No comments about Database Aesthetics: Art in the Age of Information Overflow (Electronic Mediations).

5 comments about The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday: Making Navy SEALs.

1. I would recommend this book to anyone seriously wanting to get an idea of what it takes to become a Navy SEAL. This photo essay chronicles the journey of an actual BUD/s class from start to finish. While I have read other accounts, the pictorial evidence really clarifies some of what happens and why so many would-be SEALs drop out during the process. Only the most determined and mentally tough make it through these lengthy, grueling tests of strength and character. These men have my respect and my admiration.



2. Bravo to Richard for his hard work and dedication to the SEAL/SOF community. I was an instructor in BUDS during the making of Richards book and couldnt have asked for a more genuinely interested person to be around us. Richard has the unique ability of photographing his subjects in the most intimate situations, all while maintaining unshakeable rapport with instructors and students alike. Richard has given a much needed inside look (without going too far) at what these men go through during training. Hats off to Richard for a first class photo journal. BH



3. I must admit I am a bit biased. My son was in Buds class 246 which is the subject of the book. It gave me a real life insight into what BUDs is really all about. I had a difficult time finding the book a local books stores and really appreciated the fact that Amazon carried it. Some hard to find dealers wanted as much as $120.00 for a used copy of it.



4. This oversized pictorial book describes the training conducted at BUD/S in pretty good detail. In my opinion the photographer, did a fairly decent job with the capture methods used to entail the rigorous training involved in the six month training program.



5. First of all, it's HUGE and BOLD! ... not wimpy on presentation. Very interesting narrative you don't normally see in photographer's projects; you can really follow these soldiers through their intriguing training process and their "becoming".

5 comments about Aftermath: Unseen 9/11 Photos by a New York City Cop.

1. This book contain hard and touching images about the aftermath in New York city.



2. Former officer John Botte has done a wonderful job putting together images of the immediate aftermath of 9/11. The black-and-white photos show both the tragedy and hope of the people involved in the rescue -- and later, simply the clean-up -- of this horrific event.
   
   The only thing I would have enjoyed more would have been captions for all of the photographs. As it stands, only about one in ten of the pictures has any type of explanation.



3. This book meets the criteria of the film noir movies of the 40's and 50's: oneiric, strange, erotic, ambivalent, and cruel. Well, not erotic. And unlike the films of those days, the pictures here, and the stories that they tell are true.
   
   This is a book composed of pictures made in the days after 9/11. They were taken in black and white, and are somewhat grainy. The photographer, John Botte, a police detective and world-class photographer, was assigned by the police commissioner to document the aftermath at the World Trade Center. He was there, day after day, breathing the dust from the concrete, the insulation, and everything else - getting a lung condition that almost cost him his life.
   
   Out of the thousands of photographs he too, he has selected this couple of hundred and created captions that sometimes explain, sometimes just comment on what is being pictured.
   
   It is indeed a fitting AFTERMATH to 9/11.



4. IF you have been collecting books, videos and material about 9/11 [I'm a history teacher]
   this is a nice addition. The copy is more interesting than the pictures that we've all seen,
   sadly.



5. I think it was a well done book - I could have done without the close ups of Bush and Cheney!

No comments about Art and Design in Photoshop.

5 comments about Vanishing Act.

1. Bought this for a Christmas and everyone wanted to look through it before I gave it away. It is great fun for all ages!!!



2. I purchased this book as a gift for my elderly grandma. Both she and the rest of my family enjoy looking through the beautiful photos to spot the camouflaged animals.



3. This is such an amazing and wonderful book of photos taken by Art Wolfe. "Vanishing Act" refers to the natural camouflage of living beings as they blend into their environment, as a means of self-preservation.
   
   Honestly, I have had to look at some of the pictures 3 or 4 times before I could locate the animal, insect, bird, etc. that was lurking there. There is a "cheat sheet" in the back of the book, but I am determined to locate these creatures without resorting to outside help.
   
   It is so amazing that I could look at a large picture 3 or 4 times and not see what I was looking at; however, once you see it clearly you can't understand how you could have missed it in the first place. Isn't nature grand? I have two of Art Wolfe's works hanging on my walls and they are the first things commented on by any visitor to my home.
   
   Buy this book!



4. A mezmerizing coffee table book. It's almost a puzzle to find the incredible creatures in the photos that have natural camouflage. Large format views with lots of detail. A nature lover's must-have.



5. This photography/nature/evolution/puzzle book was simply astonishing. Everyone I've shown it to, from 8-80, has been both amazed by the photographs and thoroughly enjoyed reviewing it. When I brought it to work, a common response was, "Very cool ... Can I borrow this book overnight to show my husband/wife?" I need to e-mail Art Wolfe to ask him if I could represent him on his next creative effort. That way his work will achieve wider distribution and recognition.

1 comments about Making Media: Foundations of Sound and Image Production.

1. This book has been a real life saver for me on my first semester at graduate school. The other media books I had to read were overwhelming with never ending details and jargon language. Roberts- Breslin's book explains everything plainly from start to finish. She has an uncanny ability to simplify extremely complex matters. Even with no prior knowledge of the technical aspects of media making I now have a solid foundation.
   
   The main terms are bolded, and also listed in the end so you can read the book beginning to end or just look up specific topics. The attached CD is a great addition as it visually illustrates concepts that are difficult to explain verbally, such as the different camera movement (What is the difference between the pan and truck movement?) or the phi phenomenon.
   
   Another great thing about the book is the practical tips it gives to a beginner. Logging all my footage, for example, would have never accrued to me, but it made editing so much more manageable and must have saved me hours upon hours.

No comments about Country Music: The Masters With Audio CD.

5 comments about A Dog's Book of Truths.

1. Being 'owned by' an Aussie myself, this book captures not only wonderful photographs and doggy sayings but the beauty of Australian Shepherds.
   
   I bought two!!! One for my shelf and a gift for my Aussie's girlfriend's Mom!
   
   I docked it a star only for the fact that the pictures aren't identified ... doesn't say the name of the dogs or were it was taken!
   
   P.S - Ms. LeVine will donate $2.50 per book to ARPH. Please mention ARPH when you order!



2. I challenge someone to look through this book and not feel connected to these dogs. The author/photographer managed to capture these Australian Shepherds at their most carefree moments, when the soul of these dogs are truly present. If you haven't seen an "Aussie" before, you are missing out. They are the most beautiful, loving animals, and their eyes say it all. My favorite photo is where the Aussie and it's owner are hugging - because that is truly the relationship you develop with this breed. I'm thankful for this book, while it's not a photographic journal about my own Aussie, it is one the definitely represents the breed well.



3. This is a slim book that is very nicely presented and on good quality paper. I'll have to say however that it disappointed me in the quality and subject of the author's photographs. We have Aussies as household companions and in my opinion there are a number of pictures of her dogs with plainly unhappy expressions on their faces. It's not something that gives me pleasure to look at. In addition there are far too many pictures that are blurry/out-of-focus. I have to think this was an attempt at "art" but it just looks like bad photography to me.



4. Photographer Nancy LeVine spent the better part of a decade capturing images depicting her pair of Australian Shepherd sisters, LuLu and Maxie, in all kinds of settings, from romping on the seashore to riding in a car, and all kinds of moods, from frenzied activity to measured serenity. Her crisp duotone images are honest, natural, real moments, unlike the contrived artifices other animal photographers such as William Wegman employ.

   Hence, Ms. LeVine presents a deep yet subtle vision of how these dogs experience the world and interact with other dogs and with their humans. (If you have never owned an Aussie, it's possible you may not fully appreciate the genius of her photographs and her subjects.) Sometimes the "truth" shines in the dog's eyes or reveals itself in an image of a dog unabashedly having fun. I'm not sure if there are any high-minded lessons here, but something of the exuberance and intensity these dogs experience transcends the pages.

   Poet Joseph Duemer contributes extraordinary, insightful phrasing that melds seamlessly with the mood of each photograph and the combination celebrates fully the Zen of dogs. He offers just enough detail and form without trying to manipulate or dictate emotions and perceptions.

   Folks who do not share their lives with canines will find this book entertaining. Those who do will find it magical, and, among this group, those who have Aussies of their own will keep this well-crafted and well-designed book within easy reach.




5. I had always known that dogs were really sensitive human beings in fur coats, but I had never seen photographic proof until I saw this book.

   'Ae, he mea 'ilio pono kela. These are wise dogs.

1 comments about Nature Photography: Insider Secrets from the Worlds Top Digital Photography Professionals.

1. Sometimes I think that there must be a way to label books so that the audience at which they are aimed is clear. That's the case for this book, which is a perfectly respectable book for an audience of beginning nature photographers but not for anyone who has a little experience of photographing flora, fauna and the land.
   
   The book has seven chapters, which are called habits. (I suspect something happened between the writing and the publishing that caused this habit theme to be diluted along the way.) After telling us to "Plan for the Perfect Picture", the author tells us to "Know Your Camera" which is essentially a broad discussion of the effects of the controls on the camera for such things as file type, white balance and focus mode. "See What Your Camera Sees" talks about the nature of light, and "Take Control of Your Camera" talks about the effect of the controls discussed in Habit Two, like the interrelationship of aperture, shutter speed and ISO. "Learn the Rules" is a basic lesson in composition and "Capture the Moment", after a brief discussion of defining the subject, describes Weston's considerations in taking 15 of his best-selling images. The final habit "Practice Makes Perfect" is a series of practical exercises one can undertake to improve one's photography.
   
   The book discusses the basic principles of photography, and were it not that Weston's photographic examples are all nature pictures, might just as well have been found in any camera guide. Almost nothing here is specific to nature photography.
   
   The secrets from the world's top nature photographers consist of an occasional quote from someone at the top, but they are scarcely secrets and it seemed to me that at least ninety-five percent of the text came from Weston.
   
   Other than the fact that many basic matters were not covered (e.g., there was nothing on flash photography) some matters were handled well, like Weston's discussion of the use of in-camera histograms to get the proper exposure, or his comparison between the way painters and photographers compose images. On the other hand, some of his discussions, like that of the value of different focal length lenses, seemed labored. To talk of compressing distance rather then changing the relationships between the sizes of objects just seemed a poor way of articulating the concept, especially when aimed at beginners.
   
   Beginning nature photographers who are still becoming familiar with camera controls may find this book useful, although they will get a lot more out of reading "Digital Nature Photography: The Art and the Science by John and Barbara Gerlach. More advanced nature photographers can afford to pass this book by.

2 comments about Photographing and "Videoing" Horses Explained: Digital and Film: The Horse Owner's Manual for Improved Portraits, Schooling Tools, Sales and Promotions.

1. This book was a good overview of equine photography. I am an intermediate photographer with moderate horse knowledge. It was easy to understand and implement - even with my lower level skills. The pictures in the book were amazing! Most of the book covered photography, but the video part was very informative and simple to understand. I would definitely recommend this book if you are going to photograph or video horses even just for fun.



2. I am a fairly experienced photographer who has recently taken up horse show photography. I found this book very, very helpful--especially the sections on the particular phase of each gait which will result in the best photo. I purchased this and Lesli Groves' book, and found them to compliment each other--but if I could only buy one, it would be this one. Specifically, the 'troubleshooting' and 'planning the perfect shot' chapters are excellent; I am equally enthusiastic about the chapters he on computers, printers, and paper. The examples clearly explain the text. I learned a lot from this book, and my first photo practice session showed a significant improvement in my work.