Adobe Photoshop supports several color spaces including RGB, which is the most popular color space, CMYK which is also popular but for people doing work destined for press printing and LAB which is probably the single most powerful color space in Adobe Photoshop and one that isn't used nearly enough. The remaining color spaces have their uses but are not widely used and remain more of a mystery or curiosity.

 

Adobe Photoshop's LAB color space is powerful and mysterious and even to some point mystical. That is why when I came across Dan Margulis's Photoshop LAB Color book I snapped it right up. I had very high hopes that this book would teach me the knowledge of the ancients so that I too could make the most from the LAB color space. Alas nearly $55 later I was left bored and disappointed.

 

Photoshop LAB Color is a rather large book coming in at 360 pages not counting the index pages. It is full color which is nice especially when looking at the large number of sample images and screen shots. However, it is a strange book. Each chapter actually contains two chapters and each of these two chapters is done in a different font so that you can tell one from the other. The first chapter is the basics of the technique being taught in question. The second chapter is the technical mumbo jumbo that is as dry as a soda cracker and only half as good to consume.

 

It isn't the technical information that is the problem. The problem is that Mr. Margulis spends a lot of time telling you over and over that the LAB color space is odd, strange, doesn't work like logic says it should, it allows the creation of colors that can't exist and more. This is said over and over until I am left wondering just who he is trying to convince of this. So the second chapter in each chapter is just plain boring. After the second one I stopped reading them even though I was interested in the technical details.

 

Where this book really shines is the first chapter of each chapter. There are some very useful and important procedures covered that can only be done in the Adobe Photoshop LAB color space. Procedures that are amazing. But, even these chapters are riddled with how odd LAB is and the like. I own other books from Mr. Margulis and I have to say I am disappointed with half of this book and I am even more disappointed that a publisher the caliber of PeachPit Press would allow such a book to be written let alone published, I hope this isn't a new trend in books.

 

Chapters:

Chapter 1: The Canyon Conundrum
Chapter 2: LAB by the Numbers
Chapter 3: Vary the Recipe Vary the Color
Chapter 4: It's All About the Center Point
Chapter 5: Sharpen the L, Blur the AB
Chapter 6: Entering the Forest: Myths and Dangers
Chapter 7: Summing Up: LAB and the Workflow
Chapter 8: The Imaginary Color, the Impossible Retouch
Chapter 9: The Lab Advantage in Selections and Masking
Chapter 10: The Product is Red but the Client Wants Green
Chapter 11: The Best Retouching Space
Chapter 12: Command, Click, Control
Chapter 13: The Universal Interchange Standard
Chapter 14: Once for Color, Once for Contrast
Chapter 15: Blending With the A and B
Chapter 16: A Face is Like a Canyon

As I have said at least half the book is a total bore. The remaining half while containing very useful, practical and powerful techniques, it just isn't worth the $54.99 price tag when half of it would slip you in to a coma. I hope when/if the 2nd edition comes out that PeachPit gets rid of the boring LAB is odd, LAB is strange, LAB is blah blah blah and publishes a book that is not only useful but isn't boring and dry too. Shame really I had such high hopes. If you can find this book used or for half the cover price I would say go for it. Just read the first half of each chapter and you will come away with useful techniques that can make your images shine.

 

If you can manage to stave off coma long enough to read the second part of each chapter I envy you. Myself I just couldn't do it.