5 comments about The Complete Guide to Light & Lighting in Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book).

1. I am very pleased with this item. It came in great time and was in perfect condition.



2. This is a great book, with lots of good ideas for how to set up lighting in differing situations. I've already improved my lighting using ideas from this book. What made this a tough slog is that the illustrations sometimes don't match up, and for a photography book, the illustrations tend to be kind of important.
   
   I went on the publisher web site, and haven't found an errata, but will keep looking in the hopes, since cleaning up the figures (and adding the missing ones obviously referred to) would make this a great overall book.



3. I agree strongly with the first review of this book. I bought this one and a wedding photo book. Reading this one has been a much better use of my time! It takes a more scientific and pragmatic approach to successful photography. Light is what you are capturing and the essence of photography. One should really know something about it :) I really like the series shots towards the back of the book that include a bust, a ball and a figurine with different light treatments (reflectors, angles, blah blah blah). He also does series shots of the same objects only with different exposures, different times of day and different lighting setting, which helps you get a better understanding of white balance and how to use it to your advantage. It shows progressive evening to night shots. I do wish it had more night shooting tips, but it was well worth the $30. He uses a Nikon D2X, I believe, which might make the Nikon users feel a bit more comfortable, but really this info applies to all digital SLRs out there. He also touches on photoshop and photomatrix.



4. Michael Freeman seems to be a passionate traveler and artist before being a talented professional photographer.
   With " Light and Lighting", he shares with us his experience, taking us on a captivating journey from the nature of light through the technical intricacies and complexities that the serious and dedicated photographer is bound to encounter (staying clear, from the pitfalls of pedantry and tediousness) to lead us beyond the limitations of technology into the wide open space of our own limitless creativity and freedom of expression.
   If you have been inspired by this book, I would also recommend its companions, "Mastering Color Digital Photography" and "Mastering Black and White Digital Photography". They are of the same caliber.



5. I'm a student of photography and this book really helps to highlight that you wouldn't pick up on by yourself and makes it clear. My school recommends it and I recommend it to anyone who wants a digital lighting book that will unfuzz the technicalities that can get in the way of creating a great photo.

No comments about Flowers, A Universe Revealed 2009 Wall Calendar.

No comments about Elliott Erwitt's Dogs.

5 comments about DV Filmmaking: From Start to Finish (O'Reilly Digital Studio).

1. DV Filmmaking From Start To Finish by Ian David Aronson's will reach both amateur and professional digital video users with a basic primer on differences between digital and print mediums. Familiarity with Final Cut Pro or Adobe After Effects, the two programs used here, will aid in understanding DV applications in either PC or Mac formats, while the author's background as a teacher of digital media lends a logical progression to his tips and practical applied examples.



2. este es un libro que explica de manera didáctica ,todos los procesos que tiene una producción audiovisual.
   Muy bien ilustrado, con ejemplos que ayudan al nuevo realizador audiovisual a enfrentar sus primeras producciones de una forma segura, buscando que éste no cometa errores que luego pueden demeritar su trabajo.
   La única crítica que tengo para hacer de esta obra, es que los ejemplos de montaje los realizan en programa específicos , como Final Cut, algo que de alguna manera deja sin posibilidades a aquellos que manejamos plataformas de edición diferentes.



3. "DV Filmaking from Start to Finish" is a !!MASTERPIECE!!. It is a book I
   recommend to anyone interested in Digital Video. Reading the book was like having Mr. Ian David Aronson in your room sharing with you all of his knowledge.
   
   This book it's not a 18 chapter tutorial on learning Final Cut Pro or After Effects. It's more like traveling back in time and learning from the history of Digital Video to the present day. Aronson show's everything, from film to video, the way you should treat your camera, what you should be
   prepared with; lighting, greenscreen, Hardware, white balance, DVD
   authoring,
   aspect ratios, you name it, including some basic tutorials on doing
   edits.
   He even gives you an internet address to look and confirm what he is showing
   you.
   
   If you are an advanced editor, this book is for you. This book is for to
   read,
   learn and keep it forever just in case you forget a detail, so you can
   review it again and again. I was amazed with the things I have learned from
   Mr.
   Aronson. Thank you and I'll hope to read another book from him.
   
   Jorge Raphael Valenzuela Hernández
   Graphic Artist / Videographer



4. I am so thankful for the insightfulness of Mr. Aronson. I have done more conceptual video work in the past when I was a graduate student in photography. I am looking a doing another educational project and wanted to brush up on my skills. The book provides me with the knowledge I can use to feel much more confident in the upcoming project as well as exploring my own fine art projects. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in digital video.



5. The first half of the book is very thorough in going over the basics of film and digital video. There's also some description on some basic equipment you'll need to get off the ground.
   
   The second half talks about basic editing in Final Cut, which I mostly skipped since I don't plan on using Final Cut. Honestly, for filmmakers who plan on using Final Cut, this would've probably made 5 stars.
   
   Have fun and good luck on your film!

5 comments about Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders.

1. "Here is a picture of the emergent civil rights movement plunging forward, adeptly taking its strategy of nonviolent direct action to the national stage" writes Eric Etheridge in the introduction to this wonderful book.
   
   Etheridge found approximately 320 mug shots of Freedom Riders who had been arrested in Mississippi in 1961. Ironically, the mug shots were warehoused by the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, a Mississippi agency formed in 1956 "to protect the sovereignty of the State of Mississippi...from encroachment thereon by the Federal Government." The Commission got the mug shots and arrest records from Jackson and Mississippi State police. (The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission: Civil Rights and States' Rightsis an excellent history of the Commission.)
   
   Etheridge has worked as a magazine story editor and on various Web-related projects. He was able to track down and photograph and interview more than 100 Freedom Riders. Many of the modern photos appear next to the original mug shot, as well as the all of mug shots of every Freedom Rider arrested in 1961 in Jackson.
   
   A sample entry (for Larry Bell) consists of the two photos and the following text:
   
   "Born: March 5, 1942, in Monroe, GA. Grew up there and in Los Angeles, where his family moved in 1950.
   
   "Then: Freshman, Los Angeles City College.
   
   "Since then: Returned to Los Angeles, working as a janitor during the day and attending City College at night. In 1966 was one of the first blacks to go to work for United Airlines in California. When he retired in 2000, he was a flight-attendant supervisor and also trained newly hired flight attendants. Still lives in Los Angeles.
   
   "Quote: The clothing that they gave us in Parchman was a t-shirt that was military green and some green boxer shorts. No shoes, no. And as we began to protest, they took them from us and left us with nothing. Then they took the mattress, so now we had to lie on a metal slab with them little round holes--and boy, you talk about some hard sleeping at night? When you're sleeping on the thing, there's that indentation where your skin goes through that little round hole, and there you are, half of you is like being suffocated and the other half is being cut out, you couldn't sleep any way you tried. So we sat up and we debated all night, and we got more boisterous in our songs."
   
   As Etheridge notes: "The irony here is that the Sovereignty Commission documented the success of the Civil Rights movement instead of defeating it, and left behind a great visual record and the names of everybody involved."
   
   There are two excellent histories of the Freedom Riders:Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement by Ann Bausum and Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice (Pivotal Moments in American History) by by Raymond Arsenault.
   
   Etheridge's excellent book adds a human element of great power to the story.
   
   ***
   
   Reviewer's Disclosure: I worked on various Civil Rights matters in Mississippi between 1961 and 1970 as a law student and later as young lawyer.
   
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008



2. My review is not in anyway impartial or detached. Forty seven years ago tomorrow (June 2) myself and five fellow Riders were arrested in Jackson. Three members of our group are no longer with us today, with this disclosure in mind I will now review "Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders" by Eric Etheridge.
   The book is beautifully printed and the portraits are of outstanding quality. The text is, of course, minimal but to me at least, provacative in the extreme. The interviews Mr. Etheridge was able to conduct and include were the flesh on the bones. Incidently, I spoke with Mr. Ehteridge and was advised that the interviewing connected with his project is continuing and they will eventually show up on the internet.
   This book is a perfect complement to Raymond Arsenault's "Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice"(see my review). For primary history enthusiasts, I cannot strongly enough recommend: Mississippi Department Archives and History (MDAH Digital Collection). To get a feel for the real situation in Mississippi of what segregation meant in that state.
   Perusing the portraits was like a portal back into time. Bittersweet memories of accomplishment and failure. Yes, we accomplished the immediate objective of integrating interstate travel and in the ensuing years(at the cost of a lot of blood) removed most overt forms of discrimination. But, sadly if one takes the time and energy to peer into her or his surroundings(locally and globally) the idealism of that time is rarely observed.
   WE SHALL OVERCOME?



3. This is a unique piece of literature that gives you a sense of pride for those unsung heroes of the past who made significant history. Great pictures and autobiographical sketches. This should be in every American's household library!



4. I recently purchased this, having read a review in either the Wall Street Journal or New York Times. It provides background information regarding the Freedom Riders within the civil rights movement and then offers photos of the individuals arrested and profiles of many of them: what they were doing then, why they joined the effort and what they've done since and are doing now.
   
   The book provides a human face to a movement -- something that is very effective here given that the participants spanned various parts of the country, different socioeconomic backgrounds, etc.
   
   The only issue I had with it, which is minor, is that the project is ongoing, which makes the book seem incomplete. That doesn't make me regret the purchase, however. Well worth the money and time.



5. The Freedom Rider mug shots were collected by Mississippi's State Sovereignty Commission, which was established to protect segregation in perpetuity. The aim was probably to assure that if the Riders returned to the state, they could be run out on a rail, or perhaps blackmailed if they were later ashamed of their youth.
   Who knows why the police photos went into the archives? Mississippi Sovereignty Commission employees were notoriously drunken incompetents (see numerous scholarly articles to that effect) and they needed to collect every shred of evidence of having shown up for work.
   When the Sovereignty Commission's files were finally open to the public thanks to years of work by the ACLU, the evidence of their intimidation & spying & incompetence was astonishing.
   And yet, even in the mug shots, the strength of character & idealism of the Riders showed through. Photographer Eric Etheridge made it his mission to track down those of the 500 Riders who were still alive, and persuaded many to allow him to do new, artistic, penetrating "mug shots" for posterity.
   My regret is that the interviews which went with the portraits were so curtailed by the art book format. I also feel that the intensity of his approach made many people look more forbidding than they are in a more natural setting.
   This is a valuable, powerful & revealing book, which presents to the public some of the people who have not been celebrated but who made the history while others got the kudos.

1 comments about Blossfeldt (Taschen 25th Anniversary).

1. I got my copy of this book about 2 hours ago.
   What I want to say, is this-What a find!
   If you are an artist,and are attracted to botany,this is a book of photography that is comparable to another book I bought about 2 years ago, featuring drawings from under a microscope.
   What a treasure, this book is!
   Other people have posted negative comments about the so called "blurriness" of the black and white photography in previous editions of other books concerning Blosfeldt.
   There is nothing blurry about this book.
   If you love nature, and are a sculptor,designer, I can tell you, you will be very pleased when you get this collection of plant photography.
   Gosh, $10.19 is unbeleivable.
   This has got to be the best book,I have bought online.

No comments about The Photographer's Guide to the Oregon Coast: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them.

3 comments about Lighting for Photography: Techniques for Studio and Location Shoots.

1. Everything you wanted to know about light and lighting is covered. Harnessing light to carry the images visualized ties together this nicely written book that is interesting and informative from cover to cover. As I read through I learned a lot about things I have heard of or taken for granted but did not know of in detail. I recommend this book and feel it would be a rewarding experience for anyone.



2. Learn how to control light effectively to make for more striking photos in Lighting for Photography: Techniques for Studio and location Shoots, a manual covering lighting skills. From understanding the physics of light as it relates to photography to producing flawless exposures and tackling common lighting challenges, this book is a 'must' for any library strong in photography.



3. This is an intriguing and helpful book on lighting for photography. Utilizing terms that I did not generally associate with photography, the author explains light in simple terms. His careful description of numerous light sources is beneficial to a total understanding of lighting and how it works. A very well presented textbook.

5 comments about The Human Figure in Motion.

1. This book is great if you don't plan on drawing from it. although the pictures are nice ,contrasty black and whites they are small and repetitive. But what do I know? alot of obscure movie quotes.



2. Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) was the most significant contributor to the early study of human and animal locomotion, whose extensive studies were acknowledged by such pioneers of motion pictures as the Lumiere brothers and Thomas Edison. If you have ever seen slow-motion photography of a horse galloping and seen how they have all four hooves off the ground at the same time, then you can understand the fascination in the early days of photography of taking a series of pictures of people running, climbing stairs, or dancing. In fact, it was the horse that got Muybridge involved in this work. In 1872 Muybridge was enlisted to settle bet regarding the position of a trotting horse's legs. But using a camera with the fastest shutter speed available only provided a faint image. Five years later Muybridge used a battery of cameras with mechanically tripped shutters to show the what really happens (in fact, a trotting horse and a galloping horse move differently in having all four hooves off the ground simultaneously).

   Consequently, Muybridge invented the zoopraxiscope, a primitive motion-picture machine, which recreated movement by displaying individual photographs in rapid succession. "The Human Figure in Motion" was first published in 1901 and reflects the work Muybridge did at the University of Pennsylvania, where he had been invited to work at the behest of the painting Thomas Eakins, who painted motion subjects, which explains why art students are even more interested in this book than scientists. Includes are over 160 motion studies of the human figure engaged in everything from dressing to hopping on one foot. There are almost 5,000 photographs in this 390 page clothbound edition. Be warned that most of the models, both adults and children, are "undraped" to use the vernacular of the time. In 1887 Muybridges's most important work, "Animal Locomotion," was published in 11 volumes containing over 100,000 photographs taken between 1872 and 1885. Obviously, "The Human Figure in Motion" is a more accessible way to appreciate Muybridge's groundbreaking work.




3. This book is of historical interest and shows the genius of Muybridge. It comes practically without text and is simply Muybridge's photo album with lots and lots of images of naked men and women in action. However, to go beyond that and to take the book as an art reference to anatomy is simply a fallacy. The pictures are so small and the resolution so poor (understandably) that unless you are drawing stick figures, it is simply impossible to use as a reference.



4. Muybridge's "The Human Figure in Motion" is a classic. The frame by frame photographs of figures (male, female, athletes, children) are vintage photos from the latter half of the 19th century. They document action: carrying objects, a man jumping, child crawling, etc, as well as activities common to the time that are not evident in everyday activity now, such as discus throwing, fencing, woman pouring water from a jug, etc. These photos, although small, are still of major importance to the artist who tries to understand muscle groups for drawing the figure. Great resource book.



5. The text is on the lighter side. The volume is full of photos from front to back. They are all black and white with multiple shots on a line and multiple lines on a page. Each photo is a little on the small side. If you get the book to study the motion from frame to frame then you probably want something to help enlarge the page two-frames or more at a time.
   
   In my opinion the strongest point is that there are many different "tasks" sequenced using a variety of models by body-type, thoroughly illustrating "The Human Body in Motion".

5 comments about The Best Dog in the World: Vintage Portraits of Children and Their Dogs.

1. Ms. Long's daughter is in my class and so I got the oppurtunity to look at the book at length. The photographs are smile-inducing and original. Who can resist photographs of children with their dogs? But before you think its all about cute overload, let me say that the most interesting aspect of the book is actually the well researched text. It goes into the delination of breeds and their uses without being overly verbose or scientific. A lot of the photographs have inscriptions on the back and those long forgotten letters are included. This is the true selling point of the book because it give you insight into the lives of these people and the their lives with their loved ones (both human and animal). A worthy buy for not only dog lovers but lovers of social history.



2. What a great little book. I loved the photography and the history. Wonderful book for dog lovers and history lovers.



3. Of course we all believe that we have the single best dog in the world, but as the images in this wonderful book show, there have been and will always be children (and adults) who believe that their dog is truly the best. You can't help but get drawn into the lives of the children who are photographed a century and a half ago in beautiful sepia images with their beloved pet. Though I do not consider myself a true "dog person" I have the deepest affection for the dog I spent my childhood with and indeed was photographed with her in much the same fashion, although in color. This book brought back those memories of childhood and having a true best four-legged friend rushing back to me. I picked up off of the shelf and could not put it down.



4. I received this book as a gift from a fellow dog lover and have been pouring over it ever since. This is the kind of book that I keep out on my coffee table and browse through it over a cup of tea. i love all of authentic photos and appreciate how much the author has put into researching the content. This book is not only about the bond between humans and their dogs but also about life at the turn of the century. "The Best Dog in the World" is not only beautifully done, but it's interesting, informative, and just fun to look at! This would be a simple, timeless gift for any dog lover or someone who loves all things vintage.



5. I am so happy that I purchased this book! As a mother of 4 young children (and one 12 year old golden retriever!) I was very excited to read it! The pictures are beautiful and the writing is phenominal. It captures the timeless love that children give to the world and their dogs. Our family will treasure this book forever!