Black & White Digital Photography: Creating & Manipulating Great Monochrome Images [Paperback]

Les Meehan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2005

Innovations in digital technology have created an array of new options for photographers. Now, accomplished freelance photographer Les Meehan provides a comprehensive guide to using this technology to produce high-caliber black and white photographs. From basic concepts to advanced techniques, Meehan introduces and explains all of the factors that go into creating great monochrome prints. Topics include proper camera calibration, controlling white balance, choosing the right scanning equipment, simulating traditional darkroom techniques, and working with advanced printing software. Meehan also examines the many exciting new possibilities created by digital technology for both image capture and image enhancement. Focusing on fundamental principles that apply to all digital equipment, this invaluable book features hundreds of photographs demonstrating a wide range of monochrome techniques.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Les Meehan is an experienced freelance photographer and photographic teacher. He has written three successful practical photography books, Creative Exposure Control, Digital Image Making and Digital Photography Basics, all published by Collins & Brown. His work has been exhibited in solo shows in the UK and France. He lives in Malaga, Spain.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Collins & Brown (September 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843401908
• ISBN-13: 978-1843401902
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,248,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars sucked in by a title again, April 16, 2006

By 

etalieninaz (goodyear, arizona) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Black & White Digital Photography: Creating & Manipulating Great Monochrome Images (Paperback)

The sub-title of the book said "creating and manipulating great monochrome images".
However comma
Chapter one covers really basic info on cameras, scanners, computer, monitors, tablets, external storage, printers, scanning software, editing software, cataloging software, file formats, capture method (camera vs. scanning), lens quality, flare, and color quality.
Chapter two (cameras and scanning techniques) covers monitor calibration, camera calibration, scanner calibration, choosing quality settings, exposure control, film speeds, focus /depth of field, and solving depth of field problems, dealing with high contrast, explaining the Zone system (6 pages), and film scanning (another 8 pages).
Finally, after 73 pages (of the 128 page book), we get to:
Chapter 3 (Enhancing images) where the author tells us how to convert color to mono, make basic corrections, correct chromatic aberrations, how to use the clone tool, do burning and dodging, posterization, bas relief, solorization, make lith prints, texture effects, how to simulate traditional films, creating infrared, image coloring, basic photomontage, multi-image techniques, panoramas, and using sharpening techniques (all in PS).
Then in Chapter 4 (Outputting images), we learn how to calibrate our printer and print an image.
Although the book is well written (1 mistake on p.12 where he should've said megahertz instead of GB in describing what type of computer you should buy) and the author does present a couple of great ideas on B&W photos later in the book.
However, one is left with the impression that the author tried to fill up a 128 page book the best he knew how by adding a bunch of really basic digital photo stuff and a whole lot of scanning stuff. Otherwise, nobody would ever buy a 50-page book.
Unfortunately, I did (sucked in by a title again).

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not very focussed...., April 30, 2006

By 

David S. Nadal "d_spence" (Bellevue, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Black & White Digital Photography: Creating & Manipulating Great Monochrome Images (Paperback)

Very fluffy. Too much explanation of basic hardware; not enough regarding B&W technique. The introduction to Zone was adequate, but wasn't really linked to the discussion of technique, which seemed to be mostly a generic Photoshop lesson, anyway.

It was like three superficial books sewn together.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Beginner Guide, April 21, 2006

By 

Greg Harper (Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black & White Digital Photography: Creating & Manipulating Great Monochrome Images (Paperback)

This book is certainly written for the beginner level digital photographer. The author devotes better than half the book explaining cameras and technology. He does a very good job with this, but it leaves only 60 pages or so for creative techniques. The information presented is well done, I just wish there was more of it.

Good place to start.