No comments about Michel Gondry: You'll Like This Film Because You're In It (Picturebox Books).

5 comments about The Film Director Prepares: A Practical Guide to Directing for Film and TV.

1. This unique book is one of the best Film and Television Directing books that promises satisfaction and truth. Myrl A. Schreibman is an authentic and creative author that incorporates wisdom throughout the book rather than regurgitating his knowledge. Experience is another thing that this book offers which creates a pragmatic platform for the reader that ultimately functions as motivation and inspiration. This book is a powerful tool for any beginning, intermediate, and even advanced student or professional of Film and Television Directing.



2. The Film Director Prepares: A Complete Guide to Directing for Film and TV is a great text and resource for the beginner looking at the construct of filmmaking and the director's role as well as great advice and insight for those at intermediate and experienced levels. The added CD from Frame Forge is outstanding and invaluable for storyboarding your project. Overall an excelent resource!



3. I just finished a feature length screenplay that will soon become a feature length film. To prepare for production I decided to purchase two books: Creative Producing A to Z, and, A Film Director Prepares, both by Myrl Schreibman. Having just finished reading them both, I now know I could not have made two better choices. Buy them both, read them both, then read them both again! I promise, your film career will be well served.



4. Practical and easy-to-grasp, this book breaks down directing to its most essential elements: the philosophy and the process. The book is a great starting guide for the newbie. Use it to learn just the fundamental principles of filmmaking, and then go out and discover your own principles.



5. This book is an entirely interactive book as it contains a CD-rom that has a 3d storyboarding software that makes it absolutely remarkable in being able to manipulate the images in the book to experiment with concepts and precepts that the author is knowingly speaking about. The Directors Guild of America calls this book the definitive book for directors and encourages not only those who are learning to direct but those who already direct to hacve this book in their library. It is told from a very easy and understandable perspective and full of practical stuff about telling stories, saving production time during production, working with talent, directing various forms of television and most of all what it means to do coverage to tell stories. This is one book that you must have!

2 comments about Lead Belly: A Life in Pictures.

1. Many people have loved Lead Belly and his legacy, but none perhaps so much as John Reynolds, one of the listed authors of this book. Although John is listed last of the 4 contributors to the book, this is really his project, and one that he has labored on for many years to bring to fruition. Lead Belly (or Leadbelly) was a seminal force in our understanding of 'American' music, and his influence has informed even those who have never heard of him.
   
   This book is a beauty, and is not meant to be an exhaustive biography, but rather a celebration of the man, his times, his influence, and his music. As such, it succeeds spectacularly. I highly recommend that you search www.youtube.com for Lead Belly videos to accompany your journey through this book. It will add much to the experience, and actually enhance the fact that this book is a wonderful keepsake and motherlode of visual delights and insights in our understanding of this man.
   
   My favorite page was "The Leadbelly Method" by contributor Glenn O'Brien.



2. Whether you favor the two-word or the single word version of his name, this pictorial biography of Leadbelly is just outstanding! Truly a labor of love by the authors and it should be well received by all Leadbelly fans as well as by any who are interested in folk-music and blues. Particularly poignant are the photos showing Leadbelly just months before his death holding Alvin Singh and/or his guitar. This book is highly recommended!

5 comments about Preston Bailey's Design for Entertaining: Inspiration for Creating the Party of Your Dreams.

1. It is a beautiful book, filled with gorgeous photographs and texts on the different venues that Mr. Bailey designed. This would be a wonderful gift for a creative friend.
   
   Elizabeth Edwards



2. This book has wonderful decorating ideas for a wide range of party types. The floral arrangements are unique and elegant. This is a great gift idea for your favorite florist!



3. The photos are beautiful, but I didn't purchase it for the photos.
   I purchased it to discover the use of mechanics to construct the beautiful florals. There is some text about materials used, but very little. Disappointing.



4. 
   I bought this book so I can find ideas for my wedding decoration, it has great and beautiful pictures, but obviously it's impossible to try to imitate Preston Bailey's ideas. I do recommend this book. You can use it afterwards for a coffee table book.



5. What a fabulous book for inspiration to all professional florist, Event and party planners every where. As a high end Event and Party planner in Seattle, WA we use Mr. Bailey's book for reference to customers who are looking to throw an "over the top" party or event.
   
   I recommend this to all flower lovers.
   
   Magnolia Village Florist
   Seattle, WA

No comments about Pete Dye Golf Courses: Fifty Years of Visionary Design.

1 comments about Vandal Squad: Inside the New York City Transit Police Department, 1984-2004.

1. lol to those bums scared to chase me on the train tracks...mr.x 5x7 1 line prince ... funny book nypd! google me: dyckman slim

5 comments about Step-by-Step Wedding Photography: Techniques for Professional Photographers.

1. Damon Tucci's STEP-BY-STEP WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY: TECHNIQUES FOR PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS covers all the basics of assuring wedding shots are given meaningful, poignant preparations, from how to embark on a great consultation plan to tips on anticipating photo ops and learning what to look for during the ceremony and at the reception. From the usual lighting and posing techniques to documenting all the emotions involved in a wedding, this offers many keys to success.



2. This book makes a great starting point for anyone entering the field of wedding photography. The author explains the entire process from meeting with the bride to shooting on the day.
   
   His style is distinctive. He prefers natural lighting to flash and his posing is interesting and edgey. This is a hybrid of photojournalism and fashion photography. Meticulously posed bridal images that appear to be candid. Nicely create and composed images. I certainly recommend this book.



3. I really enjoyed this book and if I were teaching a intro to wedding class,
   this book would be one of my textbooks. Why? Because it covers the basis first in simple to understand manner. What the book is not it is not the
   intermediate or advanced wedding photography book. One thing I like was the section about packing your equipment and how to do so. Early on I learned this lesson and it saves me time as I know where everything is.
   
   I do believe he could have gone into using flash and modifiers a little more
   but there is only so much you can put in a book.
   
   I have ordered two copies of this book for beginning wedding photographers that I know and I simply ask them to pay it forward.



4. Sometimes I wonder if wedding photography is so competitive that practitioners are always trying to get any edge they can so that they are always willing to buy new books on wedding photography. Or maybe it's that the field looks so lucrative to outsiders that they are willing to buy wedding photography books to try and figure out how to get a piece of the pie. Or maybe it's that so much is on the line that wedding photographers will grasp at any straw to avoid an error. There must be some explanation of why there are so many books published on the subject. Here's another entry in the race.
   
   After a brief introduction that deals with things like the initial meeting with the clients and advice like packing your bag yourself, the author follows the event in a time-ordered sequence from preparation of the bride until the end of the reception. Because he emphasizes the pressures of time to really capture the big day, he provides seven time-saving strategies. There are too-brief discussions of posing, lighting, file formats, lenses and post-production and then a message to find your passion and style.
   
   The author is a great believer in available light photography, made easier by the newest low-noise, high ISO digital cameras. He gives us very little guidance on the use of artificial light. There is no mention of softboxes, or bounce light, or Gary Fong, all so beloved to wedding photographers.
   
   The pictures in the book seem rather standard (except that Tucci loves to pose the bride by herself, without train, against a garishly colored wall or in an unusual setting). However, the information provided for each picture reveals his preference for wide-angle lenses (which on his Nikon camera with a crop factor of 1.5 are generally shot in the near normal range). I wish he had spent more time explaining this preference. He also appears to love a 10.5mm fisheye. It seemed to me that more than one picture like that per wedding album might be overkill, but I suppose when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
   
   Sprinkled throughout the book are lighting diagrams that show the subject, or subjects, in relation to the camera and a reflector, but rarely show the direction of the main light.
   
   This is a fine book if you are interested in a quick look at how one wedding photographer handles his work, and picking up a few tips. But in a crowded field like this, a book really has to be good to stand out above the crowd. My own personal favorite is "Digital Wedding Photography: Capturing Beautiful Memories" by Glen Johnson, which is far more comprehensive than this book, and is the book to get if you are only getting one. Tucci would provide a nice supplement, particularly if you want to follow the available light route. But then considering how much is on the line in photographing a wedding, maybe one should read as many books as possible before undertaking the task.



5. A well written and organized approach to everything you should be doing as a wedding photographer on wedding day. Great photos grace the pages of this book as if you were paging through a wedding album. All aspects of the day are covered with good advice on each section. How the author constructs the content is enjoyable to read. Even though I have shot numerous weddings, I picked up a lot of useful information.
   
   Again, I must emphasize the photographic content here. There are many good ideas to draw from. The images are current and trendy and they are exactly what brides today are looking for. You will always have the traditional poses but its the non traditional that will set you apart. Good advice to try especially if you're still shooting the way you were five years ago. The following quote is from pages 62-63 and stresses my point: "You must really immerse yourself to come up with the goods consistently (and by "the goods", I mean better-than-average photographs). In the competitive market of wedding photography, this is what you must produce to survive".

No comments about Simplicity 2009 Weekly Engagement Planner (Calendar).

5 comments about Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism (Associated Press Handbooks).

1. Excellent text, well illustrated, and very helpful as a supplement to required texts for elementary college courses.



2. It's an easy read, with interviews of assorted veterans of the PJ world. Most of these guys worked in the film era, so don't expect much on digital technique. In fact it's more about the human experience of these people, as they do their job as silent, passive witnesses to history. I can't say I learned anything, but I did read the whole thing, so it was cheap entertainment. If you are looking for practical advice or technical guidance you need to look for something less dated. These are bedtime stories, kinda like the stories my grandma told me years ago.
   
   Dave



3. This book clearly is not meant for advanced journalism students but it's perfect for someone working as a stringer or a novice who is thinking about entering this field. The most important aspects of photojournalism are covered, including a section on electronic ethics. If ever you needed a good reason to keep ethical standards then the "Photoshop War" run by Reuters last year in Lebanon is an excellent example: one of their photojournalist was actively creating even more photo-edited havoc and carnage than what was actually happening... and slanting the images to make it appear as if Israel was indiscrimately destroying Beirut. I'd like to see an updated edition of this book that takes this into account but I doubt I'll see it any time soon.



4. If you are extreamly new at photography or maybe working for a high-school newspaper, this book would work well.
   
   For anyone that is serious about hard-core photojournalism, like the professionals the book highlights, I do not recomend it.
   
   I was looking for a book on some on ways to break into some of the big names. I just assumed that since it was an AP book.



5. "Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism", Brian Horton, McGraw-Hill NY, 2nd. ed. 2001, ISBN 0-07-136387-4, SC 223 pgs.
   
   Sports photo editor at A-P since 1971, Horton has many credits including 2 books on news photography. This text explains PJ (picture story) - how a photographer "sees the story" is a skill requiring experience, insight, anticipation, inventiveness, & a passion. Often "breaking stories" are heavily covered & many photos require sensitivity, rapport, knowledge of equipment so to acquire a style using composition, cropping & those angles to communicate photo stories of news, emotions, life experiences, etc.
   
   Horton quotes an A-P policy adopted in 1990 indicating "the content of a photograph will never be changed or manipulated in any way". Horton then goes on to recite of some widely published photos with recognized manipulations & public outcries leading to general distrust of media by the populace (& rightly so!). Indeed, even cropping can be viewed as manipulation, the latter generally a product of Madison Avenue influences that shouldn't reflect PJ integrity (need for well insulated photo editors).
   
   Relying on "photo setups" can numb public's perceptions & lessen reality. Telephoto lenses as 80-200 zoom provides close-ups without intrusion despite an onerous sanctifying of 24 mm wide-angle to fill the frame by getting into the subject's face & personal space. Author interviews 8 pros on their perspectives & experiences in PJ & then concludes with a short summary of some changes in photography over the past half-century, namely the gradual switch from 4"x5" to 2 1/4" to 35 mm to color & now electronic (digital) imaging.
   
   As a former newspaper photographer I'd been taught a good PJ shot did not require a title. I found Horton's book exacting, full of exciting photos, many good "how to" tips, and how PJ news photography has evolved into specialized art forms for optimum coverage of war, natural disaster, politics, crime, disease & subspecialities of certain sports as basketball, football, Olympics, Indy 500, etc. It is a pleasant, informative read, not overtly technical & fairly priced.

5 comments about Handbags: The Power of the Purse.

1. Handbags is a light-weight (as in no information on what makes a great handbag great) lots of very good photographs of iconic "classic" and "it" bags. Lovely biographical sketches of taste-making handbag designers and many historical bags and historical details (but not adequate if you are doing historical costumes). One brief sketch of how a very high-quality (Hermes) bag is constructed. All in all a lovely read, though, because of the pictures.



2. Another excellent book on handbags with beautiful photographs and descriptions by designer/historical context.



3. This is a great product because it shows you all the collection of purses that have been made. It has the expensive ones and the wierd ones and how they are made popular.



4. I somehow thought this would be a much larger book. It's quite small in size. Still it's lots of fun to see all the variety of handbags over time. It's a light hearted subject.



5. This book helped my mom and I understand the different handbags out there that are really looked at as high fasion. We are both into fashion and after reading this book, she bought two authentic Hermes birkins - WOW!! - from Haleys Couture Galleria aka hermes galleria and MightyKismet. Both excessively nice ladies. Awesome news for us. We recommend this book as it helps you learn all of the styles out there and is really like one big encyclopedia. Awesome. Thanks.