the subject. Mark Nelson's chapter on digital negatives touches the surface of what has become my primary method for contact printing not only the Platinum and Palladium prints, but traditional silver as well as other alternative processes.

Highly recommended for any student of photography interested in mastering one of the most beautiful processes for printmaking.

Comment on Platinum and Palladium Printing, Second Edition by David R. Munson

David R. Munson — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 23:19:10 +0000

Review by David R. Munson for Platinum and Palladium Printing, Second Edition Rating: I think the previous review of this book pretty much summed things up rather well. I bought this book with minimal to no knowledge of the platinum and palladium printing processes. After having read the book several times now (not because it's hard to understand, but because it's so well done), I feel I've gained a very good handle on the basics of the process, and the information provided is given in such a way as to give you both the kind of knowledge needed to start making your first prints as well as the kind of knowledge needed to refine and grow into the process. I tend to be a very analytical thinkier, and the way the book is organized appeals to my thought patterns. If you're more of a romantic (as opposed to classical) thinker, though, the large amounts of numbers-based technical info may seem a little discouraging. Even if you are, though, I must highly recommend this book, as I think it must be the single most comprehensive and well-produced book on the subject.

Comment on Platinum and Palladium Printing, Second Edition by Robert MacKimmie

Robert MacKimmie — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 22:53:59 +0000

Review by Robert MacKimmie for Platinum and Palladium Printing, Second Edition Rating: Platinum/Palladium printing has "Wizard of Oz-like" mystique and a sense of mysterious alchemy beyond most photographic processes, but don't fret, it's not that difficult to get started. After my personal hands-on introduction (thank you, William Laven), Dick Arentz provides both the simple path to getting started, and then details comprehensive areas of specialty which he makes pretty helpful sense of. If you are already familiar with Platinum/Palladium, there is enough which has been pioneered in the recent several decades to allow a refresher for old photography hounds. For those starting out, just get the basic kit, read through the core sections of the book several times, then follow the three (3) pages of Chapter 6 - "The First Print". Once you have produced a few Palladium prints, cruise Chapter 7 - "Calibration" which provides a nice mental snack. Then move on to Chapter 8 - "The Platinum and Palladium Print", where having gotten past the panic of getting started, you can actually work out your basic functional understanding of the process. Like when that adult helped you launch on your first bike ride, suddenly you will be moving on your own and starting to get in the groove of the process.

For the silver old-timers, the sensitometry chapter and discussion of Pyro developers will really come into play as you confront the issues of "do I have to choose between making negatives for Platinum or silver ..." Pyro can play equally well in both environments, and was very liberating when I realized that I had a rich path of negative making without conflicts ahead of me. Pyro is an opportunity to evolve once again during this lifetime.

I use 8x10 for my serious work, and with standard films and papers going the way of the buffalo, I now understand what I need to do to use this remarkable process without being on a completely dead-end path.

There are several major advantages to gaining an ability to print Platinum/Palladium:
1. They can't discontinue the product! When you put a small number of drops of specific chemistry in a little cup, evenly coat the paper, expose it to UV light, slip the print into developer for two minutes, clear in three baths for 5 minutes each and then wash - it's like discoving fire as a tool. Pretty basic stuff, but very thrilling!
2. No fixer fumes.
3. You can work with the lights on.
4. You don't need a completely tweaked out darkroom in order to work - a simple space can be transformed into a miracle production facility.
5. It's fun.
6. The prints are beautiful. It will take time to figure it out, gain a vocabulary with the materials and get solid with your workflow, but Dick's book will hold your hand as you take the path towards a new, fruitful printing adventure.

Enthusiasm may inspire you to purchase other books, but this one can get you started successfully, and at the same time, it will provide plenty of sustenance as you grow. Or if you are already knowledgeable, there's plenty to chew on. If you are too advanced and find anything to be critical about in this book, write your own and share it with us!

If it still seems overwhelming to get started, find some fellow photo adventurer so that you can try it out together. Pulling prints on hand coated paper which are archivally stable, have long scale and beautiful physical presence, well, it could make an old dog thrilled about photography again, or simply inspire a newbee with a very remarkable way to make stunning prints. There are challenges, and there are plenty of mysteries, but if you have large format negatives hanging around, or you are boo-hoo-hooing that conventional photography is dying, being replaced by digital, this book will help dry those tears. Get going and happy printing!