The Photographer’s Handbook by John Hedgecoe

The Photographer’s Handbook contained A LOT of information, much of which was a review for me. Everything from Cameras and equipment, film and darkrooms, to studios and lighting was covered. There were even sections on composition and “special” types of photography, such as underwater and night sky photography.

Not intended for a casual read, this book will better serve you if you intend to reference one or two sections at a time. I found myself skimming over some parts, such as the diagrams of different types of lenses and their movements, as well as the instructions for developing film in the darkroom. This third edition was somewhat outdated — it predicted the “future” of photography might head in the direction of quasi-digital cameras that write images to compact disc (a stage we are well-past).

If you are looking for a basic overview of more “traditional” photographic processes, this book will probably be very helpful and informative. I just didn’t want to spend my time reading about how to create a bas relief print or a textured image in the darkroom — it’s very simple to do these days with Photoshop! (I will admit, browsing the image manipulation sections defnitely made me more appreciative of the digital age and image-editing software!).