Bringing his vast knowledge and experience to bear, John Blakemore explores the creative as well as the technical processes involved in black and white photography. Long awaited for the many thousands of photographers that have attended his legendary workshops over the years and essential for the many more that have never had the chance, this is a unique insight into the art of one of photography's most influential practitioners and an important document of the methods of one of photography's most important teachers.
Learn how breaking photographic rules can result in stunning black-and-white photos Black-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.
The Photographer’s Black & White Handbook is your complete guide to making and processing stunning black and white photos in the digital era. You’ll find inspiration, ideas, techniques, and tools to use in your black and white photography, along with a soup-to-nuts workflow to take you from black and white pre-visualization through capture and post-production. Along the way you will lean over Harold’s shoulder as he travels to exciting photo destinations and creates stunning black and white imagery, explaining his creative and technical processes as he goes. This definitive guide includes: ■ How to see in black and white ■ Pre-visualization in digital photography ■ Understanding black and white composition ■ How to create your own black and white workflow ■ Black and white in ACR, Lightroom, and Photoshop ■ Using black and white plug-ins including Nik Silver Efex Pro and Topaz B&W Effects ■ Extending tonal range with multi-RAW processing and monochromatic HDR ■ Post-production techniques for working with dynamic range ■ Creative black and white special effects ■ Find out how to tone, tint, colorize, solarize, and simulate IR ■ Work with LAB to create unique black and white effects ■ Great tools for unleashing your photographic imagination ■ Beautiful photographs by Harold Davis chosen to inspire and guide you
Mastering Black & White Photography is the definitive work on how to shoot black & white images on today's sophisticated digital SLR and compact digital cameras and smart phones. Aimed at the enthusiastic amateur photographer, jargon-busting text, illustrated with the author's own stunning images, explains the theory behind digital photography, along with a guide to the equipment and software needed to take outstanding images. He answers the much-asked question: should you shoot in colour and then convert to black and white, or shoot in monochrome from the start?
There is a lot more to photography than simply picking up a camera, pointing it toward something, and tripping the shutter. Achieving a great photograph requires thought and preparation, an understanding of the photographic process, and a firm grasp of how light and composition affect a photo. There must be personal involvement and personal expression. There must be experimentation, with the recognition that only a small percentage of experiments end successfully. In this book, best-selling author and world-renowned photographer and teacher Bruce Barnbaum explores these seldom-discussed issues by drawing upon his personal experiences and observations from more than 40 years of photographing and teaching. In addition to photographs, Bruce also uses painting, music, and writing, as well as the sciences and even business, to provide pertinent examples of creative thinking. These examples serve as stepping-stones that will lead you to your own heightened ability to see and be creative. Creativity is a topic that is almost wholly ignored in formal education because most instructors think that it cannot be taught or learned. To the contrary, Bruce has proven that photographic seeing and creativity can be taught, learned, and improved. This book expands on the ideas that are central to Bruce's method of teaching photography, which he has used in workshops for the past 41 years. Included in the book are in-depth discussions on the following topics: Defining your own unique rhythm and approach as a photographer How to translate the scene in front of you to the final photograph The differences and similarities between how an amateur and a professional approach photography The differences between realism and abstraction, and the possibilities and limitations of each Learning to expand your own seeing and creativity through classes, workshops, and associating with other photographers Why the rules of composition should be ignored How to follow your passion When to listen to the critics and when to ignore them The book is richly illustrated with over 90 photographs taken by Bruce as well as other photographers.Seeing and creativity are difficult to teach, but not impossible. This very different, perhaps groundbreaking book is sure to inspire photographers of all skill levels-from beginners to seasoned professionals-to think deeply about the issues involved in creating successful photographs.
Offers a guide to capturing everyday moments using an amateur camera, including tips on do's and don'ts, phtographic techniques, special effects, and candid photographs.
There is an astonishing world just waiting to be photographed underwater. With marine biologist Dr Alexander Mustard as your guide you can learn all you need to know to explore the amazing creatures and landscapes that lie beneath the surface. From information about diving equipment and cameras, to crucial advice on understanding and controlling light underwater, this book provides all the background you need before you take the plunge. Topics covered include wide-angle light, macro lighting, ambient light and macro techniques
Learn the intricacies of High Dynamic Range photography from experts and get feedback on your work High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography offers a new range of creative possibilities to the photographer who is skilled in the technique. HDR requires specific camera skills as well as the use of specialized software, and the photographers who wrote this book are experts in both. They explain the process of shooting the same subject at different exposures, combining those shots into a single HDR image, fine-tuning brightness and contrast, minimizing noise, layering images, and more, including creative techniques with Photoshop and Lightroom. You can submit your HDR images for feedback at photoworkshop.com. High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography offers creative possibilities through specific camera and software techniques that produce highly detailed and imaginative images Two professional photographers team up to provide expert instruction in HDR camera and software techniques for those new to HDR Covers the latest software and concepts, a comprehensive exploration of HDR basics, various techniques for shooting and merging images, and creative tricks with Photoshop and Lightroom Lavishly illustrated with new examples and full of suggestions for developing a personal HDR style Students can upload their own images for feedback at photoworkshop.com Any photographer who is new to HDR will find this guide loaded with helpful instructions and encouraging advice.
Veteran professional photographer Serge Timacheff walks you through the features of the Canon EOS DSLR camera; selecting, understanding, and using lenses and accessories; and caring for your equipment. You'll also get professional insight into protecting your gear and building your skill set. Once you understand how to build a photography system that meets your needs and discover which filters and accessories are best for you, you can begin to embrace all the Canon EOS camera system has to offer. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.