Special Problems
By: by the editors of Time-Life Books.
Contributors: Robert G. Mason (Editor); Patricia Maye (Picture editor)
Series: Life Library of Photography #8
Publisher: Time-Life Books
Published: 1972
Place of publication: New York, NY
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 209
Copyright date: 1971
Subjects: Applied photography.
Genres: Non-fiction
First sentence: In many ancient cultures, weather was thought to depend on the moods of the gods -- and rather irascible gods at that.
Description: The special problems of photography -- and there are many -- seldom discourage the serious photographer.  On the contrary, these problems stimulate his interest, their goad prodding him to some of his finest pictures.  They excite him to stretch and extend the outer limits of his knowledge, and in the process acquire a better understanding of the full capacities of his camera, equipment and ingenuity.

The shot considered a routine assignment by an experienced professional may be a hazardous adventure for the beginner.  But for photographers of every rank, certain special problems are universal.  One is the all-pervasive power of nature's extremes; under the lash of a freezing rain or the heat of a summer sun, simply preserving film, lenses and camera -- let alone getting a good picture -- is a severe test.  More exotic perils include the dust, fire and explosions of an erupting volcano or an insidious fungus that will spread over equipment in the damp tropics.

Mechanical failures that ruin a picture can be avoided by foresighted testing.  But far more common are the problems of setting -- reflections, obstacles, distances that get in the way of clear and dramatic pictures; yet all can be got around by the proper technique.  There is one classic problem that has plagued and intrigued photographers since the development of the camera and can never be fully solved: how to convey a sense of action in the utterly motionless medium of still photography.  But the attempts to resolve this problem lead to pictures that communicate the idea of action to the viewer.

These problems, while not those of every photographer, are basic to the entire photographic experience.  To understand their traps is to begin to realize ways to avoid them.  Or to make use of them.  For some of the most exciting pictures are those that are deliberately shot the wrong way -- and turn problems into advantages.
Notes: Bibliography, p. 205; Index, p. 207.
Table of contents: label: 1
title: The Harsh Environment
pagenum: 9; label: 2
title: Obstacles of Setting
pagenum: 43; label: 3
title: Problems of the Professional
pagenum: 69; label: 4
title: Mechanical Failure
pagenum: 99; label: 5
title: Photographing Action
pagenum: 125; label: 6
title: The Assigned Problem
pagenum: 155; label: 7
title: The Deliberate Mistake
pagenum: 173