5 comments about Playboy: The Complete Centerfolds.

1. For awhile the price was dropping by about $10 a day, as if they were trying to find the price people were willing to pay -- for a couple of days it listed as low as $170, and then it suddenly jumped back up to $315 (and now I'm regretting that I didn't grab that price while I could). If nobody buys it at the current price maybe it'll start dropping again. It's worth a try...



2. Well worth the discounted price offered by Amazon. For anyone/everyone who is a fan of Playboy Magazine, and not just for the articles, I recommend this book highly (if one can afford it)! The women are spectacular, and the photography is the best in the business. The protective leather suitcase is a really nice touch, and the quality of the paper is also excellent. (It weighs a lot, though). Again, well worth the $$!



3. This item is spectacular in every way. This book comes in a leather case that, by itself is truly amazing. As expensive as this item is, it is really worth every penny.
   
   DOWNSIDE
   This item is huge and weighs almost 40 pounds so Amazon charges like $12 in shipping costs. Thankfully, I was able to purchase this from a 3rd party seller on Amazon and saved quite a bit of money when I added up the item cost and shipping (the 3rd party seller only wanted $3.99 for shipping)!! It came real fast in perfect condition. I am thrilled with this purchase.



4. Just as Taschen are releasing a 2nd edition of the massive 'Stanley Kubrik Archives' on October 8, so too are Chronicle Books, releasing a 2nd edition of this huge book of Playboy centrefolds with a $50 retail and $36.50 Amazon pre-order price. - Oct.4
   At this moment, Amazon has a very large discount ($150, not $500) on the first printing, probably due to the spreading awareness of the future edition. It is apparently not an up-to-date issue, including the centrefolds from Nov. 2006 until present, though it probably should be after waiting 23 months for the new edition. Wait till October, or 'get it while it's hot'.



5. I had always thought of writing to Playboy to beg them to publish a book of their centerfolds. Nothing can compare to the awe-inspiring beauty that is captured by the full-sized centerfold images. This item is a must-must-have for any true Playboy fan. I will never part with this beautiful collection which was truly a godsend.

5 comments about Material World: A Global Family Portrait.

1. "Material World," written during the 1990 U.N. International Year of the Family, is a major achievement and, although it can seem dated in areas, is still timely and relevant for our world today.
   
   Profiling 30 families from across a wide spectrum of the 183 U.N. member states, "Material World" depicts these families' struggles and triumphs in words, pictures, and statistics. Many of these vignettes are uplifting--the Cuban family holding on to each other as their nation suffers through communism--and many are very saddening--the three Carballo children sleeping in fear of being robbed each night. It is highly useful in perspective building and also a good way to see how others live elsewhere in the world. It is not going to make one "proud to be an American," but it is also not an "America-bashing" book. "Material World" demonstrates very powerfully the old proverb: 'It's not getting what you want, it's wanting what you've got.'
   
   The Albanian family, with its minute amount of belongings; the Brazilian family, struggling to survive the slums; the Mexican sisters, window shopping before getting the very special treat of an ice cream bar--all exemplify this ideal. The children are in particular very inspiring, rising as they do above the conditions many sadly live in. This is their life, their daily bread--and in a powerful example, they make the most of it.
   
   "Material World" is inspiring, beautiful, and still timely, even over ten years after its publication.



2. This book is a fascinating look at materialism, or the lack of it, around the world. Oddly enough, the American family was not the most obviously materialistic; there was a Saudi family with a 42 foot long couch! I have put this gorgeously photographed book in my classroom for independant reading time for my 9th graders. It is filled with statistics, information about the countries and the families and the stories of the photographers themselves. Also check out The Hungry Planet, a visual look at what people around the world eat, photographed and written by the same authors of Material World.



3. Material World by Peter Menzel is one of the most exciting and informative books I have come across in a long time . No other book I have ever read has given me such in depth knowledge of the lives and circumstances of people living in other countries around the globe. The photographs are breathtakingly beautiful and the statistics are fascinating. Ursula Michelson, author of Alzheimers Patients in the Nursing Home: How Well Do Caregivers Meet Their Needs?



4. This book is absolutely a wake-up call for many people out there who think they don't have enough! Beautifully put together. Outstanding.



5. I thoroughly have enjoyed this book, looking at the people from around the world and their possessions and realizing how different I live from another. It was amazing to see each family so proud, of either how little they have or how much they have, and to have all that they own on display (from in the dead of winter to floating on a boat!).

5 comments about Tony Duquette.

1. This is a visually beautiful book that surveys the creative life of Tony Duquette, an artist best-know for his stage sets (Kismet, etc.)and high fashion jewelry. Less well known are his amazing home interior and garden designs, as well as his free-wheeling sculptures, many of them made from recycled and re-imagined objects. The photography is of the highest quality - most of it, I suspect, archival from fashion magazines over the decades.



2. I met Tony and his wife in Ireland - we were staying at Heney McIlhennys castle - he was terrible charming - I did not know of his career and am so sorry I didn't question him til he was exhausted.
   
   karen marcus



3. Having lived in Los Angeles since 1981 and working as an art editor for a regional magazine, the name Tony Duquette came up time and again in my social circles. Without question, he was an amazing talent the likes of which we may never see again in our lifetime. His imagination and passion for his unworldly, surrealist visions are captured in this brilliantly orchestrated book. Bravo and brava to the authors! A must-have for everyone's art library!



4. Tony DuquetteI am an interior designer of some 20 years and while I found this book interesting it had very little to do with interiors and more to do with a very specific, unique and strange lifestyle. I'm sure the man was brilliant just know this book is not about liveable interiors.



5. This is a wonderful book and with Amazon's amazingly inexpensive price, you really can't pass this one up. Tony Duquette was a master of style with an incredible eye, and a creative genius. HIGHLY recommended.

5 comments about Creature.

1. This is a very inspiring book for me. However, as much as I can appreciate a good layout, I guess would favor more detail over white space.



2. I couldn't wait to get this book. I caught an episode of Ellen when he came and spoke of his work. It sounded unbelievable. I agree after seeing it that the photography and technique are fantastic. But I also agree with the folks who commented about blank pages. They have their place BUT... along with 2 pages for a tiny bee I was less than impressed by the grasshopper stuck in the page fold. Although it was a beautiful closeup enlargement it was difficult to appreciate it positioned as it was. The coffee table is mandatory because you cannot sit with this 6 pound book in your lap and enjoy it. It needs to be spread out completely in order to find some of the animals. I'm glad I got it, had a few good looks through it, and even happier I sold it and got my money back. Talk a friend into buying it and look at it at their house, you'll be happy you did.



3. 
   Reviewing a book such as this is probably as difficult as it is to describe having seen in person the animals that Andrew Zuckerman saw and photographed. He offers 175 full-color high definition images assembled in a coffee-table book that commands attention with its stunning cover shot of a black panther. Other images include those of bears, mandrills, parrots, and baby leopards. No text is provided nor is any necessary because it would be intrusive and thus a distraction. Literally, Zuckerman's art speaks for itself with and does so with visual eloquence. Any words of mine are inadequate except to say "Magnificent!"



4. The photos in this book are absolutely amazing. Mr. Zuckerman truly captured the personality of each animal. In looking at these pictures, I almost felt like I was having a conversation with each individual. This book is a beautiful work of art!



5. The book was created to show the elegancy and wonder of the animals in our world. The pictures are clear and very close up to capture the beaty of the animal. The creator of this pictorial has done an excellent job. I am very pleased with the book.

4 comments about Beneath The Roses.

1. There are several books that contain Crewdson's cinematic photography, and I think that most people would agree that this one is the best so far.
   
   In his other books, people have complained that the images were not large enough. This book has larger images. The book contains 49 plates, which measure about 14.5" x 9.5"
   
   The book also has photographs and sketches of a lot of the work that went into the final photographs, such as set design, lighting, props, and more.
   
   Some of the photos in this book are also in the book "1985-2005", but they are larger in this book.
   
   The book still doesn't come close to capturing how breathtaking his full-size 4' x 5' photographs are, but it does a better job than any of his other books. It would make a great addition to any photography book collection.



2. The first thing Russell Banks mentions in the book's introduction is the comparison between Crewdson's work and Hollywood. Not surprising of course because the photos are produced like the movies only here it's one shot at a time. Looking at the fascinating production photos at the back of the book I'm reminded of Winston Link, another photographer who went to endless trouble for the one shot and mostly in small town America, too.
   
   Crewdson provides you with forty-nine content rich photos, you have to provide everything else and that is not difficult because the people and situations before your eyes pull you into their lives. What is she thinking, is she speaking to him, what is he doing, why are they together? I thought the small town setting ideal for these tableaux, the streets, houses and people seem to fit together and allow the viewer to focus on the characters. Maybe the plates should have been loose in a box making it easier for the viewer to create an ever changing scenario according to their sequence.
   
   I was rather disappointed though with part of the book's production. The photos, thankfully suitable larger than those in Twilight, are only printed in 175dpi. These images are saturated with detail and texture and I would have thought a minimum of 200 or preferably 250dpi would be necessary to bring out their quality. So many of them have a long depth of field but also feature some small detail or frozen action that is important: a person in a car, the items on a bedside table or people seen through the window of a motel room.
   
   Like Twilight the back of this book has chapters on Location and Soundstage, both have production shots (unfortunately not captioned) and drawings to show the amazing amount of work that goes into these photos. A look at the Production Credits also confirms this (and reinforces the movie connection) with Lighting, Best Boys, Gaffers, Key Grip, Special Effects, Prop Masters, Wardrobe, Transportation, Hair and Make-up, Casting, Catering, Legal and more. Oh yes, let's not forget Swamp Design by Buzz Gray, too.
   
   Overall a remarkable book but if you are new to his work have a look at Gregory Crewdson which includes twenty plates from Beneath the Roses.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.



3. The book is fantastic! However to my horror it was packed very badly and the book arrived scratched and a big chunk taken out of the cover. Amazon expects me to pay for all shipping costs to get a refund. 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!!



4. In his opening essay of this volume of photographs, Russell Banks describes the cinematic qualities of Crewdson's work; in particular, how "the pictures are assembled and staged." Though not necessarily immediately obvious in all of the individual pictures, after looking for awhile the viewer does begin to recognize the artificiality of the moments. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however. In many cases, particularly when the setting is an exterior, it works very well. The eye searches out the odd detail in the landscape. In the interiors, however, it seems to work less well. In these, the overall effect seems to be oddity and garishness.
   
   More interesting is the theme of isolation that runs through these photos. Even in the shots where more than one person is present, each seems trapped inside their own space. Raised to an even higher degree in some of the wide exteriors, you end up searching out the individual who is nearly swallowed up by the rest of the picture. Perhaps it is that very searching quality required by some of the photographs that makes them the most moving of the group.
   
   When I first received this book, I wasn't sure if I would like it. I was first put off by the unwieldiness of its size--bigger than a normal volume and wider than it is high. As I looked through the photographs and grew to like many of them, I realized the importance of the book's size and shape--to take advantage of the movie aspect ratio Crewdson uses as well as the need for as much space as possible in his wide, detailed exterior shots.
   
   In fact, I went to see a gallery presentation of some of the photographs in this volume. The prints hanging on the wall were large, perhaps six feet or more wide, which I thought did much better justice to Crewdson's work. I found this experience to be of great benefit. When I came home and looked through the book again, I was moved to look even more closely at some of the pictures, seeking out that isolation and detail.
   
   Still, as I said, I think Crewdson's work is uneven. The exteriors, for the most part, greatly outdo the interiors and there is a tendency towards a garishness I don't like in some of his work. However, when he hits the right notes, his landscapes are as beautiful and interesting as anything I've seen.

5 comments about Photographing Children Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent (Photo Workshop).

1. I read this book as it was being written because I worked with Ginny while I was at Wiley. I was lucky enough to have her use me as her test market for the book because I was a beginning photographer with an 8 year old daughter. I wanted to take memorable photos of my girl, not just posed, ordinary pictures. Ginny's photos inspired me and the way she described in her chapters how to take those unique photos really helped me see portraits and candid shots in a different way. With Ginny's instructions on using light on a face, I took a shot last summer that my family framed. It's lovely - I owe it all to Ginny!



2. Capturing our children, or as a photographer another person's child, is really one of the most important things one can do. In doing so we are providing a legacy and memory for ourselves and future generations. This book does an excellent job of guiding the novice and the professional in how to best capture children as they are. It provides technical information but more importantly provides you with ideas and assignments that will challenge you to use not only the camera but your heart and life experience to take great images of children. I couldn't find a book that was this easy to understand and this encouraging when I was starting out in the children's photography business and so I was very honored to provide images for this book when asked by the author. There are many years of experience and a great heart behind the words in this book so I would highly encourage anyone interested in photographing children to read it.



3. Put this wonderful book in your shopping cart and hit "buy now" as soon as you can. I wish that I had had this wonderful tool twenty years ago when I was starting my children's portrait business. Each chapter really guides you through the tools that you will need to succeed in taking impressive images of children. If you take it seriously, and do the assignments, you just might start seeing things in a different light, so to speak. Whether you just want to capture whimsical images of your own child as he passes through the phases of childhood, or if you truly intend to make photography more than a passion, but a business, then this book will take you to your desired level.Every page will delight you with amazing images of children. The various contributing photographers offer individual treatments to their subjects showing you a variety of what is plesaing. Read it, work it, absorb it and find your place in this fascinating field. I can't get enough of the timeless beach portraits found in Chapter 7.



4. In addition to Ginny's inspirational photography I found this wonderful book to be informative beyond taking portraits of children. I am new to photography and found lots of ideas and tips for taking better photos of any subject. An additional bonus is the assignments at the end of each chapter to put the techniques into practice. This is a book that I will refer to often. I highly recommend this and look forward to more books by this photographer.



5. Having three daughters, documenting their childhood with photographs is a real priority for me. But I really lacked knowledge on how to take good photographs - I always relied on the auto settings on my camera and the pictures seemed so ordinary. In the attempt to learn more about photography, I purchased this book along with a couple of others. This book, by far, was the most helpful for me. I had been having a hard time wrapping my mind around the concepts of aperture and ISO, but this book really helped me understand! Each picture listed the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, which helped me see what those things were doing to affect how the picture looked. Also, the pictures were so inspiring and gave me tons of ideas on composition. The assignments at the end of each chapter were helpful in developing my skills. The book was very pleasent to read and it's definitely a book for parents aspiring to become better photographers! My only wish was that the pictures also listed what type of lens was used (so that I could buy it and have the lenses that the professionals used!).

5 comments about The Five C's of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques.

1. The Five C's of Cinematography is basically a rule book on the form of motion picture making as it relates to camera angles, movements and editing. This book is the "bible" or rule book of the techniques of film making, such as painting has composition rules itself. A true artist not only knows the rules, but understands the rules of why it is used. The Five C's does all that, it shows and explains the what therefores and hows. It even shows the wrongs in a clear fashion, which is amazing since this is a book of still images about a medium of moving images.
   
   The best artists knew the rules of their art, and either followed them or break them to get the effect they wanted. If one does not know the rules, one can not realize the effect they are creating by breaking the rules. That is why most modern artists of today seem muddled and unfocused and Picasso still evokes and moves one. Picasso knew the rules. This book will help one know the rules of film.
   
   The images and wording may be dated, even quaint, but once one looks past such superficial cosmetics, the information is a gold mine of a very large vein in information



2. This is no doubt a very BASIC book on Cinematography from 1965 (but still applicable today)- yet if you are unfamiliar with the basic Five C's of shooting, then it is a good tool for learning these rules. I recommend it for film students new to camera work. But if you have been working with shooting for awhile, it may be a little too basic.



3. It is soooo nice to have a book like this. I refer to it all the time. It covers just about everything I ever wanted to know about placing and moving and framing, or to sum it up, USING a camera to visually achieve the most emotional draw from an audience. While it doesn't have technical aspects like using a light meter, it is very technical, however it doesn't just give you a list of rules to follow that you can later learn to break. It teaches why those rules work, and how to break them. But it doesn't stop there. It explains why you can break the rules and how to apply this creativity to your film.
   
   It is full of examples that you can watch for yourself. It is pretty much a book that no one considering cinematography as a career should be without!



4. nice book, it will very help ful for me. your work also nice and great. your reponse also good.



5. This book is great. That's all there is to it really. Anyone who is interested in cinematography and making films should own it.

5 comments about America In Space: NASA's First Fifty Years (Nasa).

1. This was a Christmas gift for an individual that had worked for NASA. He was very appreciative and has enjoyed the book. It is large-coffee table size book.



2. This is a beautifully produced coffee table book with photos covering those exciting years of the space program. It is especially meaningful to anyone who participated the program since you'll find many colleagues and friends in the pictures.



3. It's a BIG book that worths every penny. The pictures are great, some of them are well known, some where not that widely published before but the fun of having all of them in one big book is not spoiled. It's a great book even if you're not a fan of space exploration.
   From the cover to the last page, this book offers unique views of earth, space, moon and mankind, describing in few words and lot of pictures Man's greatest adventure: exploring the Final Frontier, despite all odds.



4. Given that this is a coffee table book, the book is almost exclusivly photos. The entire history of the space program is detaied in stunning imagery right up to the current day with excellent captions to go along. This book is an excellent gift for any space history buff.



5. This book is nicely done with a large number of photographs. It primarily covers the manned space program from Mercury to the space shuttle and the international space station. Limited coverage of unmanned vehicles is provided with a focus on the more dramatic programs such as the Mars explorers and the Hubble telescope.
   
   The biggest shortcoming, in my mind, is the very limited number of photographs showing the hardware, the delvelopment of which was in many ways the real achievement of NASA. Instead, photographs of the astronauts predominate with many being rather ordinary publicity or training shots. Launch photos are very limited, and in-flight pictures are not as common as I would have liked to have seen. The large format of the book was wasted on too many mundane photographs, when it could have been used to depict more spectacular and interesting subjects.
   
   While this book falls short of its potential, it is still worthwile if you have an interest in the U. S. manned space program.

5 comments about Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Express 4 (Apple Pro Training).

1. This book has been very helpful in becoming familiar with the basic operations and shortcuts in FCE4. I highly recommend it.



2. I liked this manual. Easy to read and good information. It took about a week of relaxed study and working through the examples, and now I know Final Cut Express. Easy as that.



3. I have enjoyed the lessons up to lesson 6. At that point it brings up F-9, F-10, and F-11 keys. It was not a big deal until this particular lesson. The book was written at the time of the mac OS Tiger operating system. I went to the book site for an update on reprograming these keys but there was nothing there! The lessons may be useless from here on out without information on programing these keys in Leopard!



4. I received this book yesterday and so far I've only gotten through the first three chapters. But I have already found a few outdated statements. A few examples:
   1) "HDV video formats record on tape....AVCHD formats, however, record directly onto disks or hard drives." No mention of memory cards or hybrid options.
   2) Lesson Review question (page 30): "What kind of cable do you use to connect your camera to your computer?" Answer: "A FireWire cable."
   No mention of USB; in fact, the entire section in chapter 2 covering connecting the camera to the computer only addresses FireWire.
   3) The book says after launching the first time FCE looks for any FireWire devices and displays an error message if none are found. This didn't happen, at least not in my case, which makes sense since many newer camcorders don't have firewire.
   4) When I opened the first project file (provided on the book's DVD) as instructed, FCE displayed a notice that the file was from an earlier version and asked whether or not to update it. The book doesn't even address this alert, leaving the user to wonder whether or not to select "Yes" or "No" to update the project file. Not updating all the files to version 4 (which they really should have done) is one matter; not even addressing the update prompt is even worse.
   
   None of this is detrimental to my learning experience, however it is evident this is old material merely updated for the 2008 edition, and they missed a few parts during the updating process.
   
   So far the book is VERY basic. I'm a long-time Windows user who just received my first mac about a week ago, and it is simplistic, even for me.
   
   UPDATE: I've progressed through the first 12 chapters, and I'm beginning to realize this book is great for walking (crawling, actually) the user through using the software with the project files included on the book's own DVD, but not so great for real-life applications. For example, I've scanned through the remainder of the book and realized it doesn't eplain how to handle existing video files in different formats (AVI's, for example). FCE can do it, but this book doesn't cover it. I've quit reading the book and started reading the FCE4 User Manual instead. So far, it seems far more applicable to what I need to know; unfortunately, the FCE4 electronic user guide is over 1000 pages long --- more pages than I care to print.
   
   If I could change my rating on this book, I would. It was a waste of money and time. Even for the basic material that is covered, the progression is at a snails pace; it could be much more concise and efficient. Even better, it could cover more useful territory by addressing real-life applications in addition to sterile made-to-order projects.
   
   UPDATE 2:I decided to finish the book and have progressed to the "Appendix", the additional chapters available only on DVD. It is so cumbersome trying to learn this way - read a line, switch to FCE4 to perform the step, re-activate the Preview window to read the next step, reactivate FCD4 to perform it, back and forth, back and forth. See, this is why I actually BOUGHT A BOOK. So I wouldn't have to do this. There are plenty of tutorials on line. I paid money for a book for a reason - to spare myself such inconvenience.
   
   One more thing: The last two chapters used terminology I hadn't seen before (keyframes, for example), with no explanation. However those chapters kept referencing the Appendix. I found explanations for those terms in the Appendix. It seems the Appendix chapters should be completed chronologically before the last chapter, making their absence from the book even more annoying.
   
   P.S. Word to the wise: I sent an email inquiry to the author several days ago. Although I've yet to receive a response (and doubt I ever will), I have begun to receive spam emails from her company.



5. This is not a first hand review. The Final Cut Express Pro was purchased by me for my husband. He has many, many hours in the can of his first documentary that needs to be edited down to just under 60 minutes. Getting FCEP has made the daunting task of editing his work less stressful by leaps and bounds. Now that editing isn't the nightmare it started out to be, I can tell you for sure I have a very happy man working on the first of many docs to come.

5 comments about The Creative Digital Darkroom.

1. I have all Katrins' books as well as her DVD's and am constantly impressed with the level of detail in her books, her presentation skills and her ability to convey the concepts in an easy to understand manner. I can readily follow Katrin's processes and I can apply her ideas to my own photographs. She makes learning Photoshop and workflow enjoyable. I have repeatedly recommended her books to our camera club memebrs and friends. After reading her books I find myself time and again returning to them for reference. Buy it! You will not be dissapointed.



2. I enjoyed this book for what it is, and what it isn't. First, the book IS a great read for the philosophy and background of creating wonderful photographic images as art. The first part of the book takes you through a cursory, though better than average history into how film photography was not only developed but enhanced in the darkroom.
   
   This book IS well laid out into themed chapters on ideas and tools you can use to enhance a photo from something average or good into something great. This IS NOT a recipe book with impressive yet funky and unusable Photoshop tricks. No, you will not learn how to make a page peel or ghost in your image. What you will learn are very practical and useful techniques that I find myself using everyday.
   
   There are those that call themselves "purists" and believe any Photoshop work to an image is wrong. Hogwash I say! Difficult techniques that have been a part of the darkroom for years are now much more accessible to the photo enthusiast and should be used to their fullest. That said, I am very pleased with the efforts this book makes to teach enhancement techniques more than outright modification.
   
   I highly recommend "The Creative Digital Darkroom" for any budding or serious photographer that is looking to learn some of the best ways to bring out the best in their photos. The WHY and the HOW are both covered effectively for each technique taught with full color examples and practical screen shots. This title will get an arsenal of arrows in your quiver when approaching the development stage of your photo workflow.



3. This review is belated because as time permitted I wished to read this book in detail before commenting on it. I have now done so, and my overall perception is that The Creative Digital Darkroom (CDD) is destined to be a foundation text in many digital photography learning environments for years to come. While versions of Photoshop come and go, the fundamentals remain and get improved, so the techniques discussed here will be valuable for many years.
   
   The market is over-flowing with instructional material about how to use Photoshop. This book is much more than that. It is a creative odyssey about vision and how to convey our vision with compelling images using effective techniques of digital photography. Vision is at the heart of this book. The authors stress the "what" as much as the "how", because first we need the photographic content, then the techniques for conveying it. When I look at a photograph - my photographs, any photographs - there is a filtering process: what's the purpose of this picture; what's it showing me, and how good is the graphic language. CDD, unlike so many other books on the subject, teaches a very skillful integration of exactly these considerations.
   
   The authors treat the subject as photography - harking back to the days of film and wet process, showing how the same and new effects enabled by the new technology are created in the digital darkroom.
   
   The book is organized according to the most fundamental themes of the photographic process. After an extensive, but necessary, introduction to the fundamentals of digital imaging and digital image management (which anyone serious about the subject really, really needs to know correctly), the content moves into managing tone and contrast, dodging, burning and exposure control, color correction, being creative with colour, creative image enhancement, working with focus (sharpness and blur), and finally there is an on-line chapter on printing, which I really wish had been included in the book for sake of completeness and convenience.
   
   Those who have read these authors' previous works will recognize the painstaking attention to the clarity, completeness and logic of the processes they systematically explain and illustrate. It's hard to go wrong following these techniques on our own images, a number of which I have done very satisfactorily. I like to call this approach "Photoshop's Joy of Cooking", but it's really much more than that. The Joy of Cooking, clear as it is, doesn't need to explain why you need 2 cups of flour in a waffle mix, but this book does need to tell you, e.g., why you need a Curve of a particular shape to achieve a specific kind of contrast, and it does so. This helps us think about the "why" underlying the "how", which is so important to a true understanding of how to move beyond the book and use the program in ways of our making. One of the wonderful things about Photoshop is the limitless ways in which one's vision can be achieved. The authors have accomplished a very judicious selection by zeroing-in on the really important ones which help us do what we would most like to do with our photos very effectively. Highly recommended.



4. It is a complete guide with clear explanations, covering most of the actions possible in photoshop. Very usefulThe Creative Digital Darkroom



5. I found this latest publication of Katrin Eisman very informative. It covers subjects of Photoshop I have never seen commented upon previously. I would recommend this book who want to learn more of photoshops abilities that have encouraged the field of digital photography.