Black & White Photography Techniques with Adobe Photoshop [Paperback]

Maurice Hamilton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

Fine art quality, black-and-white prints are within every photographer's reach with the techniques illustrated in this digital image editing guide. Taking advantage of the control and reproducibility that the digital darkroom offers, this handbook teaches photographers how to fine-tune images with contrast and exposure levels, crop and rotate images for dynamic results, and remove flaws such as dust and scratches long after the photograph has been taken. Instruction on techniques that simulate traditional hand coloring and tinting and add special effects such as frames, infrared, and lighting and lens effects helps photographers realize their artistic vision. Screen shots and images guide readers through the presented techniques, allowing photographers to gauge their own results and anticipate the effects of the outlined corrections and enhancements on their own images. A gallery of the author's work provides inspiration for simulating—and improving upon—the chemical-based darkroom experience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Describes and illustrates classic concepts and Adobe Photoshop editing techniques for digital photographers seeking to create fine art prints."  —Art Book News Annual

About the Author

Maurice Hamilton is a photographer and lecturer who teaches out of his studio in Groveland, California. His professional work is on display at www.hamiltonphoto.com. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Amherst Media, Inc. (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584281731
• ISBN-13: 978-1584281733
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #774,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Black & White
  • #57 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Darkroom & Processing

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb guide for black and white techniques, March 21, 2006

By 

V. Abad (Cupertino CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black & White Photography Techniques with Adobe Photoshop (Paperback)

I am amazed at the audacity of a "reviewer" who has not even read the book to offer an opinion based on an online perusal of the table of contents. Such a cursory effort deserves similar attention to his/her opinion.

Hamilton's book is a superb guide for a photographer who wants to learn digital techniques to enhance the original image and to transform color images to beautiful black and white photographs. His writing style is lucid and succinct but not boring. His instructions are comprehensive, almost as if he is looking over your shoulder guiding you through each step.

What I found most useful was his ability to explain in simple and clear terms how to apply curves and levels, adjust highlights/shadows, and to use dodge and burn techniques. His methods for converting a color image to black and white range from simple to complex. The chapter on colorizing techniques applied to black and white images provided interesting demonstrations of achieving sepia-like images and utilizing black/white conversion filters. Images supplementing the instructions were small but adequate to clarify the text.

I have applied some of his techniques to my color photographs, producing black and white images I was very pleased with and proud of. This book is a wonderful and inexpensive instructional guide for photographers who want to improve their Black and White photographs.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource, March 21, 2006

By 

G Barrett (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black & White Photography Techniques with Adobe Photoshop (Paperback)

Intrigued by the glowing review of this book by Garth Leach at The Daily Shooter.com, I acquired a copy and experimented with several of the black and white conversion techniques described.

Like Garth, I found this book guided me toward the creation of outstanding black and white images. This book seems geared toward the intermediate Photoshop user but should also be helpful to novice users.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars my photographs have improved with the help of this book, May 19, 2006

By 

brook - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black & White Photography Techniques with Adobe Photoshop (Paperback)

I consider this book to be in a class with the best books written on photography.
I especially appreciate the Ansel Adams quote and the way that Maurice Hamilton lets his own gallery speak for itself. The emphasis is not on showing off his own work but rather, on helping the reader advance their own art. My work has improved significantly since my first reading and I will read sections over several times.

Bravo Maurice and thank you, Linnea Nereim