Camera Clues: A Handbook for Photographic Investigation

by Joe Nickell

Overview

In Camera Clues, Joe Nickell shares his methods of identifying and dating old photos and demonstrates how to distinguish originals from copies and fakes. Particularly intriguing are his discussions of camera tricks, darkroom manipulations, retouching techniques, and uses of computer technology to deceive the eye. Camera Clues concludes with a look at allegedly "paranormal" photography, from nineteenth-century "spirit photographs" to UFO snapshots.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813191249
Publisher:	University Press of Kentucky
Publication date:	06/10/2005
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), is the author of more than twenty investigative books, including Secrets of the Sideshows and Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal.

Editorial Reviews

The scope of this text is wide enough to accommodate a variety of photographic investigators.... The use of case studies from both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries bolsters the relevance of this handbook, which is a valuable tool for solving photographic mysteries.

National Genealogical Society Quarterly

Explains techniques in detecting fake photographs or copies and ways of restoring deteriorating images.

Manchester (KY) Enterprise

"Written in a clear, lively style, this book makes for fascinating reading and will be of keen interest to photography enthusiasts." — Library Journal

"The scope of this text is wide enough to accommodate a variety of photographic investigators.... The use of case studies from both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries bolsters the relevance of this handbook, which is a valuable tool for solving photographic mysteries." — National Genealogical Society Quarterly

"Explains techniques in detecting fake photographs or copies and ways of restoring deteriorating images." — Manchester (KY) Enterprise

From the Publisher

This book opens with an engaging survey of the history of photography, including information on how to identify and date ambrotypes, dry plates, and other processes. The book also includes an extensive discussion of trick photography (e.g., douple exposures), UFO photos, and photographing the paranormal. In addition, there is a chapter on the practical applications of investigative photography, including evidence and legal concerns. Nickell takes a unique approach to the history and various uses of photography and its ability to deceive and inform. Written in a clear, lively style, this book makes for fascinating reading and will be of keen interest to photography enthusiasts. Reasonably priced, especially given the scope, this book should be considered an essential acquisition for public and academic libraries-Raymond Bial, Parkland Coll. Lib., Champaign, Ill.

Library Journal