No comments about Hubble: Imaging Space and Time.

5 comments about Planet Earth: As You've Never Seen It Before.

1. XXXXX
   
   "The authors of [this] book (producers of the [Planet Earth TV] series) are extremely grateful to the [TV series'] production [the production team consisted of almost 25 people], post-production, and camera teams [the camera team consisted of more than 55 people] for their talent, dedication, and determination. The result of their hard work on this challenging series is not only obvious in the television programmes but in these pages. The stories they unearthed and the trips they organized were the inspiration for much of the text, and many of their unique images [or photographs] illustrate this book."
   
   The above is found in the first paragraph of this book's acknowledgements section. According to this book's cover, it is authored solely by Alastair Fothergill, one of the TV series producers. However, according to this book's title page, there are five more co-authors (all producers of the TV series) making it thus authored by six people altogether.
   
   This book (a "New York Times" bestseller and endorsed by Oprah Winfrey) is supposed to be a "companion" to and a "mirror" of the TV series which "took four years to make [and was] filmed in more than 200 locations worldwide." However, don't get the idea that this book is simply a rehash of the TV series because it definitely is not.
   
   This book consists of two outstanding features:
   
   (1) exquisite, revealing, and unique colour photographs (of which I counted more than 360 captioned ones)
   (2) text (which is quite comprehensive and informative)
   
   To give the potential reader a "feel" for this book, I will give the chapter titles and a brief description. Note that the first chapter should be read first and subsequent chapters can be read in any desired order:
   
   (1) The Whole Earth (Gives a general overview of the entire planet and orientates the reader.)
   (2) Frozen Poles (The ultimate places of extremes, the Artic and the Antarctic.)
   (3) The Great Forests (Between the poles and the equator lie huge tracts of forest. These forests have great effects for both the wildlife living there and for the health of the entire planet.)
   (4) The Great Plains (These plains cover more than a quarter of the planet's land. They support the greatest gatherings of wildlife anywhere on Earth.)
   (5) The Great Sands (Deserts are the hottest, most arid regions of the world. Only the hardiest of plants and animals can survive in these areas, each with a special repertoire of tricks.)
   (6) Mountain Heights (Mountains epitomize wilderness--remote high-altitude places, where only the hardiest of animals survive the cold.)
   (7) The Underworld (Caves are the least known environments on land, are home to some of the strangest animals, and offer unique landscapes and thrilling experiences. **This is my personal favourite chapter.)
   (8) Fresh Water (All life on land is dependent on fresh water. It is the most precious resource on Earth.)
   (9) Rain Forests (Reliable year round sunshine and regular rain downpours result in a rich rain forest with a variety and complexity of life unmatched by any other habitat on Earth.)
   (10) Shallow Seas (These are by far the richest parts of the ocean. It's in these seas that you find the coral reefs, the sea grass beds, the kelp forests, and 90% of the world's commercial fisheries.)
   (11) Open Ocean Depths (The deep and open ocean covers more than 60% of the Earth's surface. It regulates the climate, conditions the atmosphere, and contains some of the least known and most extraordinary animals on Earth.)
   
   Finally, there are some problems with this book. Note that these problems in no way affect its readability but are irritations (at least to me):
   
   (1) In the book's front material is a world map with the names of the continents, oceans, selected seas, and other selected landmarks printed directly on it. (This map is not indicated in the table of contents.) As well, there is a numbered list of almost 55 features whose numbers are printed on the map. This map is untitled and there is no explanation of how it's to be used.
   
   When I first came across this map, I assumed that it was unimportant and forgot about it. It was not until I was well into the book that I discovered accidentally what it is and how it's to be used.
   
   This map is a locator map. The idea is that when you come across a place, feature, etc., in the main narrative, you look it up on the map. For example, if you came across in the main narrative the Himalayas, you then go back to the map to see where these mountains are located.
   
   The numbered list of selected landmarks is used in the same way. For example, the list of landmarks indicates that the Great Barrier Reef is #52. When you come across this reef in the main narrative you are then supposed to find this number on the map to discover the Reef's exact location.
   
   I think this is a good idea since this actually adds another dimension to the book. However, I found another problem. The reader is not told when to refer to the map. So what you end up doing is guessing if a particular place, feature, etc., is on the map. I guessed wrong many times and thus became frustrated.
   
   My question is why is there no instructions on this map of how it`s to be used? As well, in the main narrative, why isn't the reader told when to refer to this map?
   
   (2) The same problem goes for the photographs in the book. The reader is not told when to look at a particular photograph. You either have to read the entire narrative on a page and then look at the photograph (many pages have more than one picture per page) or you have to guess when to look at a photograph when you come across the name of a particular animal, feature, etc., in the main narrative.
   
   (3) Much of the material in the text gives some highly specific detailed information. Why isn't there any credit given as to where this information was obtained?
   
   (4) All the back material (most notably the index) in this book is not indicated in the table of contents.
   
   In conclusion, this is a fascinating book where you truly get to see the planet "as you've never seen it before." I leave you with the final paragraph of the book's Forward (written by (Sir) David Attenborough):
   
   "This remarkable and beautiful book should stand not just as a revelation and celebration of the wonders that our planet retains at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It surely must also be seen as an eloquent rallying call to all of us who care for the Earth's welfare to redouble our efforts to protect those wonders that still survive."
   
   (first published 2006; foreword; locator map; 11 chapters; main narrative 305 pages; index; copyright; names of some people that made the television series possible; acknowledgements; picture credits)
   
   <>
   
   XXXXX



2. Not only did I receive this product faster than expected, it was brand new and it was one of the most amazing books I have ever read with some of the most exquisite photography I've ever seen!



3. if you believe in God or not, i dare you to look at this book and not be in awe of nature. my husband and i enjoy looking at this book any seeing God's wonderous creation. anyone who has children should get this book. they probably won't read every word, but they will learn a lot from the pictures.



4. I have not had the chance yet to review this product. I'd thought I'd purchased the dvd set for this same title, so was surprised to receive a book. I decided not to return it, but I know I will enjoy it.



5. BEAUTIFUL BOOK TO HAVE. NOT ONLY IS IT INFORMATIVE, BUT THE PICTURES ARE TRULY A PIECE OF ARTWORK.

5 comments about The Negative (Ansel Adams Photography, Book 2).

1. Concisely written in Adams' own scholarly style, "The Negative" is a valuable resource for photographers learning the foundation of technically correct (as opposed to generally good) base exposure in a variety of scenes, both pedestrian and those that are more conflicting. One must, however, consider that more than 4 decades have passed since the techniques were founded and the technology described can be viewed, in many cases, with a quaint tug at nostalgia. Today's evaluative and matrix metering systems, programmed along the Zone System, do a remarkable job where once exposure was tedious and error prone, and this is where learning the Zone System to competently handle difficult scenes is a useful addition to a photographer's "book of tricks". But despite the clarity of explanation and steps, Adams' Zone System remains a complex, intertwining system to understand (theory) and apply (field application); it never was and never will be a five-minute task. For B&W fine art photographers, "The Negative" holds a timeless reference quality with many techniques remaining the solid benchmarks for fine art production. In summary, a tremendously good read and a most valuable addition to any learned photographer's library.
   
   The Negative (Ansel Adams Photography, Book 2)



2. I am new to large format photography. This book is extremly informative and focuses just on negative construction, manipulation and b&w processing. An excellent and timeless resource! Excellent for all formats!



3. If film shooting is interesting to you (and you should; I'm 26 and grew up with cameras, then I move to digital, and recentlly, I discovered the wonders of a darkroom and BW prints) then this book is a MUST Well, the whole series)!!! there aren't enough words to emphasize my feelings over the 3 books of Ansel Adams (camera, negative & print)
   
   If you don't believe me, then please take a deep look at Ansel's master BW work... that should convince you!!!



4. Ansel Adams was a master of photography but not the most exciting storyteller , in my opinion.
   
   This book is one that you should read as part of a complete education in photography, but there are some long sections in it. The parts of the book explaining Adams' zone system are very worthwhile and great stuff. Much of the rest of the book is only interesting if you are shooting film (not digital), as it deals specifically with darkroom processing.
   
   Read about the zone system here or somewhere else, but learn it. If you are a film photog, read this whole book. For digital shooters, you might want to read only the sections of interest.



5. This is an excellent book that will help experienced and newcomers in photography. Pay attention to the Zone system that Adams has devised. It will realy help you take total control over your pictures with a helpfull and very creative perspective. The last part of the book (developing negatives) might be ommited by the person who is into digital, although it helped me comprehend a lot about the various Adobe Photoshop features and relate them to classic photography.
   
   One little remark I have to make is for the publisher. The book is printed into gloss paper (all the three books in the series) with a high reflectance index. This results in dificulty reading the book at certain angles.

No comments about Handbags Gallery Calendar 2009 (Page a Day Gallery Calendar).

5 comments about Practical HDRI: High Dynamic Range Imaging for Photographers.

1. Both film and digital chips lack the dynamic range of the human eye. High dynamic range photography attempts to recreate the dynamic range we appreciate with the naked eye using multiple images shot over a range of exposures and then combining them in a way that shows more detail in the dark and the light end of the combined image than a single recorded image would be able to show.
   
   This technique involves taking bracketed exposures of scenes that of themselves have significant dynamic range. If you've shot an image of a scene that is consistently bright, or consistently dark, there is unlikely to be very much dynamic range to expand using the techniques of HDRI. The images are combined using software tools. The images shown in books explaining HDRI are not actually HDRI images; ink printing techniques, and the paper used to present the image both also have limited dynamic range. So we aren't actually increasing the total dynamic range of the images, we're making the very bright and very dark areas more detailed and comprehensible. This results in more information appearing in the image, and may contribute to a more interesting image.
   
   HDRI imaging is used primarily in landscape/still life photography, it is more difficult and less effective when the subjects are in motion, although certain tricks may allow acceptable shots when there is some motion in the subject.
   
   This book by Jack Howard is an excellent introduction to the field. While not as complete as some other books may be (there are only 170 pages, and many of the pages are taken up with images), it gives an introduction to the field that allows one to understand what is going on, and decide if it's an area they'd like to pursue. While there is brief coverage of basic photographic principles, equipment selection, scene composition etc,, roughly 3/4s of the book is taken up introducing the software that allows the creation of these images. If you don't enjoy image tweaking on your computer, you probably won't enjoy HDRI.
   
   With those caveats in mind, highly recommended.



2. I find that photography books that are the first to introduce concepts are more likely to garner good reviews than books that just repeat what I already know. This is by way of explaining why "Practical HDRI", a perfectly respectable introduction to high dynamic range (HDR) photography, has not impressed me as much as earlier HDR books. (HDR is a method of combining several pictures in a computer to extend the range of light of a photographed scene.)
   
   Howard starts by describing the equipment necessary for HDR photography, proceeds to describe basic composition rules and the nature of lenses, and then how to best capture a scene for HDR processing. Next, he turns to generating the HDR image from the captured photos and then tone mapping the images. He completes his discussions by reviewing post processing of the images, with an emphasis on using Adobe Camera Raw (ACR).
   
   There are several different software tools for HDR processing and the author describes the use of Adobe Photoshop CS3, Photomatrix Pro 3, FDR Tools Advanced 2.2, and Dynamic Photo 3. In each case he explains what the various sliders do in creating an HDR image.
   
   Howard writes simply and clearly. However to make sense of his software descriptions, one will have to download the particular software (they are all available in demo versions) and create one's own range of images to process. I found that only by following along at the computer can one make sense of the directions. Howard's instruction is not a tutorial since there is no common image to process or understand. I found that his explanation of what actually happens when tone mapping an image to be the clearest in any of the HDR books that I've read.
   
   I wish that Howard had been more organized in indicating when one or another piece of software would be have been appropriate for a particular image, and had provided more detailed explanations of why he made choices amongst the various sliders and buttons each piece of software offers. Michael Freeman provided this type of information in "Mastering HDR Photography: Combining Technology and Artistry to Create High Dynamic Range Images", although Freeman certainly did not explore all the controls to the extent of Howard.
   
   I was quite surprised to see the author's recommendations for post processing in ACR, a plug-in I'd only considered appropriate for RAW images. Yet, because some of ACR's tools seem more robust (or at least more convenient) then the basic Photoshop tools, I ultimately found this idea acceptable.
   
   One of the characteristics of HDR imagery is the ability to manipulate an image to the point where it appears almost surrealistic, creating something beyond a simple reproduction of what the photographer saw at the scene. Many of Howard's illustrations demonstrate this surrealism and, while the author suggests he will explain how to achieve this effect, his explanations are minimal.
   
   HDR processing is likely to be the domain of the serious photographer rather than the snapshooter. Many of these photographers will have already experimented with the software covered by this book and will find nothing new. On the other hand, for the photographer still trying to get a handle on HDR, this book may help improve skills.



3. In this book Jack Howard gives you all the tips and tricks you will need
   to make stunning, true to life, HDRi images. Whether you just picked up a
   digital SLR for the first time, or you are an advanced shooter, you will
   learn some great techniques, and discover some fantastic tools that you
   can use to make amazing HDR images.
   
   Have a new DSLR? Wondering what all those settings do and how they relate
   to HDRi? Jack guides the newcomer through the basics such as the gear you
   will need, to ideas on composition and exposure. Advanced photographers,
   fear not, while you may be able to breeze through the first few chapters,
   Jack takes us all the way to the edge of HDRi giving us how to's on
   deghosting those pesky moving objects, working successfully in the 32bit
   space with global and local adjusting, how to work with and manage, halos,
   hypersaturation, and other artifacts that HDRi can produce.
   
   Jack will walk you through processing your HDR's in many different
   applications such as Adobe Photoshop CS3, Photomatix pro 3, FDR tools and dynamic photo HDR 3.x so you can see the workflow of HDRi and pick the application thats right for you!
   
   Think after you merge all those images to an amazing looking HDR you are
   done? Jack brings us full circle by instructing us on post tone mapping
   optimization, dealing with color profiles, adjusting the image in Adobe
   Camera Raw, and reducing HDRi generated noise.
   
   So, whether you are new to HDRi and don't know where to start, or you are
   a pro looking for some unique techniques, Jack Howard covers it all in
   this book!



4. After reading (and using) Ferrell McCollough's excellent "Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography" I was more than ready to dive deeper into HDR photography. I recently returned from Japan with about 500 HRD images to process, so I purchased the book at hand looking for guidance. This book is useful mind you, but it does not generate the excitement I found the the McCollough's work. The many controls of several popular HDR programs are described, and that will help, but I felt the information was a little mundane and somewhat patronizing. The price is expensive compared to the McCollough work ($16 vs $22). Another text (by Christian Bloch) has received high ratings on Amazon. Guess I'll try that one next . . .



5. It's hard to give this book a good rating although parts are very instructive. The book begins at a very elementary way; what exposure is, what the focal length of lenses mean. There are much better books for such basic stuff; and this one if far from comprehensive.
   
   The following information on how to use the HDR software, encompasses little more than 'move the sliders around and watch what they do.' There is a bit of instruction on what various buttons are for, and where to find more sliders on the unintuitive HDR software interfaces.
   
   The book then makes a huge jump into advanced techniques that assume a high level working knowledge of Photoshop. For someone who is really starting in HDR photography at the same level that this book starts, the section that describes deghosting one image using 14 sets of 7 bracketed exposures using Smart Object stacks in Photoshop CS3 Extended will be totally, completely beyond their capabilities!
   
   The production values of the book are excellent as are all the Rock Nook books; full color throughout, good binding lots of screen shots of good size (Something a lot of Photoshop books don't get right). There does not seem to be any way to get copies of any of the images in the book, so no chance of following along. (Several other of the Rocky Nook books do provide links for test images.)
   
   The advanced techniques provide a lot of good tips for experienced Photoshop uses and photographers. The 14x7 deghosting strategy mentioned above is excellent. I hope he does another version at a much higher level.

1 comments about French Country Diary 2009 (Desk Diaries).

1. I absolutely love this beautiful, well-designed calendar. Also, Amazon does a great job!

5 comments about How to Cheat in Photoshop CS3: The art of creating photorealistic montages (How to Cheat in).

1. This book starts out with excellent descriptions of how to accomplish the effects (assuming some knowledge of how PS works). I enjoyed using the techniques on my photos. And then about halfway through he seemed to get tired of pesky details of instruction and simply says "do this, then this" with not even a hint or menu illustration for clarification. Some end results include his notes that "I did this to add realism" with no instruction whatsoever. The first half of the book--great. The second half, more like his showing off his prowess with PS. However, simply the knowledge that some of the later stuff *can* be done is inspiring enough to induce me to spend hours figuring out just how.



2. This book reminds me of having cliff notes during high school. It takes you to the point without confusion. It covers a vast number of things that interest me in my photography business.



3. I knew from the title that this book had a lot of cool special effects, and it does. What I wasn't expecting was the very pragmatic tutorial on artistic communication: how to tell a story by the relative placement of objects/people in a picture, or the slant of the eyes, etc. And, yes, you can actually turn a people's eyes (or their entire heads!) with some neat, easy, amazing tricks. I just didn't know some of this stuff was even possible. Definitely not a book full of stuff you've seen already.



4. We checked MANY photoshop books out of the library and only bought two and this is one. Love it. It comes with a cd with all the pictures that they walk you through so you can practice the steps yourself. Awesome



5. They explanations are sometimes not easy to follow. Or it's me? You can try it yourself.

No comments about Real World Nikon Capture NX 2 (Real World).

5 comments about Canon EOS Rebel XSi/450D Digital Field Guide.

1. This book is a very good reference to use to learn the functions available for the XSi/450D camera. Much more user friendly than the instruction manual included by Canon with the camera.
   
   Still full of lingo that the average user may not be familiar with. If there would be any improvements to this book, I would like to see a little more space devoted to describing and defining some of the more obscure photographic terms that the average user may not come across.



2. I went from a point and shoot to a Canon Rebel XSI SLR. It has been somewhat of an intimadating experience, but with the field guide book explaining so many features and settings, I can breath a sigh of relief.
   
   It is well layed out and easy to read. The index covers all the necessary cross reference pages so a user can quickly find what he or she needs to operate the camera.
   
   After reading the first couple of chapters, I am now ready to get off the Basic mode settings with confidence.



3. Totally agree w. Shortstack above, this is a fancy manual, more concerned about completeness and boilerplate than taking the time to select the 30 most useful things a newbie could use. Most owners of this entry-level SLR are stepping up fr. point and shoot, otherwise they'd buy a mid level "prosumer" model. Will someone tell me 10 quick tips to take a portrait. For Instance, how hard it is, and how complicated it is, and if it is worth it, to get a better portrait by just using the portrait button or instead by making real adjustments in say Program or Aperture mode? Two pix, side by side, one taken w. Portrait button, the other taken w. some quick and realistic changes using Program or Aperture mode. Is it worth it? How hard is it? At what point do you need to leave the buttons, and who can realistically do that. Stuff like that, and the same for landscapes, kids, sports, etc. and basically some down and dirty basics for the 99 percent of pics folks like me and Shortstack take. Then you can use rest of book for Advanced stuff, if someone has the time and energy. Scot Kelby's books attempt to do this, but are seriously annoying b.c. of Scot's juvenile and egotistical style,but at least he 'gets' it. When Scot, or someone like him, takes his meds and writes a book dedicated to one camera, like the Canon EOS, SIGN ME UP FOR THAT BOOK. AMAZINGLY, the great how to photo book for interested newbies is YET TO BE WRITTEN. Do you really need to adjust White Balance by having subject hold up a white card? And taking two test photos?? Can't you correct that in like Picassa, and how many serious amateurs do that? Stuff lkke that.



4. Well written, excellent guide for the Canon Rebel XSi. Many of the features that were unclear in the user manual are clearly explained in this guide. After reading this book, I have a much better understanding of my XSi than before, even though I read the user's manual from cover to cover. This book is easy to understand and will put you in touch with all the features the XSi has to offer.



5. I bought this book based on the reviews of the author's "field guide" on the XTi, which were quite positive, with only a few critics. Usually, that's enough to steer me away if there's another choice, but I thought since there were so many positive reviews, the book must be pretty good. I was very disappointed, however, and I agree with the analysis of those critics of the XTi book.
   
   If you're looking for a version of the owner's manual that's larger and in full color, you might be happy with this "field guide", but if you're looking for something to help you take advantage of what the XSi can do (i.e. tips and techniques), you'll be disappointed too. It was actually less helpful to me than the owner's manual was. For example, I'm new to SLRs (as most of the audience for this book should be), and I didn't know very much about the 4 metering modes that this camera offers. Both the owner's manual and this book describe what they do, but only the owner's manual gives a recommendation (spot metering and center-weighted average are labeled "for advanced users"). Perhaps Lowrie wouldn't agree with that, but at least it's something besides the nuts & bolts.
   
   I can't imagine how Lowrie went about taking up so much space without saying something valuable, or even subjective, about this camera. Perhaps it was all the "full color photos". I also can't imagine ever bringing this "field guide" into "the field". I'd much sooner stick the owner's guide in my back pocket. I found Lowrie's blog much more informative and useful than this book.

1 comments about Audubon Engagement Calendar 2009.

1. These photos have more universal appeal and are more 'grand' than the 2008 Audubon Engagement Calendar. My clients have had the pleasant difficulty of limiting their choices to only the number we need for a given project - often they give framed photos from the calendar as gifts.