Color Confidence: The Digital Photographer's Guide to Color Management, 2nd Edition

Reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher

Authors: Tim Grey Wiley http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471786160.html Released: April 2006 Pages: 256 $40 USD, $52CDN, 26 UK ISBN: 0-471-78616-0 Intermediate/Advanced   Strengths: Screen shots are ok ample size and very reabable. They tie into the tutorials. Good glossary and index are very helpful for searching and finding targeted information.   Weaknesses: Wish there were circles, pointers or some visuals to indicate within the screenshots targeted information.

 

Introduction

Working with color is the “heart and soul” for creatin photos and then making them better.The focus is to get the best color results and this book’s emphasis is getting the best color results. Since I have read the author’s book previously, I was interested in finding more tips and tricks about color management and it if this book has more ideas then I know. Color Confidence does just that, giving you better insights to working with color for your photos.

 

The author, Tim Grey, is a renown Photoshop and digital photographer. He is Microsoft’s Chief ambassador to professional photographers and presents workshops on digital imaging. This book is the latest version of this book.

 

The book has 8 chapters, index and glossary. There are not many brilliant photographs because most of the “action” involves working with the software tools and the amply sized screenshots provide the visuals to drive across the main points of the author. Notes are also “peppered” throughout the fourteen chapters.

 

Hands-on guides provide; choosing, calibrating your monitor and scanner; configuring Photoshop color settings, evaluating images and making accurate color adjustments; managing digital camera color with presets and custom profiles; working with color-adjusted and black-and-white images; learning how to build custom printer profiles or generic ones; preparing/adjusting images for print; evaluating prints against standard targets; problem solving out when prints don’t match; producing accurate color images for the web, e-mail or digital slideshows, becoming familiar with process-specific workflows: (scan to print, digital capture to print, CMYK output etc.)

 

The Glossary is well done and the and the index has very specific oriented to target, search and fine targeted discussion, hands-on work and more.

 

Appendix has a sample workflow checklist which makes sense. I like that the chapters for target objectives are included here (but I would have been even better if the pages were listed). Finally the index is well done.

 

Conclusions

This book is not for beginners. It is a fine one for intermediate and advanced photographers. Beginners may find it however useful once they upgrade their skills, learning about Photoshop and with other graphic editors and practicing working with photos.

 

I would have liked to have seen arrows or pointer to the parts of the histogram that the instructions “talk about”. With some other of the author’s books, there has been too much “verbiage” and all the words make your “head swim”. However in this book, while there are a lot of words, the information is tightly focused regarding the tasks and tutorials so it is an easier reading. Screenshots tie into the tutorials and make for a good reading regarding color management. I’d recommend.