Complete Guide to Filters for Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book) [Paperback]

Joseph R. Meehan (Compiler)

Book Description

Series: A Lark Photography Book | Publication Date: May 28, 2004

Today’s photographer is faced with an overwhelming number of choices when it comes to using digital-camera and computer-based filtration. Help is here in this comprehensive overview. It provides the lowdown on how digital cameras respond to traditional photographic filters and which filters are the most useful to own. Photoshop filters and third-party plug-ins are explored. Learn to improve color rendition, create traditional filter effects, and more in the computer. Filters have always been the most important tools in a photographer’s creative arsenal. Here is everything you need to know to master the use of photographic filters in the digital age.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (May 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579904475
• ISBN-13: 978-1579904470
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #601,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful, January 20, 2006

By 

ubi (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Guide to Filters for Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book) (Paperback)

The book Complete Guide to Filters for Digital Photography starts with an introduction on the quality of light (eg, color temperature, complementary colors, natural light-sunlight, twilight, etc-and artificial light-tungsten, fluorescent, etc). By beginning with this chapter, the author gives an excellent introduction on the question "what" is light and what is the influence of various filters under different kinds of light. In chapter 2 and 3, the author explains in more detail different types of filters (which kind of filters are available-color conversion, ND, enhancing, polarizing,... filters, why to use them, how to use them; with pictures of "without filter" vs. "with filter"-also by showing pictures of a Macbeth Color Checker and a dolls head). Chapters 4 and 5 are completely devoted to filter software. These chapters give the reader a nice introduction to various filter software programs which are now a days on the market. The last chapter is devoted to black-and-white filter techniques (traditional B&W filters as well as how to convert a RGB picture into monochrome). However, this last section (converting a RGB picture into monochrome) isn't going into much detail and a decent photoshop book (eg, by Martin Evening or Scott Kelby) gives much more information.

Overall, the book is well written (easy English), well understandable, also for people with English as a foreign language, and filled with pictures which illustrate the text very well. I would only wish that point-and-shoot cameras were not mentioned at all (I don't think that a photographer with a a point-and-shoot camera would buy a specialized book on filters; therefore, I wished that the author had focussed solely on digital SLR-type cameras) and that the subject "convert a RGB picture into monochrome" would be written in more detail.

The book is recommended for amateur photographers. It is not a reference book for professional photographers which would like to know every detail of "all" the filters on the market.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid book on Photo filter effects, May 21, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Complete Guide to Filters for Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book) (Paperback)

Not only does this explain filters for camera use but also it walks you through many of the Photoshop filters and plug ins. If you are a serious digital photographer, this book is an excellent reference.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Filter Book, March 15, 2006

By 

Patrick Rice (North Olmsted, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete Guide to Filters for Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book) (Paperback)

This is a very comprehensive book on the use of filters in photography. The author touches on all of the popular filters and explains their purpose and efffects. The book is illustrated very well and the pictures explain his points clearly. I would recommend this book.