5 comments about The Photographer's Handbook (Third Edition, Revised).

1. I bought this book thinking that it would teach me about technique, apeture, etc. Unfortunately, the book lacks detail and most of the book is made up of photographs and then the author's description of how he got that photograph. However, the author has some pretty good ideas for photographs, and thus I used some of his ideas for trying out some photographs of my own. I still was looking for something with more detail and instruction.



2. Lots of pretty pictures... John Hedgecoe has dozens of books under his authorship. The problem is that he recycles the same pictures and text over and over again. Most of his books (like "John Hedgecoe's New Introductory Photography Course ", "John Hedgecoe's Guide To 35mm Photography ", ETC.) are mostly the same book with different titles. Even books that should have different subject coverage, don't.

   It isn't a bad book but it is basic. I had one of his book when I was just beginning but since lost it. Never missed it either.

   Better books on photography would be "Ansel Adams Guide, The Basic Techniques of Photograph" by John P. Schaefer. I'm no fan of Ansel Adams but this still a good book.




3. First of all, I'm not a Professional Photographer, that's the reason why I purchased this book in the first place. I like the topics and the physical size of the book. Other than actual content, I purchased this book as a "Reference Book" so I like to refer to it in the field when my hands are holding 2 camera's and a tripod.

   What I don't like about this book is, that to me it's structured in a way like reading an appliance instructions. Pages are set up in a way where the printing is TOO small to read, even with reading glasses. The book is printed in very light ink, very difficult to read, even in bright light. Chapters are not clearly divided, it's like one big 'run on' sentence.

   Topics are too technical and is really written for the Professional Photographer in mind. Maybe if the title was changed to, "Professional Photographers Handbook", then I wouldn't be writing the review.




4. I found this book to be the best book on all aspects of photography. It shows examples of very simple
   lighting setups and some very very complicated and interesting examples. It will show you how you can set up rooms with conflicting natural lighting, by mixing the lighting with flash or incandesent lighting. It shows you what equipment you will need. In addition it covers everything, and I do mean everything in photography.
   I am ordering another one because the first one I had literally came apart. That is the one thing that dissappointed me. Its NOT the fault of the author. My first book was very poorly binded.
   Some of the pages came loose. In all honesty let me say that I was rather rough with it. If this one falls apart, I am going to punch holes in it and put it in a loose leaf binder. I miss my first one so very much.



5. I agree, its a must have for beginners on up. I got when i first started and still use it today, if i need a lighting reference or film reference. Its tremendously handy and thorough.

   Compared to most college-level photography texts, its also a great deal.

2 comments about Anne Geddes: Perpetual Birthday Calendar.

1. As an NICU nurse I love Anne Geddes books and calendars so when I was looking for a birthday calendar and saw that she had published one, I knew I had to have it. This is a great calendar for remembering birthdays every month and of course the pictures are just darling. If you like Anne Geddes then you won't be disappointed with this birthday calendar.



2. Very cute pictures and can use year after year. A reminder of all birthdays near and dear to you.

5 comments about Playboy: The Celebrities.

1. There isn't a table of contents, though there is an index in the back of the book. Perhaps Playboy knew that its list of celebrities would be largely unimpressive?
   
   Maybe I'm just too young. Maybe the ubiquity of modern websites like SuicideGirls and Mr. Skin (the new go-to place for celebrity nudity) have caused my generation to take Playboy's achievements for granted.
   
   Regardless, the list itself seems unimpressive.
   
   But the photos are nice enough (though it isn't exactly difficult to make a celebrity look good), and Playboy certainly deserves credit for creating such a foolproof franchise.



2. If you grew up in the 70's like I did and you were trying to project an image of cool and hip you read Playboy. Besides the great photography there were well written articles on politics and mens lifestyle issues that just weren't available anywhere else. And the special treat of having a glimpse of a favorite celeb partially nude made reading the articles less important for that particular issue and almost guaranteed it would become a collectable item. Many of the photos are mild to say the least by today's standards but still demonstrate the high quality photography that I believe always set Playboy apart from the rest.
   
   This book is full of the same high quality images anyone who has followed the magazine would expect to see and some of us will even remember when some of the models first appeared. I was hoping to see a few more of my favorites, but hey there's always the next volume and as long as Mr. Hefner's name is on the masthead we'll have to trust him to pick the subjects and I'm very comfortable with that. If you ever liked Playboy and/or ever collected any of their compilation volumes this one is surely worth having.



3. The book promised more than it delivered. I am tempted to return for my money back.



4. I bought this for an early Christmas gift for my fiance' and we both love it. There's a sampling of all kinds in here - from young to older, earthy to, well, Pamela, and dated to modern.



5. This is a high quality book with many beautiful images. While there are a number of women here that are most famous for being Playmates, they are also women who legitimately had some celebrity outside of the magazine (movies and/or TV). But as others have said, there are many "A List" celebrities that didn't make it into this volume. We can only hope they'll be a "Volume 2" in the future.

5 comments about Photoshop 7 Down and Dirty Tricks (Down & Dirty Tricks).

1. All the tutorials in this book are old and available on the web. The only good thing is that it covers a lot photoshop shortcuts for both MAC and Win users.



2. This is an excellent book for an advertiser or graphic designer. There are TONS of text effects and tricks that would be vital to creating ad copy or web graphics. As a photographer, I found very little that was relevant to my line of work. So it's a great book for a lot of people, just not for photographers.



3. Again, another Photoshop 7 book by Scott Kelby, my favorite expert. Like all his other books, this one is informational and easy to follow. It has effects that are ones you will use when making photoshop art as well as information to improve ordinary photographs. Photoshop is such an amazing program that keeps surprising me with effects I have not discovered. This book is another that teaches us some things that the program includes. I recomend this book to anyone who loves Photoshop and wants to learn more about it.



4. This book teaches you how to do "FUN AND ZANY WACKY PHOTOSHOP TRICKS." There's a couple good ones. But anyone who is paying 800 dollars for a piece of software isn't going to buy a book to learn how to make cool watery text. Well, maybe they are.
   
   The book is decent.



5. I bought this book a year ago. I did manage to successfully complete certain tasks but in my opinion, he uses too many shortcuts. Obviously this book wouldn't be for a beginner. His sense of humor is dry and wasn't needed. This book would have been slightly better if a CD were included as well as a place to download the images he used so that we may practice on them.

1 comments about She.

1. His own love, and it's carnal love. Gentle reader, decide now whether there lies your interest. This is Karsten's book about Sarah, like another was about Stephanie, but much more so. Compared to a fashionable figure, her waist is kind of straight and bust on the slim side. Not a lot of either. If you want a lot - I wish you happy hunting.
   
   Sarah is beautiful, to Karsten. Even the little white hairs on her haunch are pretty, when you see then through Karsten's eyes or lens. She poses happily, and more than happily, with other models (some of whom Karsten has shown before). Although she poses only with other female models, Sarah appeals to every reader. If you're a female reader, you can see yourself inside her and with her. If you're male, you can see yourself inside her and with her.
   
   I've enjoyed Karsten's work before, and I see a shift in this collection. It's lush, affectionate, and precise, as always. It includes more than the model this time: more lingerie, more environment, more company. I guess Karsten's earlier work spoiled me. I value the model, as she is, and I can let all that other stuff go by. I mean no criticism; rather, I'm nostalgic for the intense personal focus of some earlier books.
   
   It's still beautiful. It celebrates the Woman in each woman, through this woman. And, if the book ends in a kind of failure, it's an important failure and it doesn't negate all the closeness that went before.
   
   //wiredweird

2 comments about Uncredited: Graphic Design & Opening Titles in Movies.

1. Excellent, long time awaited book on Opening Titles in Movies. It goes further than the usual Saul Bass topics and shows a fine selection of works and authors.
   Fine edition, enlightening texts and profusely illustrated. And it comes with a companion dvd bringing a good selection of samples in quicktime video .
   It's certainly strange that this matter had not been covered before in that way. And have been done by two european -spaniard- authors!
   Just miss a better coverage on animated head titles.
   A must for titles and cinema lovers.



2. At last a book I've waited some years for. With more than three hundred credit sequences (so hundreds and hundreds of images) this is a feast of visual goodies. The ten chapters reveal a history of the movie in the movies. It is sort of chronological though many newer credits are mixed in with historical ones to indicate a style, like chapter four that looks at titles as logos: Gone With the Wind or Pulp Fiction where the type is overlaid on an image background.
   
   The text runs in small sections throughout the pages but I kept on getting sidetracked by the images and their captions. The original words have been translated from Spanish which could explain the rather flowery style but its clear the authors have done a lot of research and obviously expressed their opinions, too, especially in the long captions.
   
   An amazing two hundred designers have their work included. The great Saul Bass has nineteen credits, Kyle Cooper, Maurice Binder, Ferro Pablo, Dan Perri and Richard Greenberg are the other designers who get a good showing. Those that only have one or two credits (in the book) can still deliver a punch though, the credits for Thank You For Not Smoking by Shadowplay Studio are quite stunning or Marlene McCarty's lovely period work on Far From Heaven.
   
   The book really is a treat but I found it had some annoying inconsistencies (so four stars) like the contents spread that had no page numbers, no, really! There is a designer index but no movie index. In a book like this I would have thought both were essential. The book's design shows a tendency to designer whimsy: the page numbers at the bottom right of the page are in sets of three with the last number (for the next page) running off the page to give the impression of motion...as in a movie? The bibliography is a huge list of websites and a few books. So many of the sites will be redundant long before the book is.
   
   Included with the book is a DVD with 119 credits, an obvious plus factor for me but they are in QuickTime so no watching it on the big screen in the lounge and from those I've looked at they seem second or third generation quality. Incidentally the DVD is rather loosely inserted into an inside page at the back of the book and if you are buying the book pre-used it will be worth checking with the seller that the disc is included.
   
   Despite the disappointments above I'm pleased to have this book and I think it will be a well thumbed edition over time.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover
   
   
   

2 comments about Graphics on the Kindle (Book 1 of the "Graphics on the Kindle" Series).

1. One of the wonderful things about the marketplace of the mind that is opened up by the Kindle and other new technologies is that it allows us to focus on the things that we choose, the things we know about, the things we want to learn about, the things that drive us, the things that we are passionate about. Which I suppose is a flowery way of saying that, when there are skills that we do not have, we can find others who have these skills, who share them with us in terrific little e-books like this one. Whether you want to learn how to have fun with graphics on your own Kindle or incorporate graphics into a Kindle document, Manuel Burgos is a great go-to guy to have on your side. I was so impressed with what I read in Graphics on the Kindle that I contacted Manuel and engaged him to help me with the cover design for the print-on-paper version of Beyond the Literary-Industrial Complex: How Authors and Publishers Are Using the Amazon Kindle and Other New Technologies (... to Unleash an Indie Movement of Readers and Writers), and he did a wonderful job. I have no doubt that I will go back to him when it is time for a print-on-paper version of How to Use the Amazon Kindle for Email & Other Cool Tricks: Read and Answer Email Anywhere, Anytime on the Amazing Amazon Kindle (The Complete User's Guide to the Amazing Amazon Kindle).



2. Feel free to post any questions for the author as a comment to this post. We'll answer them daily. Thanks!
   
   ATTENTION COMIC BOOK, COMIC STRIP, AND GRAPHIC NOVEL CREATORS AND PUBLISHERS! Because you demanded it! Rare Arts is pleased to present its next title, Formatting Comics for the Kindle (Graphics on the Kindle). This second e-book of the "Graphics on the Kindle" series is the first to tackle the challenge of KINDLE E-COMICS! Check it out today!

5 comments about New York Noir: Crime Photos from the Daily News Archive.

1. I got this for my sister-in-law and was afraid it might be too graphic for her (she's a bit squeamish about blood). It's not nearly as explicit as I feared. Unfortunately, it's not as interesting as I'd hoped, either. Lots of pictures of rather anonymous people in very sharp clothing. I think she'll like it, but if you're already fairly used to postmortem or morgue photos, you won't be very impressed.



2. This is a collection of black and white photographs mostly taken during the Prohibition and Depression eras for the tabloid "The Daily News". Most of what could be said about this book is already here in the reviews listed, nevertheless, it is worth repeating that "New York Noir" is an important addition to any collection of books on photography, and essential for anyone with an interest in the history of photojournalism. It would also be useful for anyone with an interest in social history; particularly of big city life during the American 1930s, 40s & 50s.
   
   Most of the photos here are of crime scenes, and a few suicides thrown in. Crime scenes are mysteries; we all sense there is a story there. But the real mystery in this book is who were the guys who took these photographs? Whoever they were, they had no idea they were setting down an arena for further developments in creativity - in film, in fiction and in graphic design. This was working class photography and these guys were simply on the job, trying to outdo each other in the quest for a better shot in time for the next issue, sparing little thought over notions of higher-order art. Except perhaps for Arthur Fellig (aka Weegee), who was apparently more astute when it came to ensuring acknowledgement for his work, most of the guys who worked for the newspapers were largely unheralded. They are now just names, long dead and forgotten. Many of the shots reproduced in this book are only credited with a surname, or are simply credited as "Daily News" photos - nobody can work out now who took the shot.
   
   [...]The conditions under which these guys were working forged a new creative genre, now commonly known as `NOIR'. It was an oppressive era, politically and socially, equipment was still heavy and unwieldy, they had to contend with light (additional lighting was used where it was deemed necessary to illuminate, not for artistic effect) and weather variables and while access to crime scenes were not yet barred to newspaper folks, access was sometimes restricted for other reasons. Check "The Trigger's Squeezed" and "Empire State Suicide"; both demonstrate how restricted access forced the photographers to use unusual camera angles, resulting in distant shots with long lines and deep, extended shadows which, together with the subject matter concerned, creates a sense of oppressiveness, of callous unconcern, of cold doom, and of finality (this can be keenly sensed in "Killer's End"); these are what are now regarded as the essential ingredients of good, classic noir film and associated imagery.
   
   What makes a photograph (and for that matter, any piece of good art) a `classic' is that it alludes to a story, or it at least contains something that will intrigue viewers through the ages. While much of the information for the shots in this book, including the names of the persons involved could be traced (the corresponding synopses are listed at the back), there remain unanswered questions. How was it that the two ladies could tolerate each other's presence at the grave of their man in "A Bigamist Mourned"? What was it that a pretty doll such as Anna Downey saw in John Collins, a hardened killer? ("Until Death Do Us Part"). Why did the gangsters have such flippant attitudes? Check the aspect of Louis Capone on his way to Sing Sing in "En Route To The Chair".
   
   There are other questions for which answers could have been provided in the book somewhere, after some further research. It would have been helpful to know the process and exactly why some of the photos were "touched-up" to ensure they were fit for publication. And who were some of these photographers? And what was the system for acknowledgement and payment? Something could have been said about the cops; perhaps some reasoning for their attitudes and conduct with the public. [...]
   
   Regardless of all of this, the book is very exciting. The images reflect the developments in technology, particularly with the flash; first the bar flash, then the bulb, and then finally the `flash gun'. The sharper and clearer shots, including those taken under brilliant light are perhaps the most striking, and what are most easily recognized as `noir' imagery. All together, these are shots of a period in history which will never return. The assemblage of ephemera of that age; the hats, the shoes and clothing styles, the hair styles, the cars, the buildings and everything else can never be reproduced. And there is something very sexy about it all.
   
   For a further exploration in this photography genre, I strongly recommend "City of Shadows: Sydney Police Photographs 1912-1948"; with shots of folks who were colder, cheaper and meaner, and where things seem even more surreal. To see how such newspaper shots influenced photography in a creative sense, see if you can find "Retail Fictions: The Commercial Photography of Ralph Bartholomew Jr." - still around in some `seconds' bookshops.



3. Warning: don't expect this book to be easy on the eyes, it is far from that. This is not for children, weak stomaches, or people with heart conditions. The shock is enough to make your heart race when viewing some of these photos. Yet you find yourself staring, sometimes maybe wondering what the photographer was thinking as he took these shots. The book is well done, but you have to be interested in true crime to, if you will, appreciate this collection of photos. It also helps if you appreciate life, then these photos will really have an effect on you, but it also shows you that society really did not change that much since these photos were taken. NOT a good coffee table book, though.



4. The "Daily News" debuted in New York City in 1919. It was to be a newspaper for the common man, which meant not especially literate and frequently immigrant. Its currency was images, the more sensational the better. Nothing sold like sex, murder, and mayhem, graphically illustrated. By 1925, the "Daily News" was the best-selling newspaper in the nation. By 1930, twenty-three per cent of its pages were devoted to crime.

   "New York Noir" is a selection of about 125 images from the "Daily News" archives, taken from the 1920s through the 1950s. Some are sad, some comical, some grotesque. They're an interesting comment on American urban culture of the time. Many of these photos would spark outrage if any newspaper were to print them today. Their lurid content earned the "Daily News" pointed criticism from many a moralist at the time. But that never hurt business. The style of the photographs had an immistakable influence on cinema and popular culture which continues to this day. The technical limitations that produced starkly flashed foregrounds and pitch-black backgrounds are instantly recognizable in Hollywood films, just as the corruption displayed in the photographs was reflected in popular entertainment. The demeanor of gangsters and thugs -often posed for the photographers- became iconic. Tabloid photojournalists may have wanted only to get the shot that no one else could, but they produced some incredible -and incredibly influential- photographs that have only become more fascinating with time.

   Luc Sante introduces "New York Noir" with an essay about the history of tabloid journalism. Editor William Hannigan follows with a history of the "Daily News" and its influence on Film Noir. Both of these essays are very readable and worthwhile. The photographs are mostly one-to-a-page and quite sharp. They are all captioned. There is a section of "Synopses" in the back of the book, which provides further information about the stories behind each photograph, when available. I really appreciate this section, which is conveniently organized by page number. Some of the photos really leave the reader hanging, wondering who those people are and how things turned out. You can find out by turning to the back of the book.

   I recommend "New York Noir" to photography and film noir buffs. Some of these evocative photographs are not for the squeamish, but they have made , and continue to make, quite an impression.




5. If you are a fan of photography, this book is definately for you. NEW YORK NOIR is chock full of amazing photographs that were the staple of the "New York Daily News." In this book, you get to see some of the poignant images that help define the term noir, and its connection to the silver screen industry, not to mention its effects on tabloid journalism. Many of these same black and white photogrpahs were often used as references to assist in making modern day motion pictures, helping to give a look into the past. From the days of "Three-Gun" Turner to the electrocution of Ruth Snyder, this book captures New York's horrid crime life in a candid, in-your-face style. There is nothing but unhidden truth in each and every photograph. NEW YORK NOIR is a well designed book loaded with powerful images and somewhat detailed descriptions. It is fascinating, riveting, and gives you a decent look at the roots of photojournalism. You can't help but be intrigued by the gritty, graphic photos that once graced the pages of a daily newspaper. It is one amazingly good book.

5 comments about Creative Photo Cropping for Scrapbooks (Memory Makers).

1. I have been an avid scrapbooker for years and have yet to find a book that uses the pictures as the true page focal point instead of adding embellishments.... until I saw this book! There is page after page of unique ideas for cropping pictures that will guarantee that your pages will stand out from all the others.



2. Ever hear of *SHEAR-CROPPERS* ? "Creative P.C. (Photo Cropping) for Scrapbooks" is a book crammed with examples of "creative cropping" - - including new twists & challenges. My favorites are weaving, vertical panoramas and kaleidoscope mats.
   
   Patterns can be imitated or cleverly adapted for using your own treasured photographs. The fun is in trying out all of the different effects. Only in a "How-To" book would so many fill consecutive pages, but finished products can also be framed as gifts, &/or placed as decorative accents in homes.
   
   The book is obviously not the work of one individual - - many have worked together to demonstrate ideas for cropping in distinctive ways that will liven the pages of scrapbooks. It is all part of a thriving industry whose many enthusiasts love to learn & share new techniques. Even in the very small (15,071) Indiana county where Reviewer mcHAIKU lives, there are two shops and one 'commercial' individual in the largest town (population: 826)!
   This shows that you can get help anywhere to produce *BLUE RIBBON scrapbooks* - - and especially by using books such as "Creative Photo Cropping." (mcHaiku: 8.2.07)



3. This book is well worth the price. It offers many unique ideas. It has the basics for your beginner scrapbookers, but is full of challenge ideas for apprentice or even seasoned scrapbookers!



4. An excellent book for all levels of scrapbookers, but especially so for those who are just beginning. Well done.



5. I have looked and wasted so much money buying scrapbooking books here and there for these tiny bits of "goodness" in them. When this book arrived I realized I finally found a true inspiration book - no fluff, no fillers, no really basic-how-to-scrapbook instructions. Everytime I open this book I become entralled with the examples....(Ooohhh, I NEED to do that next time...WAAYY TOO COOL!).
   
   If you are a beginning scrapbooker - this book is not for you. The methods of cutting or cropping are better left to those who've gained experience with cropping photos and using a paper trimmer. A better book for you would be Scrapbooking for Dummies (covers a wide variety of basics) or a class.
   
   However, if you treat your paper trimmer like a third arm and are quite comfortable with it - you've got to get this book! Well worth the price even at full retail!

1 comments about Luxury Hotels Beach Resorts (Luxury).

1. I recently ordered this book - what a disappointment! This book profiles luxury beach hotels around the world and includes leading hotels in locales such as the Seychelles, Maldives, Oman, Bora Bora and numerous other places. There are two problems however. First, the quality of the pictures is inconsistent - some pictures are good but there are too many that are blurry. Also, many of the pictures are from the hotels themselves. The problem with this is that the pictures can be found on the websites of these hotels already and can be viewed for free. Second, the descriptions of the hotels are poorly written and provide next to no information. I could go on but why bother - Skip this one!