No comments about The Carlyle.

No comments about Bill Wood's Business.

3 comments about Ansel Adams: Trees.

1. I really, really don't understand how a person can see so much out of so little. There's a tree right outside my window. It looks like a tree, seen one seen all of them. But Ansel Adams didn't just see a tree.
   
   Sure he saw a tree. But he also saw its shape, the texture of its bark, it's setting, perhaps the brook flowing by, or the mist or the clouds, maybe the mountain in the background. And the timing. This picture has the sun directly behind the trunk of the tree so it's almost just an outline. That picture was taken at dawn so the light would be just so, and the mist not quite gone. This grove of trees are all tall and straight, that single Jeffrey Pine growing out of the rocks in Yosemite is twisted and deformed by the wind.
   
   You know what to expect of an Ansel Adams book. Black and White photographs carefully selected, merged with insightful text, printed (in Germany) with impeccable quality -- What more can I say.



2. Wonderful book. It again shows the art and skill of Mr. Adam's talent. This book is a great addition to all that enjoy trees, photography, landscapes, and beauty. Worth every cent!



3. Photographs show great composition. From a stand of pines to a stark leafless oak these photos preserve the visage of trees in every form and season.

4 comments about Spirit of the Wild.

1. Steve Bloom is by far one of the best animal photographers! The pictures he captures are incredible. Spirit of the Wild is a great (though small) collection of awesome pictures. The pictures and pages in the book are all high quality. Well worth the money.



2. I discovered this fantastic photographer on an outdoor exhibition in Stockholm. The large scale pictures of beautiful animals in wonderful poses affected me so much that I immediately went home and ordered this book. Though the pictures in the book are much smaller then those outdoors, they are still amazing and express the talent of Steve Bloom. I must say though, that some of my favourite pictures from the exhibition are unfortunately not included in this book and that lowers the grade.



3. Yes this book has the most amazing photography, but it is about much, much more than just great photography. I truly believe that EVERYONE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD should read this book. Everyone who reads this book will get something different out of it. It encourages us to stop and think. It helps us to see the true reasons for existence. It removes all the superficial trappings that we get caught up in on a daily basis and shows us and nature as we really are... or perhaps as we have become and as we should have been. It makes us stop, think and reassess our values and our purpose. It simplifies life by focusing on the small things which are, in truth, the great things. It helps make us see that we really are just running around chasing our tails and slowly spiraling out of control. It shows us that we are missing the point if existence... of just 'being' sometimes and of 'contributing and enhancing' rather than 'taking'.



4. This is a great book. Everyone should own it, and then give one as a gift. Beautiful photos!

2 comments about African Odyssey: 365 Days.

1. One stunning photo for each and every day of the year, following the migration of the wildebeest on their annual circuit in search of lush grass. A lovely book well worth the money.



2. For its size (compact), there are 365 pages of amazing full-color photos of African wildlife in this thick little book. Great reference book. Great for those in love with Africa and African wildlife! Compact and sturdy. Wonderful and often exciting Nature photography!

5 comments about My Heart vs. the Real World: Children with Heart Disease, In Photographs & Interviews.

1. Not knowing anyone affected with Heart Disease, I approached this book from a photography standpoint. Taken by the photographs, I sat down and read the book and was immediately drawn in.
   
   Woven into this book is Max's story. He is in the book, in words and pictures, telling his story of being a kid, like the kids in the book, growing up with heart disease. He tells us, his parents tell us, about his childhood with words and pictures and then gets into the stories of the kids in the book.
   
   After reading Gerber's chapter on himself, one can't really look at the images of the kids the same. At it's best it seems like he is channelling the kids, finding aspects of himself in each kid to focus in on, which gives the photographs this kind of psychic power. When Gerber photographs a bunch of boys ripping open a present at a birthday party, it just seems to transcend the subject matter into a picture about wanting to have a normal life with small normal thrills.
   
   The photographer isn't really just connecting with his subjects in this book, it seems like he is trying to figure something out thru them... and we are just here witnessing it all. By the time you get to the end of the book and see the shot of Gerber photographing himself in the mirror with two of the kids, the book kind of hits this emotional crescendo and you see what this is about. MG is using photography to understand his own life, thru these kids. The book was a document of this kind of personal fact-finding mission.



2. this book is stunningly photographed and full of moving personal stories. it's inspiring and real. an utterly wonderful book.



3. Wow........I got this book for my almost 10 year old son. He has TOF/DORV, had tons of complications, ending up in PICU for a year and emerging with lots of "accessories" including a trach, ventilator, oxygen, gtube, pacemaker and nurse 24/7. He has been without those lovely things (except the pacer) for many years now, but is starting to come to the realization that his life is different than many of his friends. Not tons different, but different. He has loved Camp Del Corazon, and we got this for him to continue to help him see that there are lots of kids who have had similar experiences.
   
   So last night I grabbed it at 11:30pm and started flipping through it.....I was engrossed. I didn't put it down until 1:30am and I was in tears and very prayerful. Sometimes even with all that we have been through, and all the support he needs, I get caught up in the laundry, bills, shuttling kids to ballet/golf/physical therapy, and don't really remember how complicated and beautiful and terrifying his life is. How varied and amazing these kids are, yet they are tied together with such similar life experiences. This book, in it's beautiful (though solemn) photographs and words of the children and their parents, put on paper what we have known for years. That despite these struggles, these differences, this identity as the "heart kid", that these kids can find their own way in life and are richer and more compassionate for it.
   
   Max Gerber did an amazing job with this book, and gave all of our kids a wonderful gift. It lets them meet other children and see the range of experiences in families dealing with various CHDs. This is a MUST BUY for you and your child. I am buying it as gifts for our Ped Cardiologist, and other families I know who are dealing with this as well. Bravo.



4. Hi, I am "A Mom with a thirst for truth & knowledge"...
   
   This book is a great book of photography and excerpts from each child and family. It highlights children growing up with congenital heart disease (CHD). Their personal accounts reveal their true feelings and by sharing their personal experiences, have inadvertently shown others how they have handled their own lives through extraordinary situations. These children and their families are an inspiration through their bravery and willingness to share their lives with the world.
   
   Max has captured each subject magnificently through his excellent expertise and very revealing photography.
   
   Hopefully this book will help bring about awareness to the many people who do not realize that Congenital Heart Defects are the number 1 birth defect in children. This beautiful book will help get that awareness out there and consequently help others with CHD!
   
   Thanks for putting this book together Max, I appreciate all your hard work and I'm sure, many frustrations, that you have gone through over the past few years in compiling the materials for this book. I know and feel that your book will be a wonderful success and that the ultimate goal for this book will be an instrument of hope that gives other parents and children with CHD an understanding to those who have not experienced it.
   
   My recommendation is that you purchase this elegant book of photography... experience it for yourself, share it with your children and families and enjoy it as much as I have.



5. I recently bought this book out of curiosity really. My baby was recently born with Transposition of the Great Arteries, VSD and PS. This book allows me to take a look inside the lives, a voyeur if you will, of children growing up with CHD. It is inspiring and gives us "new" parents in the heart community hope of seeing our babies grow and flourish. Max Gerber has put into pictures and words exactly what heart parents are looking for to dream the dream of seeing their children progress and thrive! Thanks MAX!!

5 comments about Corrective Lighting, Posing & Retouching for Digital Portrait Photographers.

1. Excellant introductory look at Portrait Photography. Part of the art of getting a good result in portraits is the skill of posing your subject correctly & in such a way that you can overcome any flaws etc. Excellent book for Portrait photographers wanting to do more & develop their skills



2. I learned so much from this book. It was very well written.



3. Information in here will help you hide the flaws that make people not buy your portraits! Get it... learn it by heart and use it to drive up your sales even on tough-lower-self-esteem-having clients. By all means a must own!



4. This book is wonderfully written. It answered most of my questions and some I had not thought of. I would recommend this book to anyone having trouble getting that perfect shot.



5. Given the flood of books on how to correct photographer mistakes in Photoshop, it's about time we had a book that emphasizes good lighting and effective posing first, and addresses retouching in the context of fine-tuning a portrait only after it has been carefully crafted in the camera.
   
   Photographers need to learn the basics presented here. This book is much more useful than those I've seen the purport to show you how to "light" portraits in an image editor. Serious shooters know that lighting and poses must be perfected before the shutter release is pressed.

3 comments about Heath Ceramics: The Complexity of Simplicity.

1. Finally, a respectable book on Edith Heath! Klausner's work really stands out in the small but discerning crowd of Heathophiles. The more I tuck into this extraordinary book the more I become fascinated by the miraculous and timeless techniques of the House of Heath. I recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in ceramics.



2. The book for anyone with a passion for Edith Heath's designs as well as people interested in ceramics from the 40s until today. What the book lacks is a catalog of Heath's ceramic designs. But this shortcoming is not a big deal. What this wonderfully designed and produced book boasts is the vision of a singular woman who will forever be a part of the design landscape. The book is an absolute steal at the amazon.com price. Dense editorials, fantastic photography. A beautiful tribute.



3. Definitely not a "coffee table" dust collector but a book that I have spent many pleasant hours enjoying. It gives the reader an appreciation of how the multi-faceted potter Edith Heath brought classic design into the home through her ceramics. This book is a wonderful addition to my library and it makes gift giving easy.

5 comments about Ngorongoro.

1. After having visited East Africa (and Ngorongoro) 3 times and looked at dozens of wildlife photo books, I entirely agree with the previous review that this is one of the most fantastic collections of wildlife pictures. Till this day I regret not having bought the book while it was still available. I hope the publisher will reprint it (as happened with "African Elephants" also by Kunkel).



2. The high quality of the book (paper, photo's, layout) let us relive our trip to the crater. There are some really spectacular photo's. The photographer captured with his camera the beautiful but also raw daily life of one of the most amazing spots on this planet.



3. This is a lovely book - the photographs are breathtaking. I gave it as a gift to a professional photographer.
   I ordered it from the UK, and it arrived in a few days. Excellent!



4. If you ever had the desire to go to Africa and take pictures this is the book that will cause you to sell the house to make the desire come true. The photography is beyond the norm. Inspiring where mere words could not do justice. Well done in all ways.



5. Breathtaking photography. Kunkel has captured the atmosphere so brilliantly that I felt as though I was back in this spectacular place. Bravo!

5 comments about Pure (Anne Geddes).

1. I'll grant you that Anne can take some good pictures of babies but this book is "Pure" BS. If you want to show the joy and miracle that is the bringing forth of new life show it in a realistic forum. The only thing I saw in this book was a disgusting glorification of how our society feels women should look even if they have a baby. As a mother I am deeply offended and upset by these images. This is a gross, hollow misrepresentation of how mothers and children should be. I doubt any of these models even have children themselves. You cannot capture the magic of motherhood in a cold studio with a shallow anorexic model posing as something she is so obviously not. Where are all the stretch marks, the baby fat, the look of shear exhaustion outweighed by the unimaginable joy of the new life that we've brought into the world.



2. Anne Geddes always delivers! I love the book. The images are powerful and sweet.



3. SOME critics here might say that Anne Geddes subscribes to the idea that women, even pregnant women, should be thin and beautiful. I say she used all types of women. What about the thick dark, dark skinned woman 2/3 through the book? The women aren't extremely thin--they're healthy--and not what is typically thought to be beautiful in American culture. They had slicked back hair, stretch marks, and thick veins...
   
   It was beautiful and real.
   
   Very well done--lovely, tasteful photographs. Very moving.



4. if you like the photo in the cover you will enjoy the rest of the book! it gets even better...



5. Being a pro photographer, I can really relate to Anne's extreme artistic images. I purchased this book for inspirational purposes. I would love to approach her creativity level. The images are phenomenal, not only in her creativity, but in her technique as well. You might say I'm a Geddes wannabe!! The book has an immense appeal to anyone who appreciates the art of photography. It's definetly a warm fuzzy.