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The Magic of Black and White
Part I - Vision
Black and white photographs are a different medium than colour and require an ability to see in monochrome. Becoming aware of the differences between black and white and colour images, in both how they are seen and what makes a great black and white image, is the first step to capturing images that will work powerfully in monochrome.
The first in a planned two-volume set, Part One discusses what makes a great black and white photograph, what to look for when learning to see in monochrome, elements of a black and white image, and potential subjects for black and white photographs. Part Two will examine the means of creating the black and white image in the digital darkroom.
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Reviews and Comments
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My honest assessment of this ebook is that it is really not up to par in comparison to other ebooks (like David’s ‘Inspired Eye’ series–which, like his other books, is excellent). I was extremely disappointed with this purchase, and I would highly recommend you look elsewhere for instruction on black/white photography.
First of all, this isn’t even really a book about black and white. The title is completely misleading. Over 90% of this book is really about basic (and I mean really basic) photographic composition topics. There are far, far better books out there that cover this material, in much better detail that what you’ll see here.
I was expecting that this book would cover the subtly of black and white and how contrast and tonal ranges can be used to imply emotion and intent. Bruce Barnbaum does an excellent job talking about these topics in “The Art of Photography”, and I was expecting to see at least something similar to the depth of discussion about b&w in this eBook. There is nothing even approaching that level of insight in this ebook.
If you are a beginner, and really want a composition book, try something like Bryan Peterson’s “learning to see creatively”. If you are more experienced, and are looking for more detailed instruction on the art of black and white in particular, you will be sorely disappointed (as I was).
To be honest, I feel a bit cheated in downloading this. The other C&V series that I have read has been great, and this one sticks out like a sore thumb and I would urge people to avoid the misleading, shallow, and uninspired writing that you’ll find here.
Great series on black and white, much more sophisticated than many full length books on the subject! All three bring very different and useful information on the subject. As the black and white darkroom was my first love, it’s great what we can get out of Photoshop with the right instruction!
In the first of this three ebook series, Andrew introduces us all to the most important part of photography, vision. Vision is very important to the craft&vision people, so important it is part of the name of the site! Andrew takes us through such topics as: the art of black and white, learning to see in monochrome, the different elements of black and white photography (this section holds the bulk of the book and is wonderful at describing the different sections, importance and ways to use the different elements of a photo), the all-important topic of light and finally the subject of the photo.
These sections are detailed out with examples of each idea he is talking about. These examples are the final product of his work and are excellent. In book two of the series Andrew goes into detail on the technique for creating the photos he uses in the books.
All in all, book one is great and a necessary introduction to the art of black and white photography.
If you have converted a photo into black and white in photoshop before, you may think this book wouldn’t appeal to you, because the author explains ( very well ) his process. With black and white conversion actions and presets it may appear there is no need to learn the basic steps, but there is always something in the process you didn’t know, or had forgotten you could do, and it makes the book worth the price. Get it.
Started photography fifteen years ago with black and white and then stop it. Came back to it about three years ago with the digital age, but did mostly colour. This book really revived my desire for black and white. Highly recommended
I bought this book today and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Loved how David points out 5 things to notice while shooting b/w photos. . . texture, tonal contrasts, shape, form and lighting. He goes into detail on how to focus on each one of those elements. I immediately grabbed my camera and switched to the b/w mode so that I could begin to “practice seeing” in monotones. I really enjoyed the the photography in the book. Now on to read B/W Part II.
A nice little ebook, illustrating some key points that can help anyone understand the components to making a good mono image. However it was just a little bit light on content / detail for my liking – the difference in making it a great ebook.
The Magic of Black and White, volumes I and II are a fantastic series which I would highly recommend. These two books together should be on the must read list of anyone seriously interested in black and white photography and printing.
You can’t just turn a color photo into black and white: you have to have an eye yet helps you find the perfect black and white image from the beginning and this book trains you to do that. Very nice
Love shooting in black and white….reenforced ideas I have about what I need to look for in my compositions.
This is one of my favorite C&V books. If you’ve never thought about shooting in black and white, read this book and it will quickly change your mind. It won’t teach you everything but it certainly will expose you (pardon the pun) to several possibilities and ideas. If you’ve been in a photographic rut and need to branch out and try new things, this book will definitely get your creative juices flowing.
I had a less favorable view of this book than others, perhaps because I’m a little further along the path, or simply more well-read. This e-book is a little short on content, basically a magazine article, just with more pictures than you’d expect in a rag. For $5, it should have at least 1/6th the content of a published book, and this e-book fell short of that range for me.
For example, the part on “learning to see in black and white” basically says you need to learn to see in black and white and the more you shoot it, the better you’ll get at previsualizing it. Um… wow. Deep.
There is nothing specifically wrong with this ebook, and if you have read nothing about black & white before, it will undoubtably help you understand the format more. But it is a very slender, very introductory text suited for the beginner only.
This is a great little ebook. It doesn’t go into much depth but it covers a lot of different attributes that can make a great black and white photograph. I used each one-page theme (hard-light, negative space, texture etc.) as a personal mini-project. Just pick a theme and go out and shoot it.
I loved this book because it helped me realize what to look for when making a black and white image before teaching me how to make one. That’s one of the things I continually struggle with. Figuring out what a good black and white looks like – rather than just finding the most recent “best” way to make one.
This book opened my eyes towards the beauty that lies in a world without colour. I’ve always been fascinated by black and white images, but I’ve never really been successful in recreating the same “feel” that I’ve always adored. After reading this book my eyes finally opened up and began seeing more then just the colour. Now I’m alot more focused on textures and composition than anything when I go for a black and white shot.
Most of my images or black & white and man did this book help improve them. A must read!!!
A well-thought out ebook that gives much food for thought. I have already read it through a couple of times and I still find something new in text or in the photos. Great addition to David’s books on vision/creativity. I like Andrew’s style of writing and this book is simply a good read.
This eBook addresses a big weakness with me – I love color! I love black and white images, but my eye is drawn to color so much that I struggle desperately to “see” in monochrome. If you’re like me, even just a tiny bit, I suspect this will help you like it did me. If you want to make better black and white images, get both parts of The Magic of Black and White – you won’t regret it!