3 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Photography Essentials (Complete Idiot's Guide to).

1. As a studying photo student, I have had to purchase entire collections of photo books recommended by my school that I never really read. The reason being all of those books were so big, far too text booky, intimidating and ultimately dull.
   
   Yet when I purchased this book after a friend recommended it to me, I was very pleasantly surprised. I've read so much more from this book already in the last few days than from all of those "other" books combined! I will tell you now that I never ever write reviews and I especially loathed doing those book review assignments we've all had to do as a kid. Yet this book really took me by surprise that it compelled me to share my thoughts.
   
   Some of the best things about this book was that it was the perfect size, unintimidating, small enough to carry around easily in any bag or simply in your hand, it uses simple language, and has lots and lots of visuals and color throughout, a key thing that all other photo books lack. There is an amazing mixture of photos in the book from commercial shots to candid shots, and it gets the reader excited because it makes photography look fun. As a reader of this book, I especially like the fact that it doesn't really matter what level of photography you are at , whether you are just starting out or a seasoned pro. You can read the book like a novel from start to finish, or you can keep it like a dictionary, if there is something you don't know, you can just find the section and read about it.
   
   While other books make photography look difficult, this book excels by simplifying all the key principles, encouraging the reader to break the rules and explore what's fun, interesting and exciting about photography. This is a must-have for every person who aspires to take good pictures and it's the most accessible book of its kind. Definitely give this one a shot!



2. As an intermediate photographer (I have been taking pictures for 30 years) I found this book not only to be helpful, but amazingly accessable. The writing is clear and concise and the examples are very helpful! As the father of two, I find myself taking many pictures in varying conditions and this book addresses nearly all of the situations that I have found or could find myself in. I would certainly suggest this book to anyone who takes pictures or is interested in taking pictures. Either way, Mr. Jenkinson's book can only help make your photos better.



3. I have purchased and borrowed several books in the past two years about SLR and DSLR photography. I consider myself a beginner/intermediate technician with an advanced intermediate to advanced sense of composition. I cannot recommend this book more highly. It is very clear and concise. The author explains everything, taking nothing for granted while not speaking to you like the "idiot" the title suggests. This is the book I have been looking for. I only wish it had been published much earlier. It may very well become the manual for all photography classes everywhere. Kudos to the author and editors for doing such a great job. It goes where I go and is now my all purpose reference manual. Thanks, Jay

2 comments about Close Friends.

1. I love this book. It makes a perfect gift. I've given it out to several of my close friends and they all loved it.



2. This book is darling! The babies' expressions match the animals & it is too funny & cute. Our baby girl loves to see all the babies and gets so excited when we read the book.

No comments about Dos & Don'ts 2: 13 Years of Vice Magazine's Street Fashion Critiques.

5 comments about Photoshop CS2: Essential Skills (Photography Essential Skills).

1. This is such an excellent "basic and beyond" book for this Photoshop Program. Only problem is that it needs to be about twice as long. Anytime Mark Galer and/or Philip Andrews authors a book--BUY IT. Their books are always to the point and understandable



2. the date of arrival should be make it more clearly coz last time I thought the book will arrive on 21st Aug but it actually comes on 8th Aug it make me feel nervous coz last time I need to use the book quite urgent.



3. As an amateur that has spent countless hours slaving over graphics hobbying, I can say this book has extreme value for me. In spite of instances wherein I'll nod my head and babble "yeah, yeah, I know, I know,..." it does present items which I did not know and that have had a direct and positive impact on what I do. Thorough industry gurus may not see any use for it, but the rest of the planet should have a copy and actually read then use the thing. What I appreciate most of all is the attitude. I detest those "Whatever for dummies" books. The methodical and sequential layout utilized by Messrs. Galer & Andrews, however, is the better way to go. If you get no other volume on the subject, at least get this one.



4. From a designers perspective, what a great book-looks fabulous. From an instructors point of view, well it can be frustrating to use. The editor didn't catch many ambigous sentences and the editor needs to hire an instructor with strong teaching skills to review and revamp the instructions in this book. For example, if a task requires 5 steps, the book will often only mention 1,2,5. An example of a ambigous sentence: "Duplicate the layer you are working before starting the extraction process as the extraction process removes rather than hides the pixels surplus to requirements". What in the world does "..surplus to requirements" mean?



5. If you are new to Photoshop you might want to start off simpler than this book but it is a good book for basic skills. Flip through it at Borders or B & N and see what you think. Clearly written and spell-out tutorials. A Great read and a good buy.

4 comments about Greene & Greene.

1. The book has a great selection of Greene & Greene houses and design elements. Unfortunately, the image quality is poor. The lighting is often poor to begin with, and the attempt to correct for it in post production was not done properly in many cases, the result of which is a posterized effect and a loss of overall depth, contrast, and sharpness. The color balance is off leaving most of the rich, reddish mahogany and other woods looking green and flat. It's possible that all of this is the fault of the book's Printer, in which case I feel sorry for the photographer. Been there......



2. I own several other books about the Greene brothers but this one is my favorite. I am a woodworker that makes a lot of furniture. And this book provides lots of photos regarding the furniture. In fact, at the end, there is a section of close-up photos dedicated to the details. These are photos of the chairs, sconces, stained glass and lights.
   
   There is very little discussion of the Greene brothers' career--this book is almost all photos. And almost all of the photos are from unique perspectives. Very few of the perspectives are repeated in my other books on the Greene brothers.



3. Marvin Rand is an accomplished photographer with a special affinity for capturing the essence of architectural details. His eye is keen, his technical skill in manipulating the camera is obvious, and his ability to go beyond the surface makes this portfolio a very fine exploration of the mysteries and profound accomplishments of the brothers Greene!
   
   Having the luxury of visiting many of the homes photographed here offers the opportunity to evaluate more acutely. After a fine introduction by Daniel Gregory who, like Rand, prefers to concentrate on interesting details rather than over-chewed history, the remainder of the book is a collection of lavishly colored plates of the houses created by Greene and Greene, showing the importance of the California climate in the way the houses were laid out architecturally, the concept of the bungalow style, and the craftsmanship which lent its name to a movement. But the real treasures are Rand's scrupulously lighted and composed images of details of the Greene and Greene genius. These include doors, and windows, lamps and furniture, intricate and simple designs from the blossoms of Art Nouveau, and the endlessly fascinating influence of the Orient in finding the quiet and tranquility of the through-designed/composed dwellings.
   
   This is more a book of photographs than the books written by the Greene and Greene scholars and as such serves as an adjunct to the literature rather than just another volume about California's favorite architects. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05



4. This is a gorgeous book on a most worthy subject. Greene and Greene's architecture is so unique and beautiful and it has never been photographed so well, the pictures just jump off the page, they are so vivid and they make the subject really pop. I have not always been an admiror of Greene and Greene's work, I realize that it is not everyones taste, but when captured this way I just can't see how anyone could not admire it. The seeming symplicity of the architecture belies an incredible amount of craftmanship and talent that it took to create these homes. I enjoyed the pictures of the grandest of the homes Greene and Greene produced, but it was really the small bugalows that I most enjoyed viewing, the attention to detail is amazing. If you have any interest in architecture and most certainly if you are someone who likes this particular style of architecture then I highly recommend this book, there are several books on Greene and Greene but this is the best in my opinion, but don't take my word for it look at the other books and chose for yourself, several are quite good, but as I have stated this one, in my opinion is the best...for what it's worth.

5 comments about Golf Courses of the World: 365 Days.

1. My fiance and I bought this book to serve as a guest book at our wedding, since we love golf we thought it would be a cool place to look back at our guests notes, while enjoying the pictures. I didn't even realize when we bought it that it serves as a calendar too, which makes the book even more fun. Now, I am going to have my guests sign in under their birthdays, so I have a catalog of all their b-days. The pictures are of good quality and I like the fluffy descriptions of the courses. We are going to try to play as many of the courses as possible!



2. I got this for a golf fanatic friend of ours and he loves it. Small size but lots of pages of wonderful golf courses. A great gift for any golf nut.



3. I bought this gift for my father-in-law for Christmas. It is an absolutely beautiful book and looks a lot more expensive that what I paid for it. It is well worth the price.



4. This book is gorgeous and the pictures of the courses are breathtakingly beautiful. When I gave this book to my boyfriend's parents I got to see his Dad smile for the first time! Great coffee table book :)



5. I purchased Golf of the World: 365 Days as prizes for our recent Ladies Open Day not only did they look fabulous on the trophy table they were the most sort after prizes on the day! The ladies who won them were delighted and have since contacted me telling me of the enjoyment they have given them (with photos to die for and destinations to dream about!) In all cases they are taking pride of place on their coffee tables with the added bonus of being able to visit a beautiful course whenever they wish at the mere flip of a page.
   Wendy
   Australia

No comments about Shoes Gallery Calendar 2009 (Page a Day Gallery Calendar).

No comments about Repair of the Soul: Metaphors of Transformation in Jewish Mysticism and Psychoanalysis (Relational Perspectives Book Series).

4 comments about Pet Pages Unleashed!: Fetching Ideas for Animal-Inspired Scapbook Pages (Memory Makers).

1. I'm not a huge scrapbooker, but I like to do pages from time to time. This book is great to give me layout ideas when I get tired of doing things the same all the time. It's useful for all types of layouts too, not just pet pages. I'm glad I bought it.



2. This is such a great book for scrapbooking your pet photos. I have really enjoyed using this book while designing pages of my dog Roxy. The book it self is beautiful and the page layouts are fantastic. It really gives you some good ideas and shows alot of detail for scrapbooking one of the most important members of your family!



3. What can I say - I just love this book. Has some great layouts and plenty of ideas. Can't wait to get started on some new creations of my own.



4. I cannot believe there are no other reviews out here for this marvelous book! Animal-lover scrapbookers will totally love this book. There have been a few prior, but this one is awesome.
   
   I am always looking for ways to scrapbook my dogs and cats. Their photos are so much fun to work with and practice all my techniques. But I rarely if ever see pet pages in the magazines. This book is beautiful. The pet layouts are fantastic and give me lots of motivation to get cropping.
   Also recommended: SCRAPBOOKING PETS & ANIMALS !!!

3 comments about Images of Nature: The Photographs of Thomas D. Mangelsen.

1. This is one of if not the most beautiful book of nature photographs I have ever seen.



2. All photos are done in the field---No staged photos. The patience required to obtain these photographs is hard to believe. This book has the finest nature photos I have ever seen.



3. Not only were the images beautiful, the descriptions and articles on the photographs were very informative. As a nature lover and artist this is a book that I would recomend having for reference