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| | Features | Goes beyond basics to teach photographers how to conquer the challenges posed by black-and-white photographyAppeals to professionals and serious amateurs who are interested in exploring creative black-and-white imageryPresents photography fundamentals and shows how black and white requires some of the rules to be bentEncourages creative thinking and confidenceLavishly illustrated with Harold Davis's outstanding monochromatic photos
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| | Description | Learn how breaking photographic rules can result in stunning black-and-white photosBlack-and-white photography poses unique challenges; without color to guide the eye, contrast, lighting, and composition take on even more importance. Renowned photographer Harold Davis explains these elements and demonstrates the basic rules of black and white photography as well as when and how to break them. He breaks through the complexity of this photographic medium, explores opportunities for black-and-white imagery, and shows how to capitalize on every one. Richly illustrated with the author's own images, this beautiful guide presents the skills needed for great black-and-white photos while encouraging your confidence and creativity. - Goes beyond basics to teach photographers how to conquer the challenges posed by black-and-white photography
- Appeals to professionals and serious amateurs who are interested in exploring creative black-and-white imagery
- Presents photography fundamentals and shows how black and white requires some of the rules to be bent
- Encourages creative thinking and confidence
- Lavishly illustrated with Harold Davis's outstanding monochromatic photos
Whether you're a professional just venturing into black and white or a serious amateur, Creative Black & White will both educate and inspire you. | |
| | Product Details | | Author: | Harold Davis | | Paperback: | 240 pages | | Publisher: | Wiley | | Publication Date: | May 10, 2010 | | Language: | English | | ISBN: | 0470597755 | | Product Length: | 9.24 inches | | Product Width: | 7.42 inches | | Product Height: | 0.59 inches | | Product Weight: | 1.39 pounds | | Package Length: | 9.1 inches | | Package Width: | 7.4 inches | | Package Height: | 0.5 inches | | Package Weight: | 1.4 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 33 reviews |
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 33 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
49 of 49 found the following review helpful:
 Great book! Lots of Digital B/W techniques! Great for Beginners! May 31, 2010
By V. Gulati
I love this book!
Since the advent of digital, B/W has become a "choice" rather than a limitation. As a result a lot of creative thought has to go into making great B/W photographs.
As a beginner in this area of photography (especially in digital post-processing), I found this book was perfect in two aspects.
First, Harold Davis has a great way of explaining the intricacies of this art-form. It is easy to understand and follow things like
a) why would a particular picture be best converted to b/w
b) why would a particular composition work best in b/w
c) what are the various types of b/w compositions and which one would work best for a given object/person to be photographed etc
d) how to do HDR in B/W via multi-raw processing
It is a sign of a great master of an art that (s)he can convey his/her knowledge in a simple and easy to understand way. Harold accomplishes this in the book.
The second great aspect of the book are the photoshop steps. For a photoshop newbie like me, this book is a godsend as far as digital b/w is concerned.
Overall, I highly recommend the book for anyone who wants to start their journey in, or enhance their understanding of Digital B/W.
38 of 40 found the following review helpful:
Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, and Edward Weston Made Digital May 10, 2010
By Jack H. Tasoff
If you know beauty of the great black and white photographers of the twentieth century, Mr. Davis has for the first time made their vision available to the digital photographers of the twenty-first. As Weston said, "The camera should be used for ... rendering the very substance and quintessence of the thing itself, whether it be polished steel or palpitating flesh." As color photography is representational, black and white is "as it is." Mr. Davis knows the difference and explains how their vision might be yours.
Digital photography has always suffered in the realm of black and white. The most sophisticated digital sensors do not have the dynamic range of the photographic print. That is, the sensors are unable to detect at the same time the whitest of whites, the blackest of blacks, and the grays between. The classical photographers could tease out those variations with experimental photographic papers, homemade concoctions of chemicals, and innovative lab techniques. Only recently has digital post-processing equaled those same results.
In this seminal work, Mr. Davis explains, in a step-by-step, fully illustrated, style how the photographer with basic knowledge of post-processing programs is capable of obtaining those results. From ACR or Lightroom or Photoshop or specialized programs the perfection of the black and white image is explained. From simple procedures to the most sophisticated.
As the cherry on top, Mr. Davis finishes with specialized techniques such as high-key, low-key, toning, duotoning, solarization, and much more.
Black and white photography, as in those famous words, "try it, you'll like it."
19 of 20 found the following review helpful:
A primer on creative black and white - from conception to completion Jun 04, 2010
By Bradford Kissell
If you've seen some of Harold's long-exposure night images, you know the high level of expertise and creativity this West Coast photographer and educator brings to his work. This book is an extension of all that and a must-have for anyone with a serious interest in black and white digital photography. Beautifully illustrated, well-organized, and clearly presented, it allows the reader to follow a logical progression--from concept to creation to postproduction. I loved (and would even like to see more of) those examples where the reader is allowed to get inside the author's head (and heart) as a scene or challenge presents itself. He talks about creating abstractions out of elements or combinations of commonplace items by seeing behind preconceptions and focusing on things like shape and texture. Technical aspects of shoots are carefully noted, along with step-by-step instructions on how to pull the most out of these images through Photoshop and other specialized software. While he pays his respects here and there to black and white masters such as Adams and Weston, the book is more for converts who have already been mesmerized by the range of tones and singular beauty of classic black and white. One thing I might have wanted to see is at least some discussion about digital printing. High-quality, affordable inkjet printers have made the printing process a key element of the creative process for any serious digital photographer. Paper choices alone can dramatically impact the look and overall feel of an image. But Harold no doubt has all of that on a back burner for another book, which I anxiously look forward to reading.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
From An Old Film Guy... Jan 01, 2011
By Another Boomer
I've worked with computers for 25 years. I had no interest in digital photography. I've been through it all before - upgrades of both software and hardware, trying to keep current on new features you probably will never need, etc. I figured it would be the same with Photoshop and digicams...and it has been. Plus, I have a traditional darkroom and 40 years experience with film ...and all my film cameras are paid for! However, I started reading Mr. Davis' blog. He talked about the unique possibilities with digital B&W that are much different from traditional photography. I've corresponded with him several times. He's well aware that a lot of us cannot justify upgrading hardware and software every 18 months. Thus, in many ways, his book is a reference manual. It deals with new ways to apply core functions of Photoshop, and many techniques are cross referenced in the book. I have CS2, which is about the oldest version I would use, since Mr. Davis strongly advocates shooting in RAW and uses ACR extensively. I have been pleasantly surprised at how valuable this book has become to me in a short period of time. For example, the chart on page 68 was quite helpful to me. With anything digital, you can "process it" for days, trying for perfection. The chart indicates levels of digital B&W. Sometimes, you may want "gallery quality;" with other shots the "quick and dirty" approach is just fine. It's all in this book. It's the single best book on my type of digital photography I've found. It's a wonderful book, just to browse. The printing and layout are of the highest quality, and Mr. Davis' photos are stunning. The techniques Mr. Davis suggests are illustrated with complete step-by-step instructions. As long as film is manufactured, that is what I will shoot. However, scanning negatives and trying out some "Photoshop Magic" is starting to make photography fun again. If you are just beginning with Photoshop, this book will be somewhat intimidating. Still, it was all new to me, and I find it's now an essential reference after about six months. In summary - this has been a great book for an old film guy. If you are interested in producing wonderful digital B&W prints, this book is the one for you.
13 of 13 found the following review helpful:
Finally, the secrets come out Mar 06, 2011
By Historian
If you are a serious black and white digital photographer, then you must own this book. The author reveals little tips and tricks that he has developed which will make your images come alive with dynamic range and contrast. You will not find these tips in a book on Photoshop or in Photoshop courses. They are specific to the abstract art of black and white.
I took an image of a tree in a snowy field that was nice but unexciting. Normal photoshop adjustments made it better but not great. I paid a professional Photoshop master to try and improve it but he hit the same limitations that I did. Then I bought this book and learned about creating layers with different adjustments for level, contrast and filtering. The magic started when I began to add those layers together with different levels of opacity. The final print was a "wow".
Get this book. The price is very fair when compared to other professionally oriented photography books. It will even help you before you take a photo because you now have ways to deal with extreme ranges of brightness.
See all 33 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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