5 comments about Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism (Associated Press Handbooks).

1. It's an easy read, with interviews of assorted veterans of the PJ world. Most of these guys worked in the film era, so don't expect much on digital technique. In fact it's more about the human experience of these people, as they do their job as silent, passive witnesses to history. I can't say I learned anything, but I did read the whole thing, so it was cheap entertainment. If you are looking for practical advice or technical guidance you need to look for something less dated. These are bedtime stories, kinda like the stories my grandma told me years ago.
   
   Dave



2. This book clearly is not meant for advanced journalism students but it's perfect for someone working as a stringer or a novice who is thinking about entering this field. The most important aspects of photojournalism are covered, including a section on electronic ethics. If ever you needed a good reason to keep ethical standards then the "Photoshop War" run by Reuters last year in Lebanon is an excellent example: one of their photojournalist was actively creating even more photo-edited havoc and carnage than what was actually happening... and slanting the images to make it appear as if Israel was indiscrimately destroying Beirut. I'd like to see an updated edition of this book that takes this into account but I doubt I'll see it any time soon.



3. If you are extreamly new at photography or maybe working for a high-school newspaper, this book would work well.
   
   For anyone that is serious about hard-core photojournalism, like the professionals the book highlights, I do not recomend it.
   
   I was looking for a book on some on ways to break into some of the big names. I just assumed that since it was an AP book.



4. "Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism", Brian Horton, McGraw-Hill NY, 2nd. ed. 2001, ISBN 0-07-136387-4, SC 223 pgs.
   
   Sports photo editor at A-P since 1971, Horton has many credits including 2 books on news photography. This text explains PJ (picture story) - how a photographer "sees the story" is a skill requiring experience, insight, anticipation, inventiveness, & a passion. Often "breaking stories" are heavily covered & many photos require sensitivity, rapport, knowledge of equipment so to acquire a style using composition, cropping & those angles to communicate photo stories of news, emotions, life experiences, etc.
   
   Horton quotes an A-P policy adopted in 1990 indicating "the content of a photograph will never be changed or manipulated in any way". Horton then goes on to recite of some widely published photos with recognized manipulations & public outcries leading to general distrust of media by the populace (& rightly so!). Indeed, even cropping can be viewed as manipulation, the latter generally a product of Madison Avenue influences that shouldn't reflect PJ integrity (need for well insulated photo editors).
   
   Relying on "photo setups" can numb public's perceptions & lessen reality. Telephoto lenses as 80-200 zoom provides close-ups without intrusion despite an onerous sanctifying of 24 mm wide-angle to fill the frame by getting into the subject's face & personal space. Author interviews 8 pros on their perspectives & experiences in PJ & then concludes with a short summary of some changes in photography over the past half-century, namely the gradual switch from 4"x5" to 2 1/4" to 35 mm to color & now electronic (digital) imaging.
   
   As a former newspaper photographer I'd been taught a good PJ shot did not require a title. I found Horton's book exacting, full of exciting photos, many good "how to" tips, and how PJ news photography has evolved into specialized art forms for optimum coverage of war, natural disaster, politics, crime, disease & subspecialities of certain sports as basketball, football, Olympics, Indy 500, etc. It is a pleasant, informative read, not overtly technical & fairly priced.



5. I bought this book in hopes to satisfy my curiosity about photojournalism. I would say this book did a pretty good job of doing that. Although it doesn't address any real specifics of photojournalism, it does deliver a lot of the basic principles and general knowledge.
   For what it was worth, I found this book to be an excellent read, with plenty of insights that would be valuable to any photographer, written with a very simplistic approach. I can see how ideas presented in this book could be applied to other areas of photography and not be limited to the field of photojournalism.
   If you're novice photographer and looking for a technical, how-to, reference book, this is not the book for you. If you a photographer of any level, and you want to broaden your general knowledge of photojournalism, then this book would be a fine addition to your library. Also, I feel that this book could be used as a warm-up read prior to diving into the more advanced, technical books available on the topic.

5 comments about Under the Sea (Beyond Projects: The CF Sculpture Series, Book 3).

1. Such a fun book! Christi is highly entertaining. Her lovely personality comes shining through Loud and Clear!!! I have a great time pulling out these books and following along with her step by step. I am always very satisfied with the results. And usually I am not a step by step kinda person. I am more of the no rules/color outside of the lines kinda gal but, Christi makes it fun to follow along! I can't wait for the rest of the series. So far I've made a few frogs, a dragon, a sea-horse, and some flowers, vines and foliage.
   
   I recommend the entire series. Even my young nieces and my mother-in-law creating projects from these books!



2. This is a very cute book that is so funny and enjoyable to read and study. I would love to meet and get to know this author and artist in person. What you learn in here is laced with so much humor it makes it so much fun to learn the techniques. It was the first time I read instructions all the way through for anything!!
   I'm a diver and this gave me so much inspiration to do some ocean figures.
   Also, fantastic condition for a used book. I saved lots of $$ by buying them through Amazon, used.



3. I love this pamphlet. The projects are beyond cute and the author has a sense of humor that makes the instructions clear and humorous. I intend to buy the series.



4. Having just received this book, I just wanted to say how fun and different it is from most polymer clay books. This is the first of the series of books from this artist that I have bought.
   I haven't had my clay out for a few years but it's coming back out now! I have so many ideas for gifts for my friends and family. This artist has written a great book to stimulate the imagination and if you don't have one, you can just use hers. I am very happy with this purchase!



5. Christi Friesen has presented a delightful journey through making Polymer clay figures. Her colors, photography, and excellent instruction make this book a must-have for the PC artist! She is funny and her writing style is very engaging. I highly recommend this book and the price makes it a great value!

5 comments about Art Fraud Detective: Spot the Difference, Solve the Crime!.

1. Perfect gift for the child with an interest in art and a love of reading.



2. Our kids love solving mystery games. They seem to be having a lot of fun with this book, but getting them started was a little slow: there is a clue-tracker sheet that one must create before moving on with the book and, for some reason, our girls (9 and 12) seemed a little put off by this task. But, now they have done that and seem very engrossed in the art scandal.
   
   My only recommendation is to 1. Maybe plan to help your kids create this clue-tracker sheet or, 2. The publisher should include it as a tear-out item in the book (which probably adds to production cost).



3. This book was a lot of fun for my son and I. Readers are told that four gangs of forgers have replaced most of an art museum's paintings, and only we can help figure out which are real and which are forged. Using a magnifying glass, you compare 8" by 5" four color paintings to 4" by 4" originals, looking for changes (such as missing items or objects with different coloration). This allows you to fill in a chart which allows you to deduce the forgers, the snitch and the unchanged paintings, thereby saving the museum. 34 painintgs are here, by Van Eyck, Piero, Uccello, Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo, Gossaert, Massys, Holbein, Marinus, Brueghel, Avercamp, Brugghen, Rembrandt, Steenwyck, Velde, Hooch, Vermeer, Chardin, Perronneau, Gainsborough, Turner, Constable, Watteau, Os, Delaroche, Ingres, Morisot, Degas, Monet, Rousseau, Seurat, Van Gogh and Picasso. Each painting is accompanied by a couple of paragraphs about the artist and the painting. We both enjoyed finding the mistakes, filling out the chart and solving the puzzle; the game also stimulated a discussion of painting and artists. It took us a few sessions to solve everything, but it was enjoyable time. I would buy other books by this author.



4. I have found that this book sets the stage for helping children to really look at art. The "fraud puzzle" presented in the book makes the children really spot unique techniques of the artists in several different styles. They are able to see what makes one style of art unique from others over the centuries as styles changed.



5. I bought this book for my very bright 10 year old granddaughter's birthday. My friend who is a librarian had bought it for her 12 year old niece and said she loved it and has asked if there are anymore in the series which there are. My daughter taped the answer pages together so she couldn't look at the answers and says that my granddaughter can't put it down. She loves it and I am willing to bet she will ask for the next in the series when she finishes Art Fraud Detective. This book is a great way to foster interest in art and artists.

4 comments about Sketchbook: Black Large Spiral.

1. Well bound - no sticky wires to scratch or snag when you fold it flat. Works well as a sketch book, but offers the space for notes, journaling, illustrations, clippings, photos, and scrapbook work. Will buy again when this one is full!



2. I bought this for my daughter's birthday and she was quite pleased with it. It's a very high quality sketch book for a very nice price. Will definitely purchase another



3. I got this to use as a casual scrapbook for magazine clippings, and I LOVE it. It is also a very nice sketchbook, but works well for my purposes.



4. I bought these for my daughter who is really into drawing right now. Her papers were everywhere so I bought her some of these books. They are great quality, lots of pages and not that exspensive. I would also like her to be able to hang on to her drawings and watch her progress instead of having bits of papers here and there.

3 comments about The Usborne Book of Art Skills.

1. This is a great book, full of wonderful ideas and I highly recommend it! Just be careful when purchasing, there are two sizes: $8 for the 5"x6" version and about $15 for the 9"x12" version. As far as I can tell they are the same book, but if you want the bigger one and end up with the smaller one, it's a bit disappointing. Good luck!



2. I teach 4th and 5th grade art, and on a very tight budget none the less. This book has wonderful ideas that I can either add to or shorten depending on my class level. It has given me great ideas and I am looking forward to trying more.



3. An excellent, well explained art book, with beautiful and easy to follow illustrations. The book is a treasure chest of ideas suitable for the primary classroom. This book provides plenty of opportunities to explore the various strands of the visual arts field. A great resource for any teacher, parent or doting aunt.

No comments about Unmonumental.

2 comments about Pablo Picasso: Breaking All the Rules: Breaking All the Rules (Smart About Art).

1. This book is great for an adult trying to understand Picasso's art from a child's perspective. It does not try to be esoteric but instead keeps things simple which was helpful to me as I prepared for a discussion on Picasso with elementary school students.



2. This book was a great resource - I had to do an Exploring Arts project on Picasso for both a 3rd grade class and a 1st grade class. I was able to read this book to the 3rd grade class with omitting 4 - 5 pages, but it was definitely not appropriate for 1st graders. During the blue period section, it says that Picasso was depressed because his best friend committed suicide and that Picasso had used (and I quote) "tramps and drunks" as his subjects! It also has a few too many visuals that are better left to older eyes. That being said, it did have some great facts that I hadn't seen anywhere else and the Children REALLY liked this book.

5 comments about In Style Parties (The Complete Guide to Easy, Elegant Entertaining).

1. This great recipe book does it all for you--gives you the recipes built for 10 or more, which is invaluable; the timetable for planning the meal starting, sometimes, as far back as three weeks; helps you with decor, color scheme, and centerpieces; and pulls it all together for you.
   
   Parties are organized by seasons (several summer outdoor parties along with comfortable autumn dinners); holidays (includes traditional halloween and Thanksgiving but also a contemporary Christmas and New YEars party) and Themes (Oscar party, game night).
   
   I have had great success with just about everything I've pulled from this book in terms of recipes. They are road-tested and inventive, so that even the Backyard Luau (not the most original theme) has twists on the main dishes and appetizers that are creative enough for the most seasoned Hawaiian diner.
   
   My particular favorite was the Girlfriend's Birthday Party which I threw for my mother-in-law's most recent birthday; the pink peonies, rose-scented votives, and be-ribboned chair backs were simple but together made a beautiful backdrop for the light and delicious fare. The flavorful spinach-bacon-herb salad was such a hit I now make it every time I get the chance and always to rave reviews.
   
   Highly Recommended



2. I read Instyle Magazine, and always would look in the Party/Host section. How great to have a book dedicated to them. Detailed great ideas, colorful pictures for inspiration. I always lend it to any friend that is getting ready to host a party or just for fun.



3. I found this book to be very informative and inspiring. I found the 16 parties to be the best part; I could've done without the 'basics' in the beginning. Also, since I like decorating the most, I thought that they could've focused more on the room or table decor rather than a closeup of a vegetable or drink, for example. But overall a really helpful book!



4. This book is loaded with help and ideas, and will save even the most clueless host/hostess. You get tips for setting up your bar, decorations, and invitations. You get information about wines and beers. But the best part are the individual party ideas. There are cocktail parties and dinner parties. Holiday parties and unique theme parties. Each party comes with a schedule for planning ahead, so you don't have to do any mad scrambling around the day of the party. Each party comes with a unique "signature drink", so you can cut costs by just offering a signature drink, wine, and beer. There are recipies for each party and shortcut ideas if you don't have time or don't want to cook. There are also music ideas and decor ideas, in good detail, to really help you. No other entertaining book I've ever seen includes help with so many aspects of your party so well. And unlike most entertaining books, there's a resource section so you know where you can actually find the items featured in the parties (food, decor, etc.), so you don't see something you love but can't copy. (There is one problem, however, I've found some of their resources only sell wholesale and won't sell to you unless you have a reseller ID, which is really disappointing. They should have only included retail resources anyone can use.) Everyone who either entertains or likes to daydream about it should have this book - the ideas are unique and fabulous. I bought this book because I needed an idea for our wedding rehearsal dinner. Within 20 minutes of looking through the book I had a brilliant idea (there is no "rehearsal dinner", but I found a perfect theme party to use). I have many party and entertaining books, and this one is definitely my favorite. I love it.



5. Perfect. Everything I was looking for and plenty moore. Very helpful and easy to follow. Thanks InStyle

5 comments about Dragons (Beyond Projects: The CF Sculpture Series, Book 1).

1. Christie Freisen/s claying books are entertaining, informative but above all, she encourages you to explore your own creativity and it works. I love all of her books. They are an entertaining read and a great how to books, full of humor and other good stuffs. Keep up the good works Christie....... We clayers here in St Louis, MO love you.



2. Such a fun book! Christi is highly entertaining. Her lovely personality comes shining through Loud and Clear!!! I have a great time pulling out these books and following along with her step by step. I am always very satisfied with the results. And usually I am not a step by step kinda person. I am more of the no rules/color outside of the lines kinda gal but, Christi makes it fun to follow along! I can't wait for the rest of the series. So far I've made a few frogs, a dragon, a sea-horse, and some flowers, vines and foliage.
   
   I recommend the entire series. Even my young nieces and my mother-in-law creating projects from these books!



3. Wow, this book is fun from front to back. I have it on my work table open to a favorite page even if I am not working on "whimsical, small creatures of polymer clay" at the time. It has very good directions and clear colorful pictures. It is "user friendly" and I hope there will be more like it. I would like to have a collection of her books. KF



4. This is the 3rd book I bought of this artist and it was just as much of a joy to read and study as the other 2. Her writing and her instructions make it a real joy to read and study. She really makes learning fun. Isn't that what we would like everything to be?! Fun?
   I wasn't a big fan of dragons until I bought this book. It just might change your mind too!



5. I admit I had hoped for more diversity in the designs but the techniques used to create these whimsical beasts are straight-forward enough that I can follow them to create my own designs. I am a jewelry designer and am confident using some of these little guys as pendants will go over well.

3 comments about Bernini (Penguin Art and Architecture).

1. The content i.e details of Bernini's sculpture is very interesting to know.
   The author makes us look at the sculptures in an expert way by mentioning things like - one sculpture having an inaccurate centre of gravity. The concept of one medium used to look like the other being immoral was new to me.
   And just one sentence that I needed to know, about how Bernini viewed his work -' he considered most of his works far inferior to the Beauty that he knew and conceived in his mind'. Bernini's work and his interest in it seems like 'progressive improvement'. So It was interesting to know that he was inspired in a way that didnt stop at one work or with the greater beauty that he saw, he never seems to have been at loss for inspiration.
   My favourite is Cornaro Chapel.



2. Hibbard is one of the world's most respected and informed historians of sculpture. And he's a good writer too. That sums up my review. Enjoy the reading and the wonderful photographs!!!



3. I love this book! I've never explored any art history books before, but this was a great first experience. Hibbard has a gift for explaining all of the details of Bernini's works, without bombarding you with unknown lingo or being long-winded. I would highly recommend this book, especially if you plan on going to Italy someday.