Black & White Books

Black and White Photography, Third Revised Edition

Henry Horenstein

Amazon Price: $18.47 List Price: $27.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Little, Brown and Company Amazon Marketplace: 61 new & used starting at $15.06

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Reference

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent resource 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

A Basic Manual, 3rd Edit Revised is an excellent resource for the new (film) photographer. I'd also argue its not a half-bad general resource for the more experienced photographer. I used his previous version in an introductory course in black and white photography that I taught for a number of years. Of late I have been using Mastering Black and White Photography by Bernhard Suess but will now switch back to this text. Student response to both texts has been overwhelmingly positive however I feel Horenstein's writing style is easier for them to follow. The sequence, illustrations and figures of the Horenstein book seem both logical as well as well done. Particularly useful are the illustrations of common negative faults, something I had missed after moving to the Suess text. Highly recommended but please note that this is a book heavily weighted to using film cameras as well as processes and procedures in the darkroom. There are other works more suited for digital photography and for those who are looking for a reference on the "art" of photography.

Editorial Review:

One of the most popular and useful instruction manuals of its kindwhich has set the standard for nearly thirty yearsis now completely revised and updated, encompassing the latest photographic techniques, materials, and processes. Black and White Photography has sold more than 500,000 copies in its first two editions. The second edition (1982), currently in its twenty-fourth printing, still enjoys net sales of 25,000 to 30,000 copies a year. A popular, hands-on size, Black and White Photography is a bargain photographic how-to book. Past and present users of Horensteins books include the Parsons School of Design, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT, in addition to continuing education classes and photography buffs who have discovered them through favorable word of mouth.

Paris Changing: Revisiting Eugene Atget's Paris

Christopher Rauschenberg

Amazon Price: $26.40 List Price: $40.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Princeton Architectural Press Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $20.51

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Artists, A-Z -> ( P-R ) -> Rauschenberg, Robert
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Reminds me how much I love Paris 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.

Last summer I saw the Atget exhibit at the Bibliotheque Nationale, which was a marvelous passage through a lost time. This book matches some of those absorbing old photos with photos of the same location taken today. I think it's a fascinating book and I can lose myself in the nuances while comparing the photos. This pasttime may not be to everyone's taste, but I highly recommend the book to thoughtful people who enjoy looking at things.

Editorial Review:

Between 1888 and 1927 Eugène Atget meticulously photographed Paris and its environments, capturing in thousands of photographs the city’s parks, streets, and buildings as well as its diverse inhabitants. Christopher Rauschenberg spent a year in the late 90s revisiting and re-photographing many of Atget’s locations. Paris Changing features seventy-four pairs of images beautifully reproduced in duotone. Each site is indicated on a map of the city, inviting readers to follow in the steps of Atget and Rauschenberg themselves. The book concludes with essays by Clark Worswick and Alison Nordstrom, an epilogue by Rosamond Bernier as well as a portfolio of other images of contemporary Paris by Rauschenberg.

The Art of Black and White Photography: Techniques for Creating Superb Images in a Digital Workflow

Torsten Andreas Hoffmann

Amazon Price: $29.67 List Price: $44.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Rocky Nook Amazon Marketplace: 32 new & used starting at $25.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Reference
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Over the last few years, most books on photography emphasized explaining the new breed of cameras and how to master the digital imaging workflow. In The Art of Black and White Photography Torsten Andreas Hoffmann takes a different approach, as he focuses 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, the author illustrates their applications with various photographic genres such as architecture, street photography, portraiture, and surreal photography with his own stunning black and white images. In the second part of the book, Hofmann illustrates the elements of a photographic language , which distinguishes creative photography from random shooting. The final part of the book is dedicated to post-processing techniques, mostly in Photoshop (CS3), emphasizing the functions that are necessary for creating outstanding black and white images.

Advanced Digital Black & White Photography (A Lark Photography Book)

John Beardsworth

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lark Books Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $14.93

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A good dtarting point 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book is a great starting point for learning digital B&W conversions. It starts out with a little history and terminology of the B&W world, then dives into the different ways you can achieve this effect in Photoshop CS2, then in how to use the new B&W conversion tool in CS3. It does have a small section on Lightroom as well, but since Lightroom was new at the time of printing, this section is very thin.

I don't think the book is the definitive book for digital B&W, but I have found it very useful. I will say you will get more out of this book if you have CS3.

Editorial Review:

Digital photographers can now attain the enduring beauty of black-and-white photography in their own work! There’s more to monochrome than just discarding the color in Photoshop, but many books simply treat it as an afterthought. Not this one! John Beardsworth teaches every major method of making a color picture black and white, and explains what kind of images are best, and why. Both ambitious newcomers and advanced enthusiasts will learn how to achieve the richest tonal depth and balance, use black and white to interpret the subject for the viewer, reproduce historic and darkroom processes, add creative and special effects, and produce exhibition-quality prints.

Mastering Digital Black and White: A Photographer's Guide to High Quality Black-and-White Imaging and Printing (Digital Process and Print)

Amadou Diallo

Amazon Price: $23.99 List Price: $39.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Course Technology PTR Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $21.89

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Reference
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The very nature of black and white photography places a premium on creative interpretation of the image. Advances in digital technology have expanded both the precision of imaging techniques and the interpretive possibilities for black and white imagery. Never before has such a wide array of tools been available to photographers who have a passion for black and white. Mastering Digital Black and White is written for these photographers. It serves not only as a comprehensive guide for creating black and white images and prints, but also examines the role of artistic craft in the imaging process. Learn how to employ your digital tools as extensions of your photographic vision. Read in-depth interviews with, and view images from, five accomplished photographers as they discuss their process and inspirations. Prepare to indulge your passion for gallery-quality black-and-white images in the digital darkroom. Additional supporting content for this book and a discussion forum for photographers and printmakers with a passion for black and white can be accessed at: www.masteringdigitalbwbook.com

Black & White Photography in a Digital Age: Creative Camera, Darkroom and Printing Techniques for the Modern Photographer

Tony Worobiec

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: David & Charles Amazon Marketplace: 32 new & used starting at $4.39

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Reference
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General

Editorial Review:

*Combines a traditional technique--black-and-white photography--with the latest technology

*Shows readers how to create their own high-quality, fine art prints

Black-and-white photography has always been a favorite topic among amateur photographers, but many digital photography books assume the reader is working with color images. With this concise guide, black-and-white enthusiasts can finally learn exactly how to enhance their creations with digital techniques. The book covers everything from scanning, manipulation and printing to advanced, digital darkroom techniques. Amidst inspiring and distinctive black-and-white photos, readers will find tricks and advice for making their images more creative than ever before!

National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Digital Black & White (National Geographic Photography Field Guides)

Richard Olsenius

Amazon Price: $14.93 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: National Geographic Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $6.78

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Veteran National Geographic photographer, photo editor, and filmmaker Richard Olsenius provides a compelling case for capturing the essence of people and landscapes through black-and-white photography and shares his secrets to mastering the craft.The ability of the black-and-white photograph to strip away the unnecessary and concentrate a message through form, shadow, and light provides its intrinsic strength. Because of its power to communicate, black and white is often chosen in the art, documentary, and commercial worlds. With 120 photographs illustrating the techniques used, this guidebook is as much about how to visualize a story in black and white as it is about the technical aspects of photography.

With the popularity of digital cameras, Olsenius dedicates much time discussing the benefits of using digital technology for black-and-white photography, but he also discusses more traditional cameras and their uses. In addition to advice from Olsenius, this field guide includes the work of four other noteworthy photographers—Father Don Doll, Brian Peterson, Marion E. Warren, and Nick Kelsh—all covering a realm of different subject matter from Native Americans to commercial photography.

For more than a century, National Geographic has been synonymous with expertise and excellence in photography. National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Black & White is a vital reference and how-to manual for photographers of all levels.

Other Realities

Jerry Uelsmann, Peter C. Bunnell, Paul Karabanis

Amazon Price: $31.50 List Price: $50.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Bulfinch Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $19.86

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Artists, A-Z -> ( S-U ) -> Uelsmann, Jerry
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photographers, A-Z -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Excellent book! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I first saw Jerry Uelsmann's work in the sixties when we were stranded in a Chicago Airport by a snowstorm, waiting for the same commuter plane. He was in his late twenties then and carrying a portfolio of his work. As we talked, he shared it with me. I knew I was in the presence of artistic genius immediately. Already, I discovered, he was well known in the art work with major exhibits in known galleries. Not only did the content of his montages excite me but, but, being an amateur darkroom photographer at the time, I had some vague sense of the skill involved in his final productions. We were friends for a number of years and lost touch, but I've kept up with his work because I still admire it so deeply. This book is a treasure and I recognize some montages from the sixties in it, as well. Jerry is not only creative, but he's an interesting lecturer and funny, besides. The child in him will never die. I suspect that's one big reason he's so good. I would highly recommend any of his books, and this is one!

Editorial Review:

Rediscover the work of an acknowledged American master whose influence has been immeasurable but is only now beginning to be fully understood and appreciated. Jerry Uelsmann is a modern master of photography, one of a select group of artists who can be said to have altered the very language of their medium. By synthesizing his photographs from multiple negatives starting in the 1960s, Uelsmann broke rank with the prevailing aesthetic of the period and pioneered a new approach that would influence countless artists and photographers and anticipate the digital-image revolution by a generation. OTHER REALITIES showcases a personal selection of Uelsmanns most compelling images from the early 1960s to the present. An accessible and insightful foreword by photography critic and historian Peter C. Bunnell, and a preface by Paul Karabinis, director of the University Gallery of South Florida, open the book.

Black and White Photography

Glenn Rand, David Litschel

List Price: $46.95 By: West Group Amazon Marketplace: 12 new & used starting at $9.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photo Essays
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Black and White Photography 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The text is clear and easy to understand. The graphics and illustrations support the text extremely well. I have found this book to be an excellent text to teach from. Students enjoy reading it and they find it easy to follow. This book also contains wonderful photographs to inspire young photographers. I f you teach photography you should not overlook this well written and illustrated book.

The Film Developing Cookbook (Darkroom Cookbook)

Steve Anchell, Bill Troop

Amazon Price: $32.08 List Price: $43.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Focal Press - Model: F200 Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $22.96

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Darkroom & Processing
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Reference

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A bit disappointing 3 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book as the other books I have are now a bit dated. As the understanding of film development is always evolving, I thought this book would give me the latest ideas and knowledge.
It does to some extent, but I could not help feeling the authors did not take the time to fully research and comprehend the details. Where they have quoted chemists / researchers the details are clear. However where they have tried to interpret or discuss aspects in some places it appears they do not clearly understand what they are trying to explain. The result is that they contradict themselves, fail to make things clear, or just plain get things wrong. They also only seem to address research by Kodak and a few independent researchers. The book thus misses out on research done by Fuji, Agfa, Ilford, etc. which is a significant omission in my opinion.

So is the book worth it ? I think that I would still buy it as there are very few sources of up to date information available. And to be fair, they seem to have taken care in reproducing the formula. However, I would be sure to read some of the older books on developers, and cross check the information before relying on it.

Editorial Review:

An up-to-date manual for modern film development techniques. Companion volume to the bestselling The Darkroom Cookbook, this book concentrates on films, their characteristics and the developers and other chemicals each requires for maximum control of the resulting image. It specifically addresses the difficult subject of T-grain film development and includes rarely found information on film development and the nature of film developers. The authors also tackle many of the widely accepted myths of film development. They reject the trend toward scientific evaluation of films and developers in favor of the photographer s development of a personal aesthetic, without relying exclusively on densitometry or H&D curves. 192 pp., fully illus., 7 x 10 , Spiralbound.