National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Digital Black & White

National Geographic Photography Field Guide

by Richard Olsenius

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 Black & White is a vital reference and how-to manual for photographers of all levels.

Genres: Photography

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

Reviews

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great guide from the late days of film and early days of digital. Lots of good film photography tips

[G.Claudio · Rating 3 out of 5]

E' stato un po' una delusione... Non perch� non sia scritto bene, o non sia interessante. Splendide immagini, bei consigli, interessante anche la parte su photoshop e la conversione in bianco e nero delle immagini a colori... Il problema � che dedica (a mio avviso) troppo spazio (parliamo praticamente di mezzo libro) ad argomenti molto, molto tecnici... i vari tipi di fotocamera (35mm, medio e grande formato... dorsi e fotocamere digitali), il passaggio da pellicola a digitale (con consigli sugli scanner da usare), la stampa (con pagine sulle stampanti), la conservazione delle stampe, il flusso di lavoro e via di questo passo... Argomenti che alla fine ho letto per cultura generale, ma che di fatto mi serviranno a ben poco... chiaro che se la cosa interessa... se avete una macchina a pellicola ed avete intenzione di investire parecchio per essere autosufficienti ed effettuare in proprio i vari passaggi dalla pellicola a colori alla stampa in BK... beh, le cose cambiano... Ma per quelli che erano i miei interessi, posso quasi dire che mezzo libro sia stato "sprecato"... insomma, avrei preferico che venissero approfonditi argomenti diversi...

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was okay. The guy spent a heck of a lot of time talking about all these film cameras?? It was a little out dated. Lots of good Photo Shop info, so that was good. Ultimately, the book has given me a respect and love for black and white photography. I'm of the generation that is all about color, but sometimes color can get in the way and distract you from the photo itself. We look at a photo and the first thing we see are the colors, and it can become the deciding factor of whether or not we like a photo. There is a lot of truth in black and white, because the first thing you look at is not the colors, but the depth and story of a photo. It is more honest and transparent.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have a digital SLR camera and want tips on how to take great black & white photos, this is a great read. For those of us with compact automatics, there's less you can do about taking photos in black & white mode, but there are still plenty of helpful hints regarding lighting and exposure, not to mention instructions for photo manipulation of color photos into black & white.

If you are a pro, aspiring to be a pro, or have access to high-end printers, you can also benefit from detailed explanations about equipment to purchase and steps to making better prints.