5 comments about Flower.

1. If you love beautiful and unique photos of flowers, then this is the book for you. I purchased it for inspiration as I am an amateur photographer and believe me, I am inspired!!!! You won't be disappointed.



2. This pictorial book is totally outstanding in it's presentation of a perfectionists view of many beautific flowers. Just stunning!



3. We just finished our first reading and viewing of Christopher Beane's "Flower". What a beautiful prose and photography volume this is.
   
   The essay reads with warmth, knowledge, and critical praise for the photographic plates that adorn the book, not to mention the affection communicated for the photographer and his professional development. The author's grasp of the essence of art history including photography builds a firm foundation for the complex interpretations and lucid explanations he provides.
   
   The crowning elements of the book are, of course, the photographic plates. Grouped by Christopher's evolving periods and changing forms of expression, many of the plates will evoke a gasp, a sigh, a tear, or a smile upon turning the page. One in particular caught my eye, Plate 112, Bloomed Clemantis, as appearing almost human in the blossoms struggle against the wind. The author, we later found, also saw that strength and aligned that with Christopher's own strength in dealing with his health issues over the past two years.
   
   We highly recommend the book to anyone interested in art, photography, or life, since the essay and the plates create a valuable life story of strength and beauty.



4. A disclaimer up front - Christopher Beane is our son!
   
   For over 40 years we have watched Christopher grow and develop - both as an extraordinary human being and as an exceptionally talented artist. His creativity has always been evident - whether in the things young kids make in school; in his water colored paintings; as he advised his mother how to decorate our home; in his landscaping of our yard; through his intriguing work during freshman year in the Rhode Island School of Design's challenging one, two and three dimention design studios; and finally, as his photographic career has evolved the past fifteen years.
   
   But, as parents, perhaps we are most proud of how he battled near fatal cancer, diagnosed just three years ago, including the eight months Christopher spent in New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital. He never lost his will to live. And with his engaging personality he brought out love and support from all those around him.
   
   Perhaps the greatest fear Christopher had during his long illness was that his talent might somehow desert him. As all can see this concern has been fully relieved and his newest work exibits both continued artistic growth and his amazing creativity.
   
   Some thoughts from Christopher's proud parents Rosemary & Frank Beane



5. Christopher Beane's new book, Flower, is a floral autobiography.
   
   Beginning with traditional, abstract, black & white compositions in the 1990s, Beane's early works make reference to a number of noted photographers but also reveal how he developed his own eye for presenting unusual floral shapes and textures.
   
   In the late 1990s, Beane left the b&w world behind and dove head-first into vibrant colour. In the words of Anthony Janson, who narrates the book: "Fortunately, in 1997 Beane began to experiment with color photography."
   
   "Fortunately" is an understatement: right from the first few photographs in Beane's aptly titled "orgy" series, we see a whole new world of color within his macro subjects, and Beane's explorations quickly depart from whatever preconceptions you may have of floral macro photography. Beane's colour work is truly his own: creative and evocative in a manner not as obvious as one usually finds in the sensual photography of pistils and stamens and pretty petals. In his representations you will find more abstract emotion, perhaps evoking flames and mysterious sea creatures... as well as gasp-worthy ultramacro depictions of familiar subjects.
   
   The cover of the Flower is itself a flamelike depiction of tulips; fortunately, an unadorned version can be found inside (plate 40). The book continues through the evolution of his macro photography, with each subject a new step forward for Beane. After mastering a particular motif, Beane deconstructs and reinvents his approach and summons up entirely new perspectives, new ways to infuse form with colour.
   
   While it is impossible not to marvel at the intricacies of his macro subjects, from the Coral Charm Peony (plate 51) to the sensual Bearded Iris Blue (plate 42), his latter work moves forward ever more progressively and ultimately departs the ultramacro realm in the direction of abstract art. Particularly striking to my eye are the Fritillaria (plates 127 and 128) which play with a reduced colour palette in an entirely new way, departing from the natural colours of the flowers themselves but somehow remaining true to them in abstract impression.
   
   In addition to plate after plate of masterful 4x5 colour photography, the reader will find details of Beane's battle with stage-4 lymphoma, how this affected his mood and vision, and how he returned, triumphantly, to his craft. Beane's adventure is inspiring and not only in the visual sense.
   
   I very highly recommend this book. It is truly inspirational and provocative.

2 comments about Photoshop Lightroom 2 Adventure.

1. Think of this book as not only a how-to guide to using Lightroom, but also a great piece of armchair travel. Beautiful images of the Island of Tasmania will entertain and inspire as you learn how to use Lightroom 2 to its fullest potential.



2. I'm a recent Lightroom 2.1 convert and have Scott Kelby's Lightroom 2 book. This book was a purchase intended to learn more about the actual use of the program, as opposed to how all the buttons work, and in that I was disappointed. The Lightroom 2 Adventure provides good basic instruction on how the Lightroom features work, but not nearly as much about why you'd use them as I was hoping.
   
   So I'm still looking for a "Lightroom 2 in Practice" sort of book.

5 comments about Audrey Style.

1. If you admire Audrey Hepburn, you'll enjoy this book. This is my inspiration for my sewing projects.



2. Even though I'm definitely an AH fan, I thought that the author went overboard with praise for Miss Hepburn's personal qualities. No doubt AH herself would be embarassed to read all this fawning and adulation.
   
   This book attempts to combine into one an AH biography and an analysis of her fashion style. Unfortunately, both fall short. The only worthwhile text was the introduction by Hubert de Givenchy.



3. I think Audrey Hepburn will be eternally remembered not only as one of the kindest and most generous women that has ever volunteered for Unicef, but to us women as a timeless, most graceful role model of style. She's the perfect embodiment of the adagio that in elegance less is more. Her streamlined, understated style that yet made one of the biggest statements in fashion history continues to be an inspiration to us women of the 21st century despite the forty years that separate us from "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Clarke Keogh's book captures Audrey's spirit like no other. It is beautifully illustrated and there are contributions from Hubert de Givenchy, Ralph Lauren or Gregory Peck, among other people who generously share with us souvenirs of this angel of grace that they had the chance to meet in person. Her wardrobe and makeup are meticulously reviewed and this book will prove an invaluable tool and source of inspiration for all those women who want to bring more elegance and refinement into their lives. One of the best assets in your style bookcase and one that you will gladly pass down to generations of graceful women to come.



4. If they reprinted this without any words, it would get 5 stars.
   
   Random examples of the writing:
   
   "'Oh, they were fated to meet,' says Connie, curiously choosing the exact same words used to describe Audrey's friendship with Givenchy." (Like OMG! Someone said Audrey was _fated_ to meet Givenchy! And someone else said she was _fated_ to meet another person!)
   
   "... she intones with the well-bred vowels of a Farmington girl, with some of her old boss, Diana Vreeland, thrown in for emphasis."
   
   Pamela Clarke Keogh comes off like an untalented high school student in a creative writing class. You know the sort, under the impression that bludgeoning the reader with random vignettes and a morass of clauses is "descriptive."
   
   And don't get me started on the over-the-top hagiographic nature of this book. Look, I love Audrey as much as the next person. Probably more. But how many quotes like "and she couldn't have been sweeter! So gracious! Beyond gracious! Heavenly!" do we need? There's such a thing as praising so much it becomes meaningless.



5. It's putting the quirky details together that makes this book more revealing than the standard saccharin drenched puff piece.
   
   For example, Hepburn is quoted as saying that she wears a size 8 1/2 shoe, while the author clearly states later in the book that Hepburn wore a size ten.
   
   Her mother's quotes, if accurate, provide convincing evidence that the Baroness Von Heemstra was more than a little jealous of her far more beautiful daughter.
   
   The author's claim that Audrey "didn't eat during times of stress" directly contradicts close friends Audrey Wilder and Doris Brynner, who claimed that Hepburn loved to eat. As for her staying so thin due to malnutrition that "permanently altered her metabolism", this is unlikely. According to the author, Hepburn speaks of gaining twenty pounds early in her career. Other bios confirm this. Perhaps in later years Hepburn simply watched what she ate.
   
   According to the author, Hepburn washed her hair every four or five days. She SMOKED. Whew, draw your OWN conclusions about that one!
   
   I've found Robert Wolders a bit creepy ever since I read about him in "Queenie", a superb biography of Merle Oberon. From Merle to Audrey to Shirlee Fonda; this guy clearly has a THING for wealthy, older glamour girls. He's always described as an actor/businessman. Hmmmmmmm.
   
   An additional strength of this book is its focus on her personal fashion philosophy--not just her association with Givenchy.
   
   Audrey Hepburn is my absolute favorite and always will be. She had many lessons to teach; not only about beauty and elegance, but also about tolerance, grace and kindness. No star of today can compare.
   
   PS-I'm just tucking into the Barry Paris book, which is FAR more in depth. I recommend following Audrey Style with this one if you haven't already read it.

5 comments about Digital Macro Photography.

1. The cover of this book alone drew me to buying it and I get all happy inside every time I look at it. Macro is a joyful hobby, particularly bugs, and for me, dragonflies are the most exquisite of creatures. I am lucky I live in a state that has a ton of dragonfly varieties... This is a great book, really good info on digital cameras and equipment, techniques, and ideas. If I had to recommend one macro book, this would be it.



2. This is truly an in-depth book on close-up photography. It focuses on techniques for getting great pictures of subjects from very close distances. It's approach is simple enough that a beginner can understand, yet goes into enough depth that anyone could learn from it.
   
   A good companion to this book is Closeup Shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop and Macro Photography. If you have both, you'll own everything you need to begin taking wonderful macro pictures.



3. Se trata de una obra bien estructurada con fotos de calidad y algun que otro consejo interesante. Bien por el capitulo dedicado a texturas y el de "post-camera processing" como pequeño resumen para consultas rapidas.
   Por lo demas se trata de una obra para aficionados que deseen dar sus primeros pasos en macrofotografia. No es un trabajo para amateurs mas avezados.En cualquir caso: recomendable.



4. Hands down this is without a doubt the most in-depth book on digital photography that has been written to date. It has improved my skill level by 90% . I was a novice dital photographer before reading this book and today I am able to accomplish the results of the professionals. Buy this Book !!! ... you deserve the best.
   Happy shooting !



5. I've looked at many of the recent books on digital macro photography, and this is the only one that devotes most of its space to macro. Too many that claim to be about macro or close up photography (e.g. "The Magic of ..." by Meehan) largely rehash guides to digital photography in general. Hoddinott does some of that too. I could have done without the "post processing" chapter at the end. But fortunately Hoddinott keeps the book mostly focussed on the subject promised in its title. He gives sensible advice that ranges from the moderately technical to the openly mundane. The latter includes surprisingly helpful suggestions about what time of day and where to find subjects suitable for macro. This is an introductory book that even pros could learn a few things from. One of the most unusual and admirable features: he shows his own mistakes and how he corrected them (though I suspect the mistakes were deliberate). Finally, his own photos (often of quite ordinary subjects)are imaginative, some even stunning.

5 comments about Van Halen: A Visual History: 1978 - 1984.

1. No ifs ands or buts about it. This is the best VH book to date. Given their recent tour there were actually two books about the band released this past year. This was one. The other was EVERYBODY WANTS SOME. Friends and fellow fans there is simply no comparison. Van Halen: A Visual History 78-85 by Zlozower is the ultimate in pictures and commentary. Zloz was shooting, hanging and partying with Dave, Eddie and the rest of the gang back when the author of that other book was still wetting their huggies. If you could only buy one VH book this would be it. Why waste your money on cut-and-paste tripe pieced together by an outsider with no ties whatsoever to the band and their crew when instead you can own what will surely be considered the best VH book ever presented to us by a world class photographer who was practically the fifth member of the band during their run with DLR. This is the best book out there, at least until the band decides to tell the story in their own words. There aren't enough stars to rate this so just do yourselves a favor and grab one!



2. The reviews of this book do not do justice to this book. The pictures alone are spectacular. Neil Zlozower took nearly every famous and infamous picture of Van Halen during the DLR years. They are all here along with a plethora of never seen before photos of the band and quotes and anecdotes from a broad spectrum of the music industry ranging from Jimmy Page to Slash. The book itself is well done also, the cover beneath the dust jacket has a nice glossy finish on it and the pages themselves are nicely bound, sewn in instead of just glued in so that the book can be laid flat when open without damaging the binding. This book is a must for any true Van Halen fan or collector.



3. WOW, WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO GO BACK IN TIME W/ THE VAN HALEN BOYS...ESPECIALLY DAVE, CUZ W/O HIM THERE IS NO VAN HALEN!!!!! IF YOU LOVE VAN HALEN, YOU NUST MUST MUST BUY THIS BOOK!!!!



4. I remember hearing the first track of VH 1 when it was released,
   bringing with it chills up the spine and jaw dropped.
   This book brings you in a time warp to witness rock history, and
   realize - in case you didn't - that Van Halen dropped a bomb on
   the music scene. Not only a revolutionary guitar god, but songs
   and live performances that rose light years beyond what was coming out
   of the U.S.A. at the time. The kind we won't see again, either.
   
   The photos, by a master of R&R photography, look like they were taken
   yesterday. Crisp, clear and a great mix of group shots and live. The
   backstage pics of Eddie preparing his axe arsenal, for example, are priceless; Alex behind one of his monster drum kits.
   
   And yes, it appropriately culminates with 1984 - got a problem with that?



5. Felt like I was back in high school, as I flipped through this book about the Rock God's -- Van Halen. Finally a Van Halen book worth looking at. Beautiful book about the Greatest Rock Band and Guitarist of all time.

No comments about Inked.

3 comments about Magic Lantern Guides: Canon EOS Rebel XSi EOS 450D (Magic Lantern Guides).

1. Well Amen. This was the prettiest book i ever read!
   You will like it a lot.
   I have dreams about books like this. They give you that fresh feeling.
   I would recommend this book.



2. Really like this book, very helpful diagrams and explanations, it really should have come with the camera. My only complaint is that I would have liked color images in the book.



3. This book is well illustrated with pictures and diagrams. The Magic Lantern Guide makes a complicated camera user friendly.

5 comments about Spirit Horses.

1. All I can say is Spirit Horse's is just Breathtaking. A beautiful book,I would recommed it for any horse lover.



2. This is one of the most beautiful books that I have seen of horses. Very well done. If you know somebody that loves horses, this is the book to buy.



3. The best art photography I've seen.. A must for horse lovers.



4. The photo book Spirit Horses is an must for every horse lover. The photo's are incredible and create or catch a mistical atmosphere as I have seldom seen. The captions are inspiring. Not a book to read but one to pick up once a week for half an hour meditation. Highly recommended



5. Misleading - Linda Kohanov only wrote the Intro.
   Repetitive photographs and sparse text.

5 comments about The Architect's Brother.

1. The Architect's Brother is a beautiful compilation of photographic art by photographer Robert ParkeHarrison. The photographs are splendidly composed and executed and each is a work of art capable of evoking responses of awe, wonder, joy and sadness.
   The book itself is well composed: the paper and pictures are very high quality and the book is well bound and cloth covered.



2. This book plays with reality, is beautiful, is provocative (in certain ways), and encourages revisits.



3. So different, so wonderful, so thought-provoking. This book of photographs is amazing. Each photo tells a story, or many stories, or creates an emotion that's hard to pin down. This is a large bound book, of high quality. I'm astounded at the price. This is truly a book to keep for life. I took it to work, and people lined up to look at it, one co-worker offered to buy it from me for $10 more than I paid for it :) (no way!)



4. Recently on PBS, I saw a small clip of the collaboration work of the photographer (who is also the subject in the photographs) and his painter wife. The artistic creation of staging and dark room manipulations were something no one produces but these two. Results are reminiscent of a strange dream or turn of the century photography of catastrophic Earth events. I had to find a book of their work. The first books I found were $300. but fortunately found a much better priced one. I not only wanted it for myself and friends, but also to hand it down to one of my grandkids. Thank you Mr/Mrs. ParkHarrison for your unusual vision and I hope to see your future productions.



5. Wow. That's how I'm going to start this off. My first inkling was to give the book four stars, you know, seem objective to the reader, maybe have a bigger influence. The truth is objectivity has nothing to do with this book. It is full of magic, suprise, wonder: nothing but true subjectivity. That is where its beauty lies, like a receiving a small bit of mail from an unknown sender, each page is a tale for you to tell, as well as ParkeHarrison. By far my favorite photography book, second only to Rocky Schenk, Photographs. Highly Recommended, also beautifully bound and LARGE. Take it from this poor college student, well worth the money.

No comments about Stuff on My Cat 2009 Wall Calendar.