4 comments about The Visual Story, Second Edition: Creating the Visual Structure of Film, TV and Digital Media.

1. I teach a class called "Story" at Los Angeles Film School and this book is on my Recommend Reading List for all students but I especially tout it to cinematography, production design and directing majors. There are many books that talk about the basics (shot size, 180 degree rule, etc.) but if you want to go beyond that to find out what kinds of choices the great filmmakers make and why, this is the book with the answers.
   
   One thing young filmmakers and students often fail to understand about the auteurs and master directors is that they base their shots on what serves the story, not the fact that the shot "looks cool." I love the fact that author Bruce Block talks so much about the need for the visuals to follow and reflect the ups and downs of the underlying story structure. I also love the fact that that he takes film theory and shows the filmmaker how to apply it. Ordinarily, film theory and film practice are two separate worlds.
   
   I never thought I'd find a film book I liked better than the first edition of "The Visual Story," but now I have: It's the 2nd edition, which has a bigger, easier-to-read format, many more color illustrations and more, updated examples. The students who've taken my advice and read this book are blown away by it. I believe it should be mandatory reading for anyone who is in the film business or who hopes to be.



2. I am a visual person. I'm currently taking a film class and had to purchase The Visual Story for class. Let me first say that I am an aspiring filmmaker. I have an incredible library of handpicked books catering to any and all aspects of the filmmaking experience and this is by FAR among the very top of my selections! It is really terrific at not only explaining concepts very concisely, but it also is full of real visual examples. Terrific book. Buy it! You'll be glad you did.



3. Film is all about the image, and Bruce Block gives you a visual toolkit. With this book, you can construct images that help to tell your story, set the mood, and control how the image affects the audience. He helps you build your film shot by shot. His techniques, illustrated with new art and images from films, will make any film stronger and all filmmakers more confident and creative. Many of Hollywood's leading directors have benefited from his expertise. Now the rest of us can, too. I highly recommend this book.



4. There are plenty of books out there about how to write a great screenplay. But film is a VISUAL medium, and books about telling stories VISUALLY are few and far between. Not only does Bruce Block have a superior instinct for visual composition, but he's able to explain the often complex relationships between subjects, light, color and motion in ways that are easily accessible. If you're interested in writing or directing movies, THE VISUAL STORY will help you immeasureably along your career path. And if you just like to see movies, this book will give you insights into cinematic storytelling elements you've always FELT, but probably never before recognized. This is an essential book for anyone who loves to make or enjoy motion pictures.

5 comments about Pink Box: Inside Japan's Sex Clubs.

1. I lived in Osaka, Japan for a year back in '93/94 and (being well travelled) I can honestly say that Japanese men are the most strangely deviant gender of anywhere I have encountered. It's not just about the sexual desire, it's about the way they go about it, deny it, suppress it, fantasize about it, and more. During the day, Japanese men come across as robotic, mindless, emotionless, infantile, limp, and the younger guys even "androgenous". They are the least sexual creatures you have ever encountered. BUT, come night-time and with their desperate need for, but extreme chemical intolerance for booze, they metamorphosize into creatures unrecognizable. Most are too scared to do much, so they sing their baseball songs then puke, then collapse in said puke wearing their thin little suits and boring ties. But others, especially those with a little more money and certain connections, do carry out their deviance in spades. I mean this is a country where you can buy "used panties from a junior high school girl" OUT OF A VENDING MACHINE, I kid you not! In many ways, pedophilia in Japan is an ideal in most men's minds, and they nearly faint at the mere idea of lifting up a skirt from some school girl (which is precisely why they are mandated to wear such skirts...), and this ideology is most obviously reflected in all the advertising campaigns plastered everywhere. Pedophilia and subservience everywhere. The only other country that openly promotes pedophilia more than Japan, is Germany. In fact, during the Wars in Europe (and even today) pedophilia is / was referred to as the "German Disease". True story.
   
   My main issue with this account, is how the author managed her contact and access to this strange, but protected World. That seems highly suspicious to me. Because there is one HUGE theme that is left out of this account entirely, and that is high tech MIND CONTROL. And that is precisely why these girls don't complain and are even proud to be involved. And don't think for a second that the girls take home "six figures" a year. They generate much more than that, but their controllers (often Yakuza associated) keep them on a very short leash. The book is an interesting read nonetheless, but doesn't tell us the whole story, but how many books do???



2. Great coffee table book! Once you pick it up you can't put it down.
   
   Filled with hundreds of very interesting stories and photographs, this book is great choice for any fan of Japan or erotic photography.



3. A very interesting and fun look into Japan's sex culture. Basically a picture book with small tidbits of info here and there. Lot's of nudity, nothing too graphic though. A quick read and quite an eye opener about what types of clubs there are and what goes on in these clubs. A real shame that as a westener I will never be able to enjoy the wonderful pleasures that this sexually advanced society partakes in. Dont expect too much from the book. It is what it is and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I am very interested in all things Japan though.



4. I have been reading what 1 poster must have spent weeks to write , i bought this book for several reasons and none really for kink,although who doesn't love some fun sex,i have lived in Japan,Korea,China and hope to retire to 1 of those,soon if (my 4 diseases ) bad health allow me,i have been in Major Law Enforcement since i was 15 ,and entertainment the same ,What Joan FORGOT,to include except in an online interview was that SEVERAL of these Beauties are Not Japanese,i know the far east like i do the U.S. trust me ,i work with(not for) some very high ranking folks in certain matters of L.E. ,Japan, actually as we all know has the good ole boys known as the Yakuza folks,slide into Korea ,Hong Kong,and find (by whatever means needed) grab a few ,koreans and chinese to work in these,small hell holes YES;against their will. since they will bring in more customers than the young ladies of Japan ,i will state till my last dying breath that Korea has the most beautiful women period,with China 2nd and Japan tied for 3rd with the U.S. sorry ladies just facts... sorry for the long speech, But here is the problem i have here,why doesn't she do a book on some ladies of the night from the U.S. ,and unlike these girls and women ( a lot,most) will slit your throat ,smile and leave ,so to a small measure i feel a lot of americans are very racist about the home turf..my associates will not like me saying this ,BUT;for that very reason i feel prostitution should be legal in the U.S. and taxable,(maybe).Good photos ,some hotties,some very uglies, but ;entertaining yes ,Japan does need to lighten up on the Japan only rule as ,to say who can go in or not,Korea ,Hong Kong, simply uses forms of bouncers ,But at least americans can get (how do you say) serviced as well.. Nuff said...........



5. The Pink Box is about Japan's fantasy and sex clubs. While full of interesting and, sometimes, shocking photos taken while in many of the clubs the book also explains how the clubs work. The rules they follow, the people who work there, the types of people who come to enjoy the clubs and why they survive in Japan in the first place. It is serious but with a touch of humor and great fun.
   And some of the girls are just hot.

5 comments about In Vogue: The Illustrated History of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine.

1. I ORDERED IN VOGUE FOR MY DAUGHTER AND SHE JUST LOVES THIS BOOK IT IS A GREAT BOOK FOR WOMEN AND MEN INTERESTED IN THE HISTORY OF VOGUE AND FASHION. VERY ENJOYABLE SHE SAID.



2. Thanks so much the book was perfect for my daughter's christmas present - just what she asked for and hoped it would be.



3. What attracts you to Vogue? Chances are that element is represented someplace within the pages of In Vogue.
   
   To me, the photographs are the main appeal of Vogue. Since its founding on December 17, 1892, Vogue has attempted to capture current and future fashion through its images. The magazine has been blessed by talented work done by most of the world's best fashion photographers since then who brought us the most interesting society women, celebrities, cultural icons, and, of course, fashion models. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the book contained at least a few works by each of the greatest photographers to appear in Vogue. Most of the images were known to me, but a number were new. My main disappointment was that the photographers I like the most didn't have more photographs in the book. But the book is very bulky and heavy as it is.
   
   To my interest in the photographs came many essays about why the photographers were selected and what the editors asked them to accomplish. The interaction of the art directors and the photographers was particularly noteworthy in regard to covers.
   
   I have also spent many years as a management consultant in the magazine industry. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there's a pretty complete overview of the management thinking and decisions that led to Vogue becoming so successful.
   
   But the most interesting surprise came in the extended views into the editorial philosophies and working styles of the magazine's editors. Creating a fashion magazine is very demanding, and Vogue has been fortunate in its editors both for their energy and their vision for the reader.
   
   If neither business nor editing interest you, you'll still find lots of marvelous images to help you trace the development of fashion and style in the United States over the last 100 plus years.
   
   Here are a few of my favorite photographs in the book:
   
   Helen Lee Worthing by Baron Adolphe de Meyer, September 1, 1920 (p. 61)
   
   White by Edward Steichen, January 1, 1936 (p. 67)
   
   Mademoiselle Koopman by George Hoyningen-Huene, September 15, 1933 (p. 69)
   
   Mary Taylor by Cecil Beaton, May 15, 1935 (p. 73)
   
   Lisa Fonssagrives by Horst P. Horst, August 1, 1938 (p. 76)
   
   Decor by Horst P. Horst, March 15, 1938 (p. 77)
   
   Corset by Horst P. Horst, September 15, 1939 (p. 78)
   
   Coco Chanel by Horst P. Horst, February 15, 1954 (p. 79)
   
   Cover by Horst P. Horst, September 15, 1940 (p. 89)
   
   Loretta Young by John Rawlings (p. 111)
   
   Twelve Beauties by Irving Penn, 1947 (pp. 116-117)
   
   Cover by Horst P. Horst, May 15, 1941 (p. 131)
   
   Cafe Society by Cecil Beaton, 1948 (pp. 136-137)
   
   Concentration Camp by Lee Miller, June 1945 (p. 143)
   
   Jean Pachett by Irving Penn, February 15, 1949 (p. 144)
   
   Atelier of Pablo Picasso, November 1, 1956 (pp. 156-157)
   
   Twiggy by Richard Avedon, July 1967 cover (p. 172)
   
   Marisa Berenson by Berry Berenson, 1969 (p. 179)
   
   Marisa Berenson by Irving Penn, April 1970 (pp. 186-187)
   
   Lauren Hutton by Richard Avedon, January 1, 1969 (pp. 198-199)
   
   Celebrity covers, 1965-1971 (p. 202)
   
   Cheryl Tiegs and Rene Russo by Helmut Newton, 1974 (p. 215)
   
   Cybill Shepherd by Helmut Newton, 1973 cover, (p. 216)
   
   Kim Basinger by Irving Penn, September 1978 (p. 217)
   
   Beverly Johnson by Albert Watson, October 1977 (pp. 218-219)
   
   Charlotte Rampling by Helmut Newton, 1974 (p. 221)
   
   Eveningwear by Arthur Elgort, 1978 (p. 222-223)
   
   Lisa Taylor by Arthur Elgort, October 1976 (pp. 228-229)
   
   The Right Moment by Arthur Elgort (p. 230)
   
   Lisa Taylor by Helmut Newton, May 1975 (p. 233)
   
   Winnie by Helmut Newton, 1976 (p. 234)
   
   Daryl Hannah by Helmut Newton, 1984 (p. 235)
   
   Bathhouse by Deborah Turbeville, May 1975 (pp. 236-237)
   
   Satin and Leather by Peter Lindbergh, September 1991 (pp. 252-253)
   
   Color and Opulence by Peter Lindbergh, October 1997 (pp. 254-255)
   
   Tribute by Annie Leibovitz, November 1999 Cover (pp. 272-273)
   
   Linda Evangelista by Steven Meisel, September 2001 (p. 274)
   
   Shape by Annie Leibovitz and Patrick Demarchelier, April 2002 (p. 278)
   
   Lisa Cant by Irving Penn, September 2005 (p. 283)
   
   Cindy Crawford by Helmut Newton, December 1991 (p. 287)
   
   Haute Couture by Irving Penn, December 1995 (p. 292-293)
   
   Epic Proportions by Irving Penn, April 2004 (p. 297)
   
   Swimsuits by Mario Testino, May 2000 (pp. 298-299)
   
   Portrait of a Lady by Steven Meisel, March 1995 (p. 307)
   
   Mad About You by Steven Meisel, October 2003 (p. 313)
   
   Naomi Campbell by Herb Ritts, May 1996 (pp. 314-315)
   
   Barbarian Chic by Arthur Elgort (p. 325)
   
   Near Bora Bora by Patrick Demarchelier, December 2004 (p. 330)
   
   Golden Girl by Annie Leibovitz, April 2006 (pp. 345-346)
   
   Condoleeza Rice by Annie Leibovitz, December 2001 (pp. 358-359)
   
   Kate Moss by Irving Penn, September 1996 (pp. 368-369)
   
   Hillary Clinton by Annie Leibovitz, December 1998 (p. 372)
   
   Nicole Kidman by various photographers, September 2003 (pp. 378-379)
   
   Models and Supermodels by Steven Meisel, September 2004 (pp. 380-381)
   
   Ben Stiller and Stella Tennant by Annie Leibovitz, October 2001 (pp. 388-389)
   
   Mario Testino, April 2006 (pp. 392-393)
   
   Take a close look!



4. I liked the information and photos about the early Vogue, and wish there was more of it. I was not so interested in the later stuff, as it seemed overly self-important. Instead of presenting fashion, the current Vogue seems to commision special clothes for its photo shoots. What's the point if you can't buy that? Plus the photos don't even show what the clothes look like. I have better books on fashion, but this really was about the history of the magazine, and as such it succeeds. I just don't happen to like the magazine as it never shows anything I'd want to wear.



5. Ten gets you one that when you ask someone to name a fashion magazine, the first answer you get will be, "Vogue". That's how much of an institution the magazine has become. While "Elle" and "Women's Wear Daily" might dispute the contention, "Vogue" seems to have become the periodical of record for worldwide haute couture. As such, as the authors note in their introduction, a basic history is past due. With a great deal of help from the Vogue staff itself - Anna Wintour, the magazine's longtime editor (and so prominent a figure in her own right that Meryl Streep's spoof of her in last year's movie "The Devil Wears Prada" was instantly recognizable), is prominent in the list of contributors - Angeletti and Oliva, magazine historians both, have assembled an informative text and a gorgeous array of imagery which effectively covers the century-plus history of Vogue, from the cover of the very first magazine to the latest photos of Nicole Kidman. The book is certainly a highly display-worthy item, as another reviewer has suggested, but more than that, it's meant to be leafed through and read. You can find it brand-new at a wide variety of prices, but even if all the Amazon Marketplace sellers were somehow sold out of their copies, it'd still be worth the list price!

5 comments about The Nature of Photographs.

1. I've always loved Stephen Shore's work ever since I bought his 'Uncommon Places' book in 1983. It has two of my favorite Shore images: La Brea Avenue & Beverley Boulevard and El Paso Street, El Paso (both taken in 1975) this last one is in The Nature of Photography. A photographer is perhaps the ideal person to tell others about the fundamentals of looking at photos and my appreciation of Shore's work was enough to make me buy the book.
   
   It certainly has some quite stunning photos, especially where they relate to specific text and many thought provoking points come across but I was left with the impression that there should have been more or a different way to explain what there is. The book's photos are a key element in how to understand what is going on and I would have preferred to have seen others that didn't work as obviously as the ones that do. Shore, like any creative photographer, must have taken many images that he doesn't think work as well as the final choice. Seeing some lesser alternatives to the ones in the book would have improved it no end by explaining why photo A reveals a fundamental point beautifully but photo B doesn't. I thought too many visual concepts were put across more by words than images.
   
   Shore says that he used Szarkowski's `The Photographer's Eye' when he started teaching and his book carries on the theme. Overall I still prefer Szarkowski's book, there are far more photos included and the presentation is much more user friendly than the hard edge Phaidon design, with its excessive amounts of empty page space and trendy use of a typewriter font for every bit of text.
   
   Incidentally as both books are concerned with image appreciation and understanding maybe a DVD format would work just as well as these printed versions.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
   



2. I read the reviews. I got the book. I read the book. Then I went and reread through the reviews again to see if I had missed the point of what people must have been saying. I'm left wondering if I even have the same book.
   
   First off, this book has great photos magnificently reproduced. I appreciate when an author lets the images speak for themselves and this book had great potential to do just that, seeing that the entire text of the book would scarcely fill a dozen or so 3x5 file cards. Then the author opened his mouth and I was no longer sure what I was looking at. Only about 10% of the text made any sense to me. I do not question his mastery of photography, but I got the feeling I was being talked down to because I didn't have a doctorate in philosophy. I will agree with one reviewer statement that it seemed a bit pretentious. He really needs to work on his communication skills. Education should be used to help others learn, not show off how educated you are.
   
   Personally, I didn't get a lot out of it. Not just because there wasn't a lot in it, but because what little there was seemed to go right over my head. I was left with the possible conclusion that maybe I'm too dumb to be a photographer. A good book should make seemingly complex topics simple, not do what this book does and make the very simple act of looking at a photograph complex.



3. This book is in many ways another take on John Szarkowski's The Photographer's Eye, as Shore notes. This is not a bad thing. It is really quite straightforward and, so far as it goes, worth a read. Actually I've read it twice. (It doesn't take long.) The interplay between photos and text is generally effective, the selections are generally helpful, and the image quality quite good (especially for the price). Maybe I should have given it five stars; it's very good in its own way. However, it does rather show the limits of text for understanding photographs and the attention to the individual images is not, and is not meant to be, very developed.



4. Even though more explanations on the pictures would have been helpful, the little that is written opens the reader's mind to think differently and see more in photographs, wether we just look at them or are about to take them ourselves.
   The pictures themselves are very inspirational.
   I loved it, and recommend it to anyone who isn't interested in photography on the shallow level of "pictures that look good" only.



5. Stephen Shore, the well known photographer (and teacher; who, among other things, was the first living photographer to have a one-man show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY) has recently updated his classic meditation on the Nature of Photographs. Recommended to all aspiring (and working) photographers, the beauty of this book is the density of its distilled wisdom.
   
   You will not find anything here on f-stops, film speeds and lenses, nothing on the darkroom (analog or digital), nothing on the raging "debate" whether to pick up an 8 megapixel DSLR or a 10, and no instructions - at least explicit ones - on how to take "better" pictures. What you will find is the crystalline essence of Shore's lifetime's worth of thinking about the nature of the photograph. His short, Zen-like prose-poem musings pierce the proverbial bullseye like an archer's arrow; and leave the reader both enchanted and haunted by their eloquence and wisdom.
   
   Shore reminds us that amidst the infinity of potential images, both real and imagined, the photographer has four - and only four - formal tools for defining a picture's content and organization: vantage point, frame, focus and time. Stop and think about that for a moment. With all the wonderful technology underneath our thumb as we prepare to press the shutter, with all the different ways in which we can image ourselves "taking" a shot, and all the different images that can conceivably exist, the photographer really only has these four fundamental "creative dimensions" with which to work, and no more! Where do I position myself; what do I put in the picture and what do I leave out; where should I focus my attention; and how much of a slice of time do I want to include?
   
   Every picture that has ever been taken, and every photograph yet to be captured - from Adams' shots of Yosemite, to Cartier-Bresson's visual etudes on the "Decisive Moment," to visual realities created by some future technologies - is "reality" as aesthetically transformed by the four-dimensional human creative filter!
   
   Yet somehow, miraculously even, this suffices to provide (however brief) glimpses of an infinite dimensional world of meaning and beauty. That is the magic of photography!
   
   For those of you who have the first edition of this book...I have both versions of this book. The new book roughly doubles the number of accompanying images (including color photos) and adds quite a bit of commentary. It is written (thankfully!) in essentially the same style, which I find almost meditative in its quality and depth of vision. If you have enjoyed the first edition, you will likely treasure this one.

5 comments about Exposure Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent (Photo Workshop).

1. I am an avid amateur digital photographer. I have read many books on exposure and techniques. This is one of the best ever. The explanations are clear, logical, and the presentation is easy to follow. A concept is explained and then one or more photographs are used to demonstrate the concept. I highly recommend this book.



2. I couldn't be happier that I have this book. It explains everything that I needed to know about exposure, in such detail that a monkey could take better photos than Ansel Adams. I am so serious, If you have a DSLR, and you want to learn everything you can about it, you must have this book.



3. I've read many books on photography, but i must say this is the one book that explains exposure extremely well. The writing is very accessible and all the explanations are illustrated with actual photos. Photos in the book not only include the perfunctory exposure data, but the author uses the caption to reiterate what he explains in the book. Furthermore, I like how the author includes not only photos that came out well for him, but he also includes ones that didn't come out well and explains what he would have done deferent.
   
   Even though I've been a professional photography for a little over three years, I'm constantly learning and deepening my understanding of the craft. This book will be one that I come back to again and again. I just might get another copy and re-read it again next year.
   
   All I can say is that if you're really wanting to understand how to work with various lighting conditions in relationship to aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance controls, and flash, this book will help you. Assignments are included at the end of each chapter, and each page includes space to jot notes. Though technical language is used, the author does a good job of breaking down complicated terms.
   
   I can't recommend this book enough for serious amateurs and emerging professional photographers.



4. After just having bought the Nikon D300 (after a life using point-and-shoot cameras), I wanted a good overview and introduction into exposure. Wow, did this book deliver! I finished the entire book in a few days and bookmarked the parts I want to return to. Everything about the book from the organization, the pictures and examples is a testament to the author's knowledge and to his ability to teach! I can only hope the other books in the series are as good as this one!!



5. What a great book! Accessible and useful for beginning photographers or those who want to go beyond the programmed modes and take control of their photographs. Profusely illustrated with all sorts of great photos that are (mostly) the sort that anyone can take, not the type that most people will only sigh at because they cannot travel to exotic places and spend a fortune on equipment. All manner of useful tips and diagrams are here. For example: for those confused about aperature and what it means the author provides not just the numbers but scale diagrams making it clear what they represent physically-- a very nice touch. Just about everything I could think of made it into the book. Easily a 5-star recommendation. This is my 3rd book on exposure and I think this one is the best. I'll update this with a detailed review when I'm finished.

2 comments about Magic Lantern Guides: Sony DSLR A700 (Magic Lantern Guides).

1. I just bought by Alpha 700 a few months ago. The manual is not complete. This book is. It has plenty of good tips on when to use different features such as the dynamic range feature. A camera like this is quite complex, it is nice to have a handy guide like this book to help guide you through the use of all of the camera's features.



2. I found this book to be very informative and helpful. I bought it because I had previously purchased a Magic Lantern Camera Guide by this same author and it was also very helpful. The A700 is a fantastic but somewhat complicated camera, and this guide cleared up much of the mystery.

5 comments about Photographing the Southwest: Volume 1--Southern Utah (2nd Ed.) (Photographing the Southwest).

1. I already own the 1th Edition and used it extensively to find rare to be seen places in the Southwest. I am German and visit the Southwest once or twice a year and found this book to be invaluable. Easy to follow directions, great images, good advice. You don't need any other guide to see all the best places (which no one else finds).



2. One of several books by this author and I think that the information here will be very helpful in getting great photos on vacation. The biggest problem in getting a good photo is the location. Having a starting point is invaluable and then the only variable is the weather. Having photos in the book to illustrate the locations is a major plus.



3. If you're planning a tour of the American Southwest these brilliant books are simply the best possible guide to what to photograph, and how. In three volumes Martrès guides you to all the photographic highlights of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. At the well known tourist spots he tells you what and when to shoot for best results, but he's also not afraid to take you off the beaten path to some less frequently visited scenic gems.
   
   I've just completed a photographic holiday following roughly the traditional "grand circle" route, and I couldn't have got some of my most successful shots without these books.
   
   The author provides consistent, detailed instructions for each location, including guidance on lenses and timing. Sometimes he even tells you which rock to stand on! Follow his instructions carefully, and you'll usually get good results, although some instructions require careful interpretation.
   
   It's also great fun shouting "snap!" when you realise the only other souls in some lonely location are also clutching a copy of the same book.
   
   All three volumes have recently been updated, with high quality colour photos throughout, and a comprehensive index of locations including ratings for accessibility and scenic and photographic value, invaluable if a tight schedule means making difficult choices.
   
   I'm already planning my next trip using volume 3! Highly recommended.



4. It's dicey to purchase a book without putting your hands on it and turning the pages. I always expect that the book will be less than the reviews. Not so with this product. It is a great addition to any photographer's toolkit. If you are visiting the Utah SW buy this book. It's been updated with a few essential GPS co-ordinates but not enough. I'll fix that when we travel there next fall. It is especially valid with information on how to get to the locations it talks about. Convinced us that we should take the truck and not just the SUV for better access to "off track" locations. The technical advise is solid. The awareness needed for great photos is always a great reminder for all of us. Photographing is not just technical ability, new cameras can take care of that for you, it's about "seening the shot". Sometimes landscapes are better with shadows, shilouttes, or people. This book encourages you to take the time to find your shot. A great photographer sees what others don't. This book will help you both technically and artistically.



5. Book is an excellent source of information for our planned upcoming trip to Utah. Well worth the cost and I am ordering more books of the southwest area soon.

5 comments about The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery : Mixed-Media Techniques for Collage, Altered Books, Artist Journals, and More.

1. I have wanted to try my hand at altered art for awhile, so I bought this book and let me tell you I have already tried several of the techniques and love the results. It made the process less intimadating. There are great photos and ideas.



2. A single image naturally gives birth to a variety of amended, reworked and even wholly dissimilar creations, all dependent upon the mind of the viewer. This is the mechanism that propels creativity. Along side the ability to absorb and value artwork for it's its existence alone, the art watcher's analytical process is a reflex, an autonomic firing of synapses that creates a compare/contrast session: what is it - why is it - how did it come about - is there a message or messages here - am I comfortable with the execution of the idea - do I need to be comfortable - what would I have done differently - on what level do I interact with this piece - what will it mean tomorrow or next year - do I want to use this idea as a piece of foundation for my own work - do I want to run screaming - is it o.k. to hate this - how can I have this kind of experience, and so on. Because the human mind so naturally filters, interprets, alters and uses the information it gathers with a unique series of parameters, it seems quite natural that someone (or many someones) would recognize this fact and write it all down in a user friendly format for the rest of us to admire. Conventionally, these authors have something to do with the psychology and sociology world. Mixed-media artist, teacher and entrepreneur Karen Michel has thrown her two cents into the fray by writing the relevant, interesting and non-intimidating reference The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery.
   
   
   Books like Michel's allow people to do what few artists race to admit - namely, to "cheat.". It is for this very reason that I bought her book. Like millions of other folks, I hate to be caught tracing, copying, recycling or borrowing material. When I pick up a ruler to draw a straight line I can sense the immense and crushing disapproval of real artists, alive or otherwise, as they curl a collective purist lip in my direction. Paranoia perhaps, but we all know that one person who will insist on collecting wild wode and nettles from a rainy mountainside because using azure and turquoise ink from a bottle is lowering one's standards. In particular I found the author's chapters on the versatility of transparencies helpful. Her suggestions for making negatives from acetate and processing them with photo developers is one I will incorporate into my own work.



3. I couldn't be more pleased with this book! I LOVE the color photos throughout and actual artist examples. VERY INSPIRING!



4. "The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery: Mixed Media Techniques for Collage, Altered Books, Artist Journals and More" is basically about experimenting with image modification and the love for the material, as opposed to the conceptual, process in artmaking. Many mixed media techniques are explained and illustrated. Some examples: foto manipulation, image transfer, collage and printmaking. The techniques presented are interesting and, fortunately, not overdosed with filler explanation as so often found in books dealing with creativity.
   The author is part of an internet based workshop movement that appeals mainly to women interested in the idea of self-awareness via self-expression. Examples of other artists' work is offered indicating that art monopolized by just one techniques is dé modé and that mixed media has become a stationary trend.



5. WONDERFUL! The pictures and ideas in this book are incredible. Don't panic if you don't do every exercise, they will wait for you patiently on the beautiful glossy pages of this book. Also, I found myself needing a notebook to write down my own ideas as I was reading and working through this volume.

5 comments about Digital Photography All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. The book is filled with info, but it "focuses" on the digital SLR, rather than the point and shoot. There should have been a warning in the description. It's still useful.



2. This book is huge and covers most anything one can think of on this topic. I bought it for my husband who has recently acquired a digital camera. He hasn't begun to even scratch the surface but has already found it helpful and knows it will as he tries new things.



3. I'm a beginning digital photographer and not particularly techno- proficient, yet I've been able to understand the information in the early chapters of the book. As I get more proficient and curious, I will be able to delve into the later chapters and learn about photoediting, etc. This book really represents 7 different digital camera for Dummies books.
   
   I got this book for the great price of $9.67 from CBC-Sales, and it is worth every penny. If you are a beginner in digital photography who hopes to increase your photography skills, then this book is for you.



4. This book is a delight for me, an amateur photographer! It is very well written and has lots of great illustrations. The author covers complex information with basic, easy to understand explanations and subtle humor make it more entertaining. Along with useful information about expensive photography equipment for best results, I really appreciate that he offers simple and inexpensive means to achieve the same professional results.



5. This is truly an excllent reference book. I was in the process of buying a scanner and upgrading a digital camera. It was helpful on both counts.
   
   A great reference as well as instruction book.
   Only one suggestion I would make to the author when he updates.
   Explain the pro's and con's about 3 or 4 in one machines. For instance is the scanning as good as a stand alone scanner.
   
   All in all a wonderful investment. Makes my other books on the subject obsolete.

5 comments about A Short Course in Canon PowerShot S5 IS Photography book/ebook.

1. I would have been lost without this book..This book will help you become a Pro in no time. The instructions that come with the camera are not good at all. You need this book.



2. I have found this book to be very useful. My knowledge of photography is minimal, so I bought the S5 knowing that I have a lot to learn about manually controlling the camera settings, etc. This book does a great job of explaining not only how to set the camera to do what you want, but also how the different settings will affect the photos (aperture affecting depth of field, different ways of capturing motion, etc.). There are explanations about how to do something and what the result will be, then a handy "quick steps" section that summarizes the process. The only downside is that it would be better if the pictures in the book were in color, but that doesn't really detract from the how-to information.



3. This is a comprehensive digital photography course, customized to leverage the features of the Canon PowerShot S5 IS. It's pretty clear that it's a "templated" book ... the author has created a standard course, which he then customizes slightly for the specifics of the individual camera. That said, the level of camera-specific detail is quite comprehensive, with an extra chapter at the end that covers advanced features unique to this camera.
   
   The book also includes a CD-ROM with the full content of the book in Adobe PDF format.
   
   My main complaint is in the extremely shoddy quality of print. This is simply a spiralbound stack of black and white photocopies ... like you would get from a print shop for about $3. This means that the example photos in the book, for which there are many, are effectively useless.
   
   For what they charge for this book, such poor print quality is absolutely unacceptable. ESPECIALLY since many of the photos are attempting to demonstrate the topics in the course. Using black and white photocopies for a book on photography is asinine.
   
   While the content is good, I cannot recommend this book due to the extremely poor quality of printing. This should be sold as an eBook for under $10; paying almost $40 for poor quality photocopies is not acceptable.
   
   Buyer beware!



4. the short cours , for my s5 is , is handy . i like it .



5. Wondering whether to purchase this book initially, since it cost $36 dollars, was an unfounded consideration. This book provides an enormous amount of information which is lacking in the Canon manual. It covers ALL possibilities ,in addition ,with photographic information concerning lighting, composition, and varied "tricks and tips" in using the camera's menus.Although the manual itself is in black and white the disk, which accompanies the manual, is in color. The manual references the disk with varied animated examples which help to explain some procedures. Every facet is explained in clear, concise ENGLISH, leading to a more critical understanding of the varied techniques available with this camera.