2 comments about The Book of Elders: The Life Stories of Great American Indians.

1. Do not miss this book if you are interested in wisdom that one seldom, gets in any world that is not Indigenous. Indigenous wisdom gives us lessons for life lived from the heart and lived in tune with our Mother Earth, particularly from elders; be they natives of Turtle Island (North America), Australia, New Zealand, South America or the African continent.
   I loved this book and I love the wisdom imparted by the authors of each story. It is good to learn and it is best to learn from those who have lived long lives and learned their wisdom, not only from their own lives but also from the teachings of their ancestors.



2. This is a WONDERFUL collection of the real life stories of thirty elders from nineteen North American tribes. They are inspirations for us all. It has my HIGHEST recommendation--read this book, it will touch your heart and soul!

4 comments about Forensic Photography: Importance of Accuracy.

1. The book gives a good overview about forensic photography. The location strategy, what images you have to take.
   But the technical part, especially digital photography and photogrammetry are completely outdated. To me these parts looked like 10 to 15 years old. There is significant room for improvement.



2. As a Forensics Photographer, I have nothing but praise for Sandy and this book. It's very well written and covers just about everything someone would need to know to make it in this profession. I highly recommend this book to anyone already in Forensics, or looking to get into it.



3. The thoroughness begins with the cover, straight and to the point. This is forensics. This is photography. No way to confuse the topic. I've spent years looking for that one (1) book that could teach me Forensic Photography in its entirety. I've now found it. No need to read any of the other books available, and frankly none are with as much focus, direction and knowledge shared as this book by Mr Weiss. His insight into what a student really needs to learn is most impressive! The books approach and style are second to none. The book is written by one man, but it seems like the reader is gaining an entire degree, from many professors with many years of experience. No reason to ever waste money on another book of the same subject. This is well worth the investment and more importantly its' return of investment is already paying off! Thank you to the Author! Thank you Sanford Weiss for penning this book and sharing your wisdom. An instant hit in my opinion!



4. "Forensic Photography: The Importance of Accuracy", Sanford L. Weiss, NJ, Pearson Education, Inc. (Prentice Hall), 2009 ISBN: 13: 978-0-13-158286-6, HC 503 pgs. plus Contents, 14 pgs., Ref., 7 pgs., Glossary 23 pgs., Index 11 pgs., and numerous B/W photographs. 10 ¼" x 8 ¼".
   
   Author Sanford Weiss is an experienced forensics investigator & photographer with impressive credentials and decades of `on the job' investigatory work as photographer/investigator. He is a prolific writer of technical articles and a recipient of prestigious awards in evidence photography. This book should serve to be a reference and teaching guide for those interested in forensic photography, whether an individual, department or used in a teaching institute. Not available for review at this time is information of the book-specific "Companion Website" with review material, additional photo examples and Supplements which are believed to include Instructor's Manual and PowerPoint and access to color photos! NFD.
   
   "Forensic Photography" was a monumental undertaking for one man, but this strengthens the very substance of a book which is highly technical, divided into subsections for easy reference, and covers the A to Z of the fields of photography and forensics. In 17 chapters the entirety of the field is nicely covered with discussion of photography essentials in forensics; digital & conventional camera types; divers ancillary equipment and lighting methodologies; macro, video, 3-D & underwater imaging techniques; plus the photography of fires, accidents & crime scenes in addition to courtroom testimony.
   
   The author embedded a number of excellent case synopses involving crane, bus, train, truck, car, & airplanes including TWA 800, etc. The text has numerous B/W photographs and referenced diagrams to complement the text. For clarity and consistency a comprehensive glossary of terminologies is provided. Throughout, the theme of fair and accurate representation is stressed - for in forensic photography, photographic charm is meaningless, only the Truth in imaging reigns, and here... beauty IS the truth in imaging.

2 comments about Blondie: Unseen 1976-1980.

1. ATTENTION...all you Debbie/Blondie fans out there. This is one book not to miss. A must have. I own countless books on Debbie & Blondie, and this is by far the best book where photographs of Debbie and the band are concerned. Beautiful black & white and color photos abound. The shots taken for the Parallel Lines album are unbelievable. What a gorgeous woman! Talent,style,beauty...Debbie in her prime had it all. There's a great full page photo of Debbie & the band taken on a street corner in N.Y.C. in B&W that just has that great New York City summertime Rock & Roll feel to it. Again this book is loaded with great photos at different shows, on the road, backstage, etc...And the price of the book is a BARGAIN! I can't believe this book was'nt double the price.



2. Roberta Bayley's images of Blondie rank up with the best. Her pictures from the "Heart of Glass" video shoot are certainly some of the most iconographic shots of Debbie ever taken. The band gave Roberta carte blanche to shoot both onstage & behind the scenes, and that she did from 1976 to 1979. Lucky for us, since these were the band's most interesting years as a cohesive, artistic unit, and also when Debbie was at her most stunning-looking. Much is revealed about the relationships at work within the band during their meteoric rise to the top. The pictures tell most of the story; but Roberta's brief-but-insightful text guides the reader artfully to their own conclusions by describing the time & place without over-interpretting it for us. The earliest shots show a gaggle of punky twenty-something kids with a gawky and girlish frontwoman, still in her thrift-shop threads and suspended in a state of seemingly perpetual adolescence. In a three-year span, we see the band get slicker and Debbie more mature in her visual presentation, but it all seems to get less and less fun for our heroes as they go along. Thankfully, Roberta knows when to leave a party--her chronicle ends in 1980 when the band was at its commercial (if not artistic) peak--so we get to vicariously experience Blondie's thrilling ascent to fame without having to witness their sad demise. A must for every fan.

4 comments about Man to Man: A History of Gay Photography (Male Photography).

1. I am enjoying over and over the insightful photos and stories about the men and the photographers.



2. Man to Man: A History of Gay Photography has lofty ambitions - seeking in 300 pages and through approximately 500 photographs to chronicle the entire history of homosexuals in photograph. It's an ambitious goal, and the result is a beautiful, hefty coffee table book that in many ways succeeds, but in some ways falls short.
   
   The area where this book shines is in its huge collection of photos from many different eras. The collection begins with the early photographs of the Victorian era - these are mostly of two full-dressed men who may or may not be a couple. Discussing the implications of homosexuality in this era, the collection is a fascinating look into a world that has thankfully changed substantially. The collection then moves into the 1918-1969 era, in which gay photography was more common, but still largely underground. Here we begin to see men flouting their physiques and showing off their bodies in everything from personal photographs to the popular 'beefcake' spreads of the 1950's. the third section explores the modern age, in which photographers enjoyed relative freedom in photographic gay subject matter.
   
   The photos themselves are good for the most part, although there is a lot of amateur subject matter in here, particularly amongst the older photos. These are interesting, but you shouldn't expect the best composition or poses. There are some very powerful images from the early 20th century taken by professional photographers, and I found these to be amongst the best in the book, primarily the work of Wilhelm von Gloeden and Wilhelm von Pluschow. Overall, about 20% of the photos in here are full-frontal, with the collection focusing on the artistic rather than the erotic. This might not satisfy some readers, and in all honesty gay photography tends to run to the erotic, so that may be underrepresented here.
   
   As the book moves past 1920, it becomes a little too eclectic and scattered to truly serve its purpose as a comprehensive look at the history of gay photography. It presents a lot of material from the 1950's and 1960's without really giving the reader a sense of the evolution of the art, and then all of a sudden you're in the modern era. This section is really limited, particularly considering the amount of material out there. The authors briefly discuss Mapplethorpe and his contemporaries, but this is by no means a comprehensive or overly informative look at modern works. It also completely ignores the use of homoerotic images in advertising, such as works found in Calvin Klein, GQ and Abercrombie & Fitch. I'm not sure any historical survey of gay photography is complete if you skip this entirely.
   
   Another shortcoming of the book is the writing. The editors have done a fine job assembling an impressive collection of photos, but they aren't great writers. Most of the text in the book reads as the author's opinions, and the structure is a little clunky and awkward. There is little fact presented here, and rather than a sense of what things were like in the eras covered, readers instead get a sense of what the writers supposed life was like.
   
   This is a unique work in its scope, and for that reason it may be a good buy. It's honestly a little overpriced for what it is, and there are better collections out there if one is looking for a collection of photos from a particular era or of a particular type. For those who want a broad look at gay photography, this might work. I personally resold my copy because only one or two photos stood out as particularly impressive.



3. MAN TO MAN: A HISTORY OF GAY PHOTOGRAPHY in the much awaited compendium that explores in depth the history of gay photography while providing an important sociological treatise illustrated by some of the finest reproductions of early daguerreotypes to the luminous black and white and full color artworks of today. Author Pierre Borhan sets the pace for the book in an enlightening Foreword 'Coming to Terms' in which he succinctly gives an overview of the chances taken, the fears, the bravery and the ultimate success of photographers who dared to document man to man relationships and subject matter since the inception of the art of photography. This is an immensely readable book as well as a rich collection of fine photographs from 1840 to the present.
   
   The book is divided into sections that not only represent periods of time but also the development of attitude toward male photography. The first section 1840 - 1918: THE SLOW EMERGENCE OF HOMOSEXUALITY IN PHOTOGRAPHY draws upon posed studio images of men as friends (re Walt Whitman) and proceeds into the trend of voyeurism (as in Wilhelm von Gloeden and Wilhelm von Pluschow's recreation of mythological scenes) that provided images to a closeted group of buyers. The second section 1918 - 1969: THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S CHOICE - SUPPRESSION OR EMANCIPATION sites the emergence of gay male photographers who moved from the format of athletes as models, through the now famous Athletic Model Guild, Bruce of Los Angeles, George Platt Lynes, and the many anonymous images of eroticism that became readily available. The final section 1969 - 2006: ART PHOTOGRAPHERS DECLARE THEIR HOMOSEXUALITY is especially fine in examining the importance of male nudes in the marketing industry, and the infamous works of Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, John Dugdale, Jan Saudek, Pierre et Gilles, Nan Golden, Tom Bianchi, Duane Michals, Andreas Bitesnich among other preeminent artists whose images are now widely collected by museums and the general public.
   
   Borhan is assisted by Olivier Saillard and Gilles Mora in editing and researching this excellent book. If there are important omissions (where are the works of the new and important sensitive photographers such as Adam Raphael, Norm Yip, John Sonsini and Lyle Ashton Harris to name but a few?), there are more than a small number of photographers whose works will be new to the viewer. The quality of reproduction is top notch and the paper is the finest. On the cover is an image of Jean Marais, the lover of Jean Cocteau, whose face and body helped to bring serious attention to the subject of this excellent survey. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 07



4. Large format book with thoughtful chronologically organized history and a great range of photographs illustrating male nude photography and the increasingly "out" elements of both the subjects and the photographers. By no means emphasizing either frontal nude or erotic compositions, but rather (refreshingly) the ART of photography within the gay male perspective. Some classic and well-known photographs, but a great many you will not have seen elsewhere and will appreciate in terms of the range of subject, lighting and composition.

No comments about Three: The Art of the Menage a Trois.

1 comments about Barbara Morgan (Aperture Masters of Photography).

1. During 1935-41 Barbara Morgan Photographed dancers in New York City and Bennington, I liked very much the pictures
   of Anna Sokolow, Martha Graham, Pearl Primus, Valerie Bettis, Merce Cunningham, Jose Limon, Charles Weidman,
   and Doris Humphrey that are included in this book.

4 comments about Photographing Architecture and Interiors.

1. A retrospective of the photographer's work, not useful as a guide to how to. And of kinds of buildings we're not likely to photograph today. Didn't help me with clues to photographing interiors.



2. Shulman was the master. The guy was lucky enough to breed the fresh air of modernism and make the most of it throughout his career. The study of his photographs is therefore mandatory for any contemporary architecture photographer and any insight into his work is a gift. This book is such a gift, although most of the techniques highlighted are definitely outdated. Personally I found revealing the case study illustrated at the end of the book. Buy it for the insights, leaving technique to other sources.



3. I learned a lot from this book. The only problem is that I was under the impression that it was updated, but it isn't really, and it was originally published in 1962. The only new information is an intro by Shulman and an interview with him. So, although his explanations and examples taught me a lot about light, use of camera movements and the trade of the architectural photographer, and there are many fantastic photos (of course), I found myself skimming through several sections which give completely outdated information on things like proper flash bulb size, modern new light meters (from the 50s) and places to publish photos (like Life magazine).



4. I'm a professional photographer, still young, and I work mainly with architectural subjects; well, this book is one of the most astonishing and well written I've ever read. All the photographs are simply wonderful, explanations are useful, too. This is a book I always like to read and read it again. Shulman made the history of architectural and interiors photographing, and his photographs are still so amazing, effective and at the time simple to be "read", that you only learn from each shot. The notes about the composition and lighting are, nowadays, still solid milestones to be mastered from beginners to pros. I strongly suggest this book !!

5 comments about Digital Fashion Photography.

1. it was a good book but I would have liked more it if they told you how to photograph men as well women and not just women.



2. If you're looking for a book about digital fashion photography this is NOT the book. If you're looking for a book about the fashion photography business this IS the book. I was so disappointed when I received this. The book is filled with beautiful fashion shots but not a single word about how any of these photographs were achieved. If you want to learn to be a fashion photographer I'd suggest Jennifer Bidner & Eric Bean's "The Lighting Cookbook for Fashion and Beauty Photography," Cathy Joseph's " Outdoor Lighting: Fashion & Glamour," or Roger Hicks & Frances Shultz's "Photographing People: Portraits, Fashion, Glamour."



3. This is a goregeous book. There are pages and pages of full page pics of scantilly or seductively clad models.
   
   On the other hand the rest of the "technical" info could have fit on about 20 pages -- the rest are pics showing off the author's portfolio and to seduce the --probably-- most male reader.
   
   The authors does show some of his camera toys, but says little about setting things up or exposure info etc.



4. Finally, a book containing actual fashion compaigns shot in the right decade and not a single lighting diagram in sight! This book appears to have polarised reviewers -- some love it because it allows advanced photographers to tune their techniques toward fashion and doesn't assume the reader is a beginner, and others hate it because they are beginners and need a lot more handholding. The whole premise of the book is to describe the basics and then practice and experiment. Some reviewers ask for more detail but if the authors described every image, the book would be 1000 pages long.
   
   Overall, if you can't work out what F5.6 at 10 feet, ISO100 with two Elinchroms with Octadomes and a ring flash with a soft diffuser mean, or worse, you can't afford at least a Canon 1Ds Mark II or Nikon D2x and the aforementioned lighting, then buy another book.
   
   Ken Tan's discussion in this book is also useful for photographers who want to know how to break in to the business by building relationships with clients, models and a team of stylists. The author at the start of the book clearly flags that actually being able to take good photos is only a fraction of the digital fashion photography game.
   
   And for all non-male and non-middle aged readers, Dan Howel's shots in the book are actually quite tacky and barely qualify as fashion photographs. Perhaps the authors should consider doing a separate book for "glamour".



5. This book is not worth the paper printed on. It did not feature diagrams to lighting setups. was very broad and too simplistic.Beautiful photographs, but no analyzation or break down on how the photos were done. Lacking in description of technique and know how. If you want to look at beautiful photographs and have a another coffee table book of photographs...buy this. other wise don't throw good hard earned money away.

4 comments about Jeremiah: A Romantic Vision.

1. jeremiah is a very special book done by an unbelievable artist with the most beautiful watercolor drawings of rooms of famous people. There are very few people if any, who can do watercolor painting the way Jeremiah does. Enjoy this book for the beautiful art work, which you will not see very often.



2. If you enjoy the early 60's aesthetic of the wealthy this is a fantastic book. Really gorgeous designs of a great designer at his best.



3. Previously I had viewed some of the material in various magazines and was eager to see more of Mr. Goodman's work. This book does not disappoint. As an interior designer I have always admired the art of "rendering." The book is a treasure to be enjoyed over and over again.



4. Mr. Goodman's remarkable talent to paint a portrait of an interior as lush, dramatic, grander than grand was clearly sought after by a legion of society's most celebrated style icons. Like the American painter John Singer Sargeant, Mr. Goodman's confident handling of paints thrusts the viewer into a world of impossible glamour. Environments that boasted the highest ceilings,gleaming marble floors, heavy gold frames,crystal ornaments, rare fabrics covering museum worthy pieces of furniture and forests of exotic plants all bathed in the most dramatically dappled sunlight easily, happily, transports the viewer to a dreamy never never land.We're talking rooms dressed to impress and then some!Homes belonging to high-style mavens like screen goddess-Greta Garbo,society designer- Bill Blass and the boy-crazy shutterbug who eroticized the male form in the public imagination, Mr. Bruce Weber. There's a history lesson here of decorating styles through the mid 20th century of both public and private settings. But the strength of the book is the spectacular painting technique and the rich, romantically luxurious point of view of the gifted artist, Mr.Goodman. In the 21 century world thats devoid of any masterful illustrations in the popular press, to see such skilled, dreamy, visionary work is a special treat indeed.

1 comments about Keep Your Eyes Open: The Fugazi Photographs of Glen E. Friedman.

1. I bought this for a friend and it came in great condition and great photos!! A Christmas gift not forgotten.