The Art Of Black And White Photography: Techniques For Creating Superb Images In A Digital Workflow Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
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.
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Rocky Nook; 2 edition (January 24, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1933952962
ISBN-13: 978-1933952963
Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.7 x 10 inches
Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #504,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #14 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography & Video > Black & White #62 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography & Video > Equipment, Techniques & Reference > Darkroom & Processing #658 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography & Video > Equipment, Techniques & Reference > Reference
This is a welcome volume for B&W photogs and a useful read for color photographers from another fine German photographer/author. This is Hoffmann's first instructional book to be published in English, although he has had numerous articles on image design/composition published in the magazine "Leica Fotographie International", or LFI, which, by the way, is not published by Leica-Camera GMBH.Hoffmann emphasizes the possibilities in tonal manipulation in digital and analogue photographing. The point of his presentation is always to show how manipulating the tones and, therefore, contrast, contributes to the design of the image with respect to the photographer's intentions. He spends a significant amount of space on showing how to elicit mood in various kinds of photographs (content).His chapters start with, what I find to be, rather interesting summaries of the chapter topic's history, significant practitioners, and current directions. Then he examines several of his own images in detail. His commentary on an image concentrates on the visual structure and on the darkroom and/or digital manipulations necessary to realize his intentions. The only other book that comes to mind for nearly such excellence in pictorial descriptions or captions is the first edition of Bill Smith's "Designing a Photograph," which sets the standard for applying the Gestalt visual psychological approach to analyzing image structure.Rather differently from the other two top volumes on image structure currently in print, Michael Freeman's "The Photographer's Eye," and Harald Mante's "The Photograph," Hoffmann spends significant time looking at the various genres of photographic subject matter and then covers composing/design from the point of view of visual tensions and abstract structure.
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.
This book has a couple of very positive reviews at , and then a few not so enthusiastic. If you're tempted to buy it, be sure to (a) think carefully through your expectations, and (b) make an effort to examine the book in advance, best directly in your hand, before you decide to invest in it. The book is not amazing, and you need to judge how the good and bad sides balance wrt. your needs."The Art of Black and White Photography: Techniques for Creating Superb Images in a Digital Workflow" is about black and white photography, somewhat less about 'the art', despite the author's obvious intentions. It is not so much about 'superb images', despite the author's obvious opinion about his works. The 'digital workflow' part is a cruel joke.Why you MIGHT want to read (but not necessarily buy) the book:1. There are a few interesting, both content- and form-wise images there. You might hope to learn how to compose, shoot, and process such images.2. The narrative is smooth, understandable, and, most of the time, of a strong personal character, proving the author's emotional involvement.3. The author goes beyond discussing the technical part of shooting and processing, enriching the discussion with a broader context of references to other photographers and concepts in photography. The book definitely is not the typical 'click this-and-that button' guide through Photoshop.4. The chapters offer different perspectives on the subject, and you might learn to look at your own picture-taking with a more careful eye.Why you might NOT want to buy the book (but perhaps skim through it anyway if your library offers this possibility):5.
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