No comments about The Sunlight Print Kit: Materials, Techniques, and Projects for Homemade Photography.

2 comments about Engravings by Hogarth.

1. Hogarth is the best. His rich images of the moral underbelly of London are as resonant today as they ever were. The level of draftsmanship is high. The many symbolic details are superb. The plotlines combine moral outrage with lurid vouyerism with smirking satire - Bret Easton Ellis should have spent forty years as a Hogarth scholar before attempting to write his first book. This edition is cheap and large, with commentary that is a pleasure to read. I recommend it to anyone.



2. The large size of the pages (11X14)allows the reader to appreciate the quality and detail of Hogarth's work. Beyond the artistic merit of the engravings, I have found them to be of great value in understanding England of the 1700's. As it is said, "a picture is worth a thousand words". This is especially true with Hogarth, who was as much a humorist and social commentator as he was an artist. Sean Shesgreen provides the (absolutely) necessary background and explanitory information to understand the pictures.

5 comments about The World's Most Beautiful Seashells (Worlds Most Series).

1. This is truly the BEST book on seashells IMHO. I love it for the images are incredible - so much so that the photography seems almost 3-D in some instances. The high quality of the images and information (and obvious love for the subject by the author) is unbelievable when you look at the cost for this treasure. It is a bargain for what you gain - beauty, artistry of nature, knowledge of many varieties of mollusks, and unique images not seen in other shell books (many in my own library). This is my favorite of all seashell books, unless I am exploring on the shore when a guidebook is more appropriate. Yes, this is quality coffee table book...but one that will be picked up by you and your guests more frequently than your other books.



2. First of all, I echo all the positive comments already made by other reviewers.
   
   This book is dangerous, in the best sense!
   
   I am a bookworm and consider this one of my favorite books. (It is also incredibly cheap for the quality, and this is true for the hardcover version as well.) It is nourishing to the soul, a delight to any seashell collector, and has surprised, touched and impressed all the non-collectors I have shown it to. I started collecting seashells a year ago and bought this book back then. It has made me immediately aware of the surprising level of beauty that can be found in well-selected specimens, even among very affordable species. It has done this at least as much as the finer photographs on seashell websites online (e.g. femorale, gastropods, topseashells).
   
   Rarely have I seen a photographer demonstrate their deep love for their subject this directly and this well. I find that a lot of seashells photographs in other publications simply do not come close to the passion, beauty, communication, feeling, inventiveness and art found in each photograph here. (I am a passionate photographer - have been since a young age - and have been trying my hand at taking beautiful close-ups of seashells for the last year. These attempts have only deepened my appreciation of the photographs in this book.)
   
   This book contains an average of about 2 colour photographs for each page, and close to 2000 specimens and at least 500 species/forms (I counted once when sick in bed :-). Many photographs show several specimens and/or species combined fruitfully. Others concentrate on a single shell, sometimes taking up the entire page. All have very well chosen and crafted backgrounds - either lush, saturated colors or various more recognizable themes, none but a few volutes shown with the animal have the usual black background. You will enjoy a selection of the finest examples of the - cheap, affordable and expensive - species and forms the authors, all long-time collectors, deemed among the most beautiful. They bring you super-selected gem specimens from their personal collections and from a number of other personal collections they borrowed from. All this combines to draw you into looking at the shell more carefully, longer and with your aesthetic eye opened up - not something easily done by any means.
   
   The texts contain all kinds of interesting information, some apparently not necessarily known even to very seasoned collectors, as mentioned in other reviews. It is true that there is no detailed index by species, but in this case it doesn't matter too much: if you own a copy you will be looking at it often and will soon start remembering which specimens are included and where. The sections are organized by families.
   
   My only wish, my only suggestion for improvement, honestly, is for James Carmichael to publish a sequel of the same size even now that Leonard Hill, alas, has passed away at a young age. Perhaps not likely but we can dream, no?
   
   So do not hesitate and buy yourself a copy. It would be hard to imagine that you will be dissapointed. Even if you are not a seashell lover or collector but enjoy beauty and enthusiasm.
   
   Do get the hardcover version as this book is tall and wide and heavy. The covers of a softcover copy will certainly start bending and cracking very soon. The difference in price is small and in this case not worth saving on.
   
   Expect to dive into this book often. With, dare I say?, love... And expect to become even more mad about seashells.



3. This book is pure eye candy for shell lovers. The photographs are beautiful and the close ups allow you to see the fine detail of many shells. This book can also be used as a shell identification reference as the photos are clearly annotated with the names of the shells.



4. My wife purchased this book for our beach house and we decided to keep a copy for ourselves at home. It has every shell that you could ever dream of. Our kids love the book because they can look up shells that they have found in the book and see what they are called and what use to live inside of them.
   
   It is great for anyone that has a room or bathroom using seashells or an ocean decoration theme.
   
   Very good book!



5. This book is not by any means scientific.
   This book is not an identification guide.
   The species list is obviously very incomplete.
   but...
   Truly marvelous, large-format photography of only the best of the best GEM specimens. Each with a short description, which is VERY interesting to read - these are some real facts about the shells and not the description of what you can see on the photo. I consider myself an advanced collector, and this book is a real relief after reading some of the more advanced publications on shell collecting. An excellent source for some real-life knowledge. Highly recommended - both for collectors, or just anyone.

5 comments about Dreads.

1. It was wonderful to meet each person photographed in this book through their stories. Whether they allowed their locks to tangle and grow for religious beliefs, rebellious causes, or simply as a fashion statement, each person shines through the beautiful photographs. I applaud the photographer and writer for presenting a remarkable array of individuals and telling their stories for the world.



2. My husband bought this book for me for Christmas due to my resolution to begin locs in January 2008. The stories are so beautiful and I love the commentary about people always wanting to touch your hair...it's so true. I just wish people could understand the true meaning and history of this lifestyle. Peace!



3. Inspiration, undestanding, honesty, beautiful, diversity, different, roots, culture...
   
   That and more is what this book can show you. Beautiful photographs, amazing information... U will never see people with dreadlocks in the same way...



4. I loved the beautiful pictures in this book.. a must-have for any lover of locks!



5. I always saw this book at the natural hair stylist that I visited. Now that I and my daughter are lock wearers i decided to purchase it. The photography is outstanding and book contains both cultivated and organic locks. Great to have in your home library and leave out as a conversation piece. Excellent.. Must buy it.
   I also recommend:
   Kinki Kreations: A Parent's Guide to Natural Black Hair Care for Kids

5 comments about Process Color Manual, 24,000 CMYK Combinations for Design, Prepress, and Printing.

1. This is an old book but it is still relevant to anyone who is designing for print. The book has every color combination of the four-color press process, in steps of 5% (i.e. 15% magenta, 75% cyan, 10% black and 25% yellow) in a grid format. You'll be able to accurately pick any color you are looking for.
   
   It doesn't have different paper stock, so that is the only part missing, but it uses the most common bright white coated paper.
   
   A cheap alternative to a Pantone Color book.



2. 20-odd years in the design industry and I have no idea why I haven't had a book like this yet. I've been mentally mixing colors for a long time now, and yet it's a fantastic thing to be able to see what that subtle difference is between 25c+100y and 30c+100y looks like in print. OK, it only approximates based on one press and coated paper, but at the end of the day, it's better than your monitor. So get the book and dispense with a good bit of guesswork. It takes a minute to get used to how to find exactly what you're looking for, but it's there!



3. I owned a previous version of this book at my last job and plan to purchase this for my own use. As others have said, it contains an amazing number of combinations not available in most books. It takes a little bit of flipping through the book to understand how it is laid out, but the concept is very difficult anyway to put down on paper. I think that this book has accomplished making it as simple as it can get while still being very comprehensive.



4. Buy this. Discover what you have been missing on this exceptionally complicated subject.
   Learn how to match the use of color(s) to your project.
   Take your usage of color to a level well beyond your experience with the easy to understand non-techno language.
   Excellent investment.



5. Well, I've been using CorelDraw for a short time, and this book helped me a lot about printing preview colors.

2 comments about Image Makers, Image Takers.

1. I love it. Wonderful, inspiring interviews with some of the best photographers alive today. Especially interesting are the interviews with Alec Soth and Anton Corbijn. You will not regret purchasing this, I just wish I had read it sooner! Beautifully put together and a great value.



2. I was thrilled to find this fresh, new, exciting book. It is densely packed full of interviews with a diverse range of the planet's top photographers, and other industry professionals, who answer questions in an engaging and thoughtful manner. There are lots of great tips for budding photographers. A contemporary classic, and latest must-read, for anyone into photography!

1 comments about Tender Violence: Domestic Visions in an Age of U.S. Imperialism (Cultural Studies of the United States).

1. Wexler writes clearly, skillfully interspersing history, sociology, and photography to argue that domesticity was some CREATED, not just "always there" in the US. Wexler especially emphasized the role of photography in supporting a discourse of white women's purity and black slave women's (or newly freed black women's) down-to-earth, animal nature. An excellent book for all students of art, social science, or history, this text can be used for undergraduates or graduate students.

3 comments about Approaching Nowhere: Photographs.

1. If you collect art books about the contemporary landscape, this is one you should have. It's Brouws' sixth book, and is an ideal summation of his very productive career so far.
   
   Brouws' work defines the term "landscape" as do the great cultural geographers, such as J.B. Jackson: It's a terrain that acts upon and is acted upon by its human inhabitants. There are few things more confounding, yet fascinating, than the behavior of other humans. We persist in the same habits and choices, despite frequently catastrophic results. Approaching Nowhere illuminates these foibles by studying their consequences through superb photography.
   
   While Brouws' edifying eye for this world is sharply focused on the often sad reality of uncivilized sprawl, I find no stridence or intemperate cynicism in his attitude. Instead, I see the investigative sensibility of an earnest anthropologist, combined with the creative eloquence of a very talented artist.



2. I've been deeply touched by this book. Jeff Brows is a master creating moments and places.
   
   I'm writting this review after two previous one which describes perfectly what this incredible book is, so I won't repeat it.
   
   I just can say that I'd file this book under "poetry".
   
   Greetings from Barcelona



3. They're everywhere and so like the title of this book: nowhere. Wherever the tarmac leads signs of commercial chaos and eventually abandonment will probably appear. In theory nothing wrong with that, businesses come and go but it seems unique to America that a gone business is remarkably reluctant to clean up after itself. The detritus of commerce just litters the landscape and a fortunate by-product of this mess, over recent years, is an increasing visual record created by a small band of brilliant topographic photographers.
   
   Jeff Brouws has spent some years casting his creative eye over urban sprawl, interstate commercial failure and inner city decay. This latest book captures all this so well in these ninety-eight photos. The first thing you'll notice about the book (perhaps portfolio is a better word) is the size, an impressive 12.25 inches deep by 11.5 wide which gives the images the sort of display they deserve, helped also by the excellent layout and 175dpi printing. Divided into three photographic sections: Highway Landscape, Discarded Landscape and Impossibility of Ruins, this last section has nineteen remarkable shots of rust-belt inner city decay. Because of the vastness of this city blight there is more chance that the authorities will do something about it while the single abandoned highway gas station will stay just that--abandoned.
   
   The Highway Landscape has the most photos and it is here that frequently a shot will jump off the page, it just seems so right. Page sixty-one has a beautiful night image of the Sands Restaurant in Fresno, a neon sign and other lettering perfectly framed within the image area or the gas station ruins in Vidal Junction, CA, nicely composed into thirds, sky, buildings and an earth foreground. Brouws, like photographers from the Farm Security Administration onwards, has a sharp eye for signage, either neon or painted on exterior walls, most of the photos in the book have a bit of lettering somewhere.
   
   Approaching Nowhere seems a continuation of his two earlier books, 'Highway: America's Endless Dream' 1997 (ISBN 1556706049) which has a few of the same photos and 'Readymades' 2003 (ISBN 0811836770) a remarkable book of several hundred photos of what can be seen from the Nation's roads. All three books capture the contemporary texture of the outside 'nowhere' beautifully.
   
   *Temporary/Obsolete/Abandoned/Derelict
   
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

5 comments about 100 Suns.

1. 100 Suns is a great book that shows the american nuclear tests from an "artistic" perspective. The images and the edition are spectacular, and the choice of the pictures depends only on his compilator, Michael Light.
   Anyway, if you are looking for an exhaustive nuclear test data, nuclear technology or nuclear consequences, definitely this is not your book.
   But if you can abstract the mortal power from the breath-taking image that a nuclear explosion owns, then you've got the book of the year.
   
   Greetings from Barcelona, Spain



2. If you're buying this book to have beautiful photographic prints of the major nuclear tests, you will definitely be disappointed, as I was, by the book's very poor format/layout. The overwhelming majority of the photographs are printed in such a way that the image is split apart where the paper joins the spine of the book. In other words, you get maybe three-quarters of the photograph on one page, and the remaining quarter on the facing page. What's worse is that many of the photographs are split right in the middle, so the image is completely ruined. I can't believe that they were so stupid as to produce the book in this way. If I had know it was this bad, I wouldn't have wasted my money.



3. This is a beautiful book. Very powerful (no pun intended). Exceptionally well-conceived. Lovely art direction. High printing standards. All of which were established with the author Michael Light's previous book, The Moon. (With a surname such as Light, he was destined to be a photographer.) I first saw a copy of 100 Suns at a friend's place in Paris and, without knowing it was the same photographer who had collated the pictures in both books, said how much its aesthetics and purpose reminded me of The Moon. Rather than NASA's various explorations to the lunar mass (assuming you believe, like me, that they did indeed go to the moon), this book is devoted to the war-mongering Americans' obsession with nuclear warfare. As a counter-balance to the predilection of other superpowers, such as the former USSR and China, for power, the Americans went for gold from the outset, initially possessing a ridiculously huge nuclear arsenal, a dominance that wained during the supposed Cold War (a propaganda exercise to rival the Nazis, if ever there was one). Then, for a spell, the Soviets possessed more nuclear warheads than the Americans, which is perhaps fair enough since they did send the first man into space (well done Yuri). However, throughout the atomic age, the Americans, like the pesky French, the irritable Russians, the stroppy North Koreans, the determined Chinese, the desperate Pakistanis, the resolute Iranians, etc, have continued to conduct tests of nuclear weapons. Unfairly, the French have even arrogantly and selfishly pursued theirs in the Pacific, which, as New Zealanders, my family, friends and I occupy. Is it any wonder we now have global warming? Isn't it at all conceivable that the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of nuclear tests conducted underground, on land, at sea and in the air are partially (perhaps even largely) responsible for global warming? These are, after all, mammoth disruptions to the harmony of earth and her atmosphere. I use the word 'mammoth' on purpose too because, like the furry fellow, we may one day be utterly extinct. Of course, if nuclear weapons (and the woeful double bombing of Japan to end the Second World War) are a crucial counterbalance between good and evil, the haves and will haves, they are perhaps a necessary (yet problematic) deterrent. Now, having jumped atop my soap box (actually, bar stool in front of my computer), I must admit that the pictures in 100 Suns are utterly bewitching. To say they are beautiful is fraught with guilt, since it is members of our very species who created and propagated such an evil force. However, in many things evil a kind of beauty resides, whether we wish to concede this or not. And there is something strangely, hypnotically, philosophically haunting about the 100 pictures of nuclear tests in this book. They look like amoeba, jelly fish, demons, and, yes, mushrooms. They appear to be the visual manifestation of some weird hallucinatory concoction - though in this case it's the result of mankind's intellect run amock. Not enough is spoken about the nuclear age. The pictures in this must-have book say much. Let the buyer beware.



4. As terrible as a nuclear detonation can be, this book manages to capture the spectacle and beauty from the above-ground nuclear tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site and other detonation sites in the 50s and 60s.
   
   The book is a collection of 100 colour and B&W photos from the US National Archives and LANL of various detonations. Some are taken mere milliseconds after detonation and show fascinating detail. Others show the detonations with soldiers looking on. Aerial shots show the impressive scale of the detonations.
   
   Captions for the photos giving details on the test are listed in the back so as not to distract from the photo itself. It's an interesting book to look through and to see the scale of the above-ground nuclear weapon testing that was done in the middle of the 20th century.



5. Some of the most brilliant photos of nuclear explosions you will EVER find. The book is almost all photos with a small documentary section in the back to help augment the photos. VERY nicely done for the non-technical person.

1 comments about 25 Under 25: Up-and-Coming American Photographers.

1. This book presents a startlingly moving and visually captivating array of photo-essays by our country's newest group of professional photographers. The introduction by the renowned photographer Sylvia Plachy and editorial notes by Iris Tillman Hill give the collection and knowledge of the young people responsible for these amazing shots, due credit and contextual depth. The young adult artist's own words accompanying their work, especially their quotes about photography and early memories of their first camera are enlightening and revealing. It is so refreshing and inspiring to see accomplished young people given an opportunity to be highlighted for something other than the current obsession with rock and roll performing and movie stardom. Even if you aren't a photographer or planning to become one, this book belongs in your collection- it will be thrilling to see which of these names become household recognized and on the front page of our national magazines or housed in our best museums. I am certain many of them will be there.