5 comments about Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 for Photographers.

1. A great way to learn Paint Shop Pro Photo X2. It breaks things down in easy to learn steps.



2. I have to say that I was disappointed with this book - the title is misleading. It is well written and very useful - as a basic introduction to how to operate the software. Essentially, it fills the role of a manual on how to use the software admirably. But as for going beyond the basics to make full use of the software, from the vantage point of a serious photographer - forget it!



3. A huge benefit, particularly for those who downloaded their program, although experience tells me it's also much clearer than the packaged manual. Well written and takes alot of the mystery out of using Paint Shop Pro.



4. Arrived next day, very helpful if you work with corel paint shop Pro 2. -



5. I have been into digital photography for the past couple of years and have been using both PSP Photo X2 and Photoshop Elements 5. Through experimentation, I had figured out how to brighten, sharpen, soften, clone, straighten, crop, etc. I had tried using masks and layers but failed miserably. I was looking for a book that would walk me through the creation and application of masks and layers and hopefully guide me through the more sophisticated tools such as curves. What a disappointment. The first chapter takes roughly 30 pages to list the tools, e.g., "Red-Eye tool" duh! It finally gets down to an example at the end of the chapter, taking 2 full pages to show how STRAIGHTEN AN IMAGE!
   
   Chapter 2 nicely covers "Simple Picture Manipulation", with a thorough explanation of the "Smart Photo Fix". It also covers the use of Histogram Adjustment and tools like "High Pass Sharpen". Unfortunately, it only touches on "Soft Focus", which is actually quite complicated, i.e., requires a lot of playing around, and skims past Curves with 9 short sentences and nary an example.
   
   Chapter 3 "Moving Past the Basics" is an understatement. Suddenly I was seeing "tips" like, "For an interesting effect use a Hue/Saturation/Lightness Adjustment layer in colorize mode to apply a tint, then reduce the layer opacity to blend it with the original color." Right. It reminds me of the proverbial ski trip where the "expert" skier lets everyone take one warm-up run down the bunny hill and then takes them to the top of an "easy" black diamond trail. At that point, he drops over the edge and vanishes from sight, expecting his novice charges to follow - forgetting that it took him years to perfect his technique.

5 comments about Wide Angle: National Geographic Greatest Places.

1. I went from being wowed to feeling blah about this book...it was like a rollercoaster...up and down. Some of the pictures...gorgeous...took my breath away and others left me quickly flipping through to the next page hoping to see something that captured my attention.
   
   It wasn't what I was expecting in the fact that I was hoping that every single page would leave me meditating upon the picture before me, but still in my opinion it is a keeper as a large portion of the pictures are really stunning.
   
   My other disappointment was the fact that when I think of "greatest places", well I don't really feel that that was captured in this collection of photography. Some of the pictures were random and just seemd poorly executed and the entire book didn't seem to mesh well.
   
   The polar region photographs, which end the book, were perhaps the most disappointing which left me closing the book feeling let down.



2. There are many beautiful pictures in this book.
   Some images are really impressive, have soul and cause emotions.
   But the way the book was made somehow ruins those emotions.
   Some of the best images are "interrupted" by the centerfold. Very poor positioning!
   Because the book is so thick, you are unable to appreciate those pictures.
   This kind of breaks the magic...
   Don't they have a specialist to do this at NG?
   The book should be larger, wider. Some pictures are unecessarily small, sharing half of a page with some uninteresting phrase/text.
   I am still happy I bought it, it's a nice book and I really like many images, but it was poorely executed. Coul be soooo much better!
   For this price, I still recommend it.



3. I bought this for my parents for a house warming gift. It is the typical high quality photography associated with National Geographic. Only weakness is that being so large it seems to not be bound extremely well. Has to be handled carefully. Very good.



4. This book is informative, succinct, well written, eye-opening, full of surprises, and visually attractive at a reasonable price. It is a very worthwhile addition to a home library or as a gift for ages 12 to 112.



5. The pictures in this book are great. What I dislike, is that since they are at a wide angle, the pictures generally take up a page and a half. I feel like you are missing something when the middle of the picture is in the spine of the book.

5 comments about Pricing Photography: The Complete Guide to Assignment & Stock Prices.

1. I'm a professional photographer so I have experience in pricing, but until I read this book I didn't realize how much more there was to learn. I have picked up a lot of subtleties in negotiating techniques which has given me increased confidence in dealing with clients. Another plus for me was the language rights section. By using the careful, precise language when writing an invoice I am now avoiding some pitfalls in the permissions I grant to clients. The pricing charts are a great reference so I can see where my rates fall in comparison to the national average. Sometimes I even show the price charts to my clients so they can see what a good deal I'm giving them! The book is a gold mine of information -- all spelled out in photographer-friendly language.



2. An invaluable guide for photographers providing information on pricing, negotiation and business behavior with clients, A very good book



3. The only book you may ever need in general stock & assignment photography pricing. This is my conclusion after buying several books. Other books discuss the business but left the pricing. So this topic become "mysterious" for most photographers starting their business. Well thought and the authors are not afraid explaining their ideas in details. Very useful and serves as reference whenever you need it.
   
   For specific subject combine with other book. E.g for nature photography business, combine this book with John Shaw's Nature Photography Business.



4. This book was invaluable in the pricing process. It includes guides that most other books of this kind do not. For example, guides for how to calculate your annual overhead in order to take it into account with the pricing of every job. Great book, and I'm sure it will come in handy when it comes to pricing stock images.



5. I can't encourage you enough to know the information in this book. There are even forms in the back for you to use when billing people. The last time I brought my invoice to someone they responded about how professional it was. Read this before you start making mistakes that will become very costly to you and your business!

5 comments about Elliott Smith.

1. This Elliot Smith book is really cool. It has tons and tons of pictures, but not a whole lot of text. It also comes with a awesome live cd with around five songs.



2. Coming from Autumn De Wilde, This book gets as close as it gets to Elliott Smith's photographical side. There are a lot of formal dedications including a foreword by Beck. I also enjoyed the 4 song live CD that was included with the book. I wish the CD had more tracks on it.



3. The pictures in the book are so incredible and definitely bring you back to XO times. It took me awhile to finally buy it, but I would not hesitate. This is a great purchase!



4. Elliott Smith was perhaps the greatest Indie singer/songwriter of his generation. His unresolved murder/suicide at the age of 34 in 2003 catapulted him into iconic status. It abruptly ended a career that had begun to take off. Autumn DeWilde shared a personal friendship as well as a professional working relationship with Smith, released Elliott Smith, which is basically a series of intimate and touching conversations between Elliott's close friends and family that we have the privilege to listen(read) in on. Many speaking for the first time since his death. Because DeWilde was a personal friend of Elliott's, I think that we have to respect the fact that this is her book, not ours. It is going to read more like she is relating to Elliott because she knew him, and not just an informal biography about Elliott. After understanding that it is easier to appreciate and understand the book's perspective. Complementing the text are glossy black and white and color photographs that DeWilde shot of Smith throughout his career. Extremely fascinating and revealing, this book provides a unique perspective into the man whose music many have come to appreciate and love. DeWilde directed Smith's Son of Sam music video, and shot the cover art for his fifth album Figure 8. For a man many know only too well through his music, this book brings a fascinating "behind the scenes" perspective to his life. Besides his music, this is perhaps as close to the man that we will come to know. Reading about his friends and family talk about Smith, you begin to feel like you knew him as well, that you're sharing stories with old friends reminiscing about the night before he appeared on national television for the Oscars, the stories behind the music, or specific conversations that you had. Like his music, this book is a collection of memories, priceless memories. For those unfamiliar with his work, this book will not be as powerful or interesting as it will be for fans. Smith was a complex artist and human being, his personal life and music were not separate, they were one. This is not a biography on Smith, it is a series of conversations and interviews between Smith's closest friends and family. For fans familiar with his music, this book is a must have. I walked away after reading this book with a ton of information that I didn't know before. Considering that I never knew him personally, I even felt like I understood him a (little) better. The beautiful photographs alone are worth the price of the book, containing never before seen images of Smith. Haunting portraits that capture the man in all his glory; the photo shoot from the Figure 8 cover shooting; even handwritten lyrics on the backs of receipts. Yet we also get a series of revealing interviews and conversations that begin to flesh out the man and gives deeper insight into the life of this deeply troubled and gifted artist. The book is a celebration of their friendship and perhaps brings some closure to their relationship as well. I respect that, and I think we are fortunate DeWilde chose to share these at all. Thanks. DeWilde lets us in on this event. Looking at the haunting and beautiful images of Smith, there are many images that come to mind. Silently looking at Smith, you can hear his music playing in the background. This book because it leaves you with a tasted wanting more. Among those interviewed are: Beck Hanson, Ben Gibbard, Chris Walla, Autumn De Wilde, Joanna Bolme, Sam Coomes, Neil Gust, Ashley Welch, Margaret Middleman, Larry Crane. It is no secret that Elliott Smith lived a troubled life. I feel that this book gives you just enough without getting overly personal with respect to Elliott Smith and his family and the problems that he had in regards to drug abuse/depression. I think that this book could have gone a certain way in violating his privacy and instead it shows a tremendous amount of respect. I know that it is the gritty details that are the most fascinating, but I think that there is a fine line to respecting what someone else would like and what people are comfortable talking about. This book balances that perfectly. Contained within the book is a previously unreleased compact disc recording of Elliott Smith "Live at Largo" in Los Angeles. Contains four tracks: Angeles, Between The Bars, Clementine, Clouds(Quasi cover), All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down(Hank Williams Jr. cover). Intimate, touching, fascinating, and perhaps like his music- timeless. Recommended.



5. At first I was hesitant to purchase this book because I thought it consisted of nothing but photographs. It's not that I have anything against that, but I also like to have text accompanying the pictures. For a few months, I kept contemplating purchasing it when it saw it in various bookstores. When I actually made the opportunity to flip through the book, I discovered the author also conducted interviews with people who worked with Elliott and were in his life. I was also highly encouraged by another fan to purchase the book because he said it was spectacular, so I did just that. As soon as I purchased it, I went home and started looking at the photographs, which are exquisite. I also really enjoyed reading the interviews. An extra bonus included a CD consisting of five live tracks, one of them being a cover of a famous country song. I urge any fan of Elliott Smith to purchase this book, especially those who think they already have "everything" in their collection. "Elliott Smith" by Autumn de Wilde is a delight!

5 comments about Paris 1962: Yves Saint Laurent and Dior, Christian Dior, The Early Collections.

1. Great pics, great text and a really wonderful tribute to the masters of haute couture from the glory days or fashion. A must for anyone who treasures and thinks about the sublteties and wonder of those who preceded the charlatans who are producing fodder in the name of fashion in modern times. Designers take note.



2. Saint Laurent adds his creative vision to Parisian couture. The Parisian elegance glitters in this book. Chrstian Dior takes his revenche and adds his charm and signature. Lovely lovely book.



3. This book is more about photography than it is about the COLLECTIONS as stated on the title. It's a lot of atmospheric photos (the audience, the backstage). I want to see the collection.



4. Unfortunately I purchased this book before my friend left the 1 star review. I was very disappointed to find no fashion in this book. Annoying blurry close-ups...seemed like an attempt to mimic ALLURE, the Diana Vreeland book. Trying to capture the feel of a Dior collection, rather than the actual fashion. I can imagine what it feels like without your blurry pictures, thank you. I want to see the collections.



5. Other reviews have described how this book does not show you much of the collections of Dior or Yves St Laurent for 1962. So that was disappointing to me.
   
   But this book also fails to deliver much in terms of a photoessay. The photos were taken for an Esquire Magazine article, and judging from a snapshot montage at the back of the book, those photos would work well in small-size format with blurbs of text. Instead the book shows you grainy blow-ups, coffee-table book size, that fail to hold their own when enlarged and left alone without text. There are no accompanying blurbs of text next to the photos, which would have been very helpful.
   
   Instead (and this put me over the edge), SOME of the snapshots in the montage at the back of the book are numbered and given descriptors. So if you are going thru the book and wondering what the big photo is about--and this happened to me often--you have to go searching in the back for the snapshot of it, find the number, then find the descriptor. If there is a descriptor. Many photos in the book lack any descriptor, so you are left wondering forever who the people are and what the photo is supposed to be about. Frankly, no photo book should ever do this to its readers.
   
   If you are a fan of Jerry Schatzberg, you might like this book. But I don't think this book does justice to his photos.

4 comments about The Vice Photo Book.

1. The images, people, and wide range of topics make this an endlessly fascinating addition to your library.
   Highly Recommended!



2. First off, if you are a fan of Vice, then you probably already own this book. And if you are a fan and don't, then shame on you! Second, this is a great book for anyone just interested in photography. It catalogs the history of Vice magazine through years worth of photography. It also has interviews and insights from nearly all of the contributors. There is a very large and varied collection of photos from both established photographers like Kern and McGinley, to up-and-comers like Warren. All in all, very high quality with some amazing imagery. A must have for modern photography lovers.



3. I have to keep yanking this back from my kids...an honest look at the world we rarely see or write about...let alone talk about. Nice peek into life.



4. This book has crazy pics from all over. Perfect for your modern living space setup. Not for kids because it contains some nudity.
   
   I bought this as a gift for my friend's herbal medicine shop and his customers love this book.

5 comments about Twilight: Photographs by Gregory Crewdson.

1. 
   I can't believe another reviewer called this book contrived and insincere. That is absolutely ridiculous. This collection of work is quite sincerely attached to feelings of strangeness and otherness in everyday life. If you think those feelings are shallow and relegated to teenagers (and I find it very insulting that someone spoke of teens that way), then it's a sad, sad world.
   
   It is mysterious and strange and wonderful. Everyone can appreciate that.



2. While Gregory Crewdson may be the most overhyped, overpaid photography around today, he is also a master of this type of color, creative, fictive scene. This work is deliberate, deep, and strange, and includes a good essay by Rick Moody. It is a modern masterwork, for sure, and while Crewdson's retrospective book "1985-2005" is average at best, this cohesive body of work is well worth the price.



3. These photos are 'quiet' but intriguing. The lightings in these photos are amazing. Sometimes it is hard to believe that these are photos and not drawings.
   
   I personally like photos/movies shot under low budget -- and these settings were certainly not cheap -- but if you don't mind that, this is good book to have.



4. I love this book, its so inspiring. The title "twilight" is a time of the day when things seem real but at the same time they dont. The thing I love is that the illustrations look like photographs in a way, which is the piont their trying to make.



5. The book is fantastic! However to my horror it was packed very badly and the book arrived scratched and a damaged. Amazon expects me to pay for all shipping costs to get a refund of the book value only. Since I live in Australia the return shipping would surpass the value of the books sent. I emailed Amazon with this issue 2 weeks ago and NO REPLY!
   
   
   DO NOT BUY FINE ART BOOKS FROM AMAZON!!

5 comments about Andreas Gursky.

1. Gursky's prints in person are astounding--words fail to capture not only their size, but their detail. This book does an excellent job of taking those gigantic prints and putting them into a manageable size. Plus, this is a comprehensive overview of Gursky's work.



2. Probably the most innovative and gifted
   photographer of our time Mr. Gursky's work is
   selected, edited and presented by equally competent
   eyes at MOMA. It is a 'must have' for those who
   enjoy photography and contemporary art.



3. This is a fairly inexpensive way to acquire one of Andreas Gursky's books. Most of his other books are fairly expensive and seem to be increasing in value. The quality of the images is excellent and the only issue I have with the book is the size of the offerings. If you have ever seen one of Gursky's images in the flesh you will quickly realize that this book only hints at what his prints really look like. But an oversized book would have been more costly and even then would not have approached the scale that Gursky prefers. All in all, I would recommend purchasing this book which is something that I have obviously done.



4. The pictures are jaw dropping. Exquisite. Incredible. Six stars pictures.. The most important thing to me is that his photography is SUCH that I turn pages very very slowly... Each picture contains majestic details... such a level of detail in each photo is what makes his photo craft so unique...
   
   However, there are too few pictures and many pages devoted to words and words... essays that ramble on art, pictures and blabla... I mean, I love words, i love books, but this, to me, misses the point of a book tha's mean for beautiful pictures...
   
   That's it...



5. This book included some good photos of Gursky.
   Also having a detail explanation and script fro Gursky's work.

5 comments about Makeup Your Mind.

1. this book is for more advanced makeup artists who have grasp basic concepts already. it is more of fashion/glamour makeup, and talks more about contouring and highlighting. it can be used as a face chart or reference when you deal with different faces. the pictures are of very high quality, with all the details exposed. recommended for pros.



2. I have already exchanged mine.Very nice quality of paper and pics, but:
   - it just shows very young models w/ pale pale complexions (that is, where makeup really shows easily);
   - it carries transparencies with the names of their colors aplied in every pic (what ridiculous propaganda!);
   - it is based on the fact that one simple item (like just a red lipstick, or just eyeliner or whatever) can change a whole look and that's all they show.
   (So far, Auckwin's have been the best I've bought, I just love both of them!)



3. This is a great book for beginners. The photos are dummy proof, and the plastic overlay explains everything without confusion. Fantastic. Good investment.



4. I read all the reviews before I bought this book and found them to be quite equally negative and positive.I should have listened to the negative ones,because I was disappointed!I was looking for some new looks and techniques and all the looks in this book are really quite basic,even if you are a beginner at applying makeup I think you could recreate most of the looks in this book.The gray on white pages was small and very hard to read as well.If you are looking for a makeup book to teach you new ways of applying makeup check out Kevyn Aucoin or Robert Jones books.



5. This book is definitely worth reading for those interested in makeup. However, many complaints stated by others are valid, such as the light, small type, in block paragraphs on white paper, is hard to read. The "before" photos can be a little disturbing because they are nearly life-size, and despite the statement that they haven't been retouched, there are no blood vessels visible in ANY of the models' eyes, making them look oddly lifeless (this effect is compounded by their flat expressions). No doubt that reminds some readers of "The Stepford Wives." Many of the models are extremely freckled - I wonder if that is representative of the human population to the degree you see it in this book. It does appear that the models' skin and facial features haven't been altered; after looking at them for awhile, I came away thinking, "THESE people aren't pretty enough to be models!" It made me start to think NO ONE is really beautiful - we're just being conned by the "beauty industry," Hollywood, advertising, etc. Also, the models' names aren't labeled on their photos. The text does have some useful tips and information, and there are short descriptions for application of the products for each of the looks in the back of each section. The most useful sections to me were the ones on neutrals and pastels. All of the other looks would have to be modified for use in the real world. I found one flaw in the book - one of the plastic overlays was clearly the wrong one for the page. The instructions at the back of the section made it possible to deal with that, so it wasn't a significant problem. Also, the slipcase is very thin and fragile; mine was already cracked when it arrived. No wonder used copies of this never seem to have a slipcase.

3 comments about Enclosure.

1. Andy Goldsworthy's work is as good as a human being can get to the Northern Lights.



2. You will not look at rocks, sticks, ice, leaves or water the same way after you read this (or any) of his books. It's mezmerizing to see the way these common objects we would walk right by turn into sublime art. Also worth checking out the DVD "Rivers and Tides". Just wonderful, and the polar opposite of the slick, mass produced art out there today.



3. I bought this as a gift for a dear friend. She was delighted to the Nth.