Creative Black and White: Digital Photography Tips and Techniques
- ISBN13: 9780470597750
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Amazon.com Review
Black-and-white photography poses unique challenges; without color to guide the eye, contrast, lighting, and composition take on even more importance. Renowned photographer Harold Davis explains these elements and demonstrates the basic rules of black and white photography as well as when and how to break them. He breaks through the complexity of this photographic medium, explores opportunities for black-and-white imagery, and shows how to capitalize on every one. Ri… More >>
Creative Black and White: Digital Photography Tips and Techniques
If you know beauty of the great black and white photographers of the twentieth century, Mr. Davis has for the first time made their vision available to the digital photographers of the twenty-first. As Weston said, “The camera should be used for … rendering the very substance and quintessence of the thing itself, whether it be polished steel or palpitating flesh.” As color photography is representational, black and white is “as it is.” Mr. Davis knows the difference and explains how their vision might be yours.
Digital photography has always suffered in the realm of black and white. The most sophisticated digital sensors do not have the dynamic range of the photographic print. That is, the sensors are unable to detect at the same time the whitest of whites, the blackest of blacks, and the grays between. The classical photographers could tease out those variations with experimental photographic papers, homemade concoctions of chemicals, and innovative lab techniques. Only recently has digital post-processing equaled those same results.
In this seminal work, Mr. Davis explains, in a step-by-step, fully illustrated, style how the photographer with basic knowledge of post-processing programs is capable of obtaining those results. From ACR or Lightroom or Photoshop or specialized programs the perfection of the black and white image is explained. From simple procedures to the most sophisticated.
As the cherry on top, Mr. Davis finishes with specialized techniques such as high-key, low-key, toning, duotoning, solarization, and much more.
Black and white photography, as in those famous words, “try it, you’ll like it.”
Rating: 5 / 5
If you’ve seen some of Harold’s long-exposure night images, you know the high level of expertise and creativity this West Coast photographer and educator brings to his work. This book is an extension of all that and a must-have for anyone with a serious interest in black and white digital photography. Beautifully illustrated, well-organized, and clearly presented, it allows the reader to follow a logical progression—-from concept to creation to postproduction. I loved (and would even like to see more of) those examples where the reader is allowed to get inside the author’s head (and heart) as a scene or challenge presents itself. He talks about creating abstractions out of elements or combinations of commonplace items by seeing behind preconceptions and focusing on things like shape and texture. Technical aspects of shoots are carefully noted, along with step-by-step instructions on how to pull the most out of these images through Photoshop and other specialized software. While he pays his respects here and there to black and white masters such as Adams and Weston, the book is more for converts who have already been mesmerized by the range of tones and singular beauty of classic black and white. One thing I might have wanted to see is at least some discussion about digital printing. High-quality, affordable inkjet printers have made the printing process a key element of the creative process for any serious digital photographer. Paper choices alone can dramatically impact the look and overall feel of an image. But Harold no doubt has all of that on a back burner for another book, which I anxiously look forward to reading.
Rating: 5 / 5
I love this book!
Since the advent of digital, B/W has become a “choice” rather than a limitation. As a result a lot of creative thought has to go into making great B/W photographs.
As a beginner in this area of photography (especially in digital post-processing), I found this book was perfect in two aspects.
First, Harold Davis has a great way of explaining the intricacies of this art-form. It is easy to understand and follow things like
a) why would a particular picture be best converted to b/w
b) why would a particular composition work best in b/w
c) what are the various types of b/w compositions and which one would work best for a given object/person to be photographed etc
d) how to do HDR in B/W via multi-raw processing
It is a sign of a great master of an art that (s)he can convey his/her knowledge in a simple and easy to understand way. Harold accomplishes this in the book.
The second great aspect of the book are the photoshop steps. For a photoshop newbie like me, this book is a godsend as far as digital b/w is concerned.
Overall, I highly recommend the book for anyone who wants to start their journey in, or enhance their understanding of Digital B/W.
Rating: 5 / 5
Harold Davis’ new book on taking digital color photos and transforming them into creative black and white pictures is an inspiring read with a lot of examples and many ways to achieve your vision.
A focus of the book is to help you learn how to pre-visualize what the world of color that surrounds us in blank & white. To se the contrasts of light and shadow that are left when the color is removed from an image and I think the book does a good job of describing how to do that.
I really like the different ways that are covered in the book to transform your color images into blank & white, Photoshop, Lightroom, Silver Efex Pro, and Photomatix are all covered. Creating images with high-hey, low-key, split toning, HDR, hand coloring, and noise are all explored with examples and tips.
I found the HDR example especially interesting, using HDR methods to create a photo with a extraordinary range of shadows is really appealing to me and I plan on giving it a try soon.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in making amazing black & white photos.
I want to thank the author for the chance to review this book before its release.
Rating: 5 / 5
I couldn’t wait to open up my copy of Harold Davis’ book, “Creative Black and White”. At first glance I thought this book was going to enable me to convert color photos into Black and White, but also know when I’m taking the photo the settings I choose will make it a `great’ Black & White. This is not a medium I had any appreciation for before I read this book.
In the Introduction; “My goal in Creative Black & White is to be your companion. . . Together we’ll experience what it means to think in black and white. I’ll show you many of the visual ideas that can work well with black and white, and share my expertise and the technical approaches that can be used to create high quality digital black and white photos.” Boy did he deliver! Throughout the book he gave example after example of Black & White photos and showed us the settings in the camera he took of those photos to achieve the desired result.
I’m a dentist by trade and consider myself an `Advanced Hobbyist Amateur’. I’m the president of the local photography club; even write a daily blog for the club. I submit photos on a monthly basis and take photos for different organizations around town, but never thought about Black & White as a medium that was `artistic’ in my hands. “Creative Black and White” teaches the basics behind any good photograph, i.e. Contrast, Shape & Form. . . Shades of Gray. Check out the `Contents’ page and see how complete Harold covers the subject of Black & White and how simply he teaches you how you can do it.
He teaches how to convert color photos to Black & White using multiple techniques; Camera Raw, Photoshop, Lightroom and different Photoshop Plugins. He gives us many ways to achieve the desired result; he’s not married to one particular method. I’m anxious to try my hand at Black & White Photography. “Creative Black and White” has given me the confidence to expand my knowledge base on what subjects make great Black & White opportunities, how to properly `step by step’ convert from color to Black & White and also shows `before and after’ examples.
This book is the complete `how to’ book for those of us that had NO idea that Black & White photos had so much promise. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to use it at our teaching sessions at the photography club. This will be a great opportunity for us as a club to try our hand at a subject only one or two have ever used.
Rating: 5 / 5