REVIEWS: “... clear, imaginative ... for photographers who wish to process their own work.”—Publisher's Weekly“... easy to understand explanations make this publication stand out ... it's the perfect book...”—Modern Photography

FROM THE BOOK: GETTING READY: “Processing your own film and making your own prints gives you much better results than commercial services do, and it's much less expensive. To cut set-up expenses, buy only what your really need, substitute common household items here possible, and but used equipment, which is widely available.”

DEVELOPING NEGATIVES: “Loading film onto the developing reel is quite easy once you get the hang of it. But if you have persistent trouble, you may wish to experiment with an automatic film loader. There devices come in a variety of models from mechanical winders to simple plastic guides.” MAKING ENLARGED PRINTS: “Making enlargements is one of the most exciting aspects of photography. The images are no longer negatives in a lightproof tank into which you can't see. For the first time, the image is blown up large enough to see even the finest details and expressions. Choosing a good negative to print is one of the first steps to making good prints, but even a bad negative can be improved.”

MAKING BETTER PRINTS: “Many photographers make the best print they can, then tack it up on the wall where they can look at it over a period of days and weeks. During this period they ask themselves if it can be improved. Will cropping help, or perhaps lightening the dark areas or darkening the light ones? Can it be printed with more contrast?”

SPECS: 8.5 X11, paperback, hundreds of photos, 90 pgs

Dennis P. Curtin is a photographer and professional writer with his own home darkroom. He has written and edited numerous photography and professional books.