The Art of Black and White Photography: Techniques for Creating Superb Images in a Digital Workflow [Paperback] Author: Torsten Andreas Hoffmann | Language: English | ISBN:
1933952962 | Format: PDF, EPUB
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Over the last few years, most books on photography have been focused on the new breed of cameras and how to master the digital imaging workflow. In The Art of Black and White Photography author and photographer Torsten Andreas Hoffmann takes a different approach, focusing on image composition and image capture, with an emphasis on the creative aspects of black and white photography rather than on the digital workflow.
After introducing the ground rules of composition, Hoffmann illustrates their applications with his own stunning black and white images that cover various photographic genres, including architecture, street photography, portraiture, and surreal photography. Also discussed are the elements of a "photographic language"', which distinguishes creative photography from random shooting. Finally, you will learn valuable post-processing techniques, mostly using Photoshop, that emphasize the functions necessary for creating outstanding black and white images.
This second edition has been updated to include Photoshop CS5, as well as brand new images, content, and a revised layout.
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- Paperback: 264 pages
- Publisher: Rocky Nook; Second Edition edition (January 24, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1933952962
- ISBN-13: 978-1933952963
- Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8 x 0.7 inches
- Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
When I first started shooting in the 1970s, I used black and white film and did most of the developing myself. I have always loved black and white photography and was really looking forward to reading The Art of Black and White Photography. However, it appears that the book is primarily meant to "facilitate both amateurs and professionals as they transition from analog to digital...[while helping] you become familiar with digital photography and focus again on the image in the digital age". I stopped using analog (film) over 10 years ago. I don't know anyone that has used film in the past five years, so I found it puzzling that the author put so much emphasis on analog photography. In fact, I found it very frustrating at times. For example, he does a wonderful job of explaining color filters and then concludes by saying "color filters just described lose their effect, lead to flat images, and are therefore useless in digital photography." To his credit, he does then explain what you need to do with digital photography in lieu of the color filters.
The author states that "this book will stimulate you to analyze images in-depth and will motivate you to find your own photographic style". Unfortunately, for me this didn't happen. I will admit that this is a very personal opinion, but there wasn't anything in the book that made me go "wow". Furthermore, while the photos were okay, I didn't find them great or inspiring.
Having said this, I think the book would be a wonderful resource for someone who is still shooting film and is looking at transitioning into digital.
Now I have to admit up front that I like black and white photography for its ability to strip an image down to its bare bones. The question of course is will this book help you produce better images? Over all I think it probably will. The book is divided into four sections; tools and fundamentals; photographic genres and concepts; rules of composition and the digital darkroom. I'll deal with each of these sections separately in this review.
The tools and fundamentals section is slim and retreads some well worn ground. It covers the basics of choosing a camera, shooting in RAW mode and using (or not using) filters. It doesn't cover anything new but summarises the basics more or less clearly. Some technical discussions, such as the description of how a polarising filter works, could do with clarifying or the use of a diagram but overall the section is coherent.
The photographic genres and concepts section is probably the one that you will dip in and out of rather than read through. It is divided into sections largely covering different genres of photography such as street photography and portraiture. Some of these styles will appeal and some won't, for example I can't stand fuzzy mystical images so I simply skipped that chapter. The chapter that is most worth reading is the first one on avoiding cliched pictures. However this chapter does have one big issue; one of the images cliches used is that of the New York skyline with the World Trade Centre which some will find rather tasteless and does make you wonder just how updated this second edition is.
The third section which covers composition is by itself worth the price of the book.
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