Techniques for Creating Superb Images in a Digital Workflow

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- 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, as well as 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, Hoffmann 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.

Topics include:

• Why you should shoot in Raw mode

• Overcoming cliched photos

• Why moods are so important

• What is pictorial composition

• Balance in a photo

• Unusual perspectives

• Pictorial tension between elements

• The play of forms

• Conversion to black and white from color

• New features of Photoshop CS3

Torsten Andreas Hoffmann is mostly known as the photographer and author of illustrated books on New York, Paris, Rome and the Himalayas. He regularly teaches workshops on photography with an emphasis on composition and black and white photography. Hoffmann is a regular contributor to LFI, the highly acclaimed international journal.

The Art of Black and White Photography is available via the Imaging Resource Amazon affiliate program at a 34 percent discount.