The Electronic Industries Association estimates that more than 12.6 million VCRs will be sold in 1989, so it`s not surprising to find the how-to photography titles spreading rapidly from the printed media to videotapes.
According to a recent report in Popular Photography magazine, more than 130 VHS tapes are now on the market, offering photographers expertise on a broad spectrum of topics, from basic camera operation to making a hologram. Documentaries examining the careers of famous photographers are also available.
Dollar for dollar, however, good how-to books appear a much better value than videotapes. For instance, it`s unfair to expect the 25-minute Calumet view-camera technique program to pack as much information as the 312-page book ”View Camera Technique” by Leslie Stroebel. However, each sells for $29.95.
More dramatically, a 37-minute video on basic holography by Lee Starz retails for $49.95. ”Holography Handbook,” a 408-page, step-by-step guide to making holograms by Fred Unterseher, lists for $16.95.
Some videotape producers try to rectify the discrepancy by producing a series of tapes on the same basic subject, which in total can equal or exceed the information found in a well-done how-to book. Purchasing a complete series, though, can be quite costly.
Rohn Engh, producer of a five-tape series on editorial stock photography
(reviewed below) covers all the bases, also publishing his own 368-page book on the same subject. The video series sells for $89.95, the book for $16.95.
Supplementary pamphlets are provided with many photographic videotapes. However, the printed information primarily mirrors the video program`s content rather than adding significantly to it.
Documentary tapes, on the other hand, have a clear advantage over the printed page. Obviously, it`s much more intimate to see famous photographers at work and hear them talk about their pictures than to read secondhand accounts.
A reader can generally assume that a 200-page how-to book will contain more information than a 100-page volume of similar physical dimensions. This isn`t always the case with videotapes, whose scripts are sometimes rambling and repetitive. A well-written tape, such as the 30-minute ”Which Filter Should I Use?” by Tiffen, offers as much solid information as many tapes running twice its length.
Videotape quality also varies greatly, both in presentation and production. Some would appear quite at home broadcast over PBS, while others look as if they were produced by high school students who passed TV 101 by the skin of their teeth.
Surprisingly, there isn`t always a direct correlation between the quality of a tape and the resources of the company that produced it. For instance, ”Photographer: Russell Lee” is one of the finest photographic videotapes around, yet it was made by Ann Mundy & Associates, a very small independent producer based in Sausalito, Calif.
Here is a brief look at a few of the videotapes available to photographers wishing to increase their knowledge and know-how. Phone numbers are included in case you can`t find the tapes at your camera store.
”Don Blair: Complete Guide for Lighting and Posing the Female Form”
(Photo Concepts International, $59.95; approximate running time 53 minutes;
904-672-6505). This tape, the first in a 13-tape series by photographer Don Blair covering various aspects of portraiture, demonstrates head-and-shoulder, three-quarter and full-length posing and lighting of female subjects. One suspects there is some useful information here, but it can be difficult to extract. For instance, Blair demonstrates how altering the position of lights affects the subject`s face, but the video camera usually doesn`t pull back far enough to allow the viewer to see where the lights are being placed. Also, the dialogue is often extremely overdrawn, and many viewers might take offense as Blair constantly refers to his adult model as ”Terry baby,” ”beautiful doll,” ”beautiful baby” and so forth. However, one tends to make allowances for a man who calls his camera ”Mr. Lens.”
”Focus on Glamour” (Focus On Enterprises, $44.95, approximate running time 60 minutes; 415-344-9450). Although this tape is ostensibly about glamor photography, the lighting techniques demonstrated by photographer Gage White can be used to improve virtually any type of portraiture. Six mini-lessons, conducted both indoors and outside, stress techniques suitable for amateur photographers owning just a 35 mm. camera and no supplemental lighting equipment. White shows how to make the inexpensive reflectors and specialty filters used in many of his shots.
”Guide to Outdoor Photography” (L.L. Bean, $29.95; approximate running time 55 minutes; 800-221-4221). The presentation starts off slowly, with information that is probably too basic for most amateurs. By the end, however, photographer/host Lefty Kreh offers tips useful to even the professional outdoor photographer, such as how to make PVC tripod-leg booties for shooting in water, and tricks for avoiding glare. Kreh`s warm, completely unpretentious demeanor and down-home vernacular put the viewer at ease, making one think that if Kreh can take professional-quality photographs, so can anyone.
”Holograms” (Lee Starz Productions, $49.95; approximate running time 37 minutes; 795-8431). Good news: This videotape features holography expert Dr. Tung Jeong demonstrating how easy and affordable it is to make these increasingly popular 3-D ”cameraless” images. Bad news: Shot on a talk-show- type set, the presentation is embarrassingly amateurish.
”Images of the Masters: Creating the Print” (Eastman Kodak, $19.95;
approximate running time, 40 minutes; 800-242-2424). Featuring photographers Scott Griswald, Jerry Uelsmann and Kevin Higley. Although Uelsmann reveals several of his techniques for creating multinegative prints, this tape should be watched more for entertainment than for nitty-gritty darkroom instruction. Photojournalist Higley offers interesting insights on how to shoot a pro football game.
”Karsh: The Searching Eye” (Eastman Kodak Co., $29.95; approximate running time 58 minutes; 800-242-2424). A fascinating look at one of the most renowned portrait photographers of the 20th Century. The program`s highlight is a Yousuf Karsh portrait session with Leonard Bernstein, but it also features interviews with the photographer, who discusses his life, working methods and philosophy. Filmmaker Harry Rasky is the interviewer. Many of Karsh`s famous images of statesmen, authors, musicians, artists and military men are interspersed throughout the videotape. More intriguing, however, is the small selection of charming but much lesser known outdoor environmental portraits, which add another dimension to a photographer famous for his highly stylized studio-type portraits.
”Large Format: The Professional`s Choice” (Calumet Photographic, $29.95; approximate running time, 25 minutes; 800-CALUMET). Calumet should be applauded for its initiative in furnishing its view-camera how-to videotape with a plot; however, it`s a bit corny. A young man who doesn`t know the first thing about view cameras manages to be hired as a studio photographer`s assistant. Left to his own devices while setting up a tabletop shot, the floundering assistant is guided successfully through his first day on the job by the voice of an invisible all-knowing spirit (Chicago television anchor/
photographer Bill Kurtis). Although it won`t win any Academy Awards, this program does give novice view-camera users a concise, easy-to-understand description of view-camera movements and how each affects the final image. Lens selection, sheet film loading, Polaroid proofing and accessories are also discussed. An excellent 48-page workbook that includes a small glossary of relevant terminology is supplied with the tape.
”On Assignment: The Darkroom” (Media West/Beseler $29.95; approximate running time 90 minutes; 800-888-TAPE or 201-862-7999). Hosted by photographer Brian Ratty and produced with assistance from Charles Beseler Corp., this lengthy tape is an excellent darkroom primer, covering equipment selection, physical layout, and processing and printing. To its credit, producer Media West has for the most part resisted the temptation to turn this tape into an overt commercial for the sponsor`s (Beseler`s) photo products.
”Photographer: Russell Lee” (Ann Mundy & Associates, $250 to institutions, discount extended to individual buyers; approximate running time 60 minutes; 415-332-7927). An in-depth look at the talented and prolific Farm Security Administration photographer Russell Lee. Overshadowed by FSA photographers Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange, Lee was an early practitioner of interior flash photography and is reputed to have been the first to use color film on a documentary project. In the video, Lee talks at length about his life and work, and there are interviews with FSA photographer Arthur Rothstein and others. Many of the photographer`s images are presented, including a selection from his famous Pie-Town series. Producer Ann Mundy is a former student of Lee`s, and her respect and admiration for her subject clearly show and undoubtedly contributed to the documentary`s overall excellence.
”Selling & Re-selling Your Photos” (Photo Concepts International, $89.95 for five-tape set; approximate running time 4 1/2 hours; 904-672-6505). Absolutely everything a beginner needs to know about starting an editorial stock photography business from home, except how to take good pictures. Rohn Engh has been a successful stock photographer for more than 20 years. The basic precept he presents in these tapes is that photographers should pinpoint a market and shoot photographs to fill its needs, rather than trying to find places to sell existing photos. Engh also stresses specialization and offers much good advice on marketing and business practices. Although the program is basically lecture-oriented, Engh`s laid-back, professorial style makes for easy listening and retention.
”Which Filter Should I Use?” (Tiffen Manufacturing Corp., $25;
approximate running time 30 minutes; 516-273-2500). This well-scripted and produced program tells the photographer everything he or she ever wanted to know about special-effects filters for color photography, such as enhancer, fog, low-contrast and graduated filters. The videotape also features several nice touches. A series of color test bars appears at the beginning of the presentation, accompanied by audio instructions for fine-tuning the television`s color. This color adjustment guarantees that the effect of each filter demonstrated in the tape will be seen to its best advantage. Near the end of the program, each previously shown filter-effect example is repeated for one second, permitting the viewer to easily freeze any frame on the television screen for further analysis.
