1 comments about L.A.Bondage: Dave Naz Photographs.

1. Dave Naz is sticking to a formula that works - and it's paying off for him. Like his previous books (Fresh, Legs, Panties, and Lust Circus), L. A. Bondage is populated with attractive, glamorous young ladies who are willing to strut and pose in in accord with his fetish-flavored vision. Beauty plays as big a role here as does the bondage element. Even when his subjects are tied-up and hoisted into trees, they seem light and effervescent, even delighted with their predicament. His distressed damsels are absolutely dreamy to behold - and that's very likely what Naz intended.
   
   Once again, Goliath hits a home run on production quality. This 10x7" volume is 157 pages of exquisite photography matched equally by it's flawless production.

4 comments about Adobe Photoshop for VFX Artists.

1. This is by far a very informative in-depth guide to advance on the subject of or brush up on Photoshop and VFX skills even for the amateur "that's me" and there's an ample amount of books out there to choose from. I would say that this is worth checking out.



2. As of the copy I bought this book is no longer really up to date with the latest techniques and the latest version of PS - CS2.
   As a senior Vfx artists there was some stuff of interest but it would be much better for a student than a practicing VFX artist.
   
   It is not a waste of time but it would be nice to see more on newer things like Smart objects, HDR, layer groups and alike. It would be worth checking out if there is a new edition.



3. You will make nothing cool in this book as far as examples, tutorials go, but what it will do is concentrate on solid methods you can use to get the most out of photoshop. Most content is geared toward small tweaks, processes you can use to add quality to your work. For example, most people use the unsharp mask or sharpen tools to crispen images, in addition to this, she will show you some lesser-known features such as high-pass, which may give better sharpening results in many situations. This whole book is based on stuff like that. So if you are interested in exploring lesser-known ways of going about things, then you should get it. My guess is that intermediate artists would benefit the most from this. Even beginners will get something out of it. All in all this is a good title.



4. there are hundreds of books on Photoshop but none that have been made specifically for VFX Artists. Except this one.
   VFX Artists means those that create the materials and do the mapping for 3D objects as well as Matte Painters.
   Although targeted for the intermediate to advanced user you don't have to know much about photoshop to read this book. Lopsie invests the first 92 pages to explain all the basics and make sure that everybody will be able to follow the following chapters.
   
   Part two is all about textures. She introduces her own version of a UV-testing checkerboard which is (as her example clearly shows) better suited for checking the correct alignment of all UVs than the standard black-and-white checkerboard often used for mapping-tests.
   She also explains how to create your own tileable textures from any photo, even when the tiles on the photo have been shot in a non-orthographic angle.
   She shows how to create custum brushes for dirt maps, create actions and lots more.
   
   Part three is about matte paintings. Having read that Lopsie Schwartz has been doing work for "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers", "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", and "Hollow Man" i thought that this chapter would be filled with inspiring examples of fantastic matte paintings, fantasy landscapes and so on. Well, it's not. But that's okay. If i just wanted inspiration and examples i could have ordered "the invisible art" by by Mark Cotta Vaz and Craig Barron. What she does instead might be less stunning but more valuable: she shows how to handle common tasks and problems. Such as removing unwanted elements in a photo, how to sharpen images using the highpass filter, reduce the noise, extract portions of an image, change the color of objects and scenes, merge two photos into one, change a daylight scene into a night scene (pictures on the front cover show before and after) and the list goes on ...
   
   Lopsie Schwartz has a very nice way of writing and explaining things. She also has humour. Reading the book is a joy.
   
   The book is all in color. Pictures for the exercises can be downloaded from the publisher's website.
   
   Summary:
   Adobe Photoshop for VFX Artist is a great book and covers a topic that has been left out so far, even though there are already so many books on Photoshop. It might not cover everything you need to know but i believe it's the best way for you to get started.

2 comments about Dehumanization of Art and Other Essays on Art, Culture, and Literature (Princeton Paperbacks, 128).

1. Anyone interested in Modernist aesthetics will want to have this book. Ortega y Gasset,as he does in all his books and essays, captures the historical progression of ideas better than anyone else of his generation. Whether your interested in Modernist art or poetry(European or American), this book will help to elucidate important intellectual currents and better able you to challenge and explore many of the underlying philosophical and aesthetic constructs that influenced Ortega y Gasset's "generation[s]"



2. Ortega y Gasset was not just another philosopher. He's a thinker that raised philosophy to the level of art. As such, his analysis of art is a work of art by itself. His insights into aesthetics are overwhelming and inexhaustable. This book is not just a book about art; it's a vast meditation on modern human condition. Before one reads any art criticism one should read this one so that one will taste the truth of the art. Ortega y Gasset writing reminds us that contemporary art critic is so dull and out of touch with its subject. After reading Ortega's book one would have difficulties reading any other art critique.

No comments about California: A Visual Journey.

1 comments about National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Travel (NG Photography Field Guides).

1. The Nat. Geo. Photography Field Guide is, unfortunately, too large to be a true field guide and too small to provide enough information to be worth the price. Many of the tips are easily found in other publications. The quality of print is great, but I question a field guide that is too large and heavy to take into the field. I think they missed a bet in not going to a larger format and providing more photos and more information. Trying to be all things to all people seldom works well.

No comments about Anton Corbijn: In Control, a diary.

No comments about Dior by Dior.

5 comments about Marilyn Monroe.

1. My wife loves this book. Very nice photos and stories. Extremely pleased.



2. Man these are gorgeous photos. Marilyn is that rare bird that created some of the best photos ( I don't want to call them photos more like art pieces) ever! I disagree w/ the reviewer K.S. Pettry about Monroe being a sociopath, first of all a "sociopath" has no conscious so let's get our facts straight. Hey the woman, was HUMAN and complex, and to try and pin her down and label her to make ourselves feel comfortable is futile. Eve Arnold's prose is very astute and right on,and not in the least syrupy or trite. I mean everyone has their own opinion, but unless this particular reviewer knew both women, I'd hesitate before I'd call Ms. Arnold a hanger-on. All in all a gorgeous book, a feast for the eyes.



3. It seems as if every maid, massuse, hair dresser, photographer, etc, who ever knew Monroe became her best life long buddy who had a special place in Monroe's heart (according to Bert Stern, Monroe all but fell in love with him during his famous shoot). This book is no exception.
   
   The text of this book is the same tired old Monroe worship. You will read the same prose about Monroe's etheral angelic fragility, her profound effect on people, her inner and outer glow and tragic insecurities. You will read of what a student she was of the camera and of what a natural she was. Some real revelations. Why are people so afraid to admit that along with being the biggest, most elusive, enigmatic icon who ever lived, Monroe was a sociopath with hygiene problems. So what if she didn't like soap. So what if she was notorious for using people then shutting them out of her life. I mean, the girl wasn't perfect. It's imperfections that are the most interesting. You won't get any of that here.
   
   There are however, some fresh photographs not published a million billion times like the Stern and Milton Greene pictures. But, Arnold thinks so much of her narratives that she doesn't have the courtesy to caption the photographs. Instead of a caption with the photographs, you get a flowery, wordy, overwrought, analysis of the circumstances surrounding the photographs prior to each section.
   
   For the two dozen or so, fresh photos I would definitely recommend this book. There are some beautiful pictures, many in color. Aside from that, it is just another book written by a Monroe hanger on who used her for self promotion.



4. This new printing of Eve Arnold's book is exquisite.
   Not only do we see some of the best Marilyn photos ever captured, but Ms. Arnold's text also provides a loving, articulate, and rare personal insight into the real, true Marilyn.
   
   In addition to her superb camera work, Eve Arnold shows that she is also an erudite, poetic and amusing journalist, allowing her readers an unparalled and honest view into the Marilyn Monroe persona.
   
   I love this book !!



5. 
   In her touching introduction actress Anjelica Huston writes: "Here are gentle portraits of a ravishing child-woman - feline, innocent, anxious, trusting, sad, sweet, passionate and funny...." Quite true.
   
   Photographer Arnold and Monroe enjoyed a ten-year friendship, in fact, interestingly enough, the two met at a party given by actress Huston's father, John Huston. At the time Monroe was still a relative unknown but was intrigued by photographs Arnold had taken of Marlene Dietrich. These were unposed photos not at all like the studio-lit, formal shots so popular. Monroe wanted Arnold to do the same for her. As this volume reveals, Arnold did it beautifully.
   
   1n 198 pages we find photos of Monroe primarily beginning on Long Island in 1952 and concluding with shots of the filming of "The Misfits" in 1960 and an appointment with hairdresser Kenneth in 1961.
   
   Of course, Monroe was a sex symbol yet these photographs by Arnold reveal not only her sexuality but her vulnerability, her humor and her amazing natural beauty.
   
   This is a new edition of the 1987 volume, and includes 28 previously unseen photos. It's a must-have for Monroe fans and cinema buffs alike.
   
   - Gail Cooke

5 comments about The Most Beautiful Villages of England.

1. This book could well be called "Churches in the Villages of England." Of the two or three photographs per village, one or two are of the local church. Interesting as these may be, I was looking for pictures of the houses, streets, and squares of the villages, as well as the countryside that surrounds them.



2. Non of these villages are very beautiful to me.
   But then beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.



3. Im taking a trip to England this summer and this book helped me decide what villages to see. Beautiful pictures!!



4. I bought this book recently and it was worth every penny. If you love England, this is the book for you. The pictures are just beautiful. Having lived in England for a few years, it brings back many wonderful memories. I would recommend it to anyone!



5. I bought this book because I am obsessed with England and wanted a coffee table book that portrayed that. The photographs in this book are gorgeous, exemplifying the beauty of England and the villages within. Of course, this book makes me want to travel to the UK and explore all of these historic villages!

No comments about The Trench Book.