5 comments about Absolute Beginner's Guide to Taking Great Photos.

1. A solid no nonsense guide to basic photography. This book will take you from zero to making great pictures in no time flat. I would recommend it to all beginning photographers--I only wish that it had been around when I was starting out.



2. If you're thinking about getting into photography, but find the idea daunting, this book will be the perfect companion to help you get started. Written in a very user-friendly style, it gives sound, easy-to-understand photo tips for a wide variety of shooting situations.

   If strapped for time, simply browse the highlighted areas for some quick tips to help you while you're shooting.

   Mary McGrath
   Petersen's Photographic Magazine




3. This book provides a great jumping off place that explains the basics in an easy to read fashion, providing information that can be used to immediately improve one's photography.

   The author's love for photography is apparent and encouraging. This alleviates the frustration one tends to get from reading photography books, making this book a good reference source.




4. This is a well written book and for the non technical user a must.The author keeps the wording simple and puts the reader at ease at the start of each topic with his simple and positive approach to the topic. The book is structured in a easy to read manner. The tips and use of light hearted humour is well done and does not detract from the overall objective of the book.
   The title says it all.



5. From what I have read so far this book makes understanding photography easy. There isn't a ton of jargon to figure out and it is easy to understand and follow what the author is saying. It gets to the point.

1 comments about Fashion Magazine by Alec Soth.

1. A unique pictoral entre in to the world of fashion by contemporary photography's favored son, Alec Soth. This is a beautiful book.

5 comments about Platinum and Palladium Printing, Second Edition.

1. This book covers platinum and palladium printing in a very logical, thorough manner. If you have never done Pt/Pd, you will get all the introduction necessary to buy a kit and get started. If you have done some, you can move on fairly quickly to the more advanced topics in the book, and get more out of your printing sessions.

   The printing method in this book is not for everyone. The methodology in the book is fairly numerically based, and if you like to work by instinct and intuition, this may not be the right approach for you. However, the discussions of available papers, chemical use and hazzards, and other resources listed in the book are worth the price of admission alone, not to mention the exquisite photographs reproduced in duotone.

   The photographs are quite inspirational; Arentz is clearly a master image-maker from the printing perspective, as well as having an eye for composition and subject.

   There are other books on platinum printing out there (most notably by Weese and Sullivan) but this book is the one resource I keep going back to again and again.




2. I think the previous review of this book pretty much summed things up rather well. I bought this book with minimal to no knowledge of the platinum and palladium printing processes. After having read the book several times now (not because it's hard to understand, but because it's so well done), I feel I've gained a very good handle on the basics of the process, and the information provided is given in such a way as to give you both the kind of knowledge needed to start making your first prints as well as the kind of knowledge needed to refine and grow into the process. I tend to be a very analytical thinkier, and the way the book is organized appeals to my thought patterns. If you're more of a romantic (as opposed to classical) thinker, though, the large amounts of numbers-based technical info may seem a little discouraging. Even if you are, though, I must highly recommend this book, as I think it must be the single most comprehensive and well-produced book on the subject.



3. Platinum/Palladium printing has "Wizard of Oz-like" mystique and a sense of mysterious alchemy beyond most photographic processes, but don't fret, it's not that difficult to get started. After my personal hands-on introduction (thank you, William Laven), Dick Arentz provides both the simple path to getting started, and then details comprehensive areas of specialty which he makes pretty helpful sense of. If you are already familiar with Platinum/Palladium, there is enough which has been pioneered in the recent several decades to allow a refresher for old photography hounds. For those starting out, just get the basic kit, read through the core sections of the book several times, then follow the three (3) pages of Chapter 6 - "The First Print". Once you have produced a few Palladium prints, cruise Chapter 7 - "Calibration" which provides a nice mental snack. Then move on to Chapter 8 - "The Platinum and Palladium Print", where having gotten past the panic of getting started, you can actually work out your basic functional understanding of the process. Like when that adult helped you launch on your first bike ride, suddenly you will be moving on your own and starting to get in the groove of the process.
   
   For the silver old-timers, the sensitometry chapter and discussion of Pyro developers will really come into play as you confront the issues of "do I have to choose between making negatives for Platinum or silver ..." Pyro can play equally well in both environments, and was very liberating when I realized that I had a rich path of negative making without conflicts ahead of me. Pyro is an opportunity to evolve once again during this lifetime.
   
   I use 8x10 for my serious work, and with standard films and papers going the way of the buffalo, I now understand what I need to do to use this remarkable process without being on a completely dead-end path.
   
   There are several major advantages to gaining an ability to print Platinum/Palladium:
   1. They can't discontinue the product! When you put a small number of drops of specific chemistry in a little cup, evenly coat the paper, expose it to UV light, slip the print into developer for two minutes, clear in three baths for 5 minutes each and then wash - it's like discoving fire as a tool. Pretty basic stuff, but very thrilling!
   2. No fixer fumes.
   3. You can work with the lights on.
   4. You don't need a completely tweaked out darkroom in order to work - a simple space can be transformed into a miracle production facility.
   5. It's fun.
   6. The prints are beautiful. It will take time to figure it out, gain a vocabulary with the materials and get solid with your workflow, but Dick's book will hold your hand as you take the path towards a new, fruitful printing adventure.
   
   Enthusiasm may inspire you to purchase other books, but this one can get you started successfully, and at the same time, it will provide plenty of sustenance as you grow. Or if you are already knowledgeable, there's plenty to chew on. If you are too advanced and find anything to be critical about in this book, write your own and share it with us!
   
   If it still seems overwhelming to get started, find some fellow photo adventurer so that you can try it out together. Pulling prints on hand coated paper which are archivally stable, have long scale and beautiful physical presence, well, it could make an old dog thrilled about photography again, or simply inspire a newbee with a very remarkable way to make stunning prints. There are challenges, and there are plenty of mysteries, but if you have large format negatives hanging around, or you are boo-hoo-hooing that conventional photography is dying, being replaced by digital, this book will help dry those tears. Get going and happy printing!



4. It goes directly to the important topic, speaking to the photographer with previous knowledge. A book for the professional.



5. This is the bible of Platinum and Palladium printing. The second edition has two or three significant additions over the first edition. It has a quick start chapter to get that first print out. Yes, the book is very technical in some of its treatment of the material - and that is the reason you will go back to it again and again. But the process is fairly straightforward in its essence and working through the steps to get that first print clarifies much of the material to come later on. Second, I think the material covering Palladium printing with the Na2 contrast control method is essential knowledge today. It's surprising the more I've read of the history of Platino/Palladio processes how much information was lost that had to be "discovered" again. Third, there is a strong treatment on the effect of paper choice and characteristics of some papers (at least one of which is no longer being made since the second edition came out) that can help you understand how to find appropriate papers for other alternative processes. Finally, the appendices from different authors provide viewpoints of the process that round out treatment of the subject. Mark Nelson's chapter on digital negatives touches the surface of what has become my primary method for contact printing not only the Platinum and Palladium prints, but traditional silver as well as other alternative processes.
   
   Highly recommended for any student of photography interested in mastering one of the most beautiful processes for printmaking.

5 comments about The Zone System for 35MM Photographers: A Basic Guide to Exposure Control.

1. I have been taking Black and Whites for about a year now, and every chapter I read my pictures improve. While the Zone system can be presented as hard core math, Grave uses Black and White images to define the Zones and help you think in grey scale. His book is extremely practical and is based on using the light meter in the camera. This means that you are not forced to buy extra equipment such as spot meter or hand held meters unless you want them for convience. The book really is good in making you think about the black and white print that will be produced. The proper exposure give you or your developer maximum latitiude in making prints. As well great effects can be made by adjusting your preceptions an adjusting the camera to capture what you precieve. The part on developing looks good also. There are film test and exposure test to determine if your camera is fuctioning normally or if needs work. If you are not getting good results then I suggest using these test to determine if your camera is functioing correctly the test seem unnecessary if you are getting good results. The Pictoral examples in this book are great. The text is about seeing a picture in your mind and then telling you how to create it on film for priinting. This book will greatly improve your black and white skills if you are a beginner without creating a great deal of confusion. Some of the lessons translate well to color photos. And there is a chapter onthe zone system for color.



2. I have only one complaint to make about this book. All the examples Carson Graves uses to illustrate the nine zones appear in black and white photographs. What I would really like to see in order to previsualize the various zones as I see them, which is in color, would be a side by side comparison of the same photos in black and white, in color. Is a light blue sky zone III? What zone is a light yellow leaf? A dark yellow leaf? A simplified pantone chart translating the various color tonalities into the various zones would be very helpful. Otherwise, the book is a marvelous learning tool. If any of you reading this know of such a book, please let me know.



3. This book tells exactly how the zone system can be used in smaller format photography.



4. For those photographers who didn't struggle through Ansel Adams' exquisite explanation of this approach to B&W photography, this is a brief, lucid, and excellent introduction. For those already familiar with the Zone System, this is an excellent refresher. Easy going, clear writing, good teaching technique. Worth the price and the time.



5. The author made an honest effort to do what the title says the book would do, explaining the zone system for today's cameras. In my opinion, not reading this book will prevent understanding of photography, even for those who later decide not to use the zone system.

5 comments about Creative Photo Cropping for Scrapbooks (Memory Makers).

1. I have looked and wasted so much money buying scrapbooking books here and there for these tiny bits of "goodness" in them. When this book arrived I realized I finally found a true inspiration book - no fluff, no fillers, no really basic-how-to-scrapbook instructions. Everytime I open this book I become entralled with the examples....(Ooohhh, I NEED to do that next time...WAAYY TOO COOL!).
   
   If you are a beginning scrapbooker - this book is not for you. The methods of cutting or cropping are better left to those who've gained experience with cropping photos and using a paper trimmer. A better book for you would be Scrapbooking for Dummies (covers a wide variety of basics) or a class.
   
   However, if you treat your paper trimmer like a third arm and are quite comfortable with it - you've got to get this book! Well worth the price even at full retail!



2. An excellent book for all levels of scrapbookers, but especially so for those who are just beginning. Well done.



3. This book is well worth the price. It offers many unique ideas. It has the basics for your beginner scrapbookers, but is full of challenge ideas for apprentice or even seasoned scrapbookers!



4. Ever hear of *SHEAR-CROPPERS* ? "Creative P.C. (Photo Cropping) for Scrapbooks" is a book crammed with examples of "creative cropping" - - including new twists & challenges. My favorites are weaving, vertical panoramas and kaleidoscope mats.
   
   Patterns can be imitated or cleverly adapted for using your own treasured photographs. The fun is in trying out all of the different effects. Only in a "How-To" book would so many fill consecutive pages, but finished products can also be framed as gifts, &/or placed as decorative accents in homes.
   
   The book is obviously not the work of one individual - - many have worked together to demonstrate ideas for cropping in distinctive ways that will liven the pages of scrapbooks. It is all part of a thriving industry whose many enthusiasts love to learn & share new techniques. Even in the very small (15,071) Indiana county where Reviewer mcHAIKU lives, there are two shops and one 'commercial' individual in the largest town (population: 826)!
   This shows that you can get help anywhere to produce *BLUE RIBBON scrapbooks* - - and especially by using books such as "Creative Photo Cropping." (mcHaiku: 8.2.07)



5. I have been an avid scrapbooker for years and have yet to find a book that uses the pictures as the true page focal point instead of adding embellishments.... until I saw this book! There is page after page of unique ideas for cropping pictures that will guarantee that your pages will stand out from all the others.

1 comments about The Best of Wedding Photography.

1. Bill Hurter's CHILDREN'S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY covers all the basics of how to photograph children, from using studio lighting for formal and informal results to posing tips for all ages, age-specific psychological insights for talking to kids, and design techniques for making albums polished keepsakes.

3 comments about 500 Lighting Hints, Tips, and Techniques.

1. This book was a BIG disappointment. The first Chapter: The Basics consists of 86 so called tips about the camera. It is more of a dictionary of photographic terms sometimes with illustrations. The following Chapters: Characteristics of Light, Working with Daylight, Artifical Lighting, Lighting Setups and Postproduction Lighting are not much better, what is presented is very elementary. If you have no ideal what aperture is or what a ring flash looks like this book is for you. But otherwise skip it.



2. The book does not contain much of light setups but it shows
   almost every lighting gadget and explains them. Useful for
   begginers who wants to see which tool is used for which purpose.



3. 
   
   At the middle of last year I opened a photo studio. So, I can say, I'm still beginner int this topic. So, this book was very helpful for me to gt advance knowledge about art of making great photos.

No comments about Bare Witness: Photographs by Gordon Parks.

5 comments about 50 Fast Digital Camera Techniques (50 Fast Techniques Series).

1. This is a rather useless book most of the techniques are known even to amateurs. Its title is misleading you think you will get something about digital cameras and instead you get techniques that have already been given for analog camera.



2. I have been using digital cameras for the past five years and film for the 30 years before that.
   
   I found this book to be very informative and up-to-date. The advice varies from very basic to advanced, but each technique is thoroughly explained and the pictures are well reproduced and seem reasonably current. As with most books like this, the eye-glazing point is approached quite early, but regular re-reading seems to allow the advice to "take." I feel this was a worthwhile addition to my technical library.



3. This book was very useful when I first started using a digital camera. I was fairly new to photography and had very little knowledge of the subject. Not only did this book help me to expand on technique, it also gave me inspiration to learn more about photography in general. I am hooked. Not obsessed but certainly inspired. I still page through it from time to time, always getting a new perspective.



4. From the title "50 Fast ... Techniques" I'd simply hoped for a collage of tips to quickly apply to different photo taking situations. Surprise! This is a comprehensive, clearly written and generously illustrated text designed to get the new digital photographer beyond "Auto" and on to understanding and using the settings and features of his camera.
   The 20 Techniques in the first 4 Chapters build the foundation. Learn these first and you'll understand your camera and how to use its features and settings - including scene modes, shutter speed, f-stop, color balance, focal length, and the histogram - to control image quality features like exposure, sharpness, depth-of-field, and noise.
   And you'll learn enough good photo basics to appreciate when and why which features are important.
   It also goes well beyond the camera controls - covering composition, natural and flash lighting, tripods, and even care of memory cards and batteries.
   Beyond those opening chapters, there's seemingly a Technique for every common photographic challenge - e.g. kids, portraits, pets, sports, nature, macro, waterfalls, stars and sky, landscapes, and panoramas. The illustrations are high quality, in color and well chosen; "tip boxes" highlight many special tidbits, and a 15 page index helps find everything.
   Techniques even cover the oft neglected image handling challenges of digital photography - including editing, resizing and printing, sharing, organizing, and backing up. Although less complete and dated as software and services quickly evolve (this 2nd edition uses Photoshop Elements 3 and Elements 6 is out), these Techniques will get you started.
   This book should get you started and be a great reference whenever you try something new.



5. I found the book to be a great introduction to new users of the Digital camera.
   After you get past the 20 Techniques in the first 4 chapters, you will have learned the basics of Digital Photography. These include shutter speed,focal length, f-stop, exposure and histogram plus many other important Digital camera functions.
   The remaining chapters include Techniques that will help not only new Digital camera users but also, those that might be considered more experienced. Features such as image handling, editing and printing are very helpful to all.
   I found that all the Techniques in the book to be well presented and very easy to follow. I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Beginner's Guide to Photographic Lighting: Techniques for Success in the Studio or on Location.

1. The first few chapters are ok for a beginner like myself but most of it is dealing with pro equipment which I dont have and studio which I dont have. I am not going to throw the book out it does have good points, but not really what I was looking for. I did like the light explantion with out all the math Hard and soft. I am still looking for the book that will tell me how to get good lighting at home with what I have on hand.



2. Congratulations - you bought a fancy camera, purchase expensive lighting equipment, now you are searching for a book to help you learn the tricks of the trade. Sadly, you search DOES NOT end here. This book, if you want to read it is much better checked out from the free library than purchasing it. The author sorely misses the idea of what beginners need to succeed in studio photogrpahy. The images seem out dated and the author provides no diagrams. In an attempt to make his book readable to a larger audience he waste space assuming that his readers do not have the correct equipment for the job. Don't waste the money, but I cannot be too critical as there are some morsles of lighting wisdom scattered around.



3. I've taken a variety of classes and read a number of books to improve my lighting skills. i found this book to be the one that delivered the best "a-ha" breakthrough on understanding the basics of lighting--and then some. the author very systematically goes through metering and set-up for a single light shoot, and then adding additional lights and other techniques to produce cool results. he also provides some extremely useful methods for working with what you've got (boring backgrounds, mixed lighting conditions etc.) to produce some very interesting and satisfying results. all one really has to do is follow the exersizes that he demonstrates through diagrams and photo examples in order to learn the techniques he recommends.
   I found this book to include more than enough--but not too much--information. it was neither too simplistic or too overwhelming. i recommend it to photographer friends who are strobe-phobic and thumb through it again periodically as a refresher.



4. The title will give you the impression this book is basic, however I didn't find it that way.
   
   It is an excellent book, I review often, but if you know nothing about lighting, it is a little hard to follow the first time through. I think this is mostly due to the author not having diagrams to show lighting positions. Also if the lingo is new to you, you will probally spend a little time going back and forth from the subject to defenitions of terms.
   
   However if you want to learn to light, you want to undertand how light works in various scenarios, you should buy this book.
   
   Tim Skipper
   Vision Poto Image
   www.visionphotoimage.co



5. very good and clear explanation what light can do for your photo's with examples how to.