5 comments about Lachapelle Land.

1. I highly recommend NetworkNewBooks. My purchase arrived in three business days and in mint condition...thanks a lot!



2. After having bought David Lachapelle's "Heaven to Hell" in the Taschen bookshop in Berlin last november, I was flabbergasted by its content. Coming home I immediately surf to Amazon.com to order the other two books of this trilogy: "Lachapelle Land" and "Hotel Lachapelle". To me his work is the utmost synergism of fantasy, photography and art! For me, without doubt the most impressive and striking artbooks I bought in 2006!!
   
   Wubbe Koning, Heiligerlee, The Netherlands



3. How about photographing what your mind sees? That's the journey Lachapelle takes us in every picture. Lachapelle, along with a couple of other great photographers, is what I would call an acquired taste and a bi-polar one it is. Either you love it or you hate it...
   
   Anyone interested in serious photography should have, at least as a reference, any of Lachapelle's books.
   
   As for this one, all I have to say is that I enjoyed the journey. And what a journey it was...



4. I bought this book after being a fan of Lachapelle for a few years- and i've already got Hotel LaChapelle.This book doesn't really compare that well to Hotel Lachapelle, but its a good book to have if u want to document his work pre 1996, and although it has some stunning photographs, i was more impressed by the (presumably bigger budget) photos in Hotel Lachapelle, so. in a nutshell; if you trying to decide between this and His second book, get the second one, but this isnt a bad book to have.



5. I purchased this book after viewing David Lachapelle's website, and while it is certainly a decent collection of photographs, the photos lack some of the style that Lachapelle's more recent work has. If you are a fan of the work found on his website, then I would suggest Hotel Lachapelle instead of this book.

2 comments about Robert Frank: Come Again.

1. I won't lie, I bought this, flipped through it once and then salted it away in my collection. I love it. I think it is great. I like how he breaks things up, put it all together, and sends it up the flagpole.



2. Robert Frank, a photographer's photographer, and really the Bob Dylan of the medium, has a stark and taciturn way of seeing things that is manifest in this book. It is published at the launch of a 5 year program for Gerhard Steidl, the finest publisher in the world, to release new Frank books, re-release old ones beautifully, and reveal undisclosed bodies of work, and will include all of Frank's films.
   
   The invitation to photograph Beirut was tendered to a number of world famous photographers in 1991 by the Harriri Foundation, including Koudelka, Burri, Depardon and Basilico, and these Poloroids that Frank made there were pasted into a graph-paper notebook. This artful facsimile is a tactile and visual delight.
   
   I bought a number of copies because it is a small edition and I expect it to be out of print and valuable very quickly and it is marvelous to have copies of precious books to present to friends as gifts.

No comments about Vogue Covers: On Fashion's Front Page.

5 comments about Complete Guide to Digital Infrared Photography (A Lark Photography Book).

1. Most of the example photos in this book are from photographers other than the author. Makes a reader wonder if the author has taken many IR photos of his own. As was mentioned in another review, his post processing section consists of telling you to buy expensive plug-in modules for Photoshop. Apparently he does not know how to create effects such as sepia toning and depends on the expensive plug-ins to solve that problem. Not worth the paper it's printed on. His section on exposure, depth of field, and focusing are pretty thin and contain information available for free on the web. Not recommended.



2. Infrared photographers are in their own creative league. Read this book, check out Joe's images, read his words, and you'll see why Joe is one of the top IR photographers around - any why he is the technical director of The League of Creative Infrared Photographers. I've been a photographer for about 30 years, and yet I still continue to learn and grow, thanks to books like Joe's. - Rick Sammon, Founder, The League of Creative Infrared Photographers.



3. This is a good basic introduction to infrared photography, with beautiful photos. However, it concentrates on landscape photography (as you might expect) and a lot of the text in this 160-page book deals with post-processing techniques.
   
   A newer and much more comprehensive book is David Busch's Digital Infrared Pro Secrets,which explores the topic in a more wide-ranging and in-depth manner. For example, Busch's book shows you how to convert your own camera to infrared photography, how to make your own inexpensive IR filter, and how to build a viewfinder that by-passes the IR "blackout." In addition to landscape photography, that book has techniques for shooting architecture, portraits, sports, and other unconventional subjects.
   
   Serious photographers should probably have both books. Farace's is a good guide to infrared fine art landscapes, while Busch's book is perfect for someone who intends to get serious about IR photography.



4. If you need or want to know anything about digital Infrared Photography
   this is the book to get it was exactly what I need to get started.



5. Most of the information in this book is available for free on the internet. Filter information, how to properly expose and focus a shot, etc. is all basic and common sense. The most disappointing part of the book was the post processing. Almost all of the post-processing instructions describe how to use Photoshop PLUG-INS that the reader may not have. Each of the plug-ins mentioned will cost you between $50 - $200 and even if you already have them the instructions are so basic you never get a feel for what you are doing or why.
   
   If you don't have access to the internet and are a complete newbie to IR Photography this book would be OK, which is why I am giving it 2 stars.

5 comments about My First Five Years - Fairy Edition (Baby Record Book).

1. This is wonderful and everything I was looking for in a record book as a gift for a friend. I looked everywhere to find one that wasn't a scrapbook or only one year. Thanks



2. Best baby book ever, i have the same one for all 4 of my kids. love it!



3. i have purchased a different edition of anne geddes baby books, one for each of my four children, they are all beautiful and entertaining, this one is no exception, the envelope at the back for keep-sakes is different, but i like it because its large and holds more stuff



4. I bought this book for my daughther in law and while it is cute it is not really what I had hoped for. My main concern is that the "ring binder" doesn't close properly and it is flimsy. Was expecting a better quality product. Over all my daughter in law liked it (so she said) but I wouldnt recommend buying it for a gift.



5. This baby book is simply delightful! Don't let the pink-ish tone fool you, this is fine for either a boy or a girl.

5 comments about Marilyn Monroe: Platinum Fox.

1. I bought this as a gift for my sister, Marilyn. It has "never before seen photos" of Marilyn Monroe plus her own notes attached to the pictures. The price was about 50% less than a well-known book store.



2. Really nice book with some "new" photos I haven't seen before. Though I'm puzzled by the book designer's choice of illustration style-making Marilyn seem like a brunette on the cover.



3. This coffee table book lovingly put together by Cindy De La Hoz is a fantastic job well done. Now, this is the kind of job I would have liked: poking through the 20th Century Fox archives and talking to the staff there. What this has done for Ms De La Hoz is to provide her with some additional photos and details of the films of Marilyn Monroe that have never seen the light of day. I have been collecting MM since 1959 and have amassed an incredible trove of information and photos and even I am amazed at the newly released photos. I'm sure you've all seen the one canoe shot of MM from Scudda Hoo Scudda Hay but here there are four more photos from this film, including behind the scenes shots. That alone sets the tone for the rest of the book - some familiar photos and lots of new photos. I applaud the author's efforts and have placed this book in a prominent place in my book case.



4. This is a pretty solid book covering the FOX films of MM. The photographic reproductions are very good and the text interesting. As this was a very important part of her film legacy this book is close to essential for MM collectors.
   I'm surprised the other reviewer gave it 5 stars as their copy had whole sections missing and duplicated..mine is fine. I also think they stretched the truth a bit on the numbers of pictures ....hundreds per film would make the numbers pretty staggering...there are certainly dozens per film..including poster reprints and lobby cards...all very cool stuff.



5. I thought Cindy De La Hoz Did a great job on her 1st book, LUCY AT THE MOVIES; so I was hoping not to be disappointed at her 2nd one. I wasn't!
   
   MARILYN MONROE PLATINUM FOX is a treasure trove to behold! The oversized book has glossy pages with hundreds of photos from each Fox production Marilyn was in. I certainly was surprised & pleased to find many rare & never-before-seen photos. Many are off or on set candids of Marilyn getting her make-up fixed, costume adjusted, relaxing or laughing with co-stars & by herself. When you've seen the same photos of Marilyn used again & again, it is always a delight to see fresh material! It must be more difficult with every passing year and every new book to provide Monroe's fans with new pictures however, it is always greatly appreciated!
   
   The majority of photographs are black & white but the color photographs are for the most part brilliant & sharp. Some pictures are actually "captures" from the film itself or close-ups of lobby card photos, along with examples of actual poster & lobby cards themselves.
   
   This book is written in a very appealing style. The synopsis of the story for each film is kept short; after all...haven't we seen all of Marilyn's films or at least already know what they are about? The balance of writing is very anecdotal; giving tidbits of back stage information, comments about Marilyn's acting, costumes and a very creative idea in itself...how the censors reacted to certain aspects of each film.
   
   My particular book contained a printing error; after Bus Stop the book reverts back to the pages from the middle of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes through How to Marry a Millionaire; it then continues on correctly again with Something's Got to Give. The movie Let's Make Love is skipped completely except for it final page. Let's face it though, that was not one of Marilyn's best films and probably my least favorite; the only part I really liked was when Marilyn was jogging down the street...well, that's another story! I wonder how many books with this mistake were released?
   
   Anyhow, should you decide to participate in this FOX hunt; you'll come up a winner!

3 comments about The PIP Expanded Guide to the Canon EOS 400D/Digital Rebel XTi (PIP Expanded Guide Series).

1. excellent book made understanding the cannon XTI easy the book is well written and easy to follow



2. The PIP Expanded Guide to the Canon Rebel XTi is accurately named. Many so-called guides to camera products are really dumbed down versions of the owner's manual, coupled with some chapters on basic photography. Not so with this book. In an orderly, comprehensable, and comprehensive way, this expanded guide opens the door to the amazing feature set of the XTi, and for each item in the set explains how to access it, what its for, how to use it, and why and when to use it. After reading this book, I felt as though I had a whole new camera. To get the full value of the amazing Rebel XTi, this book is essential. I'd even buy it instead of a new gadget--and that's really something!



3. One of the best books on the Canon 400D/XTi Rebel camera. Easy to read and understand. Great presentation and feel to this book! I have other books on the 400D/XTi and they are not as nice.

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!

3 comments about Pat Green's Dance Halls & Dreamers.

1. Outstanding photography is half the fun of reading this book; the other half comes from the words of the musicians who have played in these ten legendary Texas dance halls, and the owners who tend them. There is something unforgettable about each of these places.
   
   The Cabaret in Bandera has a hump in the dance floor. According to the owner, the hump is "kind of like a speed bump at the Indy 500." The dancers use it to turn themselves around, and newcomers trip over it. At the Coupland Inn and Dancehall it's the upstairs Bed & Breakfast, dressed like an old-time bordello, that makes the place unique.
   
   At Luckenbach, it's the song, of course, and the laid-back attitude of the people who frequent the matchstick buildings that comprise the town. Gruene Hall, Texas' Oldest Dancehall, was a hay barn in the middle of a ghost town when it's owner found it and restored it in the 1970s. The roll call of acts that have played there reads like the Country Music Hall of Fame. Just a piece up the road from Gruene is lesser-known Saengerhalle, which lays claim to being haunted. Holes in the dance floor there are covered by old hammered-down Texas license plates.
   
   Stubbs Bar-B-Q in Austin attracts a little bit different crowd, a little louder, a little more rocking. The barbecue is pretty good, too. And then there's Billy Bob's Texas, the World's Largest Honky Tonk, with it's wall of shellacked autographed burger buns, and its hallway of hand prints, like an upright version of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
   
   John T. Floore's Country Store in Helotes is where Willie Nelson got his start, and continues to return for his July 4th Picnics. The 6,000-square-foot, puke green building "has all the ambiance of a bomb shelter." A collage of oddball signs adorn the exterior entrance. Inside, hats and boots left by customers, ropes and saddles and anything else that can dangle, hang from the ceiling over the dance floor.
   
   The Sons of Hermann Hall in Dallas is remembered for having the "load-in from hell," a steep stairway outside the building up which roadies and musicians must carry their equipment to the second floor stage. An amplifier or two has taken a fatal tumble down the near-vertical flight of metal stairs. But so far nobody has died.
   
   And then there's Schroeder Hall -- it's the Second Oldest Dance Hall in Texas, built in 1890. "To get there, drive to the middle of nowhere ... and take a left." Pat Green says, "You have got to want to get to Schroeder Hall." Everybody from Merle Haggard to the Marshall Tucker Band to Willie has played here. The trademark gold and silver tassels are on display in one of the photographs, the strings of lights in another, as is the after-dance, bottle-littered floor.
   
   As I read this book and lingered over the pictures, I realized that I had personally been to all but three of the ten featured dance halls. And when I closed the last page, I had the urge to pull on my boots, jump in my car and make the drive to visit those last three.



2. This book is a great look into the life of Texas country music. The book is very pleasing to eye with great photos and the stories are entertaining. I've loved Texas country music for years and was glad to add this book to my collection. It makes a great coffee table book and is very high quality. Worth every penny!



3. I loved the pictures and the stories that the musicians told. I am a huge Texas Country music fan and this was a very good book depicting those artists.

1 comments about A Maysles Scrapbook: Photographs/Cinemagraphs/Documents.

1. Albert Maysles is an undisputed master of documentary film and this book is a beautiful tribute to his work. As importantly, it serves as a reminder of his incredible ability to recognize and capture rare moments of raw humanity. The book features photographs, documents and cinemagraphs (a new word for me that apparently means film stills) arranged in rough chronological order to tell the story of his artistic life through his own images.
   
   The photographs are an absolute revelation. While it is well known that he and his brother David amassed a body of work that rivals that of any filmmaker or filmmaking team in all of cinema history, it has been relatively unseen until now how well his art translates into still imagery. Each photo hints at some untold story and shows the same intimacy with the subjects that the Maysles brothers were known for in their films. Additionally the photos are an incredible record of a life that took him to all corners of the earth. From his motorcycle trips across Eastern Europe and Russia in the fifties to intimate moments with his children, everything is captured here through his unique eye.
   
   The book has sections on many of the Maysles brothers' films (both the famous works like Grey Gardens and their lesser known fare like their documentary about Communist Cuba). Fans of the films , and film history in general, will be thrilled with all of the rare, previously unpublished and candid images of the subjects of the films. The Rolling Stones, the Beales, Truman Capote, Muhammad Ali and the four Bible salesman from "Salesman" all make appearances in photos and beautifully restored cinemagraphs.
   
   The documents are also treasures. Production notes, hand written letters from the subjects of the films and from Maysles's contemporaries provide historical insight and an intriguing window into the filmmaking process.
   
   For fans of the Maysles brothers, this book is indispensable. Beautiful subject matter, beautiful restorations, and a beautiful book design. I would also think that film buffs of all kinds would revel in its details and images. Lastly, it's fascinating to me as a history buff. It's undeniable that Albert Maysles filmed and photographed some the last century's most important figures - JFK, Ali, Capote, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Fidel Castro, etc. And this book, more than any I've seen, captures a distinctly human side to all of those larger than life luminaries.
   
   One last thing: the informal "scrapbook"-style layout of the book suits the candid, documentary style of Albert Maysles more than a formal coffee-table art book ever could. Great decision on the editors' part. And I forgot to mention the wonderful intro from Marty Scorcese!
   
   All in all, a great contribution to my book collection.