5 comments about Araki by Araki: The Photographer's Personal Selection.

1. Araki by Araki is an interesting collection selected by the man himself for his 63rd birthday. This makes the book both incredibly interesting for those already familiar with Araki and a poor choice for those unfamiliar with his work. These pictures are very personal for Araki for reasons not really explained, but first-time viewers would do well to start with a collection that contains more of his classics.
   
   The photographs are arranged chronologically, which allows us to see the evolution of his aesthetic over the course of his long career. This is rather unique, as most other collections are grouped by theme or some other organizational scheme. It's not necessarily better per se, but it is unique.
   
   Another interesting aspect of this collection is that some of the photographs are presented retouched, as Araki tends to do. In the Taschen collection, the pictures appear as they do on the film negative, but as we know, Araki tends to paint over his pictures - both to add vital color to some of his monochromes (which he describes as death), and to self-censore some of the more explicit areas. Its quite interesting to compare the originals with the retouched versions, so that will doubtlessly be of interest to connoisseurs.
   
   Also on the note of censorship, I noticed at least two instances of cloudy pixillation - very minor - but this is probably due to the Japanese publisher and their rather strict guidelines.
   
   Finally, a word on the commentary. I was disappointed to find very minimal commentary spanning only two pages. Araki provides two or three sentences on maybe 60% (or less) of the photographs within. If you're buying this for the commentary, I'd think twice. He doesn't say much in these fragments that he doesn't also say in the excellent documentary "Arakimentary." Since the commentary is so minimal, an introductory essay would have been nice. I don't think Westerners such as myself can fully understand Araki's aesthetic without at least a little cultural context. Everything I've read on Araki directly translates into more viewing pleasure and I'm fairly sure that would be the case for anyone.
   
   This is not a huge collection like the ones available from Taschen or Phaidon, but for the collector, this is an interesting volume, if only to see which pictures Araki feels the deepest personal connection to. You do get many many photographs, but they tend to be small (his massive "Tokyo Lucky Hole" is summarized on two pages!!), so I wouldn't necessarily buy this for the reproductions alone. While the image quality is very acceptable, I'd rather have fewer, bigger reproductions. Regardless, I highly recommend it to collectors. If you decide to make this your first Araki book, just make sure it isn't your last.



2. Not for the faint-hearted, or those without a sense of humor - but this is a remarkable collection of the notorious photographer's work. Some may find the bondage shots disturbing. If so I recommend watching the DVD "Arakimentary." This will put the whole thing in perspective. Araki is so amusingly solicitous of his models' comfort. His manner is endearing. He photographs EVERYTHING. And he does it well.



3. Araki is the self proclaimed bad boy of the Japanese art world. His photography ranges from scenic to pornographic. This book covers the highlights of an expansive career covering his documentary, portraits, bondage and abstract work. Stylistically he is all over the place, sometimes intentionally degrading the "quality" of the image by scratching or burning the negatives, at other times, using medium format cameras and intricate studio lighting. Araki is provides a great example of the infinite possibilities that non-digital photography has to offer. WARNING: the book contains sometimes graphic nudity and adult content.



4. Self-described "photo-maniac" and sex trade voyeur, Nobuyoshi Araki is modern Japan's best-known photographer. This selection is an autobiographical recording of the artist's career from 1963-2002. It chronicles in black-and-white and color the whims of the enfant terrible of the Japanese art scene-and the changes in Japan as well. Reviled by feminists for his frequent use of ropes and other implements to bind women, Araki remains unrepentant and upbeat. If that and his documentation of Japanese brothels is not your cup of tea, his lovely color shots of exotic flowers may be more appealing. They bring to mind some of Robert Mapplethorpe's work. However, it is the recurring motifs of rope, lizard, yukata, tatami, Tokyo street scenes, and above all the ever-present Japanese female nude that appear most often in this book. Also, Araki provides commentary ("Notes of a Photomaniac") on each picture, which has been translated into English.



5. This is (as the title states)the photographer's personal selection of photographs from different bodies of work amassed over a 40 yr period. It's interesting to see work from his early days (even his commercial photos done while working for an advertising agency)and to see how much Araki was influenced by photographers like Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank and William Klein. I cannot recommend however as introduction to Araki's oeuvre. All the photographs are taken out of context of their original books/project and there is only minimal commentary by Araki on select photos and no introductory or explanatory essays to help one understand the complexity and scope of Araki's work and personality.

5 comments about Corrective Lighting, Posing & Retouching for Digital Portrait Photographers.

1. Given the flood of books on how to correct photographer mistakes in Photoshop, it's about time we had a book that emphasizes good lighting and effective posing first, and addresses retouching in the context of fine-tuning a portrait only after it has been carefully crafted in the camera.
   
   Photographers need to learn the basics presented here. This book is much more useful than those I've seen the purport to show you how to "light" portraits in an image editor. Serious shooters know that lighting and poses must be perfected before the shutter release is pressed.



2. This book is wonderfully written. It answered most of my questions and some I had not thought of. I would recommend this book to anyone having trouble getting that perfect shot.



3. Information in here will help you hide the flaws that make people not buy your portraits! Get it... learn it by heart and use it to drive up your sales even on tough-lower-self-esteem-having clients. By all means a must own!



4. I learned so much from this book. It was very well written.



5. Excellant introductory look at Portrait Photography. Part of the art of getting a good result in portraits is the skill of posing your subject correctly & in such a way that you can overcome any flaws etc. Excellent book for Portrait photographers wanting to do more & develop their skills

3 comments about Ansel Adams: The National Park Service Photographs.

1. too small to fully enjoy the pix, poor quality prints.



2. Anyone who doesn't know a lot about Ansel Adams but is interested in learning more about his work will appreciate and enjoy this cleverly organized pictorial. Structured by national parks, the reader will see many wonderful pictures, some classics, that will surely create a better impression as to what type of pictures Adams takes. A great gift book as well.



3. This wee little book (4 inch by 4 inch format) dispels the notion that the work of Ansel Adams can only be appreciated in a coffee table book. Organized into 10 sections by location (Zion National Park, Yellowstone, etc.) and peoples (Native Americans and Their Lands), it shows Adams's work out west in our great national places like Grand Canyon and the Boulder Dam. The great appeal of this little book is that these fabulous black and white images retain their beauty and mystery even though reduced in size. I can, and I have, carried it with me throughout the house, or on a walk with the dog, or have thumbed through it while sipping a cup of coffee. It is well worn and well loved. And now I am going to order one for my cousin who will move out to Montana with her new husband.

1 comments about Barn: Evolution and Adaption of a Vernacular Icon.

1. Excellent book, if the other book, Barns: Living in Converted and Reinvented Spaces is the ying, then this book is the yang. A good inspirational design book if you're interested in reusing an old barn for modern day use and staying within the original design. The text is interesting and informative with the accompanying photos following along with the text. The pictures are overall excellent, sharp, clear, in detail and professionally done, with very very few exceptions. Some buildings are shown with structural drawings that help visualize the internal timber frame or stone structure with the accompanying photogaphs. The authors seems to be a die hard traditionalist, very critical and at times mildly insulting to designers that chose to remodel the old barns in the modern way and deviating from what the original builders did. But at times understanding that the modern style is a better fate than total destruction of a old old structure.

5 comments about Playboy: The Celebrities.

1. There isn't a table of contents, though there is an index in the back of the book. Perhaps Playboy knew that its list of celebrities would be largely unimpressive?
   
   Maybe I'm just too young. Maybe the ubiquity of modern websites like SuicideGirls and Mr. Skin (the new go-to place for celebrity nudity) have caused my generation to take Playboy's achievements for granted.
   
   Regardless, the list itself seems unimpressive.
   
   But the photos are nice enough (though it isn't exactly difficult to make a celebrity look good), and Playboy certainly deserves credit for creating such a foolproof franchise.



2. If you grew up in the 70's like I did and you were trying to project an image of cool and hip you read Playboy. Besides the great photography there were well written articles on politics and mens lifestyle issues that just weren't available anywhere else. And the special treat of having a glimpse of a favorite celeb partially nude made reading the articles less important for that particular issue and almost guaranteed it would become a collectable item. Many of the photos are mild to say the least by today's standards but still demonstrate the high quality photography that I believe always set Playboy apart from the rest.
   
   This book is full of the same high quality images anyone who has followed the magazine would expect to see and some of us will even remember when some of the models first appeared. I was hoping to see a few more of my favorites, but hey there's always the next volume and as long as Mr. Hefner's name is on the masthead we'll have to trust him to pick the subjects and I'm very comfortable with that. If you ever liked Playboy and/or ever collected any of their compilation volumes this one is surely worth having.



3. The book promised more than it delivered. I am tempted to return for my money back.



4. I bought this for an early Christmas gift for my fiance' and we both love it. There's a sampling of all kinds in here - from young to older, earthy to, well, Pamela, and dated to modern.



5. This is a high quality book with many beautiful images. While there are a number of women here that are most famous for being Playmates, they are also women who legitimately had some celebrity outside of the magazine (movies and/or TV). But as others have said, there are many "A List" celebrities that didn't make it into this volume. We can only hope they'll be a "Volume 2" in the future.

2 comments about The British Stable (Studies in British Art).

1. This is an excellently historical perspective by the now late Giles Worsley. Photographs by William Curtis Rolf capture a grand epoch in British architecture that was dedicated to this noble animal.



2. I would have like to have seen photographs of the beautiful west front of the Chatsworth Stable. Also, some of the blueprints did not reproduce well. I think it would have been a more pleasing read if these were clearer. Instead of angles of the rooftops, it would have been nice to see the whole stable.

5 comments about Total Digital Photography.

1. Good for beginner digital photography. Won't teach you how to use your specific camera so read your manual. Our college instructor chose this book to teach the class by so it's a pretty good overall lesson manual to get you started.



2. Previous reviewer wrote:
   
   "if you have no clue what a stop is, or that larger aperture number means smaller opening and less light, and if you cannot visualize a difference between what a 24mm and 240mmm lenses would show, this book is a very good starting point."
   
   I agree and that's absolutely why I love this book. I really needed something basic.
   
   Pictures are beautiful and content is informative.



3. first off, this book comes in 2 different packaging, the one i got is titled "The Book of Digital Photography" although they are the exact same book. as the author himself said, this is truly an encyclopedic book of digital photography. almost all aspects of (digital) photography is covered and that includes sections on post-processing and printing/storage. it'll make a fine reference book for all photography lovers. the content is rich and diverse, with loads of pictures and diagrams to illustrate points. the high quality of the layout, pictures and text are undeniable. however, my only disappointment is the lack of clear instructions on the post-processing section, alot of the tools and features of post-processing is covered but they are generalised in just telling you what each feature does but not how to get around to doing it. but to be fair to the author, one would need a dedicated book on Adobe Photoshop in order to cover the subject in greater detail. nevertheless, it is a great resource on introducing one to almost all aspects of post-processing with everything clearly illustrated and before/after comparisons shown. the section on equipment/photography/accessories are truly excellent! you get a run-thru of the important aspects of all things photography and its makes interesting reading in bite-size portions for all photography lovers. i would have liked to rate this a 4.5 but unfortunately there are no half-points in the ratings here. i would heartily recommend this book for all photography fans as a "general digital photography reference guide" and would say its well worth the asking price. just a quick thumb-through of this book screams 'quality' but just wait til you jump in to digest tidbit info and you have much to inspire as well as to educate you on all aspects of digital photography. as with all things "encyclopedic", just don't expect everything to be broken down into the minutest detail and you won't be disappointed. every digital photographer should have this book by their bedside to keep the passion for the hobby going.



4. If you are looking for a VERY, VERY basic intro to / overview of digital photography, and prefer something that is also a nice looking coffee-table book, this is a very good choice. This book is lavishly illustrated and some photos actually provide some useful information (exposure, etc.), unlike Hedgecoe's very pretty, but pretty much useless books.
   
   The content is very, very basic: if you have no clue what a stop is,, or that larger aperture number means smaller opening and less light, and if you cannot visualize a difference between what a 24mm and 240mmm lenses would show, this book is a very good starting point. If you have even a very basic grasp of photography, however, this will be probably too rudimentary. I would very much recommend this as a good intro for a teenager (or a grown up) who got his/her first digital camera and would like to learn more about photography as a discipline.
   
   This is NOT a how-to book, however: because it is so general and basic, it will give you ideas of how things work, but not necessarily HOW to take better pictures with your particular camera. If you are using a basic point and shoot digicam, you should not expect to produce pictures like the ones used for illustrative purposes here: there were most likely taken with top-of-the-line DSLRs, and further edited with photoshop. Still, if you want basic intro with some unrealistically pretty eye candy, this might be it. There are some good diagrams and infographics annd these are very competently produced (although some look vaguely, and somewhat uncomfortably familiar: the lens viewpoint diagram for example, is uncomfortably similar to the one in Lee Frost's excellent Q and A Guide that appears on the p. 17 of Frost's book)
   
   I think the author / editors are somewhat misleading when they say it is also a good book for intermediate photographers. It is not: there are very few things that would be useful for the more competent amateur. Sure, there are a few pages that might be useful (e.g., night-time shooting table with recommended exposure info), but they usually have been covered in more detail in more advanced books. If you want something a little bit more practical, I would highly recommend The Q&A Guide To Photo Techniques instead - less flashy, but more useful.



5. Pretty decent book. Good for both beginner and advanced user. Not shallow and not too sophisticated, just right.

1 comments about Memory Folding (Memory Makers).

1. Excellent. Have had a great time making many items in the book as I scrapbook my travels. Thanks

4 comments about New York: 365 Days.

1. I gave this book to my sister because her dream is to go to New York and she was extremely happy with it.
   
   The book contains beautiful pictures from many different years (the book includes many black-and-white photos) and many different places and gives a very good overview of how fantastic New York is.
   
   I've never been in New York, but once I'll go there, maybe together with my sister?



2. This is just an amazing collection of fascinating photographs from the archives of the New York Times. Gay Talese offers a brief introduction, but the stars of the production are the incredible photographs drawn from the turn of the 20th century to the present, one for each day of the year--with some in color. There is no table of contents; it is best to just start thumbing at random. Common topics are: personalities; buildings; neighborhoods; music performances; subways; bridges; contruction; weather; immigrants; sports; and politicians. Each picture is captioned and has a short write-up, often a brief excerpt from the NYT story where it originally appeared. Some fotos I found especially moving: returning World War I troops marching past the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1919; early shots of the lower East Side; LBJ and John Glenn in a tickertape parade; JFK visiting the city; plus a 15 page collage of sunsets, morning with fog, and sunrises. The common theme is people living and interacting in the city. Beautifully printed by Abrams, there is an index to the pictures and photographers. I can't think of another book that so artfully conveys the essence of NYC as completely as this inexpensive volume.



3. 
   Nice book, not very expensive, mixing old and news photographs of subjects
   about New York.
   A good journalistic panorama.



4. A thick, 744 page book presenting the flavor of the world's premier city. Though the title suggests a visual year it is more a selection of photos arranged round themes: sports, travel, markets, the weather, construction, entertainment, civic events, personalities etc. Each gets a few pages with some images going back to the nineteenth century though most are from the thirties onward.
   
   I thought the selection was quite impressive, there is something for every New Yorker here. Some of the names of the fifty-one photographers in the index will be familiar to readers of the Times. Neal Bonenzi, Sam Falk, Vincent Laforet and Ernie Sisto get the largest showing. Two of Laforet's are particularly stunning: his night time Manhattan skyline from July four 2005 with the sky alight with fireworks and the amazing shot from January thirteen, 2001 looking down on two workman repairing a colored light at the top of the radio mast on the Empire State (I was always curious about this photo because neither of these guys are wearing hard hats). An unfortunate omission, perhaps, is any work by Weegee. He brilliantly captured the lives of the working class over the years but his photos only appeared in the down-market tabloids.
   
   The landscape format of the book works perfectly, the photos (with some in color) are either one to a page or one to a spread, and all have comprehensive captions. This is a fascinating book, dip into it anytime to remind you of the rhythm of the city.
   
   *I wonder if the publishers will do similar versions using the photo libraries of other great metro papers like the San Francisco 'Chronicle', Chicago 'Tribune' or the Washington 'Post'?
   

5 comments about Cuban Elegance.

1. This is a beautiful book with gorgeous photos of Cuban architecture and furniture of the Cuba I left behind many, many years ago. I gave it to all of my siblings for Christmas and it was an instant hit! Its ovely pictures bring both smiles and tears. A must for those of us who want to keep a collection of what once was our life in Cuba before our exile.



2. Cuban Elegance is a great book, has wonderful photography and dipicts the elegant decore of Cuba and its architecture as well.



3. THIS IS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BOOK. THE PICTURES ARE BEAUTIFUL, THE TEXT REGARDING EACH ONE IS VERY CLEAR. IT HAS A GOOD FLOW AND MAY I DARE SAY IT IS A SEXY BOOK? IF THERE IS SUCH A THING. I WOULD RECOMMEND EVERYONE AND ANYONE TO GET IT. WHEATHER YOU'RE CUBAN OR NOT.
   
   IT HELPS POINT OUT ALL THE BEATY THAT ONCE USED TO BE AS WELL AS THE ONE LEFT NOW AMIDST ALL THE DECAY AND ABANDONEMENT CURRENTLY AFFECTING THE ISLAND COUNTRY. I LOVED IT.



4. I recently bought this book and despite that I had never being in Cuba before this is better than the real thing. Cuba was one the biggest economies in the region and such growth gave the possibility to create one of the most selected elites in the Caribbean islands. That prestige and class is all what you can find in this book full of excellent pictures. The reading of the book is pleasant, accurate and, full of details. I was amaze by the work around Cuban furniture which reflects the passion of the author in the topic. It's worth 5 out 5 starts with any doubts.



5. This is a great coffee table book of good quality. The colour photographs are excellent, accompanied by descriptive text. I bought it out of a sense of curiosity of how the more affluent Cubans might live. Unfortunately, as it turns out, I don't generally share their taste in design or dark furniture, but don't let that put you off an excellent and informative book.