Review: Analogue Photography

Friday 7 October 2022, 16:16 by Erik van Rosmalen | 3,897 views | 3 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Now that analogue photography is back in the limelight, there is also more demand for sharing knowledge about the origins of photography. Eduard de Kam's 'Analogue Photography' provides a useful overview.

The charm of analogue

I take a lot of photographs on film, and I enjoy it. Not for commercial work, as that is not practical, if only because the photos sometimes need to be online the same day. But I enjoy working with film for personal work and portraits.

I appreciate the calm of working with film, as well as the grain in the image, the different-looking depth of field and the character of a real analogue print. These are aspects you cannot reproduce digitally.

Growing popularity

Years ago, I would sometimes get comments. Analogue photography was a thing of the past, digital was much better in terms of quality, and so on.

Those days are over now: more and more photographers, especially younger ones, are getting started with analogue photography again. You can tell from the prices of second-hand cameras and the availability of, in particular, roll film and 35mm film.

Eduard de Kam's book 'Analogue Photography' responds to this need. The blurb on the back promises to offer 'a helping hand' to photographers who are not familiar with working with film.

'Chemical' photography

And the author certainly delivers on that promise. The book's 160 pages cover practically the entire history of analogue, or as De Kam rightly prefers to call it, 'chemical' photography.

From the camera obscura and the inventors of photography to the current trend of hybrid working: combining analogue photography with digital techniques.

All aspects covered

Almost every aspect of photography is covered systematically. For example, photographic processes from the past few centuries.

But also types of cameras, image formats and their corresponding films, the different types of film, types of paper and techniques used in the darkroom. What do you need to develop a film, and how do you make a print?

A complete overview

So anyone who knows little about analogue photography gets much more than a helping hand, they get a comprehensive overview of what is possible. That can also be overwhelming if you are simply looking for a guide to experimenting with 35mm film.

Even so, the author addresses that too: more difficult processes, such as wet-plate photography, are mentioned but not explained. At the same time, he provides more explanation of relatively simple techniques such as making a photogram or cyanotype, so you can experiment.

And that certainly inspires you to give it a go.

Detailed explanations, with examples and images, for example about cyanotype.

A useful reference book

In short, this book is an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to learn more about analogue photography. Although it may be a little too comprehensive for beginners who simply want to develop a roll of 35mm film.

They may be better served by a more practically focused book, a course or personal guidance from an experienced photographer, as the author also points out in the book. But even in those cases, 'Analogue Photography' is a useful reference book to keep close at hand!

» Order Focus on Photography: Analogue Photography (34.99 euros)

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