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.

3 comments about The Playboy Book: Fifty Years.

1. This book was definitely more than I expected with it's vibrant pictures and outstanding content. It gives you an in-depth peek into the world of Playboy above and beyond the photos. I also found the simple black hardcover to be very discreet.



2. Although Playboy is what it is, and because of the reason why many people purchase the magazine, there needs to be an understanding of the true content of the magazine through the years. Remember that the magazine is usually only 20% sex and nude women. That leaves 80% every month to be used for art, technology, controversial editorials, interviews, etc. This tome is huge and heavy, and I'm glad it takes the reader through a tour of 50 years of the COMPLETE world of Playboy. If you only want naked women, don't buy this - buy either "The Playmate Book" or "Blondes", "Brunettes", or "Redheads".



3. This book is well put together with beautiful pictures. The pictures are high quality and this book is really a conversation starter! The Playboy book began with pictures of Marilyn Monroe, which I have never seen before and they are beautiful. One thing that was disapointing were some of the stories. The print was so small that you could not read the story, only the captions. Another thing to watch out for is the dust jacket. It's very easy to see any small marks and the gold scratchs off easily. Keep it in a cloth to protect it. I recommend this book to everyone, even if you've never read a Playboy magazine!

5 comments about Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images.

1. This is an excellent book.

   These are some questions the book deals about: How a photograph is made? What are its purposes? How should its context be considered? Was that photograph made or taken?

   In this book several criteria (even opposite ones) about photographs are also analyzed and compared, leaving to the reader the decision about the one(s) to take. The process of understanding a photograph is not simple, but this book is a nice guide to follow.

   At the end of the book, examples of reviews are included, as a reference not only for students, but also for the person who simply would want to talk about a photograph. Moreover, advice concerning the redaction is also given.




2. I have read Persian (Farsi) translation of the 2nd. edition of this book. Thanks to Mr. Barrett and the translators of the book. It helped me to understand how to criticize photographs and I found it a unique book in this field. After searching in Internet I found out that Mr. Barrett Has revised the book in ashort periodof time. I suggest, as a student of photography in university, to all studentd in the world to read the book. Again thanks to Mr. Barrett.



3. A look at the subtitle to this book, "An Introduction to Understanding Images", might lead one to believe that it is about photographs and what makes them good or bad (or if there are such things as "good" and "bad" photographs). But instead it is about photographic criticism, primarily written. And even then it really doesn't tell you very much about how to write criticism yourself, or how to interpret what you read, or how to develop patterns of thought that would enable you to criticize in a useful fashion. Instead most of the book is concerned with the pigeon holes into which different kinds of photographic criticism can be put.

   An unstated thesis of this book seems to be that the criticism of photographs is an art form itself. Certainly anyone who has read something like Walter Benjamin's "the Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" might agree. But if it is an art, then it has both form and content, and any book claiming to teach one about the art (I almost said craft) had better address those points. To know that there are theoretical schools like Postmodernism or Feminist Theory is useful to those trying to organize photographic criticism and may be helpful to the photographic critic who is trying to decide what his own approach is, but knowing that these schools exist does not help a critic as much as a knowledge of how to look at a picture and organize a written commentary.

   Fortunately, the book has a number of examples of written criticism, including several examples of different critics addressing the same picture. Unfortunately most of the criticism addresses the content of the photograph without considering how the form relates to the content or how, as Mark Schorer has said, technique leads to discovery. For example, Ansel Adams' photographs rely upon the range of light from the whitest whites to the blackest blacks to make their statements about the grandeur of the American wilderness. Unfortunately, nothing in this book considers photographic technique for the critic, although there are plenty of opportunities. For example, there is an ambiguous picture by Robert Doisneau taken in a Paris Café showing a younger women and an older man. The picture is grainy and the depth of field shows the women more sharply then the man. Both of these techniques should contribute to the possible interpretation of this photograph, and yet they are not mentioned.

   I think the photo critic who wants to improve his art would be far better served by learning something about photography, and then reading actual criticism, like John Szarkowski's "Looking at Photographs". "Criticizing Photographs" should only be considered as a supplement to such studies.




4. Having never taken a course in art appreciation, I found this book to be an excellent introduction to interpreting photographic images. The comment above about this book serving as a framework is a good one. Essentially any photograph will fall into one of the categories, giving the viewer a frame of reference within which to interpret and appreciate the meaning of the work. It forces you to slow down and think about each photograph you encounter, ultimately enriching the viewing experience. I highly recommend it for photography aficionados and photographers alike.



5. Includes miles of intellectual blather. Fits well into sexually charged point of view of photography. Uses most horrific and grotesk as examples. On page 33 in third edition author mentions head decapitation as one photographer's "external" influences. Uses sexual pictures as examples. Generally a politically correct lightly negative type discourse on photography. I feel sorry for the students subjected to this pulp.

5 comments about A Book of Books.

1. Some of the photographs in Abelardo Morell's A Book of Books are of great books: A Tale of Two Cities, A Farewell to Arms, Alice in Wonderland. And in placing these photographs together in this wonder-filled volume, Morell has created a great book of his own. For like all great books, this one makes you see the familiar in new ways; offers layers upon layers of meaning; and pushes you to make connections among objects and ideas that sometimes appear to have little, if anything, in common. At the same time, it is a glorious book to look at, to sink into, again and again. If you love books, you'll love this one.



2. Everything Abelardo Morell does is gorgeous but what makes him such a genius is the mudane things he works with. The only photographer I can compare him to is Josef Sudek.

   Let's be honest. Anybody can go to a beautiful place like Yosemite or Big Sur, take a view camera and wait for nice light. Instant Ansel Adams; you can't miss unless you kick the tripod.

   But how many people can make a heartbreakingly beautiful photograph from a crumpled ball of paper or some peeling paint? Get this book of books and you'll see what I mean.




3. When I first saw this book in a book store last December, and began looking through the pages, my eyes welled up with tears at the sheer poetry of the images. It was as if doors opened into other levels of awareness. When I put the book down, I realized that I had been looking at it for over an hour, and that's when I knew I simply needed to own it. Since then, the detail and depth of the images have provided a refuge from the news in the world today. There is still beauty and peace. Thank you, Abe Morell.



4. For anyone who appreciates the beauty of books or black and white photography, this is an absolute must have. It is beautiful. Highly recommended.



5. This is a great book and very interesting for everyone, not just artistic photographers. I love it! The only thing that was disappointing was that the label on the back of the book put on by Amazon was incredibly sticky and very hard to remove. I nearly damaged the book trying to get it off so be careful. Rubbing alcohol and a dull scraper of some kind works pretty good.

4 comments about ecoDesign: The Sourcebook.

1. For those of us who appreciate both good design and environmental issues (recyclability, energy used in manufacture, durability, etc.), this book offers a wonderfully wide spectrum of products that will inspire and enlighten... and possibly make you reach for your credit cards, thanks to the lists of manufacturer contact info in the back. However, you should realize that a significant portion of the products shown are "one-offs" or case studies -- they are not available for purchase. I feel that the author's descriptions are inconsistent -- sometimes helpful or interesting, sometimes not. But the vast array of products presented are generally quite well chosen from what must have been a truly dizzying number of possible entries, and nicely organized. I appreciate the inclusion of vehicles, although I have been watching that particular area of product development (EV's, FCV's, etc.) closely enough to wish that the author had opted to include certain other models, and had more complete or current facts about some that were presented, such as the General Motors EV1, which was a brilliantly designed electric car with a massive waiting list, mysteriously pulled out of production by GM for extremely dubious reasons. In summary, Ecodesign is quite enjoyable, with a huge number of fantastic designs for a wide range of products.



2. this book is cool - lots of pictures, the text is brief. there is a good mix of concepts and production products ( concepts are always more fun to look at and have more pure ideas. production parts show how it all works in the real world). in fact, the best part of the book is that it finds positive things about a lot of products. it isn't demanding that we stop using plastic or batteries - just finds the best examples of products that use them wisely.

   One important section is buried in the back. pages 327 - 330 give eco-design strategies. the are brief desicriptions of how to design an "eco" product. for example, one says "self-assembly: designs that are assembled by the consumer, therefore saving valuable space in transport and storage". most writers would take several pages to say the same thing.




3. This beautifully designed book is a great idea-generator if you're thinking about using sustainable products and materials in your home or office, or if you just like cool, european design that makes you ask, "so where can I get that?" or "who makes that utterly cool thing that I will probably never find in a shop and can't afford, anyway?"
   
   It introduces you to good-looking examples of ecological design for everyday life -- flooring, furniture, transportation, miscellaneous -- and gives a breakdown of the kinds of materials available (biopolymers, textiles, etc.) and who makes them. For me, it would also be helpful to see price tags on some of these options, as well as more easily located--or at least up-to-date--URLs for the companies that produce them. Many examples had no web sites listed and some were defunct.



4. This book is useful but does not contain much additional information from previous edition.

2 comments about Among Trees Boxed Notecards.

1. I was searching for note cards for my husband to use, because mine are all too flowery for a guy to feel comfortable using! These fit the bill perfectly! The trees are majestic - awe-inspiring. The photography is beautiful. Stately strong trees, contrasted and surrounded by floating mists, evocative of smells of musk and that great good feeling you get in nature of being close to our Creator. The quality of the cards is excellent; a nice heavy card stock with a smooth finish. I will buy these again - and use them myself!



2. These note cards are very nice. Top quality cards that tell the recipient that you've got style. This is the second box I have ordered.The handy box looks nice as well. It allows you to leave on your desk and jot a note anytime.

5 comments about Larry Burrows: Vietnam.

1. An amazing book, incredible images from the great artist Larry Burrows. Although taken 35 years ago, they are as relevant today as they were then.



2. What is a good photograph even in times of war? Look into this book. Larry Burrow gave us a clear message.



3. This collection of Burrows' work in Vietnam is unbelievable. At great risk, he captured photos of American soldiers and Marines in Vietnam -- photos of young men that seem to leap off the page. Nothing like this has come of coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- not because the photos weren't taken, but because of the incredible cowardice and corruption of the American media. This book is a tribute to the courage and skill of one photojournalist, and an imperishable record of the men who fought and died in that war.



4. Larry Burrows was and still is a benchmark which other photojournalists should strive to attain. Great book. Buy it.



5. I could be verbose and describe the virtues of this book in great detail, but the pictures in this amazing work speak much louder than anything that I could write. He was a man who gave his life for his craft, and this book is a powerful tribute to that craft. Absolutely stunning and indispensable to anyone that wants to understand "that war" and the power of the visual image.

3 comments about Rivers of America.

1. A photographer with the eye of an artist, Tim Palmer has spent a lifetime photographing rivers. He has gone to extremes to get just the right view, at the right time of day, the right time of the year. He has combines these photographs with prose that is almost poetic to add in our understanding of what he sees, what he feels.
   
   I don't know just how many states he covers in these photographs, but perhaps the most dramatic pictures are those taken in Alaska. From the bears fishing for salmon, to the young wolf who has found a drowned sheep, the broad expanse of the mountains the pictures show nature at its most attractive.
   
   Surprisingly though his pictures show the beauty that remains in the rivers of the lower 48. In spite of what has happened in terms of polution, concrete channalizing by the Corp of Engineers, there is beauty to be found. And Mr. Palmer has the eye to find that beauty.



2. A prolific author, gifted outdoor photographer and a nationally-renowned river conservationist, this is Tim Palmer's ode to America's bountiful and beautiful rivers. No one writes about rivers -- or captures their magical essence in photos -- like Tim, because no one knows and cares as much about them as he clearly does. If you love rivers, then you will love this book! Learn more about Tim's love affair with rivers by visiting: www.americanrivers.org/palmerprofile.



3. Every page is a WOW moment - there are none that disappoint here! For anyone who likes to watch moving water AND waterfalls, this is 'the' book for you. It's also an excellent reference for painting or sewing these landscape scenes. Picture composition is top notch and careful attention was paid to the 'seasonal' influence of the pictures as well.
   
   You cannot find a more comprehensible photo book showing gorgeous landscapes with the emphasis on the moving water aspect - the cover shot gives you a good idea of the content. The only thing possibly missing is an included cd of rushing water sounds, but then again you could buy that IF you don't already have one! Outstanding work of nature art, you will NOT be disappointed!
   
   I also highly recommend the book 'Waterfalls & gorges of the Finger Lakes' by Derek Doeffinger, a smaller book than 'Rivers' but just as enjoyable!

2 comments about New Chairs: Innovations in Design, Technology, and Materials.

1. NEW CHAIRS: INNOVATIONS IN DESIGN, TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIALS is for any interior design library: it gathers over sixty of the most intriguing recent chairs created by designers around the world, pairing color photos with insights on new concepts, materials, and interpretations of structure, form and function. From inflatable and illuminated to hard, stacking chairs, NEW CHAIRS covers a range of options and provides interior designs with plenty of insights: perfect for contemporary interior design holdings!



2. I really love this book. Lots of process pictures-- prelim sketches, actual shots of steps in production, ad layouts, mock ups, etc. Also there are variety of designers and lots of innovative materials used. Especially like the chair made of drinking straws and the potty chair. I would also recommend Dish: International Design for the Home.

1 comments about Saddles of the West (Cowboy Gear Series).

1. WOW! The author/photographer, David Stoecklin, obviously savours his subject, it shows on every page - from rodeo gear to working ranch saddle, prized collectibles & stunning parade outfits, every picture is beautifully composed.
   
   There are superbly detailed pictures of saddle tooling (both plain & ornate), fabulous silverwear, breastplates & tapaderos, right through to downright dirty/dusty functional working gear.
   
   I bought this book as a reference for my saddler, as I'm having an "old timer" made for my Appaloosas - this book has supplied me with stunning, detailed pictures to ensure my saddle is true to type in it's colour, tooling & overall finish (aside from my saddler's own wonderful input!).
   
   I highly recommend it as a reference guide to saddles past & present, it is a wonderful tribute to the fine art of western saddles by a man who knows his stuff & loves his work!