Experimental Photography A Handbook of Techniques

Experimental Photography is the first manual ever to break down into a step-by-step format the experimental techniques that photographers use to subvert or expand conventional camera technology, heralding a new era in photography. The book features technical sections that define a particular process and show how to carry it out, accompanied by examples of the finished images. These are interspersed with illustrated interviews with photographers who use these techniques, examining what their work aims to do and how it is made. Some techniques, such as photograms or lumenprints, are cameraless; others involve building simple cameras from unexpected materials or exploiting the limitations of toy and disposable cameras for artistic effect. Camera hacking—breaking rules in exposure, zooming, panning, focus, and composition; modifying the camera to produce slit-scans; or adding filters—can produce a variety of exciting results. Film can also be manipulated or distressed, and many experiments can be conducted during the preparation of negatives and prints. Even once the print has been produced, creativity continues: mordançage, for example, provides a controlled degrading of the print, and bleaching and encaustic can be used to create new effects. For practicing photographers as well as anyone interested in artistic photographic techniques, this is an unprecedented sourcebook of practical inspiration that celebrates the work of the exceptional artists, “hackers,” and artisans who are pushing the boundaries of how we conceive of photography.