5 comments about Through the Lens: National Geographic's Greatest Photographs.

1. We were highly disappointed in this book. The photos were grainy and certainly not National Geographics greatest! We have seen absolutely stunning shots from them in the past and not one was included in this book. It was a great disappointment.



2. Fast shipping, love the book, but the front cover was tattered on the edges. Thanks!



3. For such a large book, the images that are exceptional are few. I was disappointed, given the huge assortment of excellent NG photos from which to choose, that these were deemed "greatest." Worth the $20, but not much more.



4. I came across 3 National Geographic photo books while doing some Christmas shopping. The first one a found was In Focus, which is a history of portraits. I also found this book and the Wide Angle book. After carefully researching the reviews and looking at them in a bookstore, I bought IN FOCUS. I agree with other reviewers that this book and Wide Angle are too grainy, not top quality photos. Wide Angle was actually boring photos with no information in the captions to help romanticize the photos. IN Focus has better quality photos. It will make a great gift for someone who loves National Geographic but may not impress the aspiring photographer. The captions aren't fantastic, but if you love National Geographic, you don't need someone to spell out for you what the beauty of each picture can show. My complaint is that the caption isn't always on the same page as the picture. You may have to flip forward or backward to find out what you are looking at which is some what distracting to the flow. Point is, it is a coffee table book. Would make a great book for a lobby of a business where people have to wait and need something to look at.



5. I fancy myself to know a good photo when I see one and I was humbled by the really great photos in this book. I suppose it all depends on what you like, but since these are the pix they chose to include and I think they are great, either they or I agree with each other. Buy it. It will amaze you and when you leave it out for discovery, it will amaze your friends!

5 comments about The Negative (Ansel Adams Photography, Book 2).

1. I am new to large format photography. This book is extremly informative and focuses just on negative construction, manipulation and b&w processing. An excellent and timeless resource! Excellent for all formats!



2. If film shooting is interesting to you (and you should; I'm 26 and grew up with cameras, then I move to digital, and recentlly, I discovered the wonders of a darkroom and BW prints) then this book is a MUST Well, the whole series)!!! there aren't enough words to emphasize my feelings over the 3 books of Ansel Adams (camera, negative & print)
   
   If you don't believe me, then please take a deep look at Ansel's master BW work... that should convince you!!!



3. Ansel Adams was a master of photography but not the most exciting storyteller , in my opinion.
   
   This book is one that you should read as part of a complete education in photography, but there are some long sections in it. The parts of the book explaining Adams' zone system are very worthwhile and great stuff. Much of the rest of the book is only interesting if you are shooting film (not digital), as it deals specifically with darkroom processing.
   
   Read about the zone system here or somewhere else, but learn it. If you are a film photog, read this whole book. For digital shooters, you might want to read only the sections of interest.



4. This is an excellent book that will help experienced and newcomers in photography. Pay attention to the Zone system that Adams has devised. It will realy help you take total control over your pictures with a helpfull and very creative perspective. The last part of the book (developing negatives) might be ommited by the person who is into digital, although it helped me comprehend a lot about the various Adobe Photoshop features and relate them to classic photography.
   
   One little remark I have to make is for the publisher. The book is printed into gloss paper (all the three books in the series) with a high reflectance index. This results in dificulty reading the book at certain angles.



5. A must read. The explanation of the zone system is outstanding. I had taken a number of skyline photographs of Austin which when reviewed by professional photographers got 2 thumbs up. After looking at them with a critical eye on exposure and armed with my new understanding of the zone - I retook those same pictures and WOW. What an amazing ability to move your camera off of matrixed metering and know how to really set the exposure for what you want to show. Also helps you understand the tradeoffs the camera is making in it's exposure settings so you can be more purposeful in changes you might make. A critical read if you also intend to ever move into large format photography.

5 comments about Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for Digital Photographers Only (For Only).

1. I got both this book and Kelby's "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers" at the same time as I began to learn Lightroom. Of the two, I found this to be much more helpful and clear. Sheppard's style is clear and his explanations of the tools in Lightroom are quite helpful. He's clearly giving his opinions as to how the tools should be used, but he also reaffirms that these are opinions, not rules carved in stone. His "Pro Tips" boxes are full of good advice about the program, photography, and why two button mice are important for Mac users (perhaps he hasn't yet seen the Mighty Mouse). All in all, an excellent book introducing the power and versatility of Lightroom.



2. Well written, with clear instructions. Helped me understand Lightroom and get the most out of it. Has made using Lightroom both productive and enjoyable.



3. Adobe products are not intuitive. I've used Photoshop for a number of years, but it's impossible to sort and edit a set of raw photographs quickly with Photoshop. Bridge is better for sorting, but it crashes fairly consistently. So I decided to try Lightroom. Turns out that Lightroom is also far from intuitive and its controls are similar to, but not the same as, their Photoshop counterparts. So I looked for a book on Amazon and settled on this one. This book is great for explaining how to use the Lightroom Develop controls and adequate for the other Modules. I upgraded to Lightroom 1.1 and most of the information in the book still applies. The reason I don't give the book five stars is that I felt it was light on explaining how Lightroom handles files (the Library Module) and how that relates to the underlying file system. If you're looking for a book to help you get started with Lightroom, I doubt that you'll find a better one.



4. This book is one of the new editions detailing the use of Adobe's new software, Photoshop Lightroom. It is more that a minimal how-to book. It will move you into mainstream use of this powerful software. The strongest thread running through the book is the leveraging of Lightroom and workflow. Knowing how to use the sliders and other tools is important, but without a good workflow it is less effective in a professional environment.



5. Here's another entry in the list of books about Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the new software from the manufacturer of the leading image processing software. Although the software is far more intuitive than Photoshop, and is laid out to mirror the order in which most photographers develop digital photographs, it still requires more instruction then the small paper manual that comes with Lightroom or the complete but hard to use on-line help facility that Lightroom offers.
   
   Rob Sheppard's book offers that instruction in a way that helps photographers who are interested in learning more than just the effect of each button and slider on the digital image. The author follows the workflow model of each of the modules of Lightroom, from the importing of images into the Library Module, through the Development Module that allows for overall adjustments to digital images, to outputs for slideshows, prints and web sites. The writing is accurate and easy to understand.
   
   What makes this book so good is that Sheppard goes beyond just showing the functions of Lightroom. For example, before discussing the operation of the Library Module, he discusses the importance of creating a good logical file structure in one's computer for images outside of Lightroom, so that the file structure can be reflected in Lightroom. Similarly, he recognizes that there are certain adjustments to digital images that Lightroom is not capable of, and so require adjustment in the Photoshop, or other, program. He briefly describes those adjustments and the benefits of using them in a final chapter. This is not enough of an explanation to learn how to make such adjustments in Photoshop but it helps to make the transition. Experienced users will probably not learn anything new with this approach, but it will serve as a healthy reminder. The information will be most useful to the less experienced and those whose previous practices don't lend themselves to effective use of Lightroom.
   
   Unfortunately, there is a lot about Lightroom that isn't covered. One of Lightroom's most impressive features to me is the keywording facility that allows for quick recovery of photographs from a large collection. It includes functions like synonyms and parent-child relations that are extremely useful, but not covered in this book. There are also Lightroom functions that are not mentioned at all. For example, the creation of JPG images to embed in e-mail is a common need of most photographers. Lightroom allows the creation of such images in its export function. Experienced Photoshop users will probably be able to figure out how to do this, but the menus involved in creating a preset to do this are complex, and I would have liked a little help.
   
   Lightroom users looking for a good explanation of its functions, who want to do more than just know what the controls do, will benefit from reading this book. However, this is not the complete guide to everything Lightroom.

5 comments about The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite.

1. I took the trip of a lifetime earlier this month to Yosemite and San Francisco, and it was wonderful. Photography is a big hobby for me, and I spent every second looking for photo opportunities. I read that this was a great book to have and bought it before the trip. It is available at most of the gift shops in the park, but you'll love having ahead of time if you want to make some plans before you go. It's not much cheaper here than in the park, though- maybe $1. Anyway, this was an invaluable tool and I used it to plan most of my hiking and sightseeing while in Yosemite. I also had a PhotoSecrets book for San Francisco, but it wasn't nearly as helpful as this book. This is a great investment to make sure you get the pictures you want on your trip to Yosemite National Park.



2. This is the first book I've ever bought to prepare for a trip. I usually spend endless hours searching out tips from links on websites and then printing them--now I look for a photographer's guide first! Michael Frye has given every tip on 'what, when, where, and how', including which filters to use for problem situations or enhancement. This guide is equally beneficial for those travelers looking for the perfect time and place for wonderment--those special spots not marked by signs with arrows and time tables. And the images are awe inspiring. Definitely something to keep out on the coffee table when you get back home.



3. Yosemite is a frequent photgraphic destination for me. I use Michael's book on each trip. There is so much to see at Yosemite that a plan is required. This book not only directs you to the best photo locations, but tells you precisely the time of year to get the best results. Highly recommended.



4. I used this for my first visit to Yosemite. It was very accurate and a great guide even if you're not a photographer. You should use it in conjunction with the free trail guide for the off road hikes. The trail guide has difficulty ratings for the hikes. We went to the top of Vernal falls and it was more difficult than the impression I got from the book. That was my fault not the author's. Great photos in the book too.



5. This book is great, and we were so glad that we purchased this book before arriving in the park. We read it before our trip, and marked down the hikes we wanted to do, and found great spots to drive to as well! We went to almost ever spot in this book, and got wonderful pictures! Even the rainbow in the waterfall picture came out perfect. We were so glad we found this book, because it made finding everything much easier! Definitely purchase this book!

5 comments about Welcome to Oz: A Cinematic Approach to Digital Still Photography with Photoshop (VOICES).

1. This book is inspirational; there are 4 or 5 very detailed step by step exercises. There are, also, many example pictures of finished work, like the one on the cover. It is a pity that the author has chosen the "less beautiful" pictures for developing the exercises. Don't expect to find how to make the one of the cover.



2. Versace's book introduces some great concepts about seeing and handling images that are not found in your typical Photoshop book and are always given from the perspective of a practicing photographer rather than a computer jocky. It is designed however as a tutorial with the intention of having the reader actually do all the exercises not just once, but several times. All great advice, but there is one aspect of this book that is exasperating. The editing is terrible. I have found this problem with many technical tutorial books. I believe it is because the editor does not have the knowledge to know when something is amiss in the instructions and the author is too close to his material to see the ambiguities and layout mistakes are never picked up. In layout mistakes, the author never sees them and the editor has no clue if they exist or not. It is only the poor reader trying to follow very detailed instructions that picks up these gafs.
   
   In this book, I found every tutorial had mistakes in the instructions with steps out of order, ambiguity in instructions, mismatched example images for the step involved, layer masks that did not match the instructions. Truly maddening. These types of books should be proofed by a student so that these mistakes can be reported and fixed.
   
   So I have started doing the exercises, but when I come to a step that has mistakes, I just have to wing it. Frustrating for an expensive book.
   
   One reviewer mentioned that the exercises depended on using proprietary plug-ins. Well, he does encourage the use of Nik plug-ins, but does usually give you a work around with the exception of the Nik Skylight filter. He also notes that you can freely download time-limited trials that can be used to do the exercises. I agree that the arrangement between Versace and Nik is just a bit to tight in this book.
   
   Overall I am glad that I am working through this book, but poor production practices have made it a struggle and thus my 3 star rating.
   
   Also it should be noted that Versace's handling of images is quite theatrical with very strong lighting effects that will strike some viewers as phoney looking. This however is this photographer's style. I believe that the concepts he is trying to impart can all be used but much more subtly if his style seems way over the top to you.



3. Looking for a wild ride or an interesting trip? This is the book for you. Along the way, you'll get a few important glimpses of the future. This a highly personal, idiosyncratic, at times eccentric, thoroughly original, book.
   
   The contents include: The Tao of Dynamic Workflow; Image Harvesting: The Unwitting Ally; Classic Studio Lighting; Creating a Black-and-White Image from an RGB File; It's About Time.
   
   Vincent shares his personal experience with and passion for how digital tools have changed the way he sees and makes photographs. He invites you into his world.
   
   His `cinematic approach' is fascinating and timely, as the nature of visual culture and still imagery becomes more and more impacted by moving pictures.
   
   In this book you'll get a first-hand glimpse of how Vincent struggles to achieve original authentic expression with the basic building blocks of photography - light and time.
   
   He uses compositing to represent how the human eye sees in more compelling ways, controlling depth of field, time, and light.
   
   Ultimately the concerns of this book transcend Photoshop. It's really about perception. He draws on other fields (acting and science) to expand our understanding of this process.
   
   If his sentence structure is extended at times, Vincent more than makes up for it with passion and insight his reveries contain.
   
   Vincent's shares more than what he knows about Photoshop. Vincent shares how he's come to see in new ways. He offers many valuable opportunities to you in this book.
   
   See other books I recommend here: http://astore.amazon.com/johnpaulcapon-20



4. I can certainly see why Versace has earned his reputation as a first-rate professional photographer and Photoshop techniques expert, but... this book would benefit from a little less of the pseudo-philosophical art theory and cute jargon, less on recommendations to buy the products of his pals, and lot more on explicit details of the how-tos of producing quality images. Note that this edition is primarily based on the CS2 version of Photoshop. And be prepared for a fair number of editorial errors -- misnamed images, layers, etc.
   
   A worthwhile read, but it could certainly be better.



5. The ideas and the methods in this book are fantastic. Versace is more interested in teaching you an approach and methodology which you can take with you to future projects, rather than just listing off a bunch 'tricks' or quick step guides. The results are stunning pictures.
   
   Initially I had an issue with the complimentary Nik Software plug-ins. Which was of no fault to Versace. In fact, he and I discussed the issue at length and he was extremely helpful. Great Customer service too.
   
   Overall... for anyone interested in improving their digital photography workflow, and wanting to take that next 'LEAP', I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Take Your Photography to the Next Level: From Inspiration to Image.

1. Decent book to read during the winter while planning the next summer's shooting season... Lot's of grandpa-style advices that may or may not work depending on your style and interests - the book is centered around landscape, industrial and pretentiously abstract subjects - not really my cup of tea. Worth skimming through, but I am not sure I would put it on my night stand...



2. TAKE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY TO THE NEXT LEVEL: FROM INSPIRATION TO IMAGE is for the photographer who wants to achieve a higher level of results in their work, and provides a series of essays representing a 'course in a book' and which were originally featured on the Luminous Landscape web site. These website writings have been expanded and updated for book format, new ones added, and discussions range from making stronger images and handling failure and setbacks to assessing a level for improvement, learning from other successful images, and identifying where to improve. An outstanding pick for any general-interest library catering to photographers at all levels and for art libraries as well.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. I must admit, I had high hopes for this book. It has overall fairly good reviews and the author is a skilled image maker.
   
   However -- that's all the book is about, HIS images. He does talk about inspiration -- HIS inspirations. And if his kind of photography (industrial and landscape) leaves you cold, as it does me, you may learn next to nothing. I would much rather have seen him discuss a wider range of pictures, even if they weren't his own, and widen his rhetoric beyond his private processes.
   
   Perhaps that was not the purpose of the book. If so, then a title like "How *I* Took *MY* Photography to the Next Level" would have been more appropriate.



4. 'Take Your Photography to the Next Level: From Inspiration to Image' is a great book for photographers who are looking to find inspiration in the photos they are looking to take. Writing is fantastic as the author continually explains how he is moved by scenary and the photos that he has taken and it's a true joy for all of those that loved the art of photography. Having said that, it's important to note that this book is more about the words than the images (important to point out). There are plenty of photos throughout this 200 page book, but the 'meat' is in the ABCs rather than the full color/b&w spectrum.
   
   If you are looking for a book that discusses inspiration with live photography (humans, animals, insects, etc.) then this book is NOT for you. The only photo you will find of a person is of the author himself on the inside backjacket. Content instead is focussed on landscapes, machinery, and architecture.
   
   If you want to discover how a photographer finds inspiration in non-physical photos this is an enjoyable read. If you work or are passionate about the field this also is a solid purchase, it's just not what you would normally expect from a photography book when the photos themselves take a back seat to the writing within.
   
   **** RECOMMENDED



5. I love the fact that the author has basically left the equipment out of the equation. He concentrated on the aesthetics of picture taking and not the equipment, which too many books don't do. He's a great writer as well.
   
   Unfortunately I didn't find his photos especially inspiring, however technically perfect they may be.
   
   Still a good one to read though.
   
   Not a "how to", or a "what equipment to buy" but rather a "how to see" book. I wish there were more books like this.

5 comments about Photoshop CS3 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. The author obviously knows his stuff, but I would never recommend this book if you are truly new to Photoshop. It was not at all helpful to me. Usually I can rely on the "Dummies" series for a good introduction to a topic. But in this case, the book was not the typical "Dummies" guide. Probably a good reference source if you have been using Photoshop for a long time.



2. Photoshop CS3 for Dummies
   reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher, Olathe, KS: (dreric1kansas@aol.com)
   
   Authors: Peter Bauer
   Publisher: Wiley
   Released: 2007
   Pages: 396
   $25 SA
   30 Canada
   16 UK
   ISBN: 0-978-0-470-11193-2
   Strengths: Well laid, easy to use and in color. Price is well worth it.
   Weaknesses: No Cd
   Novice/Intermediate/Advanced
   
   Rating: 5/5
   
   Photoshop is the premier graphics manipulation application. From humble beginnings, this program has developed into a "blockbuster," getting better and better, adding new features all the time. While there are many graphics programs that can do some of the tasks, Photoshop is the one that offers the most power and flexibility for the graphic professional. Now with the latest version, Photoshop CS3 has arrived at the next level. Using all the functions is not always easy. To meet that need, a guide for this version , Photoshop CS3 for Dummies, has been published. And many Photoshop users will find this book useful for a variety of reasons.
   The author is Photoshop World Dream Team Instructor and is the author of graphic books, a host for video training titles and much more. His experiences in the field of graphics are displayed in this book and shows his excellent style, knowledge of graphics, and the Photoshop program.
   The book spans 396 pages in five sections and twenty chapters. The pages and tutorials are well laid out. There is much white space so the text is not cramped and is very easy to read. Photos and and illustrations are in full color. Tutorials are aided by bold titles, numbered sections and steps. Like many of the dummies books, there are also icons which highlight tips, new features, warnings, technical stuff, remember(ing important information).
   I really like this book for the many reasons. It is guidebook, resource guide and is very readable for the novice to the advanced. There is a fine and well done section learning about and using RAW images (ch.7), fine tuning fixes (ch.8), using images in text messages (ch.13), a well laid section on using unsharp mask and working with filters which includes an excellent table(ch.15).
   This book is a great buy for many reasons, This book is more then a "dummies" book. The author communicates in concise, clear and understandable ways covering the strengths and versatility of the application while conveying a remarkable and easy to understand way to use program for your graphics needs. While this is a short review, I want to let you know again that this text will make a fine addition to graphic users, especially to those who are in need of a fine resource and guide to learn about or upgrade skills with photoshop CS3. You''ll be up and running in no time and learning more graphics capabilities. That's why I am ending this review short because not only is well done and I have said much already but I want to start using and learning now and gain some more new insights myself.



3. Photoshop for dummies is a straight forward no-nonsense approach to photoshop. A good reference book for anyone who has CS3. CS3 is a wonderful suite of tools for the creative web person. Still learning it because it has so many features but definitely glad I purchased the software and the dummies book. Annie Lawrence, author Love's Secret Live Your Life In Love.



4. I bought the book because it was supposed to be for beginners and, as stated on the back of the book, full of tips, tricks and techniques. It IS NOT. Whoever wrote this must not have looked in the book at all. If you just want to know some of what program will do get this book. If you want to learn to auctually use the program and do something with it get another book. I personally like the ones with a CD-ROM.



5. It was great to be reminded of many of the features I had not used in Photoshop for a while. Now I am back on track to be more creative in what tools I should be using for any number of photo problems.

5 comments about The Most Beautiful Villages of Tuscany (Most Beautiful Villages).

1. Yes, the photos are nice, but how many coffee table books with pretty Tuscan villages, cypress trees, and silvery olive leaves shimmering in the wind do we need?
   
   Someone who reviewed this book suggested bringing it along on a Tuscan trip; if you put this large and heavy book in your luggage, you will have to leave the toothpaste, underwear, and a number of other things at home, particularly now that some airlines are apparently toying with the notion of lowering weight allowances and charging for the excess.
   
   The text in most instances is not particularly helpful. There are quite a few books on Tuscany that do a much better job. And I was truly surprised to see the town of San Quirico d'Orcia included in the list of "most beautiful villages". I happen to know San Quirico and because it is off the usual beaten tourist path, it retains an "Italianness" that has been lost by, for example, Greve in Chianti, where one would be hard-pressed to find an Italian in that town's lovely main square on a Saturday afternoon. But San Quirico could never be called "beautiful", by any stretch of the imagination.
   
   Despite my reservations about this book, it would probably be a welcome present for a friend who has recently returned from the grand tour of Tuscany and it will, at least for a while, have a prominent place on this friend's coffee table.



2. Great service and beautiful pictures of Tuscany but somewhat dissapointed at the lack of an organized route map for efficient traveling to the various villages.



3. This is the best for someone wanting to visit interesting places in Italy. It is not only well arranged and written, but it helped so much in trip planning. I highly recommend this to anyone traveling on their own to Italy.



4. Since I love Italy as a place to visit, this book is great to own.



5. Great coffee table picture book. It allowed us to see the two villages we will be staying in this summer during our trip to Tuscany.

5 comments about The Best of Family Portrait Photography: Professional Techniques and Images.

1. If you are new to family portraiture or are simply frustrated with your results, this is the book for you. It's an easy read with lots of photographic examples without all the fluff. I highly recommend it!



2. Even if you have shot family portraits before, this book not only gives you new ideas but it also details the techniques and lighting logistics from the portraits shown. It also reminds us of what we may have forgotten or have become lazy in doing. A definate thumbs up.



3. This book makes it very simple (comparatively) to understand how to place subjects, how to light them and how to take the pictures! The photos included are great, too, to give ideas of what is being discussed.



4. My wife started giving me a hard time about family pictures, insisting on having some done by a pro. So, I have a camera, know where the button is to take the picture, and can read - so ordered this book. Why pay a pro if you can do it yourself, right?
   
   The book is of good quality and print. The pictures are absolutely stunning and left me drooling with desire on knowing how to take them. Bill is offering some advice next to some pictures on the settings used by the pro's that took the pics, and only that advice and the hints and tips for posing and group composition makes this book worth the money.
   
   Take note however that taking pics such as the ones in this book requires careful planning - location, dress-code, weather conditions, and good equipment (forget about your point & shoot). You also need some software tool such as photoshop, and you need to know how to use it. If you have any doubts, forget the book and order a pro...



5. This book has good info for beginners. The photography is just mediocre though. I woudl have preferred more inspirational and dynamic photographs in this book

5 comments about Inspirations.

1. Although I think this book is well done, I much preferred his other books.



2. I bought this book so I can find ideas for my wedding decoration, it has great and beautiful pictures, but obviously it's impossible to try to imitate Preston Bailey's ideas. I do recommend this book. You can use it afterwards for a coffee table book.



3. I'm an Interior Designer and this is a practical guide for clients visually. I'm not for copying works but inspiration to what we can do of endless possibilities.



4. Excellent book for planning a lavish event. I would also recommend two other books by Preston Bailey. Check out Amazon for more info or go directly to his website and there will be a link to Amazon to purchase these items.



5. Beautiful Book, no doubt. Just wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Wanted more day to days ideas!