5 comments about The New Earth From Above: 365 Days.

1. This book is more than just a collection of breathtaking aerial shots of the global community in which we live -- it's an informative and often damning look at the world that we have created, and how our lives make it what it is. The book does not pull any punches, and often as we gaze at the sheer beauty (both man-made and natural) of this planet, we are slapped in the face with the facts of life. It's a picture book that seems to be telling us, "Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words, but here are a few that you may not have noticed."
   
   
   Don't just buy this book for yourself, buy it for every person that may come into your home, pick it up, and look at just a few pages. You will help each of them understand the complexities and dilemmas of our modern lives.



2. The theme of this book is man's impact on the planet and the life-or-death need for sustainable development. The introduction is a mix of statistics and a call to action, while each month is prefaced with text on some aspect of our planet's characteristics and condition (April: Biodiversity--A Condition of Survival; August: Renewable Energy; December: Free Trade, Unfair Competition, and Equitable Commerce).
   
   The aerial shots from French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand are astonishing in their diversity and beauty. One for each day of the year, they run the gamut from unspoiled natural beauty to despoilment by industry. Each photograph is annotated with a mini-lesson of its own on the facing page. Atolls, volcanos, a stunning linear railway switching yard, fish farms, agricultural scenes, golf courses, alpine glaciers ... a feast.
   
   Surprisingly affordable, unexpectedly heavy at over 5 pounds, and stunningly thought-provoking, this book has given me hours of communion with Mother Earth. If it increases our awareness of our impact, then they are hours well spent.
   
   Linda Bulger, 2008



3. This is an absolutely fabulous book as was the first edition although I am a little partial to that one, The Earth from Above. Very educational, illuminating, fascinating.



4. This book made a great high school graduation gift for a nature enthusiast. Even though it's a bit bulky to take to a tiny dorm room, I know she loved the pictures and it will never become outdated. Great price, too!



5. The book I ordered was shipped immediately and received in almost record time. The packing was excellent, the book was in perfect condition, and if one receives service like this, you can't go wrong!!

5 comments about How to Photograph Absolutely Everything.

1. I plan on using this book as part of a digital photography workshop I'm conducting next month. The best thing about this book are the hundreds of photos the author includes. The photos are of the type of subjects most any serious photographer can find, and they are captured with a point-and-shoot camera which is what most people shoot with. I agree with previous reviewer that Ang could have included more detail about the exposure settings. This would have been very useful in helping readers understand better shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings for particular types of shots.
   
   I also don't particularly like the layout of the book. The size is pretty awkward. The paperback edition will I think make a better choice because it won't feel so weighty like this one. This book should be more than a coffee table book; it should one that serious photographers use almost like a manual for getting ideas about what and how to shoot in everyday situations. It's a great resource for picking out one or two types of shoots (like night or animal photography) and practicing the suggestions that Ang provides. Overall, great book, but if you don't like heavy hardback books, wait for the soft-bound edition.



2. I absolutely love this book. Ang has included everything in it necessary for the novice. At least for me. I would recommend this book to anyone just starting out as I am doing. It is simple to understand and the lay out was exceptional. I do believe, though, that a softbound cover would be much easier to handle. This book is rather heavy to carry around with you!



3. I have read many photography books. This book is packed with his breathtaking photography and he shares exactly how we can achieve the same results. For each shot he maps out what is needed. An example: "Misty Woodlands: For this shot he set his Camera Mode to landscape mode; Lens Setting, zoom to normal; Sensor/Film Speed, use a Low to Medium ISO setting; Flash, force the flash Off." Armed with that information he goes on to show us how to scout out the shot. With step by step instructions like that it is like having him right next to me telling me how to get the shot. I have found the book unlike any other. I give this book my highest recommendation.



4. I've been taking digital pix for a long while and had chance to 'read' this book from cover to cover and discovered quite a few 'pointers' I had not been aware of in digital photography. much info. at a very reasonable price.



5. For me, the real value of this book lies in the suggestions and examples given for taking creative shots involving a wide variety of subjects. The book is clearly aimed at photographers using point and shoot cameras, as each section will give you camera mode, lens zoom, ISO, and flash settings. While I wish he had included DSLR camera settings, I found more than enough helpful information to make me glad I purchased the book.

5 comments about Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro 5 (Apple Pro Training).

1. Excellent lessons... just perfect... sssshhh.. I'll let you in on a little secret... you listening? Give Apple 99 bucks and get 50 one hour lessons! 2 bucks an hour with a pro at the Apple store!



2. I am new at editing having only used Final Cut Pro for very basic and simple editing. This book is superb for beginners who wish to take their skills up a notch with plenty of tidbits for experimentation. I recommend beginners to have a copy of this book in their library if only for referrence.



3. Book is very comprehensive, covers topics in depth and allows the reader to work through projects. Final Cut is quite a program, and to try to learn about it on your own would be a challange, this book bridges the gap.
   Not once could I complete the project tasks in the estimated time given, i.e. 1 hour, I don't know if I am the only one who can't pick it up as quick as the book says, for me personally the concept of completing the book in the time stated is unrealistic, nevertheless I got it eventually and now have a much broader understanding of the program, so in this sense I found it useful and it has fulfilled it's purpose as a learning tool.



4. very useful, pretty easy to read. would they consider publishing a smaller version for all the commands only?



5. I am a beginner to editing video. This text is easy for me to understand and gives
   great detail on how to do all the procedures needed to create great videos.
   I highly recommend Final Cut Pro 5 by Diana Weynand, whether you are a begninner or
   if you are well versed in the program. After the initial tutorial material is covered,
   it will make a great reference manual.

5 comments about Audrey Hepburn: A Life in Pictures.

1. IS a very nice book, great photos. What I didnt like is that some of the picture titles are wrong.



2. This beautiful addition to any Audrey Hepburn library is a classy production that brings into focus Audrey's life and work through extravagantly sized photos, reproduced on thick, lush pages that are velvety to the touch. It's full of stunning b&w and color portraits, snapshots, and film stills that are arranged well in a mostly chronological order. There are many quotes included, both by Audrey and about her, which give a good overall feel for her personality.
   
   However, glaringly absent, there is nothing at all from "My Fair Lady." I was introduced to Audrey Hepburn as a child by way of "My Fair Lady," and therefore the film will always have a special place in my heart. I'm sure I am not alone. How the author could leave such an important work totally out of the collection is a puzzle to me, and therefore I cannot say this collection is completely comprehensive.
   
   I found the biography at the beginning of the book a bit disjointed, although it does give a good overview of her experiences during her childhood and the war that so greatly affected her personality. Of course, the biography is not the point of this book, as this is not meant to be an in depth literary study of her life. This is her life and accomplishments told through photographs.
   
   For those seeking a gorgeous photo album, this may be what you are looking for. The "personal" pictures I believe to be mostly photo ops, and therefore you do not get a much of look into the "private" Audrey, but the pictures are many and well varied, and the beautiful portraits alone are well worth the price of admission



3. This beautiful book is a fitting tribute to a brave, talented and beautiful lady. Well worth the price. More than a "coffee table book" the biographical introduction is well written and informative. Where are class acts like Audrey today?



4. I have not looked inside it is sealed and I plan to present it to my grandaughter in Nov. for her birthday. However, it looks beautiful and arrived promptly.



5. This is a gorgeous book. The pictures are huge and clear with lots of bio tidbits and quotes around the pictures. Definitely worth it for any Audrey fan.

2 comments about Paris Changing: Revisiting Eugene Atget's Paris.

1. Last summer I saw the Atget exhibit at the Bibliotheque Nationale, which was a marvelous passage through a lost time. This book matches some of those absorbing old photos with photos of the same location taken today. I think it's a fascinating book and I can lose myself in the nuances while comparing the photos. This pasttime may not be to everyone's taste, but I highly recommend the book to thoughtful people who enjoy looking at things.



2. What Berenice Abbott et al did for New York, Atget and Raushenberg have done for Paris.

5 comments about LaChapelle, Heaven to Hell (Photo Books).

1. You will never find a fashion photography album like this. LaChapelle is credited to be the greatest fashion/celebrity portrayer and for sure this book attemps to encore his amusement with fame addiction, pop culture, iconography and some tendency to celebrate sex in a lush, ethereal way. I must confess tho, I was expecting to be more surprised with LaChapelle work than Pierre & Gilles, for instance, I was suddenly hit by the full throttle opposition. LaChapelle is kitch-religious kitch chroma extravaganza blasphemous, and all the same at some point. He is an imagery magician, but he also knows the limit of what he wants to document and that point of no return regards consumerism, the hero identity, the fame, the vanity, the modern idolatry to fame and money. The most important Pop artist. The Andy Warhol of the 00's. I see Warhol sparkling his influence, LaChapelle is a sort of heir of his philosophy and ideology. It's a important book whatever sexual orientation you shall follow.



2. Lachapelle is great. The book has an incredible edition. Pure quality. Enjoy this fine piece of contemporary art.



3. Mr La Chapelle does it again with tongue in cheek dark humor. I bought this for a friend who collects wild and bizarre photo books...For me, it's a collector's item but not for the faint of heart or a coffee table book for a young family with children. He is an amazing photographer but more, an amazing imagination along with obvious sexual undertones,skills to stir it it all up and produce a unique statement through photo collage. My friend loved this book.



4. I got the book really fast! And it was perfect. Just a small scratch in the hard box.



5. Love Lachapelle, pretty much an insane genius. His work is sexy, provocative, alluring, disturbing, insane, kinky, risqué, all while being too hot to handle... the book is so chock full of fun that a normal person can't look through the entire thing in one sitting without their head exploding. If only one day I can become him... Lachapelle if you are reading this, let me be your apprentice!

5 comments about The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon.

1. After seeing this book in a Borders store, I decided to buy it. I couldn't put it down, page after page offers so much of the author, yet offered so much to the reader. It makes your own imagination soar again, and as a fellow photographer, it gave me a kick in the butt I needed to start shooting again. The vision of Dan Eldon was not only through a lens, but through his heart as well. He accomplished a great deal in a short life, and definitely contributed to the bettering of our world. His photographs of Africa, combined with the scrapbook like additions of text and objects could be considered a new form of documentary photography. I strongly urge anyone who is interested in travel or photojournalism to get this book and have it transform your outlook on life.



2. Eldon's story of the war-torn Somolia is as much an artwork as it is an engaging story. This "book" is a reproduction of photojournalist Dan Eldon's journal from his travels in the most impoverished regions of Africa. Part insightful reading, part artistic work, this book should be on anyone's reading list who wants to know more about the world we don't see everyday, and it truly makes one think about all we have, and all Eldon lost...5 out of 5 starts easily!



3. I bought this book upon it's release in 1997. I can remember allowing the contents of this memoir to captivate me for hours on end. I lent my copy to a friend shortly thereafter and subsequently forgot about it. I recently ordered a replacement and I must say, this book is even more compelling than I ever remembered. Dan Eldon was a profound visionary, an articulate statesman and a devoted caretaker. As a Reuters photo-journalist, he traveled the world and served as a dipomatic embassador to many, yet his life was taken prematurely in a stoning riot in Somalia. He experienced more in his brief 21 years than most of us will over an entire lifetime. A MUST HAVE.



4. This is a dense, rich book of images and words left by Dan Eldon, one of those brilliant, outsized people who burn through life like a flare and are gone. He surrounded himself with beauty and horror and tried to both record and to make some sense of his experiences and the constant, jarring disparity between the extremes of life.
   If you love photography and art or are just drawn to precocious brilliance and the intense energy of people who are present in every moment of their lives, you should own this book.



5. This book is absolutely amazing. My mother got this book for me when I was about 17 and just really starting to bud out and become an artist. Dan's work was absolutely mesmerizing and inspiring. His colorful life and tragic death spark something in you to go out and change the world.

5 comments about Nikon D200 Digital Field Guide.

1. Great for my needs being a D200 novice, good flow and explanations and step by step as needed at times. I am a writer so to me "step by step" guides are always best as you can go step by step or skip around the things you already know or picked up along the way.



2. I have purchased (4) instruction books for my Nikon D200 Camera. By far David Busch's Field Guide Book is the best ever. It is easy to understand, thorough, easy to locate specific topics while in the field. It never leaves my camera bag wherever I'm on a photo adventure. It you have a D200 you must have this book.



3. I'm not a professional, my D200 was my second digital - my first D-SLR. I was lost with the manual - it was hard to read, hard to understand, and way too small of print. I even printed a 81/2x11 copy of the owner's manual from Nikon. That helped - BUT, when I started reading this book, I was so glad I bought it. It not only goes through everything in the manual in a more concise way - it also gives you practice ideas to help you put your knowledge to work. I give it 5 stars! I've bought more books and more DVD's in the 1 1/2 years I've had my D200, but this is the only book I carry with me everywhere! That's proof to me that it has what I look for!



4. With an important shoot looming and the camera in shipping I was panicking. I received this book on Mon. Read furiously. Unpacked the camera Tues. evening and was on the shoot Wed. at 6AM. Backed it up the first day with film cameras. I got such good results that by Thurs. I had abandoned the film backup. This was all due to the answeres I got from this book every time I looked up something I didn't understand. The manual is thorough but in fine print and very complex. This book will give you a detailed overview in a logically organized manner.



5. I have just purchased through amazon, nikon d200 digital field guide,which I found very helpful,information and layout is excellant,a well written book,recomend it to anyone

No comments about Dog Gallery Calendar 2009 (Page a Day Gallery Calendar).

4 comments about The Complete Guide to Professional Wedding Photography: Creating a more profitable and fulfilling business.

1. This book is great!! Everything a photographer needs, to learn more about his/her photography business. The examples are also fantastic (they even give all the details about the picture) which I love!!



2. The book is well written, with good images, so why not 5 stars?
   
   I read the book cover to cover and that is the problem it's not an easy read. They didn't know what this book was when they did the layout. It's set up as a coffee table book with lots of good images and lots of information on how the images were taken. This causes bad breaks in the text, they break in the middle of paragraphs, and even worse sentences. One sentence cuts in the middle for multiple pages of images then picks back up with the end of the sentence.
   
   As for the information provided in the book, it's good but not really new. One issue I have is that some of the chapters feel forced. This book covers the business of wedding photography so it has a chapter on bookkeeping that can be summed up as find good software and a good accountant. I get it, he doesn't do his own bookwork, fine, skip the chapter and write about what you do.
   
   The images are great, the text is nothing new but it is motivational and gives a good blueprint to follow for the business of wedding photography. Overall this is a good book and would have been 5 stars if they had shown the attention to detail in the layout of the book that they put into the images.



3. When I heard and read that Damien Lovegrove was to release a book I smiled and thought YES.A portfolio and notes of advice all rolled into one from one of the UK's most sought after Photographer and Speaker is certainly worth a second look. Knowing Damien and his work like I do, it was no surprise that I would be ordering one as soon as the chance presented itself. Having being on one of Damien's Location Lighting Courses, I was in receipt of a set of notes at the end of the course which are kept on a safe location in my bookshelf. These aforementioned notes are still an important reference document. Shelved alogside this is my new investment (Damien' Book, The Complete Guide to Professional Wedding Photography) It is up ther with Bambi Cantrell and Julie Oswin.
   The book itself is well presented and feels good tothe touch, like a wedding album which is to be cherished. It is full of well lit and well composed images with metadata attached so that you the reader can get an insight into the creation and the story of the image. The text is carefully worded and easy to read and anyone who knows Damien's voice you could be forgiven for thinking he was reading it to you.
   I refer to it for both ideas and reference so that I am not outdone by the challenges that the present day photographer has to face.
   Get your copy, it is well worth twice what you would pay, you will be sure to get several ideas from it, if you only get one it will still be worth it.
   I hope you will enjoy the book as my as I have done,
   
   
   Tim Collins.



4. As an emerging wedding photographer, I was seeking a definitive resource that provided good compositional examples, ideas for running the scheduling of a wedding day, advice about business management and customer service, and workflow. I found all this and much more in Damien Lovegrove's superb book.
   
   Where other wedding photography books failed for me, this one stood out heads and shoulders above the rest. I found that this book (while demonstrating a distinct British flavour, given the high formality of many of the weddings photographed) still transcended international barriers, where everything became relevant for me even as an Australian photographer.
   
   Damien Lovegrove has a clear, succinct and easy-to-read narrative style of writing. He offers solid examples of his fine work, technical information and the environmental context relating to how they were achieved, together with detailed information about how to manage a wedding day, post-wedding workflow, and developing your business for profit.
   
   Mr Lovegrove doesn't bog the book down with explanations of basic photographic theory, nor does he spend too much time discussing the type of camera or flash you should be using. He jumps straight into the nitty-gritty of the issue, and assumes that the reader already has at least some experience with cameras and photography. If he ever produced a book with detailed lighting concepts and theory, photographers would have the perfect library for their career in just two books.
   
   Mr Lovegrove is genuinely inspirational and explains that he too worked from the ground up, and that only through hard work and dedication was his ambition realised.
   
   This book was absolutely fantastic and I know that I will be buying any of his future books, his DVDs and attending his seminars. Damien Lovegrove is truly a master in his field. This book, above any other non-technical resource you may be considering, is vital for any photographer serious about becoming great.