1 comments about Create Your Own Digital Movies (Create Your Own).

1. This is a great straightforward read, with lots of practical tips and "how to's" AND COLOR PHOTOS to take a novice or mildly experienced video auteur into a range of competence and joy for themselves AND (very importantly) their audience. Chapters logically thought out: special events (e.g., child in a school play), travelogue, etc. Highly recommend.

No comments about Michigan: Our Land, Our Water, Our Heritage.

3 comments about The Book of Photography: The History, the Technique, the Art, the Future.

1. This book is a wonderful resource for anyone who is interested in photography. I learned how to tave a variety of photographs and the history of photography.



2. This book is an excellent history of photography. It is not a book of "how-to". If you are looking for a concise and readable history, this is a good start.



3. What could be better than a book from the National Geographic Society that shows photos and how to take them? Great for a photography buff, or a magazine fan.

5 comments about Shaolin: Temple of Zen.

1. the photographs are powerful and descriptive of life in the Shaolin temple and the practice of Kung Fu . Professionally done and a work of art.



2. This book has gorgeous photos of the Shaolin monks practicing Kung Fu and Zen meditation. I have seen other photo books on Shaolin, which mostly display superhuman feats in which the monks are more performers than martial artists. This book shows the inner sanctum of the Shaolin Temple with an artistic sensibility. Beautiful work.



3. This book perhaps represents the direction that Shaolin should take in this new century.
   
   After the martial underground of the early part of the 20th century, and then the circus-like modern explosion of Shaolin in the 90s and early 2000s, Shaolin now needs to revalue its traditional physical and spiritual roots, the health and strenght of traditional Shaolin WuShu united with the profound teachings of Chan (Zen) phylosophy, adapted in a pragmatic and captivating way to our modern lifestyles.
   
   The photographs in this book, and their composition, certainly capture the stillness-action duality of Shaolin, and are a novel, more "artistic" take on the subject.
   
   Perhaps for the first time a Shaolin-related book has moved away from the overdone scenes of many chinese publications, or from attempts at being a technical reportage, to simply use striking photography of traditional Shaolin GongFu WuShu to "paint a picture" of traditional Shaolin today, starting from the very monks the author chose to use.
   
   A definite must for all Shaolin practitioners but more importantly for a far broader audience whom, through these images, migh begin a journey of understanding, and perhaps of practice, towards real Shaolin WuShu and Chan.



4. Let me start this review by clearly stating I know nothing about photography. I purchased this book after seeing it reviewed on a PBS program. While the content was what I expected, the photography was not. I found the paper to be inferior, the style of most of the photos are in a "moving" view which has many of them out of focus. A few of the subjects cover 2 pages and the folds ruin the setting. The short answer is for the lay person, I would not recommend this book.



5. If you're like me, and have lived in the U.S. your entire life, your exposure to martial arts probably consists of watching a few Jet Li or Tarantino movies. In this book, Guariglia tells a different side of the story. The mood of the book is peaceful and meditative, emphaisizing kung fu as a way of life, not just a sport. Although the images are beautiful, this is more than a photography book--it's a fresh look at an ancient way of life that, until now, has been inaccessible to the Western world.
   Even if your particular interest is not in kung fu, this is a fascinating book. The rich, colorful imagery and vibrant portraits make this book worth adding to the best photography collection.

5 comments about Central Park, An American Masterpiece: A Comprehensive History of the Nation's First Urban Park.

1. Did you know that the elm lined mall leading to the Bethesda fountain and the view of the ramble are actually based on the layout of a church? Or that all of the lakes in Central Park are manmade. This and many other very interesting facts are interspersed with lovingly taken photographs of the park which were taken by the author of the book as well. Miller starts decribing how the park came to be and the leading ideas and ideals that lead to its creation by Olmsted and Vaux. She proceeds to describe systematically the various sections of the park providing historical information as well. She delves into the some of the controversies and compromises that Olmsted and Vaux encountered in the creation of one of the finest examples of 19th Century art but it is not a comprehensive history of the park. There is a 2 page map of the park at the of the book with a legend identifying each of the features discussed in the book. If you are first time visitor to the city wishing to explore the park in detail or a life long New Yorker this book will delight and surprise you.



2. As an avid fan of Central Park who has been exploring it and studying the books on it for decades, I was amazed at what there was still to learn about it from Miller's book. For example, other historians allude to a connection between Central Park's design and the Hudson River School of landscape art: Miller provides actual sources of the designer's inspiration and shows the results explicitly in the photos. And all in a way that is not at all "bookish" but instead makes you want to go right in and see for yourself the scenes she shows so well in the book's illustrations. The beautiful photos and fascinating stories and the well chosen historical prints all work together in such a compelling and entertaining way that one might never realize one is being educated by a superb textbook in the field of art.
   With her emphasis on the past of the park, and its present restored beauty, it is understandable that the author does not use very much of the book's valuable space on the remaining present-day problems, but she might at least have alluded to the incongruity of the city's insistence on using this artistic matepiece as a through route for motor traffic during the majority of daylight weekday hours. In effect, the city's Dept. of Traffic is providing a refuge from the chaos of the surrounding streets during rush hours - but for the cars, not for the people. If you want to appreciate the park shown in this book, go during the times when the traffic noise does not drown out the wind in the trees, the birdsong, and the happy voices of children!



3. Central Park is breath taking and this book does a fine job of giving the reader a feel for what makes this 850 acre masterpiece so special. The book is quite thorough and does an commendable job of disecting various sections of the park. The color photos are vivid and well thought out and the text is highly informative. The author has a real love for the park and it comes out in her writing. If you have never visited Central Park or have visited and fell in love with it like so many others, you will love this book. This oasis really is the heart of New York City and to understand New York you have to understand the parks history and its vast importantance to the city. Central Parks importance to New York and New Yorkers cannot be overstated, I can't imagine the city without it.



4. Commemorating the 150th anniversary of Central Park, photographer and historian Sara Cedar Miller celebrates the aesthetic, cultural and historic significance of America's first public park with the book "Central Park, An American Masterpiece." This is the park's definitive illustrated history, and offers some of the most gorgeous photographs I have seen on the subject - a difficult task given the number of pictures that have been drawn, painted and photographed of the Manhattan landmark. The book includes over 200 color illustrations, original plans and drawings alongside modern photos, giving the viewer/reader an historical perspective.

   Accompanying Ms. Miller's work, portraying the park throughout the seasons, is a well written text which highlights the conception and creation of the park and its art and architecture. This is a big, beautiful picture book that would make a wonderful addition to any home or library. It's a wonderful gift idea. I know as I have given it numerous times.

   Ms. Miller is the parks official historian and photographer and has been since the mid-1980s.
   JANA




5. Sara Miller has put together an outstanding book: a book as vast and detailed as the Great Park itself. For those not familiar with the park and its history, this is an invaluable introduction to the political, demographical, economic and, especially, aesthetic thinking that went into the creation of 800 acres of gorgeous park space in the middle of Manhattan. For those seasoned veterans of NYC history, this is a welcome reminder of the enormous vision and efforts of Calvert Vaux and Fredrick Law Olmsted, as they conceived the park.

   Nota Bene: A lot of books have gorgeous photos but the print job is miserable ... Others have high-qualtity prints but the photos aren't that interesting ... This book has glorious prints and an expert print job. Pick up this book.

   Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points and The Five Points Concluded

1 comments about Alpha Males.

1. Henning von Berg's ALPHA MALES is certainly far and away the best book of male nude photography of the year and the most engaging collection by a single artist since Paul Freeman's beautiful BONDI CLASSIC. This outstanding retrospective published by Bruno Gmunder, consisting of over a hundred photographs in color, black and white and sepia, is divided into three sections: "Germany", "North America" and "Round The World." Dr. Boris von Brauchitsch and David Leddick, himself the editor of several similar volumes of photography, have written brief introductions to the photographs. The photographer also includes an occasional quotation to accompany the images from Shakespeare as well as Quentin Crisp and Gore Vidal, whom he calls his "admired role models," along with Martin Luther King, Sir Ian McKellen and John Waters, for their "outspoken fight for equal rights, liberation and freedom," a strange accolade, however, for Mr. Crisp who was mostly famous for being Quentin Crisp and living so long.
   
   While a few of these photographs are predictable-- "Twins," for example of a young god leaning against a mirror-- von Berg creates images over and over of the male animal in all his glory, often erect, without repeating himself, no small accomplishment. Furthermore, he is inclusive in his choice of models. Caucasians, blacks, Asians and Latinos, the musclebound, those sans muscles, the older (the model Leo Jackson) as well as the younger, the tattooed, the occasional cross-dresser, all get to do their thing before the photographer's lens.
   
   There seems to be no end to either von Berg's creativity or humor. Some of his most effective shots include several naked men together, often doing risque things ("Domination IX" and "Domination I", "Intermezzo III" and "Intermezzo IV." Also "Exercising" and "Training," both photographs that are beautifully naturally lit from the windows, should you happen to notice.) Many of the images from North America are shot in the rugged desert of California far away from the madding crowd of censors. Some of these shots are scary-- for instance, in the photograph entitled "Hanging" the model is hanging just by his fingers from a ledge of a high buiding. Also "Cliff Dancer" in which the model clad only in a tutu appears to be stepping off a high mountain ridge. "The Milk Man" is shot just after having poured milk down the front of his body. Obviously von Berg is playing with words in his shot of the blond seated before a Hardman grand piano.
   
   Some of my favorite photographs: "Brandenburg Gate" and "Stairway" from the Berlin series; "The Bat" in which the model, wearing a bat mask, is crouching on a high cliff; "Russian-Brazilian Hunk," aptly named and exquisitely lit; the last photograph in the book, "Sampson's Hair," albeit fake dreds; "Meditation IV," a brilliant juxtaposition of a naked man inside a beautiful church; and finally "Cook," of a thin young man wearing only women's platform shoes in a pose that Helmut Newton, one of the photographers von Berg lists as among his idols, would have approved of, accompanied by a quotation from the acerbic Mr. Crisp: "For flavor, instant sex will never supercede the stuff you have to peel and cook." The most amazing picture in the collection has to be "Antenna." When you see it, you'll understand why. (The pages in ALPHA MALES are not numbered so it is difficult to refer easily to the photographs.) The photographer does name his models, however, and gives the dates and locations of each shot. Most of the models are included more than once as well.
   
   This book is one you will come back to again and again and that will bring you much pleasure.

3 comments about Technique of Film Editing, Second Edition.

1. Bible of Film Editing
   from an editor and editing professor-
   editors must have it- simple as that-- would be wise for other filmmakers to read too



2. I found an old copy in a library and searched this out. I bought the hardcover one on amazon cheaply. It has been revised for so long you may as well buy the old. it's not just about editing and goes through how to sequence shots for action (a chase) etc, goes through some citizen kane shots. Has quite a few pictures of sequences and other stuff. I highly recommend it. It's a massive book.



3. First you have to find it. Incidentally, I am sure it is not extremely difficult to find, for I happen to have found it accidentally in a film book store in Hollywood. Needless to say this book provides any potential film maker with an exciting view of the craft, turning mechanics into art. It is written in a clear style and in an almost profound way it will change the way you understand cinema and editing. Reisz and Millar will teach you how to turn the art of film into film art.

5 comments about Photo by Sammy Davis, Jr..

1. Don't look at this with the eye of a photo critic or you may miss the magic. This is an intimate glimpse into the life of Sammy, his family, friends, and acquaintances as only someone "on the inside" can capture.
   
   A wonderful book!



2. an amazing collection of photos that serve as a historical and entertaining view of the times he lived through.



3. Few have personified the phrase "self-made man" as did legendary entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925-1990). The world remembers Davis for his varied and extraordinary accomplishments as an actor, singer, musician, dancer, and comedian.
   
   But hardly anyone outside his circle of friends and family has been familiar with his photography--until now. With this hefty book, interspersed with reminisces by longtime friend Burt Boyar (who co-wrote Davis's autobiographies Yes I Can and Why Me?), his old fans and a new generation can revel in hundreds of images that reveal yet another significant facet of Davis's far-reaching talents.
   
   Though Photo lacks the singular thematic focus of books published by such photographer-celebrities as Dennis Hopper and Gerry Spence, that's no drawback for this posthumously published volume. Rather, it pulls the reader into the exciting world of nightclubs, casinos, and Beverly Hills homes in which Davis moved, mostly from the late 1940s through early '70s. A voracious shutterbug, he took his photography seriously: his compositions are strikingly iconic, employing sophisticated use of line and form. Yet, his pictures are mostly snapshots--in the best sense of the word: they capture their subjects spontaneously, and his joie de vivre suffuses his work. Think of it as a highly stylized family album packed with candid portraits of "Rat Pack" pals Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Shirley MacLaine, as well as other famous friends like Nat "King" Cole, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Sidney Poitier, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Jerry Lewis, and Bill Cosby.
   
   Among the more touching aspects of this book are the portraits of his actual family: his parents, his second wife May Britt and their children, and his third wife (and widow) Altovise Gore Davis. The most poignant are the many shots of actress Kim Novak, the first great love of Davis's life, who was forced by Columbia Pictures studio chief Harry Cohn to break off their relationship (interracial relationships were strictly taboo in 1950s Hollywood, not to mention in society generally).
   
   One photograph, despite its matter-of-fact framing, is particularly chilling. Through the window of a passenger train en route to Miami, Davis snapped a picture of an elderly white gentleman on a station platform holding a cigarette, standing before a pair of double doors over which the foreboding phrase "WHITE WAITING ROOM" is painted. Davis's photographic abilities and inclinations were such that we see a mostly glamorous world through his eye. Thus, when we arrive at this jarring image, it's impossible not to apprehend it from his point-of-view--and also not to feel the sense of injustice that he must have experienced in the Jim Crow South as he clicked the shutter.
   
   As Davis's show business career took off, many venues--even north of the Mason-Dixon Line--were happy to let blacks perform onstage; but the same headliner artists weren't even permitted to drink at the bar, use a dressing room, or occupy one of their hotel rooms. Photographs from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, and portraits of politician friends Senator Robert Kennedy and President Richard Nixon, give silent witness to Davis's largely forgotten achievements as an outspoken civil rights advocate.
   
   Photo is a coffee-table book that won't spend much time on the coffee table if your houseguests are anything like mine. Because of a car crash in 1954, Sammy Davis, Jr., was left with only one eye. But what an eye this cat had!



4. This book is so fun. It has so many candid great photo's, really intresting history on Sammy Davis Jr. and his relationship's. I really enjoyed this book. Great coffee table book.



5. I originally picked up this book as a curiosity and found its links to a bygone era utterly fascinating. The subject matter, i.e., rat pack photos were wonderful but the photographic mastery of Davis Jr. is, I think, equally as stunning. A look into Davis Jr.'s remarkable life is given by him in the way, like other great photographers, he insightfully choses to document and communicate with his subjects through the lens. Again, like many great photographers, the images are powerful and soft, crisp and dazzling. More talent revealed from a man who had more in his baby finger than most of us have coursing through our entire bodies.
   Bravo. Well done.

5 comments about Coming into Focus: A Step-by-Step Guide to Alternative Photographic Printing Processes.

1. This is a must have for anyone who is just going in to alternative photography and need an overview o all there is. This gives you instruction, tool, recipes and more to get you started.



2. A WELL ILLUSTRATED AND INSPIRING COLLECTION FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN ALTERNATIVE PROCESSING. NICE LAYOUT AND EASY READING.STIRS UP THE CREATIVE SIDE AND APPROPRIATE FOR BEGINNERS AND PROFFESSIONALS ALIKE



3. This is a wonderful book that tells you everything you want to know about alternative printing processes. I used to have "Keepers of Light" but lost it, so I ordered this as a replacement. It contains everything the other book did, plus information on using digital technology. A real resource for any serious photographer who is a purest at heart and wants to keep the old traditions alive.
   Suzanne Ludlum-Loose



4. The author tells you everything you would reasonably want to know about the wide spectrum of non-traditional photographic methods. But not only does he talk about these alternate processes, he explains in step-by-step detail how to actually DO these techniques yourself. Great content, very well written.



5. I whole-heartedly recommend this book. I also have "The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes" by Christopher James, another good book, but I always go back to "Coming into Focus". This book is laid out in a very accessible manner, each section is written clearly and concisely, and the processes are described so that you understand and can start experimenting almost immediately (once you acquire the necessary materials for the relevant process). Again, this book is a very useful one, and a handy reference to have around.

No comments about Araki Gold.