The Photographer's Toning Book: The Definitive Guide

by Tim Rudman

In the words of professional writer and photographer Tim Rudman, The Photographer’s Toning Book is a book to grow in to, rather than out of! This extensively illustrated and extremely practical guide describes both beginning and advanced toning techniques for the creative photographer and printer. Using a system of First Steps, Second Steps, and Further Steps, each chapter allows the reader to practice various toning techniques at their own experience level and subsequently develop more advanced skills at their own pace.



Appropriate for beginners as well as experienced professionals, the guide covers such processes as selective toning; archival and negative toning; simple and advanced uses of bleaches and developers; using unconventional, such as tea and coffee; making homemade toners; and much more.




• Interest in toning techniques continues to grow with advances in technology

Genres: Photography

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Daniel Rainer]

The best (and only) comprehensive book on the topic. Tim Rudman's guide contains tons of esoteric analog know-how unavailable elsewhere. It feels criminal that this book is out of print and rarely available for less than $200 used.

[Michael]

This must be the bible of toning photographs.

I read this for perspective on finding a glazed effect for photographs in the digital darkroom. I was way off base. This is an encyclopedic treatment of the use of chemicals in finishing negatives from film.

The one useful piece I got--and it is truly useful--is the use of tea and coffee for finishing paper works. Turns out that's been an accepted practice for much of the history of photography. I like the effects it gives and I'm sure I'll use it on some works I have currently in process.

The book is full of gorgeous photographs, quite the reminder of what we have lost in our rush to digital, instant and colorful image-making. As such it represents something of an archive of what photography at one time was, and perhaps one time will be again. Software like Photoshop and its plugins come nowhere near approximating what a chemical artist is able to accomplish.

[Petalbooks]

Recommended reading for the Advanced Black and White class I'm taking this fall semester.