5 comments about The Magic of Digital Nature Photography (A Lark Photography Book).

1. I enjoyed this book and got a lot of good information out of it. The writing style is good and the photos are very nice.
   
   I would say this makes a nice digital compliment to Shaw's Field Guide and Focus on Nature books.



2. If you are looking for a helpful book on nature photography, keep looking. This book's focus is not on technique (or even nature photography) but mostly on gear and simplistic ABCs.
   
   55% of the book is photos. None of the photos give detail of how it was shot or any twist on a technique used. This drops the page count from 207 pages to 93 functional pages. The first 61 pages offer nothing different than that of a camera's manual on shutter speed, white balance, etc. More wasted space is used on "gear" about tripods and cameras. Doing the math, we are now down to 66 pages. This process continues to where we have just a few pages that may offer some value.
   
   Much of the remaining reduction comes in wasted space on "gear" which Sheppard rehashes multiple times. This book's only purpose would be to get someone not the slightest interested in photography to perhaps spark an interest. For any photographer at any level, the book offers nothing than what you find on camera manufacturer websites and manuals inside camera boxes. It is so basic that even beginners would be hard pressed to learn much. In the end, you are left wondering where the pages are about nature photography. Look elsewhere in Amazon for more suitable photography books.



3. This book is excellent for photographers wanting to expand their capabilities and improve their technique. It provides great ideas and examples for taking your photographs to the next level.



4. This book has taught me so much about exposure and everything you need to take a beautiful nature photo. I recommend to everyone....beginner to professional.



5. At first glance, the book is amazing. It is very well written with all sorts of useful advice. It is useful for a beginner, but he never sounds as if he is talking down to anyone. It has plenty of more technical advice for the more advanced, but it never becomes overwhelming. And the photos are simply amazing.
   
   But... I do have one problem with the book, and it is fairly glaring to me. As amazing as the photos are, the author makes little to no attempt to tie them into the text. There is no attempt to use the photos as a way to explain difficult or confusing topics. It is almost like the author wrote the entire book and then simply added a bunch of photos randomly throughout the text. Photographers by nature are visual learners. It would have been much more helpful if the author had use the photos to teach us and let the text add the details instead of relying so heavily on the text itself.
   
   The end result is that many times the beautiful photos seem more of a distraction than helpful examples. This book is very good, but it easily could have been so much better.

1 comments about Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want to Believe.

1. The book doesn't do the exhibit justice but the still shots of the video art are worth owning the book as the videos aren't available online.

5 comments about Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual.

1. This book is the most complete manual on a very useful program. I have yet to encounter a question this book does not fully answer.



2. I like the book, but currently have a library copy for my reference. I have only one negative comment. When the author starts to describe an action or step, suddenly she will veer off on a tangent, leaving me wondering where the rest of the text is ....oh, there it is, 2-3 paragraphs later. She really wants you to know all she does about Elements. I will be purchasing my own copy shortly regardless as I do think it is probably the best on the subject



3. This book is written so well and makes learning PhotoShop Elements much easier. If I had to depend on the instructions that came with the software I would still be in the dark. If you purchase it, you will not be disappointed.The color pictures in the book are also a welcome addition.



4. This book is a wonderful reference manual but it really isn't for a person who is new to PSE5. A definate must for experienced PSE5 users, but if you are looking for a quick and dirty "how to" guide then maybe this book isn't the best one for you....but you will benefit from it later when you are ready to dig deeper into the features and facilities offered.



5. This is the most comprehensive "manual" for Photoshop Elements 5 that I have seen. I looked at "Classroom in a Book" (Adobe)- good, and "The Photoshop Elements 5 Book" by Scott Kelby - better but the "Manual" is best. It is written in simple to understand terms. I would recommend it for beginners. Advanced users can use "The Manual" as a reference.

No comments about Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)).

5 comments about The Complete Guide to Night and Low-Light Photography.

1. I found this book both very interesting and very helpful. There is a good amount of technique specific information as well as supporting photographs. There are amazing photographs to be taken by just using a tripod and the Bulb setting on the camera. The only downside is the book was published before digital photography really started to take off so all the information is presented using film and film cameras as the media. An updated version of this book could be useful.



2. As above its a very nice book, most of the topics will work for digital cameras, but its not aimed at digital cameras. Hopefully it will be updated one day.
   
   For the digital age its missing HDR photography and Software post processing and image manipulation
   
   it does mention digital cameras, but they take up 1/2 of one page in the book, and the cameras they talk about have "mega pixel" imaging. A far cry from todays 10 and 12 megapixel cameras.



3. I received an email about a new edition of this book coming out the 18th of March .
   I ordered it .
   Today I got an email saying I would arrive Friday or Saturday [ today ]
   It came today . It's the 2006 version - it's the same as the other copy I have .
   This book is mainly for film and very little on Digital cameras .I wanted some more information on Digital .
   I'm not sending back but won't be buying from this writer and try to find same stuff on a different web site .



4. This book is split into chapters dealing with different subjects relating to low light photography. All the chapters are easy (and fun) to read, and the pictures are great. But what I like best about this book is that it will give you very specific advice. It's not some dull, try-until-you-get-it-right advices, but it will tell you exactly which aparture and shutter speed to use in a given situation. Why doesn't everybody do it this way?



5. I have to agree with anybody who has a negative review about this book. The author clearly wanted only to portray his "artwork" and make money off it by writing this useless book. Even a novice photographer like myself could get nothing worth while out of it. I am extremely disappointed in my purchase and I wasted a lot of money considering I have not even a handful of new knowledge to show for it. If you want to "learn" and get your moneys worth than I suggest spending your dollar on any of the Amherst Media books.

5 comments about A Privileged Life: Celebrating Wasp Style.

1. I found this book disappointing. it is a very shallow superficial look at a really interesting subject. It goes into no depth whatsoever, and the only wasps she knows anything about or portrays are her small new england family. It seems to be a strictly commercial try at making a little money with virturaly no real research or information.



2. The bookstore owner and I thought it was a parody, especially given the cover photograph. We paged through this book looking for evidence of humor or perhaps even depth in the analysis of the privileged life. We found neither.



3. This book came fast, and was in perfect shape! Service couldn't have been better.



4. This book breaks the cardinal rule of WASP style-- discretion! The book is basically all about the author, how very WASPy her upbringing was, and what paragons of style her various family members were. As if being born in a rich New England family was some sort of personal achievement. I agree with another reviewer that it could have been really interesting minus the self-absorption and plus information to make it relevant to readers who aren't personal friends of the author or her family-- some discussion of history, architecture, design and so on. As it is, flipping through for five minutes at the bookstore or library should be plenty to get the full effect, there's no need to buy the book.



5. I think the editor and the author had one too many G&T's when they thought up the name for this book. It's more of an obituary than celebration. But go ahead and take of a look at it ( borrow unless you want something as embarassing as this on your coffee table); especially since it has the stunning photo of C.Z. Guest, at her prettiest, on the cover. That is really what this book is -- nice photos of (sometimes attractive) waspy-looking people looking like they are having a good time. Admittedly, we all love to look at family and celebrity photos. However, textual content disappoints: it is thin and boils down to the whistfulness/bemoaning of times gone side-by-side with photos(but we all KNOW why there are no images of women in those days gone by at Yale/Harvard/Princeton and no images of people of color except that Ralph Lauren advertisement shot). There are historical/social realities that the author and the book requires us to have amnesia about in order to elevate the lifestyle (and the supposed instrinsic virtures that go along with it) portrayed in this book. This lifestyle, devoid of any consciousness, is depicted as admirable and its merits attributed to the Privileged as defined by the author. It is curious that the author seems to want to claim some Hollywood icons (who couldn't be more remotely a member of her set) as one of her own. But this is her book afterall, and she was able to talk some publisher into producing it. I recommend you buy The Preppy Handbook by Birnbaum, et al. -- a lot more fun and astute, written by real smart kids (at the time) -- they intuited what was on its way "out" would only endure and continue to inspire if everybody thought they could get in.

5 comments about Photographer's Guide to Yellowstone and the Tetons.

1. This is a very helpful book when photographing Teton and Yellowstone. I was able to decide exactly what equipment to pack prior to the trip and it was exactly what I needed.



2. Good pointers for each geographic location.
   
   Could be updated to add digital photography tips, but my long experience enabled me to accommodate for that.



3. I would have given the Photographers Guide to Yellowstone & the Titons a 5 Star Rating if there was an index in the back of the book for easy reference while out in the field. It is difficult trying to remember what page the subject that your looking at is on. That being said, it is still a good reference book on the area and I do not regret buying it.



4. I bought this book to take along on a vacation trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons in mid-June 2007. I found it to be a great source to take photos of often photographed natural icons at different views and angles as well as some shots that the average traveler would not know about without this book. For instance I would not have known about the great shots that can be taken of the Mormon Row Barns with the Tetons in the background without this book. Perhaps more seasoned photographers may know about these different places but I for one would not have had a clue. I would have ended my vacation with the same shots of Yellowstone and the Tetons that everyone else has. The book took me off the beaten path where I got some great shots and expierenced the pleasures of getting away from the main road.
   
   Other valuable information was the instructions on what time of day is best to shoot a certain shot, tips about exposure, and valuable tips about using filters that made my pictures stand out.
   
   The book was concise, accurate, and very easy to follow and understand for an novice like me.



5. A caveat: I am a total amateur who takes pictures only during the one or two annual vacations using very simple equipment!
   
   I just came back after 5 days at YS and GT parks. I was very impressed by how accurate Joseph's suggestions were -- in terms of the preferred times, angles and such to take pictures from. For example, Joseph had suggested taking pictures of the Old Faithful NOT from the benches in front of the Inn, but from the lodge side or from another angle which would include some colorful runoffs in the picture. I managed to pick up a rainbow with the waterfall from Uncle Tom's trail in my video (my still camera did nt pick it up). Other suggetsions also turned out to be as accurate and useful. More importantly, it is absolutely free of fluff and hence you can read it in a 2 hours flight to YS!
   
   When I first looked at Joseph's pictures, I felt like there was probably a tad excessive use of filters to exaggerate the contrasts (the blues appeared to me to be a bit more blue than what would have been real). I never got to verify this as the sky was grey in YS and GT when I was there! Anyways, it is just a matter of taste. If you like Joseph's results (they are stunning), you can use the detailed input he provides on the use of the polarizer and the filters. Even otherwise, his suggestions on just the spots and times to take pictures from make the book very valuable.
   
   The book is organized based on features -- waterfalls, geysers, animals and so on. That is probably useful for many. However, for family vacationers, coverage by location (Norris, West Thumb,...) would probably have been easier to use. I had to correlate the suggested times for photography from Joseph with the info I got on how to cover each location from another excellent book (YS Treasures by J Chappel).
   
   Overall, I strongly recommend the book.

3 comments about Israel Through My Lens: Sixty Years As a Photojournalist.

1. I am an advanced amateur photographer who has been photographing for almost fifty years. On reading "Israel Through My Lens" there is an immediate connection between Mr. Rubingers experiences and those of any serious photographer/photojournalist. Through his remembrances the reader not only relives the history of Israel and the Middle East in the 20th century but also the very simple joy of being a photographer, getting the good shot. This is a simple story of his life and his relationships that have led to a brilliant career as a photojournalist. I enjoyed the book because I am able to feel his excitement in getting the picture. Rubinger is not a 'god' of photography, he is simply a talented photographer who clearly describes for the rest of us the fun and excitement of photography and photojournalism. All this while telling a wonderful personal story and national history.



2. David Rubinger has laid it out as he saw it and lived it. This is a VERY personal book with little if anything held back. From his youth to the present, Rubinger gives a verbal as well as photographic picture of himself and the Sate of Israel growing up, maturing and "getting on". From his time in the British army to the horrific death of a woman he cared for deeply, this book tells it all. It is easy reading yet compelling. I was carried into a very personal environment and felt as if I were at each event, meeting each person, taking part in each "adventure". David Rubinger's life appears to be a string of wonderful and not-so-wonderful experiences. And you are right there. The country comes alive through the eyes and life of this exceptional man. I have read it twice and have given it as gifts to friends. Oh, yes, I highly recommend this book!!



3. As a photographer, I loved this book. As good as the photographs are, the writing is even better. Great stories about working as a Time photographer in the Mid East, growing up in Europe during WWII, and wonderful vignettes about Israeli leaders. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Portrait and Candid Photography: Photo Workshop.

1. I found this book (And the entire Photo workshop series) to be very helpful especially to beginning and intermediate level photography hobbyists.
   
   It assumes no previous knowledge of photography, and explains such things as f-stop and how things interact to affect exposure without being overly technical.
   
   Each chapter ends with a "Lesson" or exercise to emphasize the subject of that chapter. And being able to combine the book with the website (Free membership) to upload your lessons for group critique (Sometimes including from the author) is a good way to improve you photo skills.
   
   Note that though this is part of a series of books, there is no sequence in reading them. For that reason, there is a degree of overlap in each book.
   
   That said, you really need to be using a SLR type camera to be able to have the control of the camera that many of the exercises require. A point-and-shoot may not allow it.
   
   But for the serious hobbyist, I would say this book (and series) is worth the money and time.



2. This book is AMAZING. It's both easy and fun to read. The assignments at the end of each chapter are brilliant!



3. This is my favorite photography book by far. While I feel I have an eye for design and color, photography has always seemed intimidating to me. The author of this book, Erin Manning, writes as though she is a friend and mentor guiding you through the realm of digital photography. While digital photography may be old hat to many - especially the techno savvy - not everybody is adept (and from what I have experienced, most are not in every capacity). Erin leads us through the basics, then goes on to explain things even the most "camera competent", will find utterly engaging. Erin pulls you in and brings out the innate artist in all of us, no matter what level.....and for those of you that actually do understand the art of photography, Erin will only enlighten you more. This is an "easy read" as it is written as though a friend is speaking to you, acknowledging your expertise while giving you a boost where you need it. A great book that I will definitely pass along (and that I will constantly refer to in the future). Good job, Erin. Best of luck.



4. This is the second book of Wiley Publishing's Photo Workshop series that I've read. My first was on Composition, and I loved it! Their installment on portrait and candid photography was a close second. I've learned that these workshop books truly do stand on their own. Much like the 'Dummies' series, each book is individually authored, and as such each has a unique feel. Again like 'Dummies' books, the Photo Workshop series adheres to standards for layout and tips.
   
   The author, Erin Manning, is a full-time pro photographer in L.A. who teaches and stars in a photo how-to television series. Erin covers all the nuts and bolts of portrait shooting. What equipment is needed, and how to get by with what you have. But the best information I came away with was how to 'read' light in everyday situations. To understand how light is falling on your subject and the effect it will have. Erin says that If you get your lighting worked out early-on in a session, you're free to pay attention to your subject. I like Erin's philosophy of identifying the key attributes of a person and bringing those qualities out in their photos.
   
   Portrait and Candid Photography is another great 'course-in-a-book from Wiley. It might be a bit basic for the intermediate to advanced user. I give it four out of five.



5. I had a problem: I was hired by a top ad agency to be their in-house A/V specialist, and while the job included things I'm good at like editing and videography, it also called for me to use a digital SLR and I never mastered the disposable point-n-shoot. I knew I could take pictures of landscapes, sunsets, and bowls of fruit because those things are patient and don't mind if you take hundreds of shots trying to get the exposure correct. I had an urgent need to learn how to fake a portrait and snap a fast candid shot, so I got this book. It is amazing! It's well written, covers everything from soup to nuts, and has some great real-world examples. It doesn't insult its readers by talking down to us, but it isn't full of jargon like most of my video manuals are.
   
   I realize I'm probably the exception to the rule - I know how to use a digital SLR now and I do it professionally everyday, yet I still need a book like this to give me some pointers to improve my shots. I know that the primary audience for this book is the aspiring amateur, but I'm very pleased that it's written in a way that is approachable for photographers of all levels. I'm going to be keeping this book in my collection.
   
   As an aside, soon after I bought this book I started dating a very nice woman who's father is a huge bird photography nut. Christmas rolls around that the book gave me some great gift ideas for him! I tell you, this book is a gold mine!

5 comments about Expressions: Taking Extraordinary Photos for Your Scrapbooks and Memory Art.

1. beautiful book, with inspiring photographs, have started to put some of the ideas into practice but still learning my way around my camera. Some more rudimentary hints on achieving some of the shots would have been useful for me, but I'm certain not everyone is as unskilled as I am at photography. This is a book to inspire a different way of looking at portrait photography and is a fantastic introduction to that.



2. I think both will enjoy the book for different reasons. As a photographer I enjoyed the images and the focus on the important parts of a photograph (the details). I think people who scrapbook will get a lot of information on how to make your scrapbooks more interesting, more detailed and how to make their images "pop" out of the book.



3. I find myself reading this book over and over again...each time picking up a different tip or technique that I can incorporate into my photography. The pictures are delightful and text easy to understand. This is one of my favorite photography books.



4. WOW, I just purchased this book last night and I've only read to page 21. (because I have been mesmerized by the wonderful photography) I cannot say enough good things about what I had read thus far. I have many photography books however this will be the one that rarely stays on the shelf. It is a easy read while still giving definition to those important photography technical details. Like the introductions says if you are looking for photos of landscapes or hummingbirds you have the wrong book. If you are a mother or love children this book is for you. You do not need to be a serious photographer to purchase this book. And at the same time you can still learn things if you are a professional. (at least from the creative aspects)
   
   In closing if I could I would give this 10 stars! Way to go Donna and Allison!



5. Congratulations to these two ladies for putting together one of the BEST books on heartfelt photography that I have seen. It's definitely centered on family life and children, so if you're looking to shoot landscapes you might want to go elsewhere.
   
   Their new take on the 5 S's of Compostion and 4 M's of lighting are well illustrated with images and precisely detailed with words. Easy to remember, too.
   
   The only way you could not benefit from this book would be not to read it! It's beautifully laid out, so scrapbookers will be inspired and equally well photographed so photographer will love it also.
   
   Thank you Donna and Allison! When is your next book coming out?