2 comments about Matthew Monteith: Czech Eden.

1. I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s assisting my professional photographer father and taking quality photographs on my own; after that I owned and operated a professional photographic equipment and supply store for nearly a decade. In my 50 some years of exposure to fine arts photography, I've not seen a finer book of stunning, captivating, inspired photographs than "Czech Eden." Matthew Monteith appears to be the new Rudolf Steiner of photography: a rare avant garde visionary who bestows his versatile genius upon us in a sensuous and edifying way. Matthew's photos--every one of them--enlighten us and draw our oohs and aahs with their eye candy-like appeal. Buy this book and keep it for all time. It's a first class winner.



2. This is a fantastic representation of the work of an up and coming photographer. The book is very well done and the subject matter is very cohesive. I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Modern Vixens: World Of Winkytiki.

1. Image an insane Krofft Brother that only took pictures of rockabilly chicks, fetish demonesses, tiki vixens, and even Electra Woman in saucy poses that would melt your eyeballs.
   Octavio is a leering, peering voyeur par excellance. I liked the comic book aspect to all the images as opposed to the sullen, bitter looks that many erotic models engage in. Octavio brings a cool, fun vibe to his erotica and all the usual dames like Julie Strain, Tera Patrick, Tall Goddess and many more are there for all the action.



2. Came upon this book at the photographer's recent signing in LA and bought it for all the amazing work he has inside. His style is unique and makes you look twice, not your typical glamour wannabe. This is a good example of what a pinup book should be -- all pictures, no BS like blank pages or filler text. You get over 350 pages of pure eye candy, some naked, some not, but all the girls look hot. I was impressed by the variety of models and scenes he photographed while still keeping the signature "Winkytiki" feel. The sets and outfits alone are worth a look. You have shoots styled after every decade, color, black and white, classic, funky, rockabilly, retro. So there is something for everyone. Get this while you can!



3. I bought this book recently because I am a huge fan of Octavio's work. In my opinion he is among the most talented pin up photographers around today - his work is sexy, colourful, and playful, completely lacking in pretension, with a flare for retro and modern themes. I recommend this book to anyone who loves beautiful women and quality photography. This is a real treat - no filler and a bargain for the amount of photographs you're getting.



4. The price was great, shipping was fast, and the book is great quality. I don't recommend that you get it if you are under 18, as it contains adult content, but if you are 18+, this is a great table book :) I think my boyfriend is going to love it!



5. Excellent book with great pictures, a must for all pin up, kitch and style lovers

2 comments about Animal Portraits.

1. This is an outstanding collection of photographs that has everyone in my family smiling and has earned a permanent spot on our coffee table. It keeps both adults and children laughing and was excellent for quizzing my little nephew who is learning to name all his animals. The title for the book is perfect, as the collection of photographs is predominately of one animal with a highly expressive look captured on its face and many have a very humanlike quality. Most photos prompt the question, "what was he thinking??" Those animals that naturally have less humanlike expressions are captured in extremely impressive photographs. The book may have small dimensions, but it is pretty thick and each picture takes up a full page. The layout is also fun, with pictures that seem to go together positioned opposite each other. I was surprised that this was such a high quality printing, thick paper, great color, wonderful photographs. It may be good for the whole family, but it is a true high quality book of art. I love it!



2. The book itself is small but the pictures inside are amazing. It is well worth the couple bucks I paid for it. Everyone at home and the office loved it! The pictures are all colorful and vivid. I can't imagine what camera he has because they are so nit.

4 comments about National Audubon Guide to Nature Photography (National Audubon Society Guide).

1. Tim Fitzharris' GUIDE TO NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY appears in its revised edition to cover proven techniques for making award-winning photos. From buying and using the best professional equipment suitable for nature shots to insider tips on field procedures and fullproof methods for composition and filtering, this also includes a review of top locations for photographing nature. Add gorgeous color photos and you have a real winner.



2. Tim Fitzharris Guide to Nature Photography is a complement to John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide, which has been widely (& correctly) accepted as a "textbook" in this subject, up to this time.

   That's why the first part of this book tends to be a bit boring. Much of the discussion about the equipment is overlap and has been explain thoroughly in Shaw's book. I think Shaw gives us the basics and fundamentals in nature photography (the know-how theory of exposure and metering unusual situations, the best equipment to chose and use, etc). However, you will be amazed by how much you don't know about nature photography in the next parts and chapters of the National Audubon Guide to Nature Photography.

   Tim Fitzharris furnish you with many advance and creative techniques to create more appealing, artistic and creative photos. For examples, he explains clearly and beautifully how to use motion effects (including wind) to photograph many nature objects, the right angle to maximize perspective, modifying natural light (including advance technique of using neutral density filters), impressionism nature photography, etc. What makes this book more helpful is Tim Fitzharris also caters into details in important points of his explanations. He explains (more comprehensively than John Shaw does) about the techniques to get close to wildlife and the power of using blinds, how to photograph birds in flight and even as far as the shutter speed for action-stopping (freeze hummingbird with wings, or body only, great blue heron in flight, snow goose in flight, etc!). He also provides reader with picturegraphs (of animal portrait, how to exactly position the neutral density filter in various situations, etc). These proven techniques and detail information is unquestionably very helpful in boosting our learning curve.

   To help us to be more productive, Tim Fitzharris gives hints to the characteristics of the photogenic sites and also the nature photography calendar (North America).

   The photos always correspond with the topic discussed and they are breathtakingly beautiful and artistic. It made me wondering, what kind of photos will be presented in the next page. Moreover, they also serve as a good example. Even I learn so much about composition by looking at those stunning photos.

   However, I find one part of this book has been published in Fitzharris column in Popular Photography. Be aware for you who regularly read his monthly column (I don't).

   Another weakness, this book seems not presented in methodical or lack of systematical method in teaching you about nature photography. Perhaps the author and publisher want to avoid the textbook impression; they want it to be more artistic (in fact it is the way I feel about this book). Where should I find the action-stopping speed? I can't find it in the chapter about wildlife... neither I can find a thorough explanation about using neutral density filter in The Right Equipment Part. It is scattered in the book, depending on the usage and the technique intended to launch. There's no index and difficult to refer something!

   So the emphasize of this book is on the technique. My advice is you should grasp the basics and fundamentals before reading this book. And it is the John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide. Buy that book if you want to buy only one book.

   But, if you want to go to the next level, this book is well worth your hard-earned money. It will undoubtedly furnish your skill and give you more edge.




3. There is not much I can add to the previous reviews of this wonderful book. The photos are superb and there is a plethora of great information. My only problem is the author's obvious bias towards Canon products. It is fine to have a favourite camera, but not by providing misinformation about another brand. Long Canon lenses are not 75% shorter and two-thirds lighter than Nikon lenses. Check out the web sites and you will get the exact opposite story. A small point perhaps, but one that I had to make.



4. Ever wonder why those 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. summertime pics at the Grand Canyon look pretty crappy compared to what you see professionally?
   
   Well, Fitzharris has the easy answers, from time of day through time of year to use of filters.
   
   Fitzharris visits each park. Based on foliage and other considerations, he recommends the best photographic tims of year to visit. Then, in each park, he lists the best photographic hotspots with times of day to visit.
   
   Beyond that, he suggests how to plan a trip to each park to allow for morning and evening shooting along with midday hiking or other activities.
   
   The photos from each park perfectly illustrate the suggestions he supplies.

5 comments about Print Like a Pro: A Digital Photographer's Guide.

1. This book may provide basic information for those just beginning to print their own photographs. It will not teach them to print like a pro. In the first 200 pages, the most erudite information I could find was and I quote, "...next, set the amount. If you don't want a strong effect, a lower number here is best." Really?



2. This book has a lot of useful information,and is really a very well organized body of knowledge,about the science and art of printing digitally.Jon,with his direct style of writing,solved a lot of doubts I had regarding this subject:Should I buy a $75 device for calibrating my screen?;Is there a way of printing in b&w, for the rest of us?;What should I do for preserving my photos?;and many,many more



3. "Print Like a Pro" is a follow-up by Jon Canfield to his excellent "Raw 101" book, and together they provide a view of the Photoshop process from capture to printing.
   
   The book begins with discussion of factors that generally describe the digital reproduction process and fundamental issues about digital printing, like color permanence and specialty inks. Setting up a system where the picture on the monitor and the printed product look the same is critical so Canfield discusses color management and profiling one's monitor. He next discusses printer settings for typical Canon, Epson and HP printers. He provides a short course in editing photos in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements to prepare them for printing, including instruction on layers, exposure and special processes like the use of filters to change the look of the picture. A chapter then follows on resizing and sharpening. Having laid down the foundations, he finally gets to actual printing, dealing with paper choices and which software settings to select when printing. He discusses special print projects like books and contact sheets. He finishes with a discussion of working with service providers who can furnish outputs beyond the capabilities of the individual photographer's equipment and with framing.
   
   This book will prove extremely useful for someone just coming to printing and wanting some help, especially when one considers the clarity of the writing. However, even though clearly written, there is nothing about the book that might make it more useful to digital photographers then many other similar books.
   
   A problem with the book is that it is both too simple and too complex. As an example of too simple, Canfield notes that often printers are unable to deliver the same shadow details as appear on a monitor screen. He recommends adjusting the Photoshop output levels of the photograph when printing, starting with a recommended setting, and then adjusting and reprinting if the problem is not solved. Tim Grey, in his book "Color Confidence" suggests the use of a target image that will allow one to establish specific output settings for one's printer, a method which many photographers have found useful. I don't believe that Grey has any proprietary rights in this method, and it has become such a standard amongst Photoshop users that I felt Canfield almost had an obligation to suggest something better than trial and error.
   
   Another area where Canfield could have provided more detail was in the area of sharpening. He provides useful information about recommended settings for different subject matter but fails to note that the settings must also be related to image size.
   
   On the too complex side is a lengthy discussion of raster image processors (RIPs), which are software programs that allow more extensive control over the printing process. All anyone who will derive benefit from the basic instruction provided by Canfield needs to know about RIPs is that they exist and that they are expensive.
   
   I was also disappointed by the discussion of the use of service providers. If one is using a vendor to get large images because one's printer is limited to a certain maximum size, it is highly useful to understand that there are a number of processes available such as C prints or inkjet. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. There was no mention of these choices.
   
   Still and all, for the beginning digital printer, this book will provide the groundwork that he or she needs to produce a good digital print.



4. This book by Jon Canfield is very well written and clear. It helps enormously in learning the many settings and details that are needed to make good prints. It talks about both Windows and Mac. It discusses the pointers needed to run your printer with Photoshop controlling the color management. I think it is excellent for the serious digital photographer who is begining to print their own images and who wants quality output. Very readable.



5. I am new to printing my own images, and found this book extremely helpful. Most authors that I have read include information for Photoshop users only. Since I use Photoshop Elements, I really liked the fact that Jon included information for Elements along with Photoshop. After devouring the entire book, I now keep it right next to my computer as a reference!

3 comments about How to Shoot Great Travel Photos.

1. Well Susan McCartney has done it yet again. For those of us in the travel photography business, and for anybody aspiring to enter, Travel Photography: A Complete Guide to How to Shoot and Sell is the bible. But one thing I always wished it had more of was photographs. Lots of big colour ones. How to shoot great travel photos not only solves that problem but it also goes beyond to cover anything and everything you could ever want to know about how to travel and photograph the world.
   A quick glance over the index will show you that this is a very in-depth book. Want to know how to go about charging your equipment overseas? Covered. Want to know what lenses to take? Covered. Should you shoot film or digital? Read on to find out.
   But reading the index only tells half the story. It's the way that Susan McCartney presents the information that makes this book shine. Clearly, concisely and in such an interesting way that if you're not inspired to be both a better photographer and traveller after reading this book then I'm afraid there's no hope for you!
   One problem I find a lot of travel photography books have is that they talk about the techniques in a general sense and you come away thinking that it's more a book about just photography and not so much about travel. One read of any of Ms McCartney's book and you'll realise that the travel is an integral part of whatever she does. She loves the people and places she visits as much as the photography and that is a very important fact.
   If you can't imagine travel without photography, or photography without travel then I highly recommend this book.
   
   Paul Dymond
   www.dymond.com.au



2. This book is an absolute waste of money. I bought this because I enjoyed her other book "Travel Photography" which is quite good but this book is probably the worst I have bought.
   
   The information is out of date and wrong in quite a few sections. Worst of all the photography is probably the worst I have seen and is printed very poorly. Based on this I dont know how she got where she is. Money spent better elsewhere.



3. I discovered Susan McCartney in a New York Times review of her first travel book, the review was positive in the extreme. I thought as a New York professional photographer for over twenty years I knew it all, that book proved me wrong! I had years of formal training, yet her book had all the 'nuts & bolts' of the craft that I didn't know. I also learned how to travel & shoot in a efficient and profitable way. Over the years I purchased everything McCartney wrote including 'How to Shoot Great Travel Photos' this new work continues the wonderful writing style and most important her years of hands on experience doing travel photography. Unlike the 'fluff' found in many "photography" books, McCartney is the real deal, I urge you to get your hands on all of her books!

1 comments about London Then and Now (Then & Now).

1. This book contains some beautiful illustrations of London, together with much interesting information. The "then" photos seem to date mostly from 80-150 years ago. I learned several things from the commentaries, even though I lived in or near London for many years, and made every effort to learn about the city! However, the choice of subject for many of the comparisons seems less than ideal. Surely, in a "Then and Now" book, we want to see how much things have changed over the years, don't we? Hence, we don't really need to see locations where the comparative photos prove that very little has changed! For example, do we really need to see "then and now" pictures of Westminster Abbey, just to confirm that it really has NOT changed perceptibly during the past hundred years or so? I don't think so. In a world-class city where so much has changed, via either redevelopment or wanton destruction, there are many fascinating locations that should have been afforded priority in such a book, but which are omitted altogether. Examples: the South Kensington Imperial Institute/Imperial College site (actually mentioned in the book's Introduction), Holland Park House, etc. I can only imagine that the author was forced to draw on a limited stock of "then" photographic material.

5 comments about How to Start and Operate a Digital Portrait Photography Studio.

1. Lou Jacobs Jr. has been writing photography books for decades and wrote a great guide to my old Konica Autoreflex 35mm SLR manual camera back 3 decades ago. This new book about starting your own studio offers a feel good fluffy guide that can motivate the beginner. It offers very little hardcore technical advice that is really important when it comes to digital studio work. For example, Jacobs glosses over the issue of storage by making statements such as just back up to CD/DVD and you're all set, whereas he should be talking about backing up to multiple harddrives, RAID, etc. Those issues aside, the studio photographs are outstanding and inspriring. Lighting is used to great effect.



2. beginner photographers should read this book if they plan on starting a portrait studio. Great information for the novice but a pro might need a more in-depth book.



3. This is a book for people thinking about jumping from analog to digital photography. I was looking for a book about the studio, what do I need, how to organize, but a little more professional for beginners shooting fashion and editorial, so it's not for me.



4. This book has allot of great information, not only for the new digital studio but also for someone converting their studio over to digital.



5. A versatile book with many good ideas that are explained well. Ideal for photographers looking to start a studio or for those looking to make the transition from film to digital based studio. This book gives the breakdown on equipment such as cameras, computers and software, printers, lighting, backgrounds, and studio layout. Everything that is essential for a studio to operate in harmony.

5 comments about Large Format Nature Photography.

1. This book is light on technical information unless you happen to use the exact same equipment as the author. This is primarily a personal journal and not really an instructional volume. Pictures are OK.



2. If you're looking for an instruction book on LF Photography, then this is NOT the book.
   
   Jack Dykinga's highly acclaimed talent as a photographer does not translate into this book. As other reviewers have commented, the book falls far short on technical merit.



3. This is a good book with some good tips on using a Large Format camera for nature shots. I also bought the book Using The View Camera by Steve Simmons. I notice in this book that he recommends glass filters where as Simmon's suggests gelatin ones. I wouldn't suggest this book as your first large format book because he doesn't tell you how to use one, you should already know by the time you read this. If you are interested in LF or thinking of getting one, this is one of those books you can read rather than watching that stupid television. It will inspire you to get out there and use your camera.



4. This book is incredile beyond belief! If you are a photographer, then this is the book for you. The pictures are fabulous and the text quite readable. No matter what format you prefer, this book should definitrly be readily available to you. All-in-all, an excellent book!



5. 
   This is by far the most useful book of advice on taking LF pictures, showing how to handle many important aspects of the craft. The discussions are all very enlightening: on equipment (from cameras to tripods to filters), technique, problems and their solutions, advantages of the format, and the philosophy of LF photography. The important points are illustrated with wonderful pictures of the processes and with the resulting photos. The author uses pairs of similar pictures to demonstrate the effects of variations in settings and approach.
   
   It is also a spellbinding book of nature photographs. Each one is a like little jewel.
   
   I believe some of reviewers on this site who express disappointment must have been looking for a primer or handbook, which this is not. Anyone thinking of trying LF or already immersed in it, no matter how successfully, should own this book and study it closely. It's all pleasure.

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.