1 comments about In the Spirit of the Hamptons.

1. Kelly Lilloren-Bensimon truly has accomplished what she set out to do; to capture and express to others the true spirit of the hamptons. Whith her myriad of photographs and well written commentary she expresses the Hamptons in a way few others she. She truly melds the old fishing community with the new Platinum community. I feel though that her last line epxresses her book and the spirit of the Hamptons best. "The hamptons is a place where are drivign home and the sunset is so breathtakingly beautiful you have to pull over and watch for a while."

No comments about Never Again, Again, Again...: Genocide: Armenia, The Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur.

1 comments about Cades Cove: Window to a Secret World.

1. I bought this book expecting beautiful photos of my one of my favorite places on earth, Cades Cove. I certainly was not disappointed. The photos are masterfully taken with great sense of proportion and composition. The beauty of the mountains and this special valley shine through. The photographer's love for his subject is obvious. What a pleasant surprise to find so much interesting and informative narrative on the people and history of the Cove. I learned so much and will treasure this book for many years. Thank you, Bill Lea.

1 comments about Vivienne Westwood (Va).

1. We caught the Vivienne Westwood retrospective traveling show at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, and were blown away by the inventive, fun, nutty clothes this woman produced. This book serves as a exhibition catalog, although many of the pieces in the show are not in the book, and nothing matches seeing the wild shoes, hats, dresses and frocks in person. The book design is a minor annoyance, as it can be a little hard to find the garment pictured, who was wearing it, or when it was created. And I think frankly the girl has her best work behind her, but the glory of it cannot be exaggerated, or, to put it another way, her exaggerations were truly glorious. Over The Top in the very best way.
   
   Thoreau would no doubt disapprove....

5 comments about Color Management for Photographers: Hands on Techniques for Photoshop Users.

1. This book presents photographic color management in straightforward, understandable terms which any advanced amateur or pro photographer can use to improve the quality of her/his photos. I highly recommend this resource for anyone seeking serious help in managing the color aspects of digital photography.
   
   The only shortcoming, though not yet a serious one, is the shortage of specific tips and techniques using Adobe Lightroom. Judging from the numerous technical postings on Lightroom fora by Andrew Rodney, I assume that producing a new edition that addresses this issue would be no problem at all if he chose to take up the task.



2. This is the other definitive resource on color management for professional creative communities. (Real World Color Management was the first definitive resource.)
   
   Color management is a complex subject akin to rocket science and brain surgery. When you need to know particular details at a level of depth rarely covered elsewhere, this is the place to go. This is your last stop before dipping into color science textbooks or hiring a consultant to get the job done for you.
   
   You probably want to have an overview of what color management is and why you need it before you buy this book. Once you know you need to know more about color management and you know you need to know how to get the job done exceptionally well, this is the book that will guide you through the process step-by-step with hands-on tutorials.
   
   Andrew possesses an exceptional ability to present a complex subject in well-paced clear language. The back cover promises "less `why' and more `how to'". This is the pragmatists guide to color management. Step-by-step, how-to examples make the information highly practical.
   
   Better graphics than almost any other book of it's kind make this information more compelling, more pleasurable to engage, and easier to adjust. In many cases Andrew tells a story about visual perception visually first with excellent illustrations, which are then supported by commentary. It's an excellent approach.
   
   On the accompanying CD, the test files alone are worth the price of the book.
   
   Despite excellent diction and graphics, you might find the level and breadth of this book daunting. Take it a piece at a time. Given your particular needs, there may be whole sections of this book that you may not need to read. Once you've identified the areas you need to know more about, read those sections. And, put them to use. Your images will be the better for it.
   
   [...]



3. This is a great book on color management. Color management is a oft-misunderstood subject and it is fair to say that there are good reasons for this - mainly that it is complicated.
   
   Andrew Rodney does not simplify the subject, thus the reason I did not give this four stars. However, if you are serious about the subject, this book is a vital tool in trying to understand color management.
   
   Some of the book is tedious and some of it is hard to understand, but there are large parts of the book which offer valuable and understandable information on color management and your quest to achieve this "holy grail."
   
   My suggestion is that if you are casually trying to understand how to calibrate your monitor, this book may not be for you. If you are seriously trying to understand color management and are building a library of useful references and gleaning useful nuggets of information from several different books in your quest to achieve color management nirvana - then this book should be in your library.



4. Nobody can deny that Mr. Rodney knows how color management works in Photoshop better than most people, but unfortunately, knowledge of a subject doesn't make you a good writer. I find the bulk of Mr. Rodney's ramblings (both those published on his website-that-time-forgot and posted to various discussion groups and mailing lists) to teeter on the verge of complete unreadability most of the time, and while my hopes were high that a good editor might tame his curious linguistic proclivities here, they were quickly dashed upon skimming through the text. What's worse, the illustrations and photos in every single copy of this book I've ever seen have suffered from severe magenta color casts, leading one to wonder why the author and his publishing company failed to practice what they preached in bringing this title to the public. If you didn't know who Andrew Rodney was to begin with, you'd likely think him full of beans based on the appearance of the plates in this volume. After all, why should readers believe consistent, predictable color in print to be a realistically attainable goal when even the guy who wrote the book on the subject can't seem to achieve it?
   
   There's certainly some good information in between these covers, but none of it is groundbreaking in any way. You might learn something interesting about WWII by asking your grandfather to tell you some old war stories, but you'll have to suffer through a lot of pointless rambling to get to it, and that's pretty much what reading this book feels like. About the only thing this book really has going for it that its competitors lack is the nostalgia longtime Photoshop users will likely feel at the sight of the dog image gracing the cover. Since you can see that image right here for free, there's not a lot of point in paying for yet another rehashing of this subject matter, even at amazon's substantially discounted price. I have no doubt that Mr. Rodney is a very technically proficient color management consultant who can deliver $10,000 worth of results to all who can afford his services, but his efforts in the creative fields of writing, illustration and design just ain't worth a plugged nickel.
   
   It may also be worth noting that more than one of the glowing 5-star reviews that have been posted here were planted by friends and associates of Mr. Rodney. How's that for class?



5. Get Andrew Rodney's book, and a copy of Real World Color Management, and you'll have the best existing CMS tutorial and the the best reference text.
   
   Edmund Ronald, Ph.D, (...).

1 comments about North Fork Living: Rustic Splendor on Long Island's East End.

1. Somehow it's hard not to like a book where the photograph facing the title page shows your mailbox and the road leading onto your property (although at a distance, I confess). I expect that most residents of the North Fork of Long Island will feel the same way about this book.
   
   This is a book of iconic photographs of the northeast end of Long Island, New York, bounded on the north by Long Island Sound and the south by Peconic Bay. Each of the photographs is bound to stir the hearts of the people, both full-timers and weekenders, who believe that they have found a hidden and enchanted garden just two hour's drive from Manhattan. Here are lovely color pictures of this still rural area, showing farms in Riverhead and oyster fields in Orient, as well as the small towns strung out along Route 25 from one end of the North Fork to the other.
   
   Books like this are usually accompanied by a narrative, and here Haralambou waxes enthusiastic about the joys of the place, including even the adventure of Saturday morning tag sales. (Somehow he avoids mentioning the run-down sections of Riverhead or the deer that seem to attack every garden on the Fork, except, perhaps, the author's.) Little tidbits about the Fork are sprinkled throughout the pages, including the relationship between David Rothman of Southold and Einstein.
   
   I suspect that some of the full-timers may be upset that the author has shown us the wonders of winter on the North Fork. I suspect that most weekenders wipe the North Fork from their mind on Labor Day, or certainly after the Columbus Day weekend. Now those weekenders will have a chance to consider how inviting the place looks under a blanket of white.
   
   The book made me consider a photographic dichotomy between art and reporting. Haralambou's pictures, while striking and beautiful, seem mostly concerned with content and telling a story that arises from the content of the picture rather than being directed by the form. The best way to understand what I mean by this is to compare this book with another recent book of photographs of the North Fork, "Between Sea and Sky" by Jake Rajs Between Sea and Sky: Landscapes of Long Island's North Fork. In many of Rajs' works, the pictures seem to have lives of their own, while in this work most pictures derive their force from the viewer's vision of the place. For those who love the place "North Fork Living" may well prove more satisfying than some almost-mystical vision. I'm not so certain how those who have no experience of the North Fork will feel, but it may well be that perusing this book will create a sense of chauvinism for a place they've never been.

1 comments about Historic Photos of Alaska (Historic Photos.) (Historic Photos.).

1. Alaska has always had a hold on the imagination and dreams for us in the "Lower 48". The immense size, breathtaking vistas, the immense remaining wilderness, and our belief that we can go there and test ourselves against its ruggedness draw us to it. Just attempting it would teach you something about yourself, about nature, and about life even if you didn't actually score so well in the test. Some go half-way by taking comfortable tours.
   
   Most of us satisfy our longing for Alaska with pictures. This is a fine collection of a couple hundred photos that take us from the time Alaska was purchased and had only 30,000 native inhabitants, through the gold rushes, the role of government in developing the land and economy of Alaska, and into the oil boom that ends with the pipeline built in the 1970s. We see the key cities grow, the kinds of buildings that they had and added over time. The importance of the seaports, and sea life becomes quite clear to us. There are even a few pictures of the terrible earthquake of 1964. I remember reading about that and seeing the news footage on TV as a child.
   
   Dermot Cole, a journalist and author specializing in Alaska, supplies the section introductions and the captions for the pictures. His words help us see the pictures with more informed eyes and help us see them as part of a larger story.
   
   The four sections are:
   
   The Alaska Purchase (1867-1905)
   The Territory of Alaska (1906-1919)
   Dredging Through The Depression (1920-1940)
   The Long Road To Statehood (1941-1979)
   
   Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

5 comments about Playboy: 50 Years: The Photographs.

1. This book is excellent. The photos really define the genre and are more an indication of the history of art,fashion, clothing, status symbols and items relevant to various times in the last fifty years rather than photos of nude or scantily clad attractive women. I have given copies of this book to a number of friends and the general comments I receive are "what a wonderful gift". I consider the book artistic rather than very soft porn. A wonderful book whether you keep or give someone an excellent gift



2. I purchased this as a gift for my husband and he absolutely loves it. The book is done very tastefully and it's truly a work of art.



3. I think I saw my first playboy at my friends house, his Dad had every issue since the fifties and I fell in love with the girl next door. I remember even then that the photography of playboy was somehow different from the other magazines such as Life and Look. I enjoyed this book so much that I bought three copies for friends who also lived those playboy years!



4. "Playboy The Photographs" wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't good enough to buy. My recommendation is to look at it at a book store and save yourself the money. Check out "The Playboy Book" and "Inside The Playboy Mansion". These were vastly superior books compared to the "Photographs".



5. For a photographic book, i was expecting better quality pictures. To me, most of the pictures look like "pictures of pictures". if you expect the high quality crisp images and excellent color quality images of Playboy, i think you will be disappointed. I am.

5 comments about Sell & Re-Sell Your Photos.

1. So much has changed in the photography world since this was written and updated in 1997. Advice how how to submit slides and why not to buy a Mac (because hardly anyone has them) seems very odd these days. Also the formulas for creating "great stock pictures" have become outdated as well. I have no doubt this would have been a great and informative book in the 80's or 90's but because of the rapid changes in digital technology this book is kind of like reading a "How to Operate Your BetaMax" manual. Perhaps the newer versions would be money better spent.



2. The best "how-to" book I have ever read. Rohn does not miss a detail and hands out consistently useful advice.



3. I am new to photography and I want to make money. This book is filled with a wealth of information. I highly recommend it!



4. I was about to forray into stock photography when I borrowed this book. After a couple of hours I decided to preserve my sensibility and returned the book. The only reason why this book got a three star instead of a 1 is that it made me realise how stupid the whole idea of getting into stock was, perhaps more strongly than is actually warranted by the genre of stock photography. This book starts of with a boisterous principle with the authors name. Such simplified ideas are good but they should be served simply; not in the form of some corny equation. For me, it indicates the shallowness of the author which is again amply proved but the innumerable unimaginative photos which were critiqued and made to look like they were compositional masterpieces. Well if you did not really know that background, theme etc make a good photo then by all means dig it but if you have even an inch of respect for your creativity and sensibility then just run. Having said that, if you are really keen on selling photos this way no matter what, then this might be a good book for you especially with all the information on how to get tax benefits from your business of stock photography; I am pretty sure though that if you dig this book and can be with it till the end then tax and accounting should be your forte and you won't really need much of the information in the book.



5. I received this book 3 months ago, and it never leaves my side. As a budding would-be professional photographer,I learned more about the Photography business than I ever imagined. Just what I was looking for in the first place. eg: What photos sell,and what Photo buyers are looking for - Surprise! Surprise. How to get started professionally - a real eye-opener. Resources to search out etc. Excellent!
   My only criticism - I am left with all these questions that need answers and maybe that was the idea, so that me, the reader, will reach out for more information and spur me on to find more keys to moving forward. Please write another book Ronn Engh

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.