Customer Reviews

Digital Masters: B&W Printing: Creating the Digital Master Print (A Lark Photography Book)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Generally speaking, there are three basic types of digital-photography-related books on the market: (1) the beginner's guides, that walk the aspiring photographer / "camera user" through the steps necessary to take a picture, how to operate her camera, and how to download images to the computer and print them out on a small ink-jet printer; (2) the intermediate guides, that assume readers are already familiar with their camera but want to learn more about how to process their images for the web or prints; and are tailored to readers who are serious about their photography (certainly more so than casual "point and shooters," but do not invest more than a few hours on a weekend, say, or as "designated photographers" at family get-togethers and vacations; and (3) the serious "how-to" manuals for affirmed afficionados of photography (who want to learn all of what Adobe's Photoshop has to offer, for example) and professional photographers (who may want to learn additional techniques or, if they are film-photographers, want to boot-strap themselves into digital photography). Each type of book is well represented on the market, of course, and there are many excellent books - classics even (the books by Martin Evening, Katrin Easemann, and Scott Kelby all come to mind) - of each type.

But, thus far at least, the digital photography world has lacked a particular kind of voice that film photography has enjoyed for decades, simply because film photography has been around for so long. Namely, the voice of a seasoned fine-art photographer / printer writing about and dispensing with his years of experience as a photographer applied to the new, emerging digital imaging technologies. How many times have I picked up a book with a titles like, "Advanced Fine-Art Digital Imaging" by so and so, intrigued by the title and number of pages/examples, only to be disappointed to find either that the images in the book are at best serviceable as "fine art photographs" or, at worst, dismal examples of what "fine art" ought to be, or that the images are wonderful - perhaps even gallery-like in their presence - but that what I had hoped to learn by way of "digital craft" is nowhere to be seen, since the author is a fine photographer but less-than-gifted writer or Photoshop technician. The rarest kind of book of all is a book on fine-art photography - particularly black and white fine-art photography - that combines great pictures, great technical skill, and great writing. I have seen no finer example of this rare breed of book than B&W Printing, by George Dewolfe, published this month by Lark Books as part of their Digital Masters series.

As one can glean from his website, Mr. Dewolfe has been a photographer since 1964 and holds an MFA in Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He studied photography with both Ansel Adams and Minor White in the 1970s. He also studied perception with Dr. Richard Zakia (a fact I mention because Dr. Zakia's book, Perception and Imaging, is among my all-time favorite books on the subject). Mr. Dewolfe has taught photography at several universities (and continues to teach photography and master print classes), and conducts workshops throughout the country. His works have appeared in numerous one-man shows and galleries. He was part of the development team behind Adobe's Lightroom software. He also authored one of my first "serious" books on the craft of digital printing, George DeWolfe's Digital Fine Print Workshop.

And so we get to Mr. Dewolfe's new book, B&W Printing. What immediately sets it apart from 95% of related books on the market - its subtle, almost understated, elegance - is immediately apparent after a quick perusal of its 200+ pages. It oozes with quality, and attention to detail.

The images - all examples of one technique or another (except for a small portfolio toward the end that exhibits some wonderful "final" prints) - are each carefully arranged to highlight a specific approach, and are all expertly crafted and presented. Indeed, I suspect many a reader will look at the first such example that a chapter starts with - an out-of-camera image that Mr. Dewolfe displays to show the "before" part of a specific workflow, and wonder, "What can one possibly do to improve such a beautiful image?" The answer to which, of course, after reading Mr. Dewolfe's elegant prose - full of finely honed and expertly distilled advice on why something needs to be done, when and how to do it, and how to tell when its "done" - is "quite a bit." As the "final" image is revealed at the end of most chapters, the reader marvels both at its innate, shear beauty - Mr. Dewolfe's images all have a preternatural "glow" to them; they are carefully crafted in such a way that their ostensibly two-dimensional forms leak into a third "magical" dimension - and the relatively "simple" steps by which the original image was converted into it. Of course, it is precisely Mr. Dewolfe's gifted ability to describe what goes into these "relatively simple" steps - done in such a way that even a novice Photoshop user (albeit one who is well versed with the basic of aesthetics and photographic "seeing") can easily follow them and apply them to her own workflow - that sets this apart from most others and elevates it to the level of an instant classic.

The book consists of three main sections, and a portfolio at the end. A glossary and index are also provided. The first section discusses fine-art black and white photography in broad - but philosophically deep - terms. Great attention is given to the nature of "seeing" (by both camera and photographer), and the most important qualities that make up a photograph (tone, luminosity, luminance, sharpness, and so on). Though this may sound like so many other dry incantations of "obvious" material, perhaps done to death in other volumes, even here, in only the introductory parts of the book, Mr. Dewolfe provides something special. Using the way in which humans process visual information, Mr. Dewolfe astutely distinguishes between "luminance" (a combination of reflection and illumination, and which is essentially what both camera and retina "see" in any image) and "luminosity" (which is what we, as observers, "see" - or the way in which we interpret - luminance. It is the apparent luminosity of an image that gives the images its strength, its character, and ultimately, if the image is to express the artist's vision, its meaning. The best photographers are those that are able to expertly manipulate the raw luminance of their images into something that communicates how they "see" (and feel about) the world. This is a deep discussion of fundamental truths of the art of photography; but is not overbearing in any way; the typical reader will probably not even recognize that she has been treated to a master discussion of the very core of what defines fine-art photography. Needless to say, few if any books provide half the wisdom waiting to be plumbed in the first 60 pages of this magnificent book.

The heart of the book lies in the second section, and spans about 130 pages. Here you will read about designing a workflow, how to choose and setup your software, how to input your images (the author uses Adobe's Lightroom), how to make global and local adjustments to an image, how to fine-tune an image, and, finally, how to make the best use of your printing tools and methods. Throught, each example is meticulously and lovingly presented, with each step described in both words and the effect it has on a particular image. As a bonus, each chapter also includes sample workflows by featured artists (some of whose work I knew about before, but others were new to me and compel me to look up their work).

The third section contains some musings on the nature of photography, how to hone your skills as a photographer, and the art of mindfulness in art in general. The small, self-contained section on mindfulness perfectly illustrates Mr. Dwewolfe's best gifts as a teacher. In what amounts to no more than a page, Mr. Dewolfe provides - in sparse but artful, Haiku-like prose - a natural gateway toward applying meditation techniques to creating meaningful; punctuated, in the end, by yet another beautiful, luminous image.

Mr. DeWolfe begins his book with the question, "What is a masterpiece?" By the end of the book, the reader will have seen a fair share of masterpieces created and crafted by Mr. Dewolfe's refined eye and skill. And the reader will leave the book behind (though no-doubt leaving it within easy reach to refer back to when necessary) knowing that she is now prepared to craft masterpieces of her own. Mr. Dewolfe has written a truly sensational book on the art of B&W printing, and one that is destined to become a classic in its class.

The only mild criticism I can make with regard to the book - though not of the material presented in the book - is that Mr. Dewolfe does not provide a discount code for readers of his book to use to purchase his PercepTool plug-in for Photoshop (which automates many of the techniques described in the book). I have seen other authors provide discounts for software in their books, but for software nowhere near as rich and far-reaching as PercepTool. I would encourage Mr. Dewolfe to do the same. But I make this criticism only in hopes of getting Mr. Dewolfe to reach an even larger audience with his teachings. Perhaps in the second edition?

This review is given 3 stars to set it apart from the other glowing reviews. I've done this in order to call attention to the possiblity that readers who don't use Lightroom & Photoshop may be disappointed. The book's examples use these two programs exclusively - and mostly Lightroom. Although the author correctly observes that many other programs can be used, that's as far as he goes. His detailed explanations of image adjustments make extensive use of screen shots (Mac) of his two favored programs and may not be especially helpful to those who use another workflow. Also, if I might add another criticism, the screen shots which show an image together with the Lightroom controls side by side results in the control panel being so small as to be virtually unreadable - adding to the frustration of a non-Lightroom user trying to decipher & translate what is being done. Trying to understand the functionality of "dragging the Clarity slider..." when one isn't a Lightroom user and thus unfamilar with its unique terminology (clarity) makes translation to another workflow even more difficult. Is Clarity similar to Silver Efex Pro's Structure slider? Who knows? - but it illustrates the problems caused by coupling a generic topic such as B&W Printing to a specific piece of software. Disappointing.

Also - devoting an entire chapter to customizing Lightroom modules and another chapter to inputting images from your camera to your computer and from your computer to Lightroom resulted in 24 pages totally without value in my workflow (especially inputting images which is so basic so as to be inappropriate in a book on B&W printing; better to stay "on topic").

Mr. DeWolfe is obviously talented and his book has a lot to offer. However, as I said, readers need to be told that the book is based on the use of two specific programs - with an emphasis on Lightroom. The reader's ability to translate from the specifics of Mr. DeWolfe's workflow examples to a workflow not based on Lightroom is the question. It's too bad that the Amazon description of this book didn't make mention of its Adobe product slant. I've written this review to correct that oversight. It may be important to those two or three others (besides me) who don't do Photoshop. :')

This is a good book on B+W digital photography if you own Photoshop CS3/4 or and Lightroom 2.4, other wise like others had stated here don't bather to buy it. It will be a nightmare trying to apply the techniques discribed on the book to other programs.

The constant promotion of the author software is anoying. He want you to think that your photographic life depend on getting this software. After downloading and using his software I can tell you that you can live without it. He indicate on the last sentence on page 71 that his PercepTool is only $19.95 but when you go to his website the price is $89.95 for a 5 second download that in his words took him 30 years to make,LOL.

The author DO NOT honor the price stated on the book that is why I give him 1 star. There is no excuse for not honoring the price stated on the book. It is sad to see that today some people don't honor their word, not even if it is written.

I bought this book in the hope of getting some solid suggestions for how to improve my black and white photography. Instead I received a book short on ideas but long on snake oil salesmanship. The author hawks his very expensive software at the expense of everything else presented.
I did try out the demo of the software and found that it crashed each time on my g5 power mac with more than 6 gigs of ram. The author writes that it took him 30 (or 35?) years to whip up this software. Have read many complaints from other photographers online who say the book and subsequent software simply didn't deliver the promise. My suggestion... save your money.

While some of the examples are interesting, the book's print quality is not nearly good enough to illustrate the before/after examples. Many times the "after" does not look as good as the before. DeWolfe's message in a nutshell is to strive for the longest dynamic range possible, yet the section on HDR technique is only four pages and somewhat misleading. The technical details presented here fall dramatically short for anyone striving for a "digital master print" - whatever that means. The author chooses instead to reference his Photoshop plug-ins, making the book a rather disappointing advertisement. I found the self aggrandizement style very off putting, especially for such a mediocre effort. For superior treatment of the subject of fine are digital printing, see Fine Art Printing for Photographers: Exhibition Quality Prints with Inkjet Printers, 2nd Edition and Mastering Digital Printing, Second Edition (Digital Process and Print)

I've been a professional photographer for 34-years, and rarely have I read a book that inspired me to shoot more and print more. Not only are George Dewolfe's images beautiful, but the book is informative with knowledge and tips that even an old pro (I've worked with Photoshop since 1992) could learn from.

While the book is somewhat Lightroom-centric (not necessarily a bad thing), there are useful tips that anyone can use. Personally, I picked up the use of the history brush for dodging, burning, contrast, etc. in Photoshop. Additionally, the reader will learn the best methods for maximizing printing from Lightroom, which the author feels is superior to the options in Photoshop.

After reading this, I printed thirty new prints from the images in my book, "Vanishing Ireland" for a recent show. The book helped me improve and streamline the process. It's well worth the money for any photographer's library. You're never too old, and never too experienced to learn something new.

Libraries strong in digital photography often hold plenty of titles covering color, so Digital Masters: B&W Painting is an exceptional addition to any serious digital photography collection. It tells how to advance to the next level of black and white digital photography, telling how to create high-quality digital prints and coming from an author who studied with Ansel Adams and helped create Adobe Lightroom. Chapters tell how to use Lightroom to make gallery-quality prints in black and white and are packed with fine image examples and step-by-step instruction.

I read one of George's articles online and instantly ordered this book. Using these techniques has significantly improved the enjoyment and quality of my B&W digital images. George brings science and art together to explain why using these techniques will deliver the results shown and I'm sold.

The seller filled my order quickly and I was enjoying this book very soon after ordering. I would order from this seller again.

To be honest, I was looking forward to something a little more sophisticated than an expo or how to do manual. The book relies solely on using Lightroom and Photoshop to create a black and white print and ignores a host of other products and procedures that work as well and in some cases much better than the CS/LR pathway.
The main topic is introduced by an lecture on perception which, in my opinion adds nothing to the task at hand, creating an excellent master print. The body of the book is oversimplified to the extent that it provides little information for dealing with a difficult or complex conversion.
So, if simple conversion is your way to go, this book will suit you fine. However if you are looking for a more professional and detailed discussion of black/white conversion, this book is not for you.
If I could, I'd get my money back. It isn't worth $20.
David M.

I have read and used this book extensively. Yes you need Lightroom and Photoshop to correctly follow George's workflow. But the results are amazing. I have also taken George's class in Santa Fe and can say that from a practical experience the DeWolfe workflow works and it works well. I bought the book before I attended the class. I found the workflow to be simple to use. What most digital photographers miss today is a good workflow. They go into photoshop fool around a little bit each time and come out with different results each time. Those of us that have worked in the darkroom know better. For consistent results in photography you need a reliable process and that is what George provides. Its repeatable every time. I have even outlined the workflow so that I can use it every time the same time. Yes you need LR and PS, but if you want to get good this book is the best way to start, period.