From Oz to Kansas: Almost Every Black and White Conversion Technique Known to Man

I highly recommend this book to serious students of photography looking to better understand what goes into a great photograph and what approaches can be used to produce the highest quality chromatic grayscale (B&W) images.I took a class with Vincent Versace in July 2015. I bought Oz 2.0 and Oz to Kansas to familiarize myself with his approach, style, etc before the class. I was particularly interested in the B&W work since, like most of us of a certain age, I got started with B&W film photography. I liked what I was reading and began to play with the photos and the techniques he was teaching. As a heavy Lightroom user I did lack the Photoshop knowledge and skills to implement many of the techniques Vincent was presenting - I did not have the recommended skill level to put into practice what he was teaching.With class, and much practice on my part using the book as a guide I am now beginning to "get it". The techniques taught are technical in nature and Vincent does get heavily into his approach to photography in the book. Those thoughts caused me to rethink my approach to photography and what I wanted to accomplish with my work. As I evolved in my skills and understanding, the book became easier to understand and the lessons became better training examples for me to practice and understand what I can do with these approaches and using them on my own photographs.The book is a goldmine of information and I glean more knowledge with each re-reading. I do read sections again before starting a session with a few photos. I keep the book available on Kindle sitting next to my Mac as I work on my own photos. I have tried the different approaches an a single photo to see which ones I am most comfortable with and which ones might work best on a particular photo.The explanations of theory and the background on the physics of light, where the information lies within the digital file and how to plan your way through a conversion have not only changed my approach to processing and how I plan and take the shots in the first place. The discussions about artifacts and how they can multiply through a series of edits hit home as I began to closely examine many of my existing photos.I used to look at a B&W conversion as a way to salvage a usable shot from a less than stellar color shot. Boy, do I look at the world differently now. Chromatic grayscale is a desired endpoint for many photos and getting to such a quality product is much easier if you start with a quality color image. This is a key point of what Vincent is teaching and the point is well made in this book. Work through the lessons on the supplied photosand then on your own, use the book as a constant reference. It works.It isn't easy but it has been so totally worth it. I will gladly gobble up any new books from Vincent and surely hope to take more classes with him in the future.

Vincent Versace has done what seemed impossible: In his newest book "From Oz to Kansas - Almost Every Black and White Conversion Technique Known to Man," Versace surpasses the incredibly high standard of his prior books and delivers what can only be described as a masterpiece.Vincent Versace is a master photographer. More importantly for purposes of this book, he is a generous artistic genius who is willing to share with those who want to understand not merely "how" to do something with an image, but "why." The book is filled with Vincent's unique insights about creativity, learning and inspiration.My bookshelves are already filled with books about photographic techiques and the use of Photoshop and other post-capture software. This book does not duplicate those. Versace doesn't offer "recipes" for creating images and his book is not a collection of tips that can be consulted at random to improve the user's own art. Instead, "From Oz to Kansas" is a very approachable series of lessons - written with a unique, inspirational (and, at times, very humorous tone) that functions like a personal seminar from a true master of digital art. Versace intends the reader to read the book, do the exercises, understand the "why" that goes with the "how" - even of techniques that seem inapplicable. He believes that by sharing this knowledge with the reader, the reader will better be able to "give voice" to his or her own art through choices made at the time of capture or in post-processing.It is ironic that the title of this fabulous small book might actually deter some from purchasing it. The book is far more than an encylopedic collection of techniques for converting color digital images to grayscale. Any photographer - regardless of interest in "Black & White" as a means of expression - will benefit from this book. The author believes in doing "all that he can" to improve an image by as little as 2%. He states that this book, including its photos, processes and insights, represents "the state of his art." It is a VERY high state indeed.I would recommend this book to all photographers and those with interest in art and creativity as expressed through digital images. It is invaluable as a guide and a true delight to read!

Vincent Versace's photography books will become important contributions to the history of photography. His presentation is a combination of philosophy, meditation and photographic reflection. Yes you learn about some clever techniques; lots of it. However I keep returning to his writing because of his insight and creative muscle.

ho preso questo libro per approfondire la mia conoscenza della lavorazione delle foto in b/n. la sorpresa che ho trovato è che l'autore da dei suggerimenti non solo sulla lavorazione, ma anche sul giusto utilizzo del mezzo e su come progettare a priori una foto in bianco e nero.

Je possède depuis des années le premier livre de Vincent Versace (Welcome to Oz). Je reste dubitative car premièrement la présentation du livre ne fait pas référence au fait qu'il est nécessaire de posséder les dernières versions de Photoshop pour suivre correctement les exercices. Avec CS2, c'est vraiment trop juste. D'autre part, j'espérais que V. Versace aurait utilisé d'autres exemples que ceux de son premier ouvrage... Ce n'est pas le cas. Et en plus, le vocabulaire est très technique et il faut en permanence avoir le dictionnaire pas trop loin de soi.Si je me réfère à d'autres livres sur le même thème (en anglais ou en français, d'ailleurs), je trouve que ceux qui sont sortis au cours des années 2005 à 2010 sont à la fois plus agréables à consulter et beaucoup moins fouillis.Concernant V. Versace, j'en resterai à son premier ouvrage et plus particulière à ses excellents derniers chapîtres justement sur le NB...

From Oz to Kansas. Por la especificidad del mismo en la fotografia en blanco y negro y, la forma de expresarlo.

As stated within the opening pre amble within the book this book is written for Photoshop CS6. All actions are backwards compatible with CS4 and CS5. The configurators on the download page are only compatible with Photoshop CS6 though.Enjoying the book and finding the information within very interesting.