When you think of outstanding photography one of the first organizations that come to mind is National Geographic. Without a doubt they have some of the most impressive photographs seen in modern times. So it stands to reason that any books they publish on the subject of photography have to be good. Well, their books aren’t good, they are incredible.

Take the National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Digital Black & White. This is a small book but is loaded with incredible sample shots, easy to read text on the subject of shooting black and white photos with digital cameras and more.

Just looking through the book at the photos is enough to inspire and get you burning to go out and shoot images for black and white. But, there is much more to the book than just the sample photos. The instructional information is very well done, easy to read, easy to understand even for a person with basic skills.

Perhaps my most favorite part of the book is the “How it All Got Started” section that talks about black and white photography from its inception in the early 1800’s including some very old and impressively good shot from the Civil War era. I mean it is amazing that with the technology of the time that these more than a century old photos look as good as they do. The picture I refer to is a shot of Abraham Lincoln standing in front of a tent with men on either side of him (see image gallery below). This photo was shot by Scottish photographer Alexander Gardner -- an expert in the new collodion (wet-plate) process that was rapidly displacing the Daguerreotype. The photo in question was shot during the Civil War; no date for the photo is given.

Other subjects covered in the book are how to see in black and white, how to choose the right camera, painting with light, getting to the digital image, the digital editor, printing your work and more.

Chapters:

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: How It All Began

Chapter 3: Seeing in Black and White

Chapter 4: Marion E. Warren Documenting a Region

Chapter 5: Choosing the Right Camera

Chapter 6: Painting with Light

Chapter 7: Don Doll A Call to Service

Chapter 8: Getting to the Digital Image

Chapter 9: Brian Peterson Documenting People and Places

Chapter 10: The Digital Editor

Chapter 11: Printing Your Work

Chapter 12: Nick Kelsh Capturing Form and Emotion

Chapter 13: On Black and White

Chapter 14: Useful Information

Another unique feature of this book is the profiles and samples from black and white photographers. These profiles talk about the photographer, what they liked to do; it includes samples of their work as well as a tip section. I think this is very nice touch and makes the book worldlier in its coverage.

I also like that these Photography Field Guides pick a single subject and cover just that. In this case Black and White photography using digital cameras (though there are some film techniques included).

This is a must have book for anyone wanting to do black and white photography with a digital camera. It covers the subject from the history of black and white photography as well as to shoot black and white in today’s digital world. It is easy to read and everything is explained quite well. A must have. But, that isn’t surprising we are talking about National Geographic after all.

I do have one question. I wonder what Mr. Alexander Gardner would think of the state of photographic technology today? Would he embrace digital cameras or would he shun them? Alas that is a question we will never have the answer to.