5 comments about The Photoshop Elements 5 Restoration and Retouching Book.

1. I echo the comments from everyone else. This is the best choise book to buy to learn how to use this product.



2. This is a wonderful book. I have had it now for almost a year and use it constantly. It reads like a recipe book, which makes it extremely user friendly. I use it alone and in conjunction with "Photoshop Elements: The Missing Manual".



3. MATT KLOSKOWSKI DOES AND EXCELLENT JOB. VERY EASY TO FOLLOW! MATT'S HUMOR IS A DELIGHT. THE EXAMPLES MAKE IT EASY TO LEARN.
   
   THE ONLY NEGATIVE IS THE BINDING ON THE BOOK. IT IS OK SO FAR. BUT I USE A BOOK HARD, I AM CAREFUL. BUT MYEXPERIENCE WITH THIS TYPE OF BINDING IS NOT GOOD. THEY SHOULD USE A SPIRAL BINDING.



4. In one word WOW! You have to have this book, Matt explains things in simple terms and makes using PSE easy to use.
   
   Bill



5. I love this book. It makes my life easier. What more could you ask for. This was just what i needed.

5 comments about Digital Boudoir Photography: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Fabulous Images of Any Woman.

1. Having retired from 25 plus years as a professional photographer I wanted to revert to being an advanced amateur. I have always enjoyed photography of women and had wanted for sometime to locate a book depicting boudoir photography with emphasis on lady next door type models. Most books I have seen on the subject use models who are either professional or could work as professionals. I don't have a desire to work with this type of model. This book has been a great place to start from.. The authors use of basic equipment is also to be commended. I am fortunate enough to have several strobe lights at my disposal however many would not.
   
   The only disappointment is the fact that the author does not include photos of even more Rubenesque figured models and more mature (ok older) models. The photographs of the models he does use are very nicely done
   
   Other than that small short coming I feel this book will be very useful to me in my new found hobby and was a good investment.
   C.M. Cook CM Photographics



2. The info in this book is ridiculously elementary for anyone with even intermediate experience with a camera. The models are not particularly attractive. And, while I appreciate the idea of making average-looking women look great in the image, even the resulting images are just average-looking and amateurish. Most of the shots do not look professionally done at all, but just look more like they were done my some guy with his new-fangled digital camera.
   
   Sorry... but there are far better books out there on this topic, even for beginners.



3. There is much to learn and like from this book. As a photographer moving from photographing inanimate objects to people, I very much appreciated the breadth of information in this book. The author illustrates and covers solutions to several of the problems I've experienced, and helpful tips that have shaved a lot of time off my learning curve.
   
   The steps and lessons are abundantly illustrated, showing how small changes can vastly improve the images. Showing how `bad' photos are made hits the point home of "oh yeah, I've made that mistake." Of particular interest was the use of models of various body-types and how to approach the challenges each one presents.
   
   I refer to this book often as a reference; this is not just a one-time read, but contains pointers and lessons that can be reviewed and executed often.
   
   With fast-changing technology, I expect the digital equipment sections to become outdated quickly, but this is a rather small portion of the book, and was not a factor in my buying it.



4. I'm glad I found this book on a friend's bookshelf.
   Do not expect to learn much about photography through this, or much about "creating fabulous images of any woman", either. Someone already said it before: it's really more of an idea book... but for those with little creativity or ability to self-analyze. I'm not a professional or even much of an amateur photographer and I personally found the images and incisiveness in this book to be on a very, very low level. It's really more like a kid's book (and that's just all kinds of wrong). Imagine how a kid's book would read on building a house and you get the idea.
   
   Overall, the book reflects poorly on the publisher, though the same publisher's sports photography book is light-years beyond this one.



5. I gave this book to my husband and he has used it many times with me.

5 comments about Professional Model Portfolios: A Step-by-Step Guide for Photographers.

1. This really helps with up and coming models who need a bit of direction.
   I share this book with every new model I use.
   Brings ideas to both of us.
   It helps the models understand thier side of the business also.



2. This was a fantastic book. So much information. Every model and photographer should read this.



3. Most of the things covered in this book are already known to photographers that have worked in the field, but for photographers starting in shooting models, this guide gives them a good start in the field.
   
   Even though the book is titled 'A Step-by-Step Guide for Photographers', the information in here is even more valuable for models. Info on height classifications, measurements, posing, etc. I'd say all new models, and those that want to be models, this is a 'must have' book.



4. I wanted to start shooting models but I didn't know where to begin. This book was just what I needed. It covered all the information I needed to start shooting model. I give it 4 stars b/c it needs to be updated.



5. This book is not what I thought it was. This book is more of a wookbook for models starting out. They can work through the workbook and write notes to questions. How to select and build their portfolio. This book is not geared towards photograpers, but helpful to models first starting out.

5 comments about An Inner Silence: The Portraits of Henri Cartier-Bresson.

1. As you browse the millions of photos available on Flickr and other web photo sharing sites, it is apparent that most people wielding a camera do not - cannot - aspire to the special talent of Henri Cartier-Bresson.
   
   Renowned for capturing the "decisive moment," Cartier-Bresson was also a highly skilled portraitist. Ninety-seven of his portraints appear here accompanied by one mercifully short essay by Agnes Sire and a pretentious attempt at intepretating HCB by Jean-Luc Nancy. ("What HCB gave his subjects was an air, an aura, an allure; these portraits convery a manner, a disposition, a habitus, an ethos, a mood, a grace and a favour, a gaze and a gift; the gift he has given to them.")
   
   Surprisingly, many of the portraits are formulaic, though this does not detract from their striking nature. A 1966 picture, titled simply "Zurich" embodies Cartier-Bresson's skills as a portraitist and the capturer of the "decisive moment". A wizened, old man in a three-piece suit carrying a briefcase is captured in mid-step . . . the gnome of Zurich. A portrait of Joan Miro captures, if not parodies, the stylized eye motif of his famous paintings. His portrait of Marilyn Monroe, on the other hand, simply captures a beautful woman but with none of the sensuality that Bert Stern and so many others caught. Perhaps Cartier-Bresson saw only a beautiful woman?
   
   While I browsed, I wondered how much of the effect of these portraits depended on knowing the subects (i.e., Truman Capote, Samuel Becket and others who may be increasingly forgotten today), but then I happened upon "Vicksburg," a 1970s shot of an anonymous black woman.
   
   That one shot alone establishes that Cartier-Bresson's unique photographic vision will leave on long after all of his famous subjects are forgotten.
   
   Jerry



2. Published to coincide with the opening in 2003 of the Foundation Henri Cartier-Bresson, which was created to house permanently the artist's collected works, AN INNER SILENCE is a joy to behold. There are 95 photographs reproduced here along with a self-portrait sketch of Cartier-Bresson and a quotation by him. Both curator Agnes Sire and philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy have written insightful, informative essays to accompany the photographs. Sire reminds us that the artist disliked being photographed-- ("Perhaps he felt the falseness of the situation")-- and tht he liked to work quickly, in the photographer's own words, to "'bite like a mosquito,'" in order to capture the inner silence of the subject.
   
   But now to the photographs. There are shots here seen around the world of famous people: Marilyn Monroe, Martin Luther King, Jean Genet, Christian Dior (one of my favorites), Francis Bacon, Roland Barthes (fantastic photograph), a very young and pensive Carson McCullers. William Faulkner (another favorite), Henri Matisse, a very youthful and handsome John Huston, Truman Capote, Albert Camus et al.
   
   What is so amazing, however, about these photographs is that the shots of strangers are just as intriguing and engage the viewer as much as the images of the rich and/or famous or both. For example, "Mexico" (p. 49), "Jewish ghetto, Warsaw" (p. 47), "Egypt" (p. 39), "Paris" (p. 81), "Zurich" (p. 105), and "Los Angeles" (p. 107). I for one would like to know more about this young couple.
   
   These photographs, like all great art, invite us to view them again and again. Shot in gorgeous available natural light, they remind us of just how harsh and often pedestrian flash photography can be.
   
   Sire closes her essay by saying that "an exhibition of these encounters would not only be one more tribute to his talent [Cartier-Bresson], as a photographer, but more importantly, would allow many aspects of his being to shine, like so many firefires in a field, because the gaze of these portraits is his gaze, linked by the thread of the other." Beautifully spoken.



3. This was a gift for my best friend and she loved it. The book has a lot of pictures..more pictures than words actually, it has a short intro with a great explanation of the pics, but overall it's all his greatest photographs...loved it



4. The photographs are absolutely AMAZING!! Love the attention to composition and the way the character of the subject comes through with each one!



5. This book is a work of art. All of it, the presentation, the fantastic aspect, the perfect size...an obviously all that amazing photos from a master. It is absolutely worth it.

No comments about Wet Cats.

No comments about Just Pembroke Corgis 2009 Calendar (Just).

3 comments about Cattitude: The Feline Guide to Being Fabulous.

1. This is one of the most beautifully done books I have seen in a very long time. The cover alone is worth the price of the book with a feline "Cindy Crawford" adorned in a "real" jeweled collar in a true Hollywood glamour puss pose.
   And it only gets better inside the cover. The subjects are some of the most enchanting furry gods and goddesses this side of heaven. Their personalities just jump off the pages and when they share their feline wisdom in everything from behavior, "Don't whisper when you can roar", beauty tips "Remember that good lighting is more important than good genes" and fashion "Embrace your irrational love of shoes" we realize that we can indeed learn much from them.
   As a cat lover and owner of three felines with their own attiutdes, I could not resist reading this book from cover to cover (easy to do as it is about 60 pages) the minute I got it.
   This book is a must have for any or all cat lovers or just anybody who appreciates great photography and very errudite wisdom.



2. A fabulous pairing of beautiful photos and cleverly written lines. The book itself is nicely crafted and assembled-Love the real 'bling' on the cover. You go girls!



3. This was a great little picture book for those woman who love cats and have CATITUDE!

5 comments about Naked Girls Smoking Weed: Best of 420 Girls.

1. This book is cool to show off. The girls aren't that great but they are real stoners so that's cool!! My brother enjoyed it.



2. I got this with the misguided expectation of receiving a coffee-table book (you know, those big books with high quality pictures for people to check out while they're sitting at your coffee table) with striking photographs of beautiful women & buds.
   
   Instead, I got a book with postcard-sized pages and little photos that weren't really striking or even interesting at all.
   
   I'm pro-legalization, love naked girls, and enjoy books, but this book didn't do it for me. It was too expensive for a paperback-sized volume with mediocre pictures of marginally attractive girls holding pipes or with hemp leaves around their necks. Ho-hum.



3. You really need to see this if you are into good weed and hot women! Some nice pipes and other devices too. Pack it up!



4. For entertainment purposes this is the best book ever. Hot girl.. good bud.. what else could you ask for?!?!
   
   This is a tastefully done book.. well worth the money.. and what a conversation piece!!



5. There's an old saying - don't judge the book by its cover. You'd think, Wow - two things I really like: Naked Girls and Weed. How can you screw this up? The answer is, With really poor photography. Looks like some guy with a digital camera found himself a hobby taking pictures. I flipped through the book once and instantly regretted my decision. The advertising in HT Magazine are more hot than anything contained in this book. Great idea poorly executed.

No comments about Christopher and the Boys (Bruno Gmunder Verlag).

4 comments about Children's Portrait Photography Handbook.

1. I am not a professional photographer, just so we get that out of the way. I recently graduated from a point and shoot digital camera that, while better than any camera I had owned previously, was not the nice unit I have now. I also have three little girls who are photogenic. Now, I have a book that has turned me into a better photographer of children. It was so easy to understand, so inspirational and so filled with wonderful examples that it sucked me in and spit me out with the knowledge to photograph my children anywhere, anytime and enjoy beautiful results. The interviews with professionals gave me insights that I never would have obtained elsewhere.
   Now I take the pictures for my sister and for a few friends. Amazing book.



2. This book has outstanding photos and ideas. It really opens up the horizon on how to photograph children. We took some great shots of our 5 month old son after reading the book. However, the book assumes that you are a serious or professional photographer and neglects to explain some of the technical aspects in easy to understand terms for a novice wanting to merely learn how to take better pictures of children. Overall, though, definitely worth it for the photos and ideas.



3. I am studying/practicing to become a professional children's photographer and I found this book to be very helpful, informative and insightful. The pictures in the book are just beautiful. There is little to no information about the camera details for each picture, as in shutter speed, aperature value, etc. However, the book is well written and is easy to read. I highly recommend this resource for aspiring portrait photographers.



4. Book is full of great and useful tips on how to photograph children of different ages and much more.