Getting great images in black and white is not just removing the color from the image or transforming it into grayscale; rather it is a different state of mind. In color you have similar tonal values, but completely different effects. The same colors in black and white can look drab. To create compelling images in black and white you must learn how to look at things differently. You must find the contrasts, the shapes, the textures, and the lines within the images. It is the goal of Black and White in Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom to help you do this.
Black And White In Photoshop CS3 And Lightroom is 241 pages long and comprises six chapters.
Chapter 1, "Color Management in Black and White," describes the fact that color management is an extremely complex subject. The type of topic that makes all but the hardiest eyes glaze over. But to do black and white you must understand what it is and how it affects the outcome of your images. In this chapter you will learn about color management, color working spaces, ambient lighting conditions, setting up your monitor, calibration, software, print profiling and printer settings.
Chapter 2, "Highest Quality Capture: Workflow Phase I," describes how to capture for black and white. The first phase of your work flow is to obtain the highest quality image. You will examine types of capture formats, bit depth, high bit capture, as well as an overview on scanning. You will also learn about exposure evaluation tools such as the histogram, as well as how to read and interpret the histogram data. Here you will learn about the blinking highlight indicator, digital darkroom dangers, and how to handle noise and interference in digital capture.
Chapter 3, "Black and White in Lightroom: Workflow Phase II," shows you how to integrate workflow practices within Lightroom. Because there are many possible steps from capture to print, there is really no single "right" way to manage a workflow. Here you will start with a hybrid workflow that you can use to learn what works right for you. Topics include importing, downloading and backing up your images, Lightroom editing, global adjustments, exporting, and bridging to Photoshop.
Chapter 4, "Black and White in Photoshop," now concentrates on methods of processing from within Photoshop. Here the author concentrates on more advanced options that are available in Photoshop as well as on their founding theories and methodologies. In this chapter you are encouraged to experiment before moving on. The methods include Grayscale Mode Change, Lab Color Mode, Channel Mixer, Hue Saturation Technique, Black and White Standalone Feature, and Black and White in Camera Raw 4.0.
Article comments