Introduction
Ever since Michael Langford’s book, Advanced Photography, was first published in 1969, the book has inspired and educated many thousands of photographers. In the seventh edition the original text has been fully revised and updated while ensuring that the breadth of technical detail that was present in previous editions has been maintained.
Langford’s Advanced Photography, seventh edition, approaches the science and technology behind photography and relates it to practical issues. The book covers a wide range of topics from photographic equipment and processes to image manipulation, archiving and storage of both silver halide and digital images. In most cases the chapters have been designed to be read independently and not necessarily in the sequence they were written. Each chapter concludes with a short summary and you can exercise your knowledge of the subject by implementing some of the projects given.
The digital photographic industry has seen unprecedented growth over the last ten years. This has been primarily due to the availability of high quality electronic imaging devices and fast and affordable computing power and digital storage. As a result, digital photography has displaced traditional silver halide film capture in many areas of the photographic profession. In this edition of the book the content has been extensively revised and restructured to reflect the current state of the photographic industry. Much of the content of the 6th edition has been updated to include information on both silver halide and digital photographic equipment and techniques. For example, the chapters on cameras, lenses, tone control and specialized photographic techniques including infrared and ultraviolet photography have all been updated. New chapters on digital imaging have been introduced. You will read a detailed introduction to imaging sensors and will learn about some of the image artefacts associated with them. The characteristics of input and output devices in digital imaging, such as scanners, printers and displays, have an effect on the quality of your photographs. A chapter on digital imaging systems provides an overview of device characteristics such as dynamic range, resolution, tone and colour reproduction. Practical advice on using these devices is also given. You will also read about the imaging workflow, file formats, compression and basic image adjustments.
Traditional, silver halide photography is still in use today. Printing on silver halide paper provides a low cost, convenient and high quality medium for producing hardcopy prints of digitally captured images. Although printing on silver halide has continued to decline over the past ten years, the availability of online and retail printing services has meant that consumers have started to turn back to traditional photographic paper as a more convenient and affordable alternative to home ink-jet printing. This book provides updated information on the current developments in film. It also includes a chapter on film processing and colour printing techniques. In that chapter a detailed explanation of film processing management is given, and the different methods and equipment used are described. An in-depth overview of printing from negative and positive films starting from first principles is given. The overview assumes prior knowledge of black and white printing theory and techniques which are covered in detail in Langford’s Basic Photography.
A good understanding of the specifications of photographic materials and equipment is important for the photographer who wants to have full control of his or her final results. An in-depth explanation of the technical data provided by manufacturers of imaging equipment and materials is given. You will also find advice on choosing films, cameras, lenses and other photographic equipment.
Control of lighting is essential for high quality photographs, whether they have been captured digitally or on film. The type of light source and its direction will have a dramatic effect on your photographs. By tailoring your light source and adapting it to your needs you can control the final look and mood of your work. Different types of light sources, studio lighting equipment and several lighting techniques for portrait photography are described in the chapter on lighting control. Also included are techniques for location interior lighting, still-life and on using a flashgun effectively. The photographic technique you will use is highly dependent on your subject. The ‘Subjects’ chapter covers portraiture, sport, landscape, architectural, nature, wedding and aerial photography. It explains how to organise your work, the equipment you need to use and provides suggestions on suitable techniques. Further specialized techniques including infrared and ultraviolet photography, underwater, panoramic and stereoscopic photography are also presented in this book.
The photographic business, today, is a rapidly changing, increasingly technical and highly competitive profession. In order to succeed the professional photographer, whether working as an employee or as a self-employed freelance photographer, needs to understand the fundamental business practices associated with his or her profession. An introduction to professional photographic business practice is provided and several issues in the photographic business such as running a business, insurance and copyright are analysed.
The revised and restructured seventh edition maintains the spirit and character of Langford’s original text and will continue to provide technical guidance to students and professional photographers.
E.B.
Special thanks to Professor Geoffrey Attridge and Terry Abrams for their valuable feedback and comments on the technical content of the manuscript. Special thanks are also due to the Focal Press team, especially David Albon and Lisa Jones. James Boardman and Ulrike Leyens are thanked for their input in the content of the chapter ‘Business Practice’. Last, but not least, thanks are due to iStockphoto for providing many of the images in this book.