Margulis LAB Color Book - Reading group

[rutt]

I finally have my copy of Dan Margulis' new book, Photoshop LAB Color : The Canyon Conundrum and Other Adventures in the Most Powerful Colorspace. This book is a runaway bestseller and I know that at least some dgrinners have it.

What about organizing a reading group to help us all get through it? We can rea a chapter a week (or two weeks?) and share questions applications of the ideas to our own shots, &etc. I think we are more likely as a group to get through it with good understanding than as indivituals.

Who is up for this? Anyone?

MOD edit: use this thread if you have any questions about the reading group, or the book in general. rutt will edit this post, right here, and add in the links to the discussions on each chapter.

Chapter 1: Basic LAB curve steepening.

Chapter 2: Don't Panic; LAB by the numbers

Chapter 3: Variations in the basic recipe

Chapter 4: Changing/correcting the color balance

Chapter 5: Noise reduction and sharpening

Chapter 6: Myths, pitfalls, complexities

Chapter 7: LAB Workflow

Chapter 8: The Impossible Retouch; Fixing blown skies, facial highlights and more

Chapter 9: The LAB advantage in selecting and masking

Chapter 11: Retouching in LAB

Chapter 12: The Man from Mars & Command, Control, Click

Chapter 14: Once for Contrast and Once for Color

Chapter 16: A technique for portraits

Beside the chapter discussions per se, there are also some interesting related threads. In particular:

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=19548
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=19588

[DavidTO]

Originally Posted by rutt

I finally have my copy of Dan Margulis' new book, Photoshop LAB Color : The Canyon Conundrum and Other Adventures in the Most Powerful Colorspace. This book is a runaway bestseller and I know that at least some dgrinners have it.

What about organizing a reading group to help us all get through it? We can rea a chapter a week (or two weeks?) and share questions applications of the ideas to our own shots, &etc. I think we are more likely as a group to get through it with good understanding than as indivituals.

Who is up for this? Anyone?

Allright, let me go order my copy...I'm in.

[pathfinder]

I'm in!!

[DavidTO]

Originally Posted by DavidTO

Allright, let me go order my copy...I'm in.

Ordered. I'll let you know when I'm good to go.

[digismile]

I'm in!

My online order is suggesting it could take 3-5 weeks. I'll check other sources tomorrow. Looking forward to this ...

Brad

[rutt]

I started to read last night. It seems the first 5 chapters are easier and each is divided into practice and theory sections. So let's start chapter 1 and see what happens. We'll take it slow so those waiting for books can easily catch up.

There are exercises at the end of each chapter which suggests a possible way to work together on the materials from the chapter. Perhaps we should take turns summerizing the chapters which could also get things started and provide a nice online study guide? Other ideas?

[DavidTO]

Originally Posted by rutt

Perhaps we should take turns summerizing the chapters which could also get things started and provide a nice online study guide? Other ideas?

Excellent idea.

[XO-Studios]

I'm in

XO,

[pathfinder]

Would we want to try to have a specific time for an online chat session here on dgrin?

[rutt]

Originally Posted by pathfinder

Would we want to try to have a specific time for an online chat session here on dgrin?

I was imagining a longer timeframe, more like chess by mail. We'd spend a week on each chapter and discussions would span that time. It might make sense to find a time of day when most people will be able to participate so there would be quick turnover, but I think that will self adjust.

I read chapter 1 in two 15 minute sessions over the last two evenings. I was already very familiar with the concepts in this chapter and the technique it teaches is the most common element of my workflow, so perpbably I read it faster than some others will. Dan says the first 5-6 chapters are much easier than what follows and judging by Professional Photoshop there is no reason to doubt this.

Has anyone else finished Chapter 1? I could summarize it and we could get started on it.

Who besides Jim (Pathfinder) actually has the book already?

[ginger_55]

Originally Posted by rutt

I finally have my copy of Dan Margulis' new book, Photoshop LAB Color : The Canyon Conundrum and Other Adventures in the Most Powerful Colorspace. This book is a runaway bestseller and I know that at least some dgrinners have it.

What about organizing a reading group to help us all get through it? We can rea a chapter a week (or two weeks?) and share questions applications of the ideas to our own shots, &etc. I think we are more likely as a group to get through it with good understanding than as indivituals.

Who is up for this? Anyone?

You promised me a review.

Is it easier, the same, or what, as the first book?

You know I could just copy your discussions, I would prefer to have the book.

But if it is really a prerequisite to read the first one, I will be free to never have the book, hysterical laughter, here.

What say you all on that? A book group could be the incentive I need to read the second book. And I could see where to get it cheapest: soonest.

ginger (I will let you know what I find on that.)

[rutt]

Originally Posted by ginger_55

You promised me a review.

Now that I've read the forward, preface, and first chapter, I can tell you a little. I think everyone who is familiar with postprocessing in Photoshop will get something out of this book, especially the first few chapters. That was also true of Professional Photoshop. From what I can tell the difficulty curve of this book is at least as steep as Professional Photoshop, so I have no doubt that each of us will hit a wall at some point.

I think the basic LAB correction is much easier and more effective than any equivalent in other colorspaces, and Dan agrees. I wrote a tutorial for you, Ginger, more than a year ago: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=2042
Chapter 1 basicailly teaches this technique, shows how to use USM in LAB and then gives some theory to explain why this adjustment is effective in making pictures look more realistic. Dan also explores some non-LAB alternatives to try to acheive the same effect and explains why they are both less effective and harder than the LAB technique.

So the first four chapters or so will be accessable to almost everyone (and very accessable to anyone who has followed my various LAB posts over the last year or so.) After that, well, we'll see.

Amazon has sme used and new, but this is a new book in hot demand, and I think you are going to pay a little more than $33 no matter what you do at this point.

I still think Chapter 1 of Professional Photoshop is essential reading. It explains Dan's basic philosopy of color correction. If you can't get on board with that, you are going to balk at his techniques over and over again.

[ginger_55]

I still think Chapter 1 of Professional Photoshop is essential reading. It explains Dan's basic philosopy of color correction. If you can't get on board with that, you are going to balk at his techniques over and over again.

___________________________

Thanks, I could do that, but I guess I just want to be one of "the guys".

Overstock has it, and the used/new part of Amazon says it has it in stock. Ebay has it.

It is the shipping that can hurt. Also I still have 5.00 credit at amazon from my challenge win.

don't know what I will do: I have a technique now that is working for me. And I could read your tutorial, but that would not make me "one of the guys".

g

[DavidTO]

Originally Posted by rutt

Who besides Jim (Pathfinder) actually has the book already?

Mine's scheduled for delivery for Monday, 9/12.

[pathfinder]

I've read the first two chapters -

Getting my head around the a and b color spaces is slowly coming around. I still cna't really look at numbers and know the colors perfectly, but I can find blacks, whites, greys, and warm and cool tones.

I agree that the first chapter is a review of what rutt has been describing here over the last year - steepening the a and b curves, particularly for green scenes of vegetation.

[rutt]

Here is how I'd like to proceed. Let's make a thread per chapter and start each thread with a brief synopsis of the chapter. We can take turns writing that.

I'm game for Chapter 1, mostly because I've already done it a number of times. Sounds like Jim might be ready for Chapter 2. If Jim prefers, I'm happy to switch. After that, who's ready?

Does this seem OK to everyone who wants to play?

[rutt]

I've written summaries of chapters 1 and 2 to get discussion off the ground. DavidTo has volunteered to do the same for chapter 3 once he gets his book and has a chance to catch up.

How many people are following? How many have books? How far have you gotten? Any hands up for upcoming chapters?

I'm happy to write summaries, but I think the group will work better if we share this task. I've found that I get a lot out of it in terms of understanding each chapter. I'm also more than willing to help people with these offline...

[rutt]

David is pretty far along with a summary of Ch. 3. I expect he'll post the weekend or early next week. Noone has volunteered for Ch. 4 yet, but I think that would be a really good place for someone to jump in. Things are just getting interesting! What about XO? Or Sam? PF? Andy? Who else is lurking in this reading group?

After Ch. 4, it looks like things will be a little more challenging. Now is the time get in the water and start swimming.

[Rohirrim]

I'd like to join in, but I haven't even finished Chapter 1. Since the book only recently came out, maybe it would be better to slow down a little. Between work, home etc. I haven't had much time for study.

Just a thought, perhaps everyone else is caught up.

Regards,

[rutt]

It's a good point. I don't want to lose people by going too fast and I really don't want to prevent someone from writing a chapter summary. So plese, can I have a nose count? Who has a book and wants to follow? who will write a chapter summary eventually?

If we make these assignments well in advance, it should give everyone plenty of time.