A Touch Here, a Tone There, Turn Black & White into Color with Help from this Book
Apr 12, 2025
David Prochnow
Our resident “how-to” project editor, David Prochnow, lives on the Gulf Coast of the United States in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. He brings his expertise at making our photography projects accessible to everyone, from a lengthy stint acting as the Contributing How-To Editor with Popular Science magazine. While you don’t have to actually build each of his projects, reading about these adventures will contribute to your continued overall appreciation of do-it-yourself photography. A collection of David’s best Popular Science projects can be found in the book, “The Big Book of Hacks,” Edited by Doug Cantor.
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You know the experience; you’ve just photographed the most amazing image, but the film in your camera was black and white. So, now you’re unable to display the stunning colors of the subject. Well, not so fast. By referencing the amazing black and white photo toning techniques author Jerry Davidson demonstrates, you can learn how to easily add color to any black and white photograph.
Mr. Davidson’s book, From Black & White to Creative Color: How to Tone, tint, and retouch photographs (1994; Pembroke Publishers, Ltd; Ontario, Canada) has always been a must-read for every photographer, but, remarkably, this timeless classic is now available for just $3.49 from Freestyle Photo & Imaging. For less than the cost of a cheeseburger, you can learn how to transform your B&W photos into otherworldly color masterpieces. And this book truly cover everything you need to know about black and white photo toning, tinting, and retouching.
Toners and Dyes and Inks, Oh My
Included inside this 64-page softbound volume is an incredible wealth of toner, dye, and ink combinations described by Mr. Davidson. This isn’t a book only about common sepia toning processes, however. Subtle localized toning, combined with artistically-applied retouching inks and dyes can produce results that color film can’t duplicate. For example, his photograph of a group of tulips evokes a magical spring moment that transcends reality.
This isn’t to say that the black and white photo toning techniques demonstrated in From Black & White to Creative Color can’t be equally adapted to digital workflows. In fact, digital photographers should consider this volume as a guidebook for achieving a unique look lending a powerful handworked analog authenticity to digital imagery.
Enjoy.
David Prochnow
Our resident “how-to” project editor, David Prochnow, lives on the Gulf Coast of the United States in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. He brings his expertise at making our photography projects accessible to everyone, from a lengthy stint acting as the Contributing How-To Editor with Popular Science magazine. While you don’t have to actually build each of his projects, reading about these adventures will contribute to your continued overall appreciation of do-it-yourself photography. A collection of David’s best Popular Science projects can be found in the book, “The Big Book of Hacks,” Edited by Doug Cantor.
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