An experienced photographer reveals his no-fail secrets for creating beautiful black-and-white photography. Engaging text and clear illustrations demonstrate the motivation, technical tips, and professional techniques behind the making of 21 different photographs.

Whether you are a novice or an expert in the darkroom, the second edition of The Elements of Black-and-White Printing will give you the tools necessary to control your print making. You will learn the proper techniques for exposing a print, how to choose the correct paper contrast, and ways to find the best combination of paper and developer for your images. In addition to explaining the procedures, this unique book contains exercises that help you calibrate these procedures with your own equipment with the materials you prefer. Photographers will find this book an essential resource in the darkroom. Elements of Black-and-White Printing will help you learn how to choose the right exposure and contrast for your negative; select papers, developers, and toners that complement each other; print negatives with extreme contrast ranges; salvage seemingly hopeless negatives and prints; print, develop, and store negatives and prints for maximun life; display your photographs in a way that enhances their message; properly align your enlarger; and more.

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.

Now that you’ve bought an amazing new DSLR, you need a book that goes beyond the camera manual to teach you how to take great shots. That’s where Composition: From Snapshots to Great Shots, Second Edition, comes in, teaching you the fundamentals of composition—the creative arrangement of elements in the shot, and the way a viewer’s eye travels through an image—so you can get great shots no matter what gear you use. In this book, author and professional photographer Laurie Excell starts with the basics of composition—such as the popular rule of thirds—and illustrates how elements like color, shape, angles, and contrast work to create compelling images. In the process, she covers all key camera features that affect composition (regardless of what type of DSLR you have), including the ability to freeze and convey motion depending on what shutter speed you choose, and the correlation between aperture and depth of field. In addition to dozens of brand-new images and more in-depth coverage on topics such as patterns and textures and arranging elements in a frame, this revised edition features several completely new chapters. These will include a chapter of step-by-step examples that highlight the compositional technique used to get just the right shot; a new chapter on black-and-white photography; and a chapter on what to do after the shot—enhancing and editing the images in post-processing. Beautifully illustrated with large, vibrant photos, this book will help you bring your own unique artistic expression to any situation whether taking portraits, action shots, landscapes, or events, teaching you how to take control of your photography to get the image you want every time you pick up the camera. The book includes coverage of Lightroom for image management; Nikon Capture NX2 for RAW processing; Photoshop for image processing; and NIK and OnOne software for creative effects.

In this volume, Tanya Sheehan takes humor seriously in order to trace how photographic comedy was used in America and transnationally to express evolving ideas about race, black emancipation, and civil rights in the mid-1800s and into the twentieth century. Sheehan employs a trove of understudied materials to write a new history of photography, one that encompasses the rise of the commercial portrait studio in the 1840s, the popularization of amateur photography around 1900, and the mass circulation of postcards and other photographic ephemera in the twentieth century. She examines the racial politics that shaped some of the most essential elements of the medium, from the negative-positive process to the convention of the photographic smile. The book also places historical discourses in relation to contemporary art that critiques racism through humor, including the work of Genevieve Grieves, Adrian Piper, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker, and Fred Wilson. By treating racial humor about and within the photographic medium as complex social commentary, rather than a collectible curiosity, Study in Black and White enriches our understanding of photography in popular culture. Transhistorical and interdisciplinary, this book will be of vital interest to scholars of art history and visual studies, critical race studies, U.S. history, and African American studies.

Photography is a complex craft. Some excel at the technical side of image-making, focusing perfectly on the subject, releasing the shutter at just the right moment and making exposures with the precise amount of light. Others are artists and storytellers, capturing a fleeting moment in time which inspires a viewer to gaze upon an image and ponder its meaning. The best photographers are masters of both. In this highly visual, informative new book, Angela Faris Belt discusses the four crucial elements of photography that are essential for successful technical and conceptual image-making: .the photographic frame and its borders .quality of focus as determined by the aperture or lens .shutter speeds and their effects in relation to time and motion .the physical media used to create the aggregate image Step-by-step guidance including informative screen shots, traditional darkroom and Photoshop techniques, suggested exercises, and before and after images help both film and digital photographers improve their skills, learn new techniques, and better understand their craft. More than 300 stunning, full color images and portfolios featuring the work of over 40 prestigious artists provide visual inspiration as well as a gorgeous collection of artwork for photography enthusiasts.

ARE YOU READY FOR AN ELEMENTS BOOK THAT BREAKS ALL THE RULES? This book breaks new ground by doing something for digital photographers that’s never been done before–it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly “how to do it.” It’s not a bunch of theory; it doesn’t challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure things out on your own. Instead, it does something that virtually no other Elements book has ever done–it tells you flat-out which settings to use, when to use them, and why. If you’re looking for one of those “tell-me-everything-about-the-Unsharp-Mask-filter” books, this isn’t it. You can grab any other Elements book on the shelf, because they all do that. Instead, this book gives you the inside tips and tricks of the trade for organizing, correcting, editing, sharpening, retouching, and printing your photos like a pro. You’ll be absolutely amazed at how easy and effective these techniques are–once you know the secrets. LEARN HOW THE PROS DO IT Each year Scott trains thousands of digital photographers and, almost without exception, they have the same questions and face the same problems–that’s exactly what he covers in this book. You’ll learn: How to unlock the power of layers (you’ll be amazed at how easy it is!) How to use Camera Raw for processing not only RAW photos, but JPEGs, TIFFs, and PSDs too! (And you’ll learn why so many pros like it best–because it’s faster and easier) The sharpening techniques the pros really use (there’s an entire chapter just on this!) How to deal with common digital camera image problems, including brightening people in dark shadows and getting the best color possible The most requested photographic special effects, and much more! THE BOOK’S SECRET WEAPON Although Elements 2020 offers some digital photography features that Photoshop doesn’t offer, there are plenty of features that Photoshop has that Elements 2020 doesn’t (like channels, HDR, etc.). But in this book, you’ll learn some slick workarounds, cheats, and fairly ingenious ways to replicate many of those Photoshop features right within Elements. Plus, you can download many of the images used in the book, so you can follow right along with the techniques. Since this book is designed for photographers, it doesn’t waste your time talking about what a pixel is, how to frame a shot or set your exposure, etc., and there’s no talk about which camera or printer to buy. It’s all Elements, step by step, cover to cover, in the only book of its kind, and you’re gonna love it!