5 comments about Natural Beauties.

1. I found the quality of the photography ran the entire gamut from the very amature effort that almost anyone with a point-and-shoot camera could accomplish to some exceptionally professional work. Unfortunately, there was too little of the latter.
   
   I was, however, pleasantly surprized to see tht there was little of an overtly soft-porn mode. It seems that too much of the new "nextdoor beauties" photography is just a thinly-veiled, soft-porn eroticism. Still, there was little that would be considered fine art. But, then again, as the author says, that's not the purpose of the book. Just nice pictures of pretty naked girls. It works.



2. As a glamour and nude photographer myself, I purchased this book for ideas and inspiration--I was not dissatisfied at all. I love the use of natural lighting, sometimes less means more and this book packs more than most if you're a connoisseur of natural beauty. I recommend anyone interested in this type of photography, buy it now!
   
   As an author of Garage Glamour: Digital Nude and Beauty Photography Made Simple, and Rolando Gomez's Glamour Photography: Professional Techniques and Images I recommend this book should not only be on a collector's list, but for any student of photography--we're always learning no matter what level your photography. ---Rolando Gomez, contributing writer, Studio Photography magazine



3. I really enjoy this collection, for all the reasons the editor want me to like it for. The models are young, charming, and unaffected. Their poses are [generally] natural and comfortable. Their figures vary somewhat, as people do - some fuller of bust, some charmingly slender. Each one looks like someone I'd like to meet. The big artistic concept here is that there is no big artistic concept. I also like the multiple images and poses of each model, showing more of the variety there is in each unique woman.
   
   Still, the models do tend towards a type: European in features and coloring, twentyish and young-looking even so, and the figures vary only within a limited range. The look is beautiful (or at least pretty), but just one of the many kinds of beauty in the world of women. If you don't have to spend too much, it will add a soft and warm touch to any collection of figure photography.
   
   //wiredweird



4. It was refreshing to review a book of nude photographs of women where the photos were real, untouched & not posed in a way to exploit the models. I have always had an interest in nude photography & the beauty of the female form. Top marks to the photographers, models & editor.



5. So the premise of this cute little book is the overlapping or merged ground between art and erotica. By and large the photos are a success. the woman and settings photographed are truly beautiful, sometimes as art, sometimes as erotica, and usually as both. Some of the women have what is best described as an unusual beauty, as do some of the backdrops. There are a phenomenal number of models from the eastern block. One of the memorable backdrops is of an eastern european or russian forest which has been leveled for timber, leaving a sea of stumps... I can recommend this book as a very nice addition to either a photography book collection or a collection devoted to an appreciation of the female form.

5 comments about The New Nikon Compendium: Cameras, Lenses & Accessories since 1917 (A Lark Photography Book).

1. This is a great book to get all the info related to the large variety of Nikon products. However, I had the impression that it might help me price some Nikon gear I am interested in selling. It does not. When I read the review, before purchase, my impression was it would assist in pricing my equipment. What it perhaps does, is impress you with the rarity or widely produced models, so you can try to determine if it is worth some money. Otherwise, the book lived up to my expectations of a very comprehensive collection of data on the very varied line of Nikon camera products.



2. I had read the early ediction, but this new is superb. This is the best companion book for all Nikon owners!!!!



3. Compared to the former 'Nikon Compendium' this book has a lot more pictures and was of course expanded to include all the models up to the date of publishing. I got the impression though that it has not been reviewed very well before going to press : there are quite some editing errors (line breaks in the middle of sentences or words f.ex.) and grammar errors that could have been avoided if the manuscript hadn't been rushed to the printer. I also expected more in depth comments on the lenses and some camera models - the stress has clearly been laid on the digital bodies. Some accessories have been omitted or important details have not been adressed at all (just an example : the fact that early filters had chrome rings and later black rings - a detail, but something worth noting IMO). The book missed a chance to really be THE reference book on all things Nikon. Otherwise, lots of pages and pictures for the money!



4. A thorough and well done work on the history of Nikon. It is better in my opinion than another book titled "Nikon - A Celebration".



5. An excellent resource for those tbat use the Nikon brand. This is the best book I have read on Nikon products and Amazon has the best price.

No comments about The World From My Front Porch.

5 comments about Hip Hop Files: Photographs 1979-1984.

1. Being from this era,this book brings back a ton of great memories.The photos in this book are amazing,so crisp and vibrant.It doesn't seem like it was 2o+ years ago.This book will explain to you what is REAL HIP HOP(MCing,Breaking,Graffit},NOT the garbage they consider Hip Hop today.Looking at these photos it's hard to believe how young we were.Seeing old friends and classmates put a big smile on my face knowing that WE were there when it all started!GREAT book Marty!!!!!!



2. I loved this book! The photographs are powerful, and you can't find anything even close to their documentary quality anywhere else. The text is also interesting and includes quotes from a variety of people--the author, the hip hop performers themselves, and other scholars.



3. I lived in NYC in the 70's and 80's and witnessed the rise of subway graffiti and the beginnings of break dancing. This book brings it all back -- in a GOOD way. Reading it, you can understand why poor urban kids went to such lengths to make a mark for themselves. No one cared at first but Martha Cooper, who earned their respect and documented their achievements with her fine photographs. This book is a monument to those unsung teenage artists and the photographer who recognized and publicized their talents.



4. i got this book not long ago,i have alot of graff and hip hop books and this is one of the best.it never drags on for to long on one subject.it has basically put like ten graff and hip hop books into one then they took out the bull###t and left us with one dope book.highly recomemened..



5. Indeed, the handsome Book "the Hip-Hop Files: Photographs, 1979-1984" by Martha Cooper serves as a an open and closed door to what seemed a trend to many documentarians during the late 70's and early 80's. It isn't no coinsidence that Coopers photographs document Graffiti art during a period when the NY Art World was exploiting Urban aerosal artists. It is also very clear that she stopped documenting Graffiti when the "trend" ended in 1985. Though Coopers work documents a moment in time when aerosal art was King and Hip Hop was not yet a corporate advertisement, she does come off as an outsider/tourist when asked about documenting Graffiti, "I'm sure wildlife photographers feel the same way" about photographing animals when they run around. There is also the claim, by her publisher and graff-artists that she was the first photographer to document the origins of Hip-Hop. Jamell Shabazz's book "Back in The Days" never made such a claim nor did it need the fanfare that Coopers book fabricated. Jamell Shabazz,like Debra willis, Martin Chambi and James VanDerZee, documented a personal life and environment in New York before and after the trend came and went. Something to keep in mind!

3 comments about Edward Steichen: Lives In Photography.

1. Until now, it has been impossible to find an art book that complements the extensively researched biography of Edward Steichen written by Penelope Niven some ten years ago. "Edward Steichen: Lives in Photography" remedies this situation with brilliance and dash. It explores the work of this great American artist with lively and detailed precision, capturing the high exuberance of his work and his many-faceted personality in essays that are carefully dovetailed with the greatest photographs in Steichen's oeuvre. All elegantly printed with no costs spared. To learn more about the artist's long and fascinating life, purchase "Steichen: A Biography" by Penelope Niven. To understand his art, purchase "Lives in Photography." With these books on your library shelf, you will have a better idea of just why this great artist has such staying power.



2. Edward Steichen: Lives in Photography is a wondrous collection of some of the finest work by one of this nation's finest photographers. The images should prove inspirational to any who aspire to creating art with a camera. Steichen never succombed to the post-modern faux-artistry and its glorification of the bizarre and twisted. This book is simply fabulous.



3. Edward Steichen had a long (94 years) and storied life, however until now it was difficult to find a book that exhibited his work and gave a clear understanding of both his work and influence on: Art, Fashion, Marketing, War, Curating, Botany, and (of course) Photography. Through the text of this, rather large, book one can learn about an influential and very controversial (as most artists often are) man. Of course this book has numerous beautiful plates (Which is expected in the world of printing today). However, unlike many photo books this one is an interesting read. While, some of the writing may seem exuberantly adoring of Steichen, this can be easily understood after learning of his impact on the art world. After reading this book it is hard to believe that this is the first comprehensive book on Steichen since Steichen himself wrote "A life in photography" in 1963. Overall an excellent book for anyone interested in photography.

2 comments about People in Vogue: A Century of Portraits.

1. This is a useful compendium of some great shots from Vogue's past. It brings you from the early days, through the "royal" period (gag!) into the 90s. Those who are into art and fashion photography will find the portraits interesting, and the history of the magazine itself is evident in the accopmanying narrative.
   
   Worth the few dollars you'll spend on it.



2. Muy buena selección fotográfica en una secuencia bien escogida de las principales figuras del siglo XX. Muy recomendable.

2 comments about Adobe Photoshop Elements 4: Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks.

1. I probably wouldn't buy it again. I like a lot of detail.



2. As always the layout and the content to this book is superb. Quick learning is facilitated and I look forward to the next one.

No comments about Superb Cabins.

1 comments about Aerial Photography and Image Interpretation.

1. This book is an outstanding, in-depth introduction to the science of aerial photography. At the outset, it must be said that this book does not tell you how to bring in, register, or project your aerial photo in a particular GIS application. What it does tell you is how that photo came about and how it might be interpreted or used. The text reads well, but does require the reader's full attention to absorb all the information.

1 comments about Greece Style: Exteriors, Interiors, Details (Icons S.).

1. Marvelous pictures with some helpful hint on technique painting and achieving the looks presented in the pictures. I would have liked more information on where to obtain some of the accent items. If you like photo journal books, you will enjoy this publication.