5 comments about High Definition Postproduction: Editing and Delivering HD Video.

1. Very informative but not excruciatingly exhaustive. Many of the random questions I had were answered clearly. I found the book also to be very inspiring; being a low budget filmmaker, it make me realize the dream is within reach, and that HD is not too far from my grasp. I was especially encouraged by the information he provided about HDV - being that I use a Canon XH A1.
   Sincerely, Awesome book!! To the point, but extremely informative - it provides what you need without all the froth.



2. I bought this book hoping to get a solid outline of HD post techniques. Unfortunately the book is rambling and poorly organized. The introductory material is simple, repetitive and sometimes just plain wrong. The more advanced material is very cursory, and quite jumbled in its presentation. The author may well be a great video editor, but his command of the technical aspects of video formats and compression seems tenuous.



3. Working in the Television world,and with more and more shoots being done in the mysterious HD format, it can often be confusing, understanding which frame rates to use and knowing what can be cheated in post, etc. I Bought this book and i found it to be one of the best HD books on the market. It has cleared up much of the confusion, misconceptions and has taken the myustery out of HD shooting/editing. I have already recommended it to many of my collegues and it is a huge resource, which can be refered back to again and again. MANY THANKS



4. Mr. Redrocker is certainly entitled to his opinion and I am sorry he didnt like my book. I think he was looking for a different text: 2k and 4k are used for film post production. Also, my text is designed be an overview of HD and the post production field, not be cutting edge. The internet is far more current especially concerning a fast evolving technology like HD. I purposely designed the text to NOT be out of date. The DTV, HD, HDV information, examples and discussions are still valid. My suggestion for 2K and 4K information would be to look at Digital Intermediates for Film and Video or books like it. Steve Browne.



5. Looked forward to the book, but found its organization rambling, and its content offering little more than a cataloging of the hd formats. It's endorsement of HDV is troublesome, given the problems of using that codec in post. No mention of 2k or 4k, and scant mention of the nonlinear systems that handle HD. Sadly, it already feels out of date.

2 comments about Postcard Dogs.

1. This book is a gorgeous collection of photographs of dogs and humans and their dogs. PHotos appear to be British but from the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. Really a pleasure to relax with and enjoy canines from around the world.



2. This is a great book when you just want a nice book about dogs and see how they have been celebrated in years past.

5 comments about Born to Run: The Unseen Photos.

1. For any true Springsteen fan to have anything that gives you a glimpse into the beginnings of greatness is awesome. Great photos, some amusing, worth the purchase. Only disappointment had nothing to do with the book itself but with the way it was shipped. Came in a bit banged up and dirty - Amazon should bubble wrap the individual item and not just toss it in a box.



2. Very professional and quick delivery time. Would do business again in a heartbeat, no complaints.



3. This book has been made by a person who really apreciates Bruce's songs and for people who feel the same. It's a beautiful review of the pictures taken 30 years ago for Born to Run album. The paper used,the quality of the material, the compositon of the images...



4. We just took a ton of photos of my 6 month old twin girls for our Christmas card. Looking at all those digital images trying to decide which was the best shot reminded me a lot of looking at this book. A lot of pictures of the subjects (in their case Bruce and Clarence Clemons and in my case Katie and Maggie) in a couple of different outfits in poses only slightly different from the shot before. After awhile they all start to look alike until finally you just say, "Uhh, that one," the person next to you agrees and you have your album cover/Christmas card.
   
   Seriously, I am a big Springsteen fan and liked both his music and his look from that time best, so the book was a must for me, but if you're not that kind of fan and like Springsteen because you think he is or was cute--this ain't the book for you.



5. A book with really great pics. It's a must have for a Springsteen-fan. Worth every penny. What more can I say.

No comments about Wolfgang Tillmans.

1 comments about A Printshop Handbook: A Technical Manual For Basic Intaglio, Relief, And Lithographic Processes.

1. I got this book today!
   It was just like a new.
   Thank you for a fast delivery and a good condition of the book.

2 comments about Children's Portrait Photography: A Photojournalistic Approach.

1. From the moment you walk in the door, Newsome's Studio, Kevin & Kaye Newsome make parents and children a like feel as if they are part of the family.
   
   This comprehensive guide to children's portraiture gives its readers a glimpse into the creative mind and techniques of this master photographer. Kevin and his wife Kaye began their lifelong passion and trade over three decades ago. Today, Kevin and Kaye own and operate a first class portrait studio in Tampa, Florida.
   
   Do yourself a favor and make this book a part of your collection. Kevin's images jump off the page with humanity and natural childhood beauty that most photographers only desire to capture. And, behind every great man, there is an even better woman! Kaye's ability to "wrangle" children at a portrait session is legendary! To witness Kevin and Kaye in action is truly a testament to all of us who aspire to achieve photographic excellence.



2. Kevin Newsome's CHILDREN'S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY: A PHOTOJOURNALISTIC APPROACH covers the idea of creating a range of fun, age-appropriate activities to result in unique and superior group portrait opportunities with kids. From working with special-needs children and varying age groups to developing effective shots and plans for setting up, CHILDREN'S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY goes beyond the usual advice guide to address the facets which make for superior children's photos, as opposed to snapshots, making this a top pick for any pro photographer's library.

No comments about America.

5 comments about Directing the Documentary.

1. As a beginning documentary maker, I have found this book to be highly useful. As well as the practical aspects of creating a documentary, it provides history of the genre and valuable insight as to why documentary makers do what they do - it is clearly not for the money.
   
   By the way, this book was recommended to me by a college professor who teaches film making.



2. Thought it would be much more heavy and academic. Is an easy read without dumbing down. Great for getting you going again if youhave "fallin off the wagon".



3. what a great book. it's up-to-date and goes through everything you could ever want to know about documentary filmmaking.



4. I already use Rabinger's "Directing" tome as my filmmaking bible, and always refer to it when planning productions and right before shooting. So when I started a documentary project, I knew I had to get this version dedicated to that aspect of filmmaking. I was not disappointed. Right away, his advice improved my project planning and helped me make a much better project pitch than I originally had. And once again, it's loaded with practical advice that's very easy to read and use. Rabinger knows how to put together a great reference resource. Too bad all books weren't put together like these.



5. this book includes all kinds of useful information that is not necessarily specific to documentary, although that is it's focus. there's excercises in here to help develop ideas into a filmic narrative, ethics, how to tackle an interview as well as subject matter. i've read a lot of film books, and i have to say, this is not only well written with a sense of humor and wit, it deals with potential situations in a down to earth way. The information provided is not just technical, but also how to approach an emotional situation, gain the trust of your participants, and address multiple points of view.

No comments about Naked Las Vegas.

5 comments about Queens: Portraits of Black Women and their Fabulous Hair.

1. It is a proven fact that hair plays an important role in the lives of African American women. Must often our hair or lack of it defines who we are. It is still up for debate whether this is a healthy psychological choice or not. This book is a pictorial guide of the lives of over fifty women and how they feel about their hair. Each woman interviewed talks about the importance of hair, why they wear their particular style, and how their hair has changed during the course of their lives. These women have bleached hair, relaxed hair, natural hair, afros, weaves, braids, and baldheads and they all feel comfortable in with their current styles.
   
   Many African American women use the beauty salon as a safe haven to get away from the world. At the salon you can freely discuss your problems, face your hair issues, and totally change your appearance by revamping your old hairstyle. Hair is your expression of self and how you feel about the world in general. There aren't many ways that African American women can be free but hair is our crowning glory.
   
   QUEENS: PORTRAITS OF BLACK WOMEN AND THEIR FABULOUS HAIR is a coffee table book that will foster endless discussions of the state of African/African American hair. This is a primer combination of flowing narratives and impressive photos. Be free, be yourself, be bold, your hair is yours not matter the style you rep. Buy this book for yourself, your mom, your sister friend and laugh about all of the hairstyles you've rocked!
   
   Deltareviewer
   Reviewing for Real Page Turners



2. I Found This Book To Be Quite Interesting. I Enjoy Reading All Of The Various Stories, About All Of The Beautiful Sisters, Wearing Hairstyles Of Their Choice. One Of The Women In The Storie "Lettice " I Will Call Her "The Silver Fox" Of The Bunch, For Some Reason Or Another Something Just Stood Out About Her.



3. I'd like to review this. However, it's been about six weeks since I ordered it & it hasn't arrived yet.



4. In the late '60s, journalist A'Lelia Bundles waged a battle repeated in many households across the country: she decided to stop pressing her hair and start wearing it in an Afro.
   It didn't help that her father worked for Summit Laboratories, a manufacturer of hair-straightening products. "Who do you think pays the mortgage and tuition?" he demanded.
   But Bundles' consciousness was on the rise. The day Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, she was elected vice president of her high school student council, and white parents were threatening to take their kids out of the school.
   While this was going on, Bundles was reading W.E.B. DuBois. She was also on the threshold of discovering the legacy of her great-great-grandmother Madame Walker, a pioneering activist, philanthropist and hair products entrepreneur.
   "I'm proud to say I have all of my ancestors in my hair," Bundles writes in "Queens," a fascinating collection of African-American hair lore. "But in the era I grew up in, people only valued whatever part of your hair that was straight." She got her Afro.
   "Queens: Portraits of Black Women and Their Fabulous Hair" is the logical successor to photographer Michael Cunningham's "Crowns." The earlier book, a collection of stories and images of black church women and their elaborate hats, resonated so deeply with readers it was adapted into a musical production (now running in Lansing at the Riverwalk Theater; see review on p. XX). "Queens" pairs fifty Cunningham portraits with verbal histories, some in the subjects' own words and some told by co-author George Alexander.
   The gatefold of "Queens" depicts an outdoor salon in Ghana, where women and men laugh and talk under a huge tree. The image sets the tone for the mingling of social life and hair that runs through the book.
   Cunningham is well positioned document this world; he grew up with his mother and five sisters who turned his home into a salon every Saturday. Later, the photographer notes, "a prerequisite to dating some of the girls in high school was taking care of their weekly salon bills."
   Cunningham's restless and inventive eye keeps the book's fifty portraits from becoming monotonous -- even those photos meant to convey nobility, dignity and poise have a twinkle or wrinkle that kicks them up a notch. In some of the photos, subject and hair are seen in splendid isolation, while others pull back to reveal the subject at home or in a salon.
   But no hair book would be much fun without a wild side, and Cunningham is generous in serving up outrageous visions of self-expression. Tracy Poris, a hairstyling student, wears a vertical do about as tall as a flamingo, with a matching outfit itself made of hair. Angela Williams sports a Mohawk, which tells passersby "I don't care what you think." Corene Campbell colors her hair blue "to match her shoes." Jenelle Byron, a 23-year-old college student from Brooklyn, wears her hair in a literally towering do that mimics the burning World Trade Center, "flames" of curling hair rising from the top floors.
   The freaky dos are great fun, but more often, the authors weave images and stories around social and political dimensions of African-American life. "There are no Black stars," writes Harriett Indira Odei, lamenting the persistent domination of European beauty standards. "They see the white hair and they like it." Odei is photographed by Cunningham in a Ghanian hair sculpture that defies verbal description (it looks like a windblown beach fence with mossy seaweed curled beneath).
   Author Tonya Lewis Lee, whose hair color is gold verging on "carrottop," recalls her mother rinsing her hair with tea when summer sunshine made it too light and brassy. "You looking too much like massa," she told her daughter.
   Some of the most interesting subjects in the books are hair stylists themselves. Their accounts reveal salons as not only social anchors, but sources of empowerment for both stylist and client. "The hairdo is secondary to having someone focus on them," says Sonia Mullins of her clients. "These women are busy hustling for the dollar, trying to take care of their families, and they don't have time to address themselves."
   Whether the end result is whimsical, rebellious, exotic or no-nonsense, "Queens" demonstrated the degree to which self-worth and pride are bound up in these women's hair.
   "When I see myself in an Afro," says actress Thoundia Bickham, "I feel more powerful."
   Or, as A'Lelia Bundles concludes, "the older I get the more I realize that what endures is 'strong,' not 'cute'."



5. I found "Queens: Portraits of Black Women and Their Hair" to be a wonderful book. I enjoyed the photographs and the stories that went along with them. Hair is such a loaded issue for Black women that it's refreshing to see a book that glorifies all manner of hair and hair styles. As India Arie sings, "I am not my hair" meaning I am more than my hair. However, there's a very real part of us that is our hair and Michael Cunningham has captured that part.