Mastering Black and White Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book) (Paperback)

by Michael Freeman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Black and white has an enduring appeal that just keeps on growing. Above all, it's a medium for the fine print--one that benefits immeasurably from digital technology and inkjet printers. Written by a photographer well-known for his ability to explain complex digital concepts to a variety of audiences, this essential guide on the art of black and white is packed with information, hints, and tips, along with a plethora of stunning images. Discover how our colorful world translates into black and white and how to create a stunning monotone image. See how to render colors as gray tones and how to manipulate the tonality for dramatic effect. Experiment with high contrast, infrared, and pseudo non-silver looks. You won't believe the wonderful results you'll achieve.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (September 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579907075
• ISBN-13: 978-1579907075
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #307,380 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Book on B&W, January 27, 2006

By	dr. lowbrow (Long Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I am impressed with this book. I have read many run-of-the-mill Photoshop books and this isn't one of them for all the right reasons. This book is chock full of useful, long term learning about black and white photography from the moment you look at a scene to the final print. While it is geared toward work in Photoshop, it spends enough time in basic design principles and how to shoot, that after practicing the principles in the book I will be a much better photographer rather than just a more skilled user of Photoshop.

The examples in the book are plentiful, useful, and gorgeous. Many side-by-side photos show you the before and after, and in fact many of them are 6 or 8 side-by-side comparison shots of different techniques or adjustments. This is the book for someone who loves looking at spectacular black and white work and wants to bring her work closer to that level.

There are five large chapters: The Language of Mono, Color into Grayscale, Digital Black and White, Image Editing & Effects, and The Print. In the first two chapters, the basic thrust is on colors -- the colors we see and that the camera records -- and how they can be manipulated to create stunning black and whites. The sections on filters I found particularly helpful. I often stopped and tried the various techniques on some of my own photos.

Digital Black and White, Image Editing & Effects are the meat and potatoes. Freeman is of the Ansel Adams school and so begins to talk about tonal ranges using the zone system. Then he does so much more, covering gradient maps, multiple exposure composites, and how to mimic specific film types. He uses a series of case studies interspersed throughout the text to show how various techniques might be brought into the workflow on a given photo.

At first glance, I was disappointed in the book because his sections are usually only two pages long. But it turns out he is a good writer who conveys precisely what he needs to in a minimum of words. The book is remarkably clear while discussing complex artistic issues and techniques. It requires dedicated study and experimentation: especially spending time evaluating the photos. If you're willing to do this, indeed if you're looking for a guide to do this, then Michael Freeman is the one to help. The book is inspiring as well as instructive, and will remain a reference on my desk for a long time to come.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully organised, December 31, 2005

By	audiblemercy (CA) - See all my reviews

This is wonderfully organised book and presents a multitude of techniques to use in Photoshop to create black and white images from color images. The book transitions from beginner techniques to more advanced methods. Freeman describes all of the steps taken in converting color images to black and white while showing all of the creative aspects in adjusting the channel mixer to elicit the effect desired. This is a great "cookbook" of techniques and has found a space on my desk by my computer.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hurt by Lack of Editing, April 24, 2006

By	A. Benas - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of several books on digital B&W photography that I own. I find that the author is too economical in his explanations of how he got from step to step, often leaving significantly large gaps of assumed reader knowledge or prescience. But my main complaint is the horrible job of editing. There are mistakes and disagreements between the text and the illustrations and the illustrations and their headings. If you're not already comfortable with fooling around with Photoshop tools, and just trying things, you can get totally lost trying to figure out whether the text, heading or illustration is correct.

The book is attractive and well presented. However, after many years as a technical editor, I'd have been embarrassed to let this one go.