What do I need to get started in black & white photography (type of camera recommended, film, chemicals, etc.)? I want the whole nine yards and what to expect. I appreciate any help.

-- ann witt (awitt@deltamedcenter.com), February 15, 2000

Answers

The first thing you'll need is a bit of self-reliance and initiative. Black & White World (the site of which this forum is a part) has an article on the front page which answers your question: http://www.photogs.com/bwworld/index.html

See also www.darkroomsource.com, and don't forget your local public library.

Best way to learn is do a course (i.e use someone elses equipment first), they you'll know better what kind of gear you like.

-- Christopher Biggs (chris@stallion.oz.au), February 15, 2000.

look for a night or weekend course at a local university or try some local photography shops. taking a course is really the best way to get started.

-- brad daly (bwdaly@scott.net), February 16, 2000.

The above posters are absolutely correct. You'll need to feel your way and make your own decisions.

Until then, however...

an entry-level Canon or Nikon SLR a 28-80 zoom lens Ilford Pan-F, Delta 100 & 400 Photographer's Formulary PMK film developer Kodak Rapid Fix (Part A only!) Ilford Multigrade IV and/or Warmtone paper (RC or FB) Kodak Rapid Selenium toner Kodak Selectol Soft paper developer Acetic acid Kodak Photo-Flo Kodak Hypo Clearing agent or Heico Perma-Wash an Omega enlarger a 50mm El-Nikkor enlarging lens some stainless steel developing tanks

Learning how to use the above will take you some time.

Good luck!

-- Peter Hughes (leo948@yahoo.com), February 17, 2000.

Thanks for the answers. I should have been more specific in my question, sorry. What I'm looking for is "personal experience" answers.

-- ann witt (awitt@deltamedcenter.com), February 17, 2000.

hmm, personal experience.

i got back into photography--which i'd done in highschool--with a yashica t4 super point and shoot, which has some of the finest optics available in a cheap camera, using kodak T400CN. i'd gone on a trip to the navajo reservation in utah and arizona and had come back with some incredible portraits of navajo kids and a great, funny shot of my friends's and my shadows as we made charlie's angels-type shadow-shapes on some rocks in monument valley. i got a few 11x14 enlargements made--at considerable expense--but was never fully satisfied with the results, someone else printing my photos always got them a little different than i did. so i took some classes at the u. of alabama at birmingham to refresh myself on darkroom techniques and technology (i'd never before used variable-contrast paper). anyhow, i fell back in love, and set myself up a darkroom. i see from your email address that you're in or near memphis. i'd be willing to be that the u. of memphis or rhodes offers photography classes at night. taking classes is really the best way to find out about stuff like this; it'll save you buying a lot of expensive equipment and then finding you're really not as into photography as you thought you were.

if you're looking for photo equipment, recommendations really depend on what you're wanting to do, and how much you're wanting to spend.

a great body to start out with is the canon eos elan II, which has some of the nice features of their really high-end models, but is reasonably priced. honestly, the best lens for a beginner would be their 50mm f1.4. it's really sharp and really fast. another poster suggested something like a 28-80mm zoom. if i were you, i'd stay away from a cheap zoom. they're slow--f3.5-4.5--and generally kind of crappy. if you have the money (about $1200.00) and are planning on a lot of portraits, canon's 70-200mm f2.8 zoom is a beautiful thing. it's the lens i use about 75% of the time. don't bother with a flash to begin with, other than what might be built-in to the body.

keep in mind, that no matter what people tell you, there is no really significant difference between canon and nikon. for a few years canon had a real advantage in autofocus speed, but nikon is catching up, though it's fast-focusing lenses are pretty expensive right now. have a look at philip greenspun's excellent site, http://www.photo.net , where there are lots of equipment reviews. keep in mind too that you might want to buy some used equipment. there's plenty of *really* good used stuff out there, if you look carefully. also have a look at http://www.bhphotovideo.com , the website of b & h photo in new york, by most accounts the cheapest and most trust-worthy of the mail order houses. i buy nearly everything from them.

as for darkroom equipment, i have an older beseler 23C dichro, which features a head in which i can change the color and not have to use variable contrast filters. i use a schneider componon-s 50mm lens. i print almost exclusively on ilford multigrade IV, fiber-based paper (though you really ought to start out on resin-coated paper), which i usually sepia tone just slightly to warm it up a little. i shoot almost exclusively kodak's T400CN film, which is a black and white film that works chemically like a color film, which means it can be run through automatic processing machines at wal-mart, target, etc. (i have mine done at a professional lab for safety and consistency.) i shoot this film for two reasons: 1, i'm a graduate student, and have very little photography time as it is. when i do have time, i'd rather be printing than developing film, and 2, it's fast (400 iso) and very, very fine grained. if you take a class, though, your instructor will probably start you out on a "real" black-and-white film, so you can learn to process it yourself.

anyway, i hope this answers your questions a little better. feel free to ask anything else.

good luck.

-- brad daly (bwdaly@hiwaay.net), February 18, 2000.

Ann-I to am also getting started in photography, in a way. I'm getting back into things after about a 10 year absence. That's another story, but to answer your question I think my experience can help.My best advice is one a teacher gave me about 20 years ago, K.I.S.S. Keep it simple stupid! (we had other variations on that one) The kind of photography you do will dictate the equipment you will need. By that I mean portrait work demands certain lenses and lights, sports require longer lenses & motor drives, maybe you like taking pictures of your friends or taking pictures on vacation. You will need to decide that. For me, I like to do landscapes and other various nature work. I recently built a 4X5 camera from a kit because I need a large format for what I do. Large format cameras can be very expensive so I found a kit for $250. Add a $300 lens and you have a relatively inexpensive camera. You most likely will start with a 35mm, most people do. I suggest looking for a used camera, say a Nikon F or F2, maybe an FM. These are dependable, rugged cameras without a lot of "frills." I would stay away from auto anything right now. Give yourself a chance to learn the basics and worry about bells and whistles later. These Nikons will give you a good selection of quality lenses to pick from without breaking the bank (well, they may put a dent in it.) I suggest starting out with one lens, a 50mm. Challenge yourself to be creative without the luxury of optical assistance. It's tough! It will force you to learn how to get the most out of your equipment and yourself. I also suggest getting the best tripod you can afford. Then make it your best friend. I've been using a Leitz Tilt-all (sp?) for as long as I can remember. It too is well built. I forever thank the store owner who suggested I purchase it. My work became noticably better when I started to use a tripod for all of my pictures. I generally work with available light so I can't suggest a good strobe if you need one. Maybe someone else can. As far a film and chemicals go, remember K.I.S.S.? Start out using one film/developer combination and stay with it for oh, maybe a year or more depending on how much you shoot. My suggestion is Kodak's Tri-X and D-76 to develope it in. This is a very common, but very usefull pair! It's also a very forgiving combination of film and developer. It will give you very good results over a very wide range of subjects. Use these two until get a feel for exactly how they will handle different situations. When your results become predictable only then try another film/developer combination. By this I mean when you no longer "hope something comes out." When you start feeling confident that you have captured a great image, before you process, you'll know enough to be able to compare another film/developer combination. I also suggest some reading on the subject of film and developer relationships. There is great information on this site and others as well. If your going to do your own printing you'll need a darkroom and enlarging equipment as well. Someone suggested a Beseler D-23. I agree, it would be a great choice. Try looking in the local papers, and shoppers to see if there is any used equipment available near you. Also, yard sales, flea markets or try the local camera shops. They seem to know the skinny on what is available in your area. Kodak's chemicals are readily available for you other needs, stop baths, fixers, wash aids and toners. Again, you'll need to do some homework on what you'll need. Get friendly with the folks behind the counter at your local camera store, they will be glad to help. When you start printing stick with graded paper at first. You may want to try a couple of different kinds to see what you prefer. Buy small quantities at first until you find one you like, then stick with it. I suggest using Dektol diluted 1:2 to develope all of your paper at first. As far as the room goes, well anywhere you can find a dark place with running water (hot water is a big plus) and electricity. Basements have always worked well for me, but my dream is to have a darkroom above ground! If your not ready to take the plunge and build your own room, look around and see if you know anyone who already has a darkroom. Local clubs, schools, libraries, some cities even have places that rent darkroom space on an hourly basis. Maybe your lucky enough to have something like that near you. Now I'm sure I haven't told you all you need to know, but I would like to add one last important(to me) item. This was one I picked up when I was in school, but didn't realize it until I was out of school. It's this, start looking at photographs, lots and lots of photographs. Search out other photographers work and look at it, study it. Look at "photographs" not reproductions or pictures in books (they can help, but not like the real thing.)Go to galleries, exhibits, art shows, wherever you can find pictures. You need to "educate" your eyes to see what 'good' and 'bad' pictures look like. This takes time and lots of pictures. Hang your own work where you can see it. I suggest using a corkboard so you can pin up work in progress, you know, things that you wouldn't normally put the effort into mounting and framing. Get into the habit of looking at pictures. This is difficult to explain, but it wasn't until I was out of the enviroment of having pictures around me all of the time did I realize how important it was to have photographs to look at. The more the better. Get around photographs and photographers and learn all you can. What can you expect? Expect to become a junkie! This medium is addictive, but in a good way. Also expect to start seeing the world in a way you never would have seen it without a camera. Best of Luck!!!

-- Steve Colardeau (scolarde@kear.tds.net), March 14, 2000.

Ann,

The idea of a course is the best, especially starting from scratch. If local courses are not available, start getting some books and reading. From soup to nuts is beyond the capacity of a forum like this, especially when you look at books with several hundred pages of information.

But for starting out, I recommend:

Manual 35mm camera with 50mm lens - Canon, Nikon, Pentax, etc. Used is great Kodak Tri-X film - you can't go wrong with it to start, especially if you want to start with darkroom work A yellow filter to start experimenting with filtering

That will get you started with taking pictures.

For the darkroom

A changing bag Daylight processing tank - plastic reels to start with, they are easier to load Some bottles Chemisty - D-76 is fine, Xtol is better for developing. Stop bath, Fixer (rapid or normal), Photo Flo Distilled water for mixing chemicals Thermometer

This will get you through processing film. Getting in to printing expands the expense due to the need for a dark place to work and an enlarger. But used darkroom equipment is readily available, cheap.

Enlarger with lens Safe light B&W Paper - Kodak Polymax or Ilford Multigrade to start will work fine Developer - Kodak Dektol, Ilford Univeral or Multigrade are good starts. Stop and fix from your film developing Trays to hold the chemistry and paper to actually develop the paper.

Things like enlarging easels, proof printers, timers, etc. make life easier, but are not required to get started. You can make do without them.

Terry

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), March 15, 2000.