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The Creative Digital Darkroom

By Katrin Eismann, Sean Duggan
December 2007
Pages: 429
ISBN 10: 0-596-10047-7 | ISBN 13: 9780596100476
(5) (Average of 5 Customer Reviews)

Description

This tutorial takes photographers beyond the quick tips and gimmicky effects of many digital photography books. Author Katrin Eismann -- an internationally acclaimed artist, bestselling author, and gifted educator -- offers high-profile work, including her own, as examples for teaching photographers how to use the digital medium to create, edit, and output images that reflect their true vision.
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Featured customer reviews

Being creative takes effort!,  January 09 2009
Submitted by Igno van Niekerk   [Respond | View]

Review:
The Creative Digital Darkroom by Katrin Eismann and Seán Duggan.
Publisher: O’ Reilly
Essence:
The book really touches on the nuts and bolts of Photoshop and attempts to cover a wide spectrum by including Lightroom as well. The authors really try to maintain the balance between the creative personal touch and the realities of the digital darkroom.
Opening chapters – it’s not really creative – but a necessary foundation:
The first chapter sets the tone and explains the structure of the book – firstly, there is a reference to the way a photographer is always “taking” pictures, even without a camera. Then the authors set out the workflow process, Acquire,-File Preparation,-Global Enhancement,-Selective Enhancement,-Output.
In order to work in a digital darkroom, one has to look at what a digital darkroom should consist of, and this is addressed shortly in the second chapter, berfore the authors rush through Photoshop’s preferences menu and color settings. This may seem very technical to a newcomer, but is addressed in a straightforward, no nonsense way – (no drowning in the details, rather short explanations with the authors recommendations -)
In the third chapter, the authors take one tremendous bite at complex issues like scanning, developing and organizing photographs. One travels the fast route here – there’s Camera RAW, DNG conversions and even printer information
The quick, straightforward way in which the authors cover concepts (whole books have been written on aspects like Camera Raw) shows that their intent is to get through the workflow to the creative part, and when one gets to page 90, you have a firm “shorthand coverage” of the environment and basics of the Digital Darkroom, but, at this stage I was really looking forward to see more of Eismann’s creative hand in the book (her other books shows a tremendous creativity). Lo and behold, this does not happen in chapter 4! And with good reason.
Before one can start playing around in the Digital Darkroom, there are certain things which have to happen. Ask any photographer who has had their work rejected by stock photography sites. Sharpening, spotting and cleanup needs to be done before one can really start “making it personal”. Again, the authors waste no time in getting through the grad-grind, hardcore realities of what needs to be done.
Middle chapters – more interpretation:
Chapter 5 is where creativity comes into play – when the authors talk about the photographer “listening to the image,” it becomes clear that this is where the “smoke and mirrors” should happen. Again, the authors stick to the basics, - curves, adjustment layers and toning – and it really makes sense! Because, as they conclude this chapter, they refer to the fact that most tonal corrections are “variations on (those) simple themes.” It’s at this time that I realize that this was not a “how to – effects book,” this is a book that teaches the fundamentals of being creative in the digital darkroom (exactly as stated in the title :-) ). And that’s no easy task in the world of “itchy mouse-buttons”. The next chapter addresses “Dodging, Burning and Exposure control,” and if one takes into account that photography is about Painting with Light, it’s a really crucial chapter --- this is where clutter is often confused with creativity – and again, the authors succeed in steering clear of “playing around,” but rather make sure the reader realizes the importance of understanding the “delicate interplay” between light and shadow.
More colorful as we go along:
By chapter 7, the authors are still sticking to the important basics, showing the interplay of the color-wheel with the interpretation of colors. And yes, they even show the working of the LAB color mode. (Again, this is encyclopedic in nature – as books have been written on LAB color as well –and here the basics are covered in 8 pages – yet, they make sure it makes sense as they stick to the basics, and they keep their recommendations straightforward).
Now that we know the rules:
By the time the reader gets to chapter 8, the authors seem to feel that you know enough about the basics not to mess up the process – it’s also the first chapter with the word “creative” in the chapter heading. And yes, now that you understand what really matters, you can play around with cross-processing and mode blending – it’s indeed a colorful world and yes, the smoke and mirrors are coming – chapter 9 touches on adding textures, edges and special effects. By now you realize that you’ve been on a journey, guided by the authors to make sure you really understand the nature of the darkroom, so as not to mess it up when you get there, but to know where you go when you create your visual stories.
Conclusion:
A great book if one realizes that creativity is not necessarily the result of merely “messing about” with the tools in the digital darkroom, it’s about understanding the tools first, and then “messing about” in a responsible manner. This book is about the fundamentals of the digital darkroom as much as about creativity – I would gladly recommend it to anyone who wants to have a broad understanding of the digital workflow process, as well as the basics of the digital environment.
A big bite into a big elephant!
Igno van Niekerk

http://www.pixelpostcards.com



An authorative account : how to set up and maintain your digital darkroom,  October 02 2008
Submitted by Greg Davies   [Respond | View]

Katrin Eismann and Sean Duggan set out in 'The Creative Digital Darkroom' to share some of the creative concepts and techniques they use when working in the digital darkroom. It's " ... more than just a book of Photoshop recipes and quick tips ... [it's about] How to look at the image and 'listen' to it; how changes to the delicate matrix of light and shadow tones can transform the mood and meaning of a photo; how to sculpt with light and contrast; and how to imagine colour and tonal changes that will best express your vision for the photograph."

Katrin is an internationally respected artist, teacher and writer specialising in creative digital photography. Sean is an art photographer, educator and Adobe Certified Photoshop Expert.

They hope the book will serve as a good travel companion as the reader explores their photography in their own creative digital darkroom.

The book was written for Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, whether on a Windows or Mac platform. The authors contend that the book's general principles can also be applied by those who prefer using other software.

Comprised of ten chapters, the book proceeds on its way along a sensible and well-organised path. A brief introductory chapter summarises the tools, terms and techniques in digital darkroom work and overviews the workflow from image capture to print, reflecting the structure of the book.

Chapter Two covers in much helpful detail the requirements of setting up a workable digital darkroom. Hardware, peripherals and software, system calibration and a range of Photoshop preferences and settings are described. It includes a very clear exposition on the bane of digital darkroom users' lives - colour management.

Now that the darkroom is set up, the following eight chapters work their way sequentially through scanning, developing, and organising; file preparation; tone and contrast; dodging, burning, and exposure control; colour correction; creative colour; creative enhancements and, finally, enhancing focus.

Each of those areas is dealt with authoratively and with finesse.

There are several things I liked about the book. It's a remarkably thorough and well organised guide. Graphics and photographs are used sufficiently to illustrate the authors' points. It has good ample use of dialogue box screenshots which are concisely annotated where appropriate. Comparative and before/after images are used effectively to highlight the effects of applying different creative ideas.

There's a handy summary at the beginning of each chapter to introduce the reader to what follows. A comprehensive index is included.

Finally, there's a companion website offering additional information plus download access to many of the book's images to help achieve a richer learning experience. It's at www.creativedigitaldarkroom.com.

Reviewed by Greg Davies for The Apple Users' Society of Melbourne (AUSOM), Australia.


More than teaching Photoshop, this book is an education in how to see.,  June 12 2008
Submitted by Donna Kamper   [Respond | View]

This is not a “how to use Photoshop” book. This is a book for photographers who use Photoshop and want to produce excellent photographs. Beginning at the moment an image is acquired, whether by shutter or scanner, the reader is walked through the entire workflow process. Not only the steps and details of what and how, but the often-missing “why” is also provided. Now it makes sense!
Both Katrin Eismann and Seán Dugan, authors of this book, have traditional film photographic backgrounds. It is our good fortune that they turned to digital photography and created this book. Artists in their own right, they are also talented educators with the oft-elusive ability to explain complex subjects simply and understandably.
Relevant images can be downloaded from the book’s website to use when working through the examples. It’s very helpful using the same image the author shows in a lesson – for one thing, if your results differ you know it’s not the image.
When I worked through the lessons I didn’t always see a change until I Zoomed in – wa-a-ay in (200%-500%). Once I knew what I was looking for, I could then Zoom back out incrementally and the difference was more apparent.
This book is more than an education in Photoshop; it’s an education in what to look at and how to see.
Chapter 1 introduces the five steps of the “Digital Darkroom Workflow.” These are Part 1: Acquire; Part 2: File Preparation; Part 3: Global Enhancement; Part 4. Selective Enhancement; and Part 5: Output. The rest of the book breaks down the first four parts into easy-to-understand chunks with lots of detail.
Chapter 2 reviews the requisite digital darkroom components. These include the working environment, the hardware, and the software. How to properly set up the Preferences in Photoshop is covered in depth, as are assigning profiles and choosing color settings.
Chapter 3 starts with image acquisition and quickly moves into file organization. This includes how to properly set up and use Bridge and Lightroom. Each image adjustment palette in the Adobe Camera Raw interface is shown, with instructions on how to use each one. The pros and cons of file formats such as DNG and RAW and the virtues of high bit-depth images are discussed in enough depth to actually be understandable.
In Chapter 4 we (finally) open Photoshop and begin working with images, but don’t get too excited. This is the file preparation step. The authors compare this part of the process with the need to stretch and prime canvas before actually painting a picture. Tedious, perhaps, but not to be skipped over or skimped on because it directly affects the final image’s quality. The work done here comes under “general clean-up:” noise reduction, input sharpening, lens and perspective correction. Not to be skipped over!
Global and Selective enhancements are the next steps. These take us from Chapters 5 through 8. Here the image, both as a whole and its component features, is evaluated and adjusted for tone, contrast, and color. The array of techniques and features available to work in this area can be mind-boggling. Working through them with the authors brings order to the process and makes sense of what to use and when – or even if. The authors not only stress that rules are made to be broken, but that a critical skill is knowing when to stop.
Once the original pixels of an image have been changed, there may be no going back. Throughout the book, techniques for doing as much editing in as non-destructive a manner as possible are emphasized frequently. Non-destructive editing gives you the freedom to experiment and know your decision isn’t irrevocable. Multiple lessons teach you how to achieve this using Layers, Masks, Adjustment Layers and Smart Objects/Smart Filters.
This really gets exciting when you finish working on a lesson and the little light goes on: you suddenly realize how to apply the technique you just learned to your own images! Two hours later when you come up for air, that technique is yours forever. Next!
“Creative Enhancement” is the subject of Chapters 9 and 10. The authors use these chapters to explore ways in which you can change the image beyond its original message. Techniques include how to create special lighting effects, distress an image, add texture such as film grain or paper texture, or creatively enhance edges.
The final step, Output, is not addressed in this book. However, the authors have a 20-page bonus chapter “The Print” that’s available on the book’s website. This is a rich resource that covers resizing, final output sharpening, working with profiles, soft-proofing, printing from Photoshop and working with a service provider. This is as well written as the rest of the book, and the information is invaluable.
This is a must-have for my bookshelf. Working through these lessons not only teaches what a certain feature or tool does, but gives insights on other ways to use them that carries over to new images. That’s the real value of a book like this. Highly recommended!

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Media reviews
"The most complete book I’ve seen on the topic, and packed with so much in-depth info they probably didn’t sleep for a year."
-- Scott Kelby, Photoshop Insider


"I rarely rave about a book, but this one is an awesome blend of Photoshop technique, artistic process and photography know-how. The subject of the “creative darkroom” is covered thoroughly and expertly...I consider this book a perfect resource for mastering the creative digital darkroom. The techniques are extensively documented, thorough and come from some of the best workflows in use today. The writing is excellent and copious, and not bogged down with large images. The theory behind the techniques is timeless and relies on the fundamentals such as channels, Lab color, luminosity and blending. I cannot recommend this book highly enough if you are a digital photographer with a creative bent."
-- Jeremy Schultz, Designorati


"The Creative Digital Darkroom is one hefty book filled with so much Photoshop and Lightroom goodness that you'll be busy and in bliss for a long long time. The layout is appealing and the photos inspiring, just what you need when tackling a subject like this. And then there's the writing...This is a book that will show you how to gain maximum enjoyment and pride from your work as a photographer, and for that both Katrin and Seán should be applauded. This is as fine a book as one could wish for on the technical intricacies of working in the digital darkroom."
-- Jennifer Apple, The Photoshop Blog - PhotoshopSupport.com



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"The most complete book I’ve seen on the topic, and packed with so much in-depth info they probably didn’t sleep for a year."
--Scott Kelby, Photoshop Insider