3 comments about Amphotos Complete Book of Photography: How to Improve Your Pictures with a Film or Digital Camera.

1. Amphoto's Complete Book Of Photography: How To Improve Your Pictures With A Film Or Digital Camera is a comprehensive resource to improving the quality of one's pictures, no matter what the medium one works with. Advice for both technical issues (learning when and how to use fill flash, selecting the most appropriate camera angles) and artistic inspiration (watching for moments of interaction between people, simplifying images to give them more power) and much more pack this thorough compendium. In addition to color photographs throughout, the pages of Amphoto's Complete Book Of Photography are color-coded for quick and easy lookup of specific types of photography - blue for stripped down point-and-shoot, green for more advanced situations, red for using a traditional or digital SLR, and much more. Highly recommended for any amateur or professional photographer seeking to improve.



2. This is a great book on photography that really works for me. It's a concise course on the general aspects such as depth of field, aperture speed, composition, filters, landscape and macro photography. What I really liked about it is that it's a relatively thin book, but every page counts. If you're new to photography or you want to get into it more, this is a winner. If you're looking for a specialized course on digital, look elsewhere.



3. Excellent step-by-step examples, hints and tips for beginners (especially DSLR and SLR beginners); not sure if very useful for semi-pros or pros.

5 comments about Where We Lived: Discovering the Places We Once Called Home.

1. I bought this book because I heard an interview with the author on NPR radio and he sounded very interesting. I am loving this book! I thought I would use it more as a reference book, but am finding myself reading it from front to back, gobbling up the photos and other interesting bits of information that he packs in to the pages and sidelines of each page. I love the historical journal readings that he has inserted to make points such as in the bed bugs section he quoted the Farmers Almanac "let a tired farmer be tormented all night" by bed bugs - and another traveler, Joseph Fowler in 1828 found "filthy beds swarming with bugs ... notwithstanding the repeated onsets of the bugs and other vermin with which I was molested." Very funny, written very well and extremely enjoyable historical book. I no longer yearn to live in the 1800's! And have a much deeper understanding of what our forefathers endured ... enjoy!



2. A fascinating account of the homes folks lived in 200 years ago and what each space and room in the home was used for. Mr. Larkin vividly describes by area (New England, the Middle States, the Southern States, and the Western States - as far as what was considered west by 1840), how the people of the past utilized their living spaces. It also describes in detail the many different styles of housing in the geographical areas mentioned, and how the Middle States structures may differ from the, say, New England area.
   As mentioned in other reviews, it truly is amazing how many human beings could sometimes be squeezed into a small house with, most likely, little complaining.
   In addition to the lively, well-written text, there are many photographs - most taken 50 or more years ago and are in black and white - to enhance the reader's enjoyment.
   As an amatuer social historian, I can honestly say this wonderful book is a great find to add to any collection. I am thankful we have historians like Jack Larkin to help us in our quest for real American History.



3. I am so pleased with this book. It's one of my better purchases. I started reading it immediately after receiving it and could hardly put it down. I read it from cover to cover very quickly but I am going to re-read it for "remembering".



4. I really enjoyed this book, and read it cover to cover the day I got it. One unfortunate reality is that only well-built houses survive - so we have minimal knowledge of how "the other half lived." But the author did his best to deal with this issue, and I , for one, was delighted that he did not waste pages going over well-trodden ground. Mount Vernon, Monticello, Montpelier, and other grand houses have already been covered in excruciating detail by other authors. In this book, the author concentrates on the homes of the "middling classes," and also on as much of the data as can be found on the huts, hovels, and cabins of the poor. The scope of the book is really the eastern seaboard and the original colonies, so the reader who is primarily interested in the architecture of the Southwest will not find it here. I wish that he had included some coverage of the Native American dwelling places indigenous to these areas of the eastern seaboard, and also perhaps some discussion of how Native dwellings changed in response to exposure to White ideas and building materials. (But that topic would properly fill an entire book of its own.)
   This was an expensive book, by my penny-pinching standards, but I consider it money well spent and it will be a permanent addition to my library.Early American Houses: with A Glossary of Colonial Architectural TermsHow Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built



5. From the moment I saw this book I knew I had to have it. It's fascinating to read about what everyday life was really like in early America, not only what it looked like but also what it SMELLED like. You can get lost in the photographs, some of which take up two pages. Different regions of the country are covered, from New England to the South, and you get the sense of living in the houses from that past time. Not just a picture book, this gives you a real history of early America, and it's well-written.

3 comments about Rajasthan.

1. Tons of fantastic pics, details of fabrics, places etc. If you like Rajastan sty;e, you will fall head over heels for ths heavy "coffee table" book!



2. When I was the in-house stylist for Style Guide I had this incredibly beautiful Indian girl with dark eyes for an intern. She wore the brightest colors to work everyday and spoke in this rich lilting voice. One day I finally asked her where she got it - "the clothes or the accent?" she asked, "Both", said I. Well, she said, the colors are from my mother's land and the accent is from my father's land. Turns out that my pretty intern's mom came from the desert state of Rajasthan, in the North Western part of India. I have since then browsed innumerable coffee table books on Rajasthan, but Pauline Van Lynden's Rajasthan is certainly a notch above the rest. The photographs are lavish, the details touching, the effect spellbinding. Royals, artisans, dressmakers, housewives - Van Lynden gives us a breathtaking glimpse into these myriad lives.
   
   Another plus is Van Lynden's tone - always inquisitive but never condescending. There might be other books which will give you a lot of information about Rajasthan but Van Lynden's Rajasthan shall remain a front runner due to its evocative prose and dazzling photographs which seem to leap off the page. I recommend Van Lynden's Rajasthan as an antidote for any colorless day.



3. I am very pleased with this book. I have been to Rajasthan and this book does a wonderful job of incorporating the vast and colorful culture of that region of India. This book does a great job of detailing the miniture details that can be easily missed in an landscape that is overwhelming to the 5 senses. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Rajasthani culture and encourage them to visit there as well.

5 comments about One Hundred Young Americans.

1. Terrific, it's all there, the kids' hopes and dreams, their passions, fears, mistakes.
   Michael Francini (and his team) did a terrific job in finding such a diverse group of 100 youths around the country.
   The portraits are fabulous. Each one made to fit and doing justice to the person in the picture. All telling different stories. Great light, composure, good ideas and great people, all of them! This is what portrait photography is about.
   We all can learn from each and everyone in the book. From who they are, what they want to be and what they have to say. Listen, try to understand and it will make you a better person.



2. One Hundred Young Americans is an eye-opener for me. I consider myself pretty connected with the youth of today but after reading this beautifully published piece, my perspective has broadened immensely. Franzini's lens captures the emotions, aspirations, and dreams of his subjects with vivid and detailed artfulness. The images are provocative and many times playful. Though I learned and got reaquainted with today's young people through Franzini's eyes, I almost feel like I personally knew many of these kids when I was in high school.



3. This book is captivating. A very personal glimpse into the life of 100 individual personalities. Independently, each is fascinating. Collectively, it is an even more compelling look at a generation.



4. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1CXY6H5MKQ650 I love this book. It documents America's youth today in a stunning and sometimes shocking way bringing back memories of teenage anxiety and joy. I lool forward to other works from this brillant documentarian and photographer, Michael Franzini.



5. The photographs are interesting to look at, but the stories that accompany them are awful! They're poorly written. Also, the intro to the book over-stresses the fact that this is the "instant access generation." That's not really news, and I think it pigeonholes teenagers too much. It's the completely obvious way to look at teenagers right now. And though Franzini stresses in the intro that he identified himself to the teens as a peer, he definitely comes across as someone with an agenda, looking at teenager as specimen. I also don't like the way they used a low-angle shot on the overweight girl, making her look even huger. I bought this at the same time as "It's Complicated," another photo book of teenagers, and "It's Complicated" is MUCH Better, more honest and less other-izing of teenagers.

2 comments about Cindy Sherman.

1. everything was ok with the servise. the shipping was on time and the prodact came out just fine....



2. I bought this book several months ago after reading about Cindy Sherman and her boyfriend's adventures in various European cities where her retrospective was being exhibited in art galleries. Her boyfriend, by the way, has one of the most kicka*s online journals (he doesn't like you to call it a 'blog') on the planet.
   
   It's taken me several months to digest her works. This is heavy stuff, folks, make no mistake about it. What I struggled most with was trying to find a theme among the successive phases represented in Sherman's art.
   
   In the end, I think I figured it out. Her art is really about the exploration of identity. In the process, she comments about feminism, overt and hidden sexuality, pornography, advertising, contemporary and classic art, but in the end, how all this onslaught of imagery affects many people's self image.
   
   Sherman is probably best known for her "Film Stills" series from the 70s, in which she pioneered the technique of being a photographer and subject at the same time. She could have stopped there, and probably been a successful artist. In that series, she made up sets that looked like 50s and 60s movie stills. Of course, none of these movies existed.
   
   In the 80s, her photographs became more macabre, exploring death, the despair of lost innocence, and the ominous aspects of sex and the subconscious.
   
   Shortly after this timeframe, she did the "Fashion" series, which really mocks fashion, showing how fashion can be debasing to women, much like pornography; probably even exploring the relationship between fashion and pornography. Many people are accepting and slaves of fashion, yet abhor porn, yet Sherman shows how the two are inextricably related.
   
   In her next phase, Sherman explores the symbolism that old master paintings exerts on modern art, news photography, and advertising, often apparently unintentionally, which raises the point that we're all connected to the collective consciousness as Jung pointed out.
   
   By the mid 90s, Sherman's photography had included grotesque, ripped apart dolls, humans mixed with dolls, gaping pornographic dolls, composite dolls put together from different dolls, mannequins. This phase segued into surrealism, Daliesque imagery made from contorted body parts and more mannequins. This was followed by the "masks" phase, which in turn morphed into the "Hollywood Hamptons" series. Here, one can probably see best what Cindy Sherman is trying to say. While each of the characters she embodies in this series looks bizarre, we've all seen people like this every day. They remind me of Tammy Fay Baker....grotesque and exaggerated makeup. Who are you Tammy Fay? Who are you Cindy Sherman?
   
   Sherman's most recent series is the clowns, which, in hindsight, even though drastically different from each previous phase, makes perfect sense. After all, nobody knows who's really under the clown mask. Many times, not even the clown herself.
   
   Not to be missed if you're into art that explores the nature of consciousness.

5 comments about Wedding Photography, 2nd Edition: Art, Business & Style (A Lark Photography Book).

1. I've been reading through this and have found it very informative. I'm happy with my purchase.



2. I have bought several books on posing and wedding photography. This is my first covering the most important aspects of the wedding photography business. Although it admits the prevailing tendency of admitting casual, journalistic photos on a wedding album, it still thoroughly explains the conventional wedding photos. It also describes how to deal with the business side of this activity. I consider this book a good very good source for those of us who would like to enter on this field of photography.



3. If you lean more towards wedding photojournalism, you'll find this book annoying. The author takes stab after stab at the photojournalistic style and concentrates on listing which images you can sell after the wedding.
   
   I found the photography examples rather cheesy and old. The "Posing" chapter starts with a full page image of a bride and groom (almost smack in the middle of the photograph) and the groom's arms hanging down to his sides. I'm new to wedding photography, but even I know that's poor posing! It has some good points, but I wasn't too impressed.
   
   If you're into Traditional style of photography, this is a very good book for you to read. The author breaks the wedding down to almost every kind of picture you should create and how to make it sell at the end. It will be useful to you.
   
   So far, after having read 4 separate books on wedding photography this is my least favorite.



4. I was disappointed with this book. There were some good ideas such as formal posing, but otherwise, outdated. A better wedding photography book by far is "Digital Wedding Photography" by Glen Johnson.



5. It is the first wedding book that I like out of three that I have. Easy to read and understand, covered every area that I had questions about, nice and light humor. Full of useful examples and advices. I immediately saw how implementing some new techniques from this book can improve my work.

4 comments about The Wordless Travel Book: Point at These Pictures to Communicate With Anyone.

1. Why didn't someone think of this sooner? Point to the pictures, or combinations of pictures and the world is yours. We have found it helpful when traveling, and have given it to foreign visitors as well.



2. This book is great. My sister is going overseas this summer and speaks only English. With this book I am much more confident that she will make it home in one piece! :) They thought of everything, even down to pale or dark beer. I would definitely not leave the country without it even if I had a grasp of the language where I was going.



3. I returned this book even though it was so cheap to start with that I lost money doing so, but I was just very disappointed. Drawings were cartoon-like and poor quality. I don't speak any language other than English, and I think I could communicate better without this book (actually looks more like a cheap pocket calendar)in a foreign country.



4. I bought both this and Point It by Dieter Graf. Point it is a MUCH better book, Wordless .. borders on the childish and is really not a serious attempt to overcome language barriers. I found Point It much more helpful. It is well designed and covers a wide variety of items and occasions and is a much better buy.

3 comments about The Devil's Playground.

1. No other word for it except MAGNIFICENT!!!



2. DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND is a lap-heavy, huge tome of the creative photographs of Nan Goldin, many of which have never before been published. Goldin is know throughout the museums of the world as a photographer who knows no barriers for her subject matter: AIDS victims, mental patients, transvestites, poor families, rural landscapes, constructed still lifes - these are but a few of the categories studied and captured by Goldin. For this full color volume Goldin selected the layout and the progression of sections, making the flow of the book even more fascinating; the book is one where she is both artist and curator and the result is a powerhouse of statement.
   
   For devotees of Nan Goldin's work, this book is a must. And for viewers marginally approaching photography as an art form then look no further. A magnum opus of the work of one of America's more significant contemporary artists.



3. I am so happy I bought this book, it was worth the time and money. I have it now on my living room coffee table, everyone who looks through it is spellbound. Thanks!

3 comments about Sparrows of the United States and Canada: The Photographic Guide.

1. In the winter time here in Virginia we get a number of differnt types of sparrows that migrate in. I love watching them but was having difficulty determining which types were which from just the regular field guides so I asked around and one of our local birders recommended this to me. Its terrific! The pictures of the birds are close-up - as if you were holding the bird or were sitting on the ground less than a foot away looking at the bird. This really helps when trying to distinguish the slight differences in colors or patterns. Each species has a chapter that strats out with measurements (size, weight etc) then there's a range map, and some text on habitat, then some text on behavior and voice/songs. There's writing about similar species, geographic variation, distribution (winter, breeding, migration periods), conservation status, and molt. There's also text descriptions for specific markings etc to hone in on, and discussion of hybrids if any. Then the chapter has pictures, of boys, girls, adults, juveniles, etc. Really a great book that has helped me a lot. I'd buy it again in a heart beat.



2. This book is great for those having difficulty identifing sparrows or LBJ's (Little Brown Jobs). It has many actual pictures of each sparrows which shows the different variations from region to region, young to old, and from season to season.



3. This edition has a lot of text in it, so it's not really geared towards field use. Yet, the pictures provided are really good. However, for an in-depth study of sparrows, it's an excellent source. Definitely recommended.

5 comments about The Tao of Maggie: The Sound of One Hound Barking.

1. I gave this book as a gift. The recipient was truly delighted and she still shows me particular pictures (and captions) that she most enjoys. This is a great photo essay that captures the essence of the bassett breed and the strong bond between humans and animals. Funny, heart warming, and a treat to share.



2. ...so goes our mistress of zen - our goddess of the couch.
   
   Bill Stanton is back with another installment of the wonderfully elegant Miss Maggie, Basset extraordinaire. As a Basset Hound owner myself, the humorous and poetic photos of Maggie entertain and crackle with aspects of the comical hound so familiar in my household, and in the fur flecked, drool drizzled homes of others as well. (Just kidding, we Basset owners know the goodness of a rag at arms length). Whether Maggie is swimming, laying on the sofa or pondering the horizon, we find our little friend expounding philosphical quotations while contemplating the next meal, exploring her neighborhood, or preparing for the next snooze. Much like his first published pictorial on Maggie entitled "Maggie's Way", Stanton's keen eye for nuance of the Basset's personality shines through.
   
   And on a side note: My Basset - Baldrick, and I had the pleasure of meeting Maggie and Bill Stanton a few years ago at a charity picnic to raise funds for a local Basset Rescue group. Maggie was charming and sweet, and Mr. Stanton was a pleasure. His love for Maggie is indeed strong, and flows gently from his camera's eye in "The Tao of Maggie", and in "Maggie's Way". If you buy one, the other or both, you'll find joy within each page.



3. This is a wonderful book, both the photographs and text. I liked it so much that I bought six copies for all of my friends and family who have Basset Hounds!
   Nothing, and I mean, nothing disappointing in this book! A must for Bassset fans!



4. This a good coffee table book. Just open to any page and a conversation just naturally begins. This book is touching,thoughtful,sweet, and has so much to offer visually. I bought a second copy as a gift for a friend who recently got a Basset Hound. I've been owned by this wonderful breed for 2 1/2 years now, so I could really relate.



5. I am a member of the Tri-State Basset Hound Rescue League - and although I am partial to the hounds, I am an equal opportunity dog lover.
   
   This book is amazing. Maggie is amazing.
   I particularly like the quote:
   "When you're going through hell...keep going."
   
   I find myself reading it over and over - it cheers me up!
   
   www.tristatebassets.org