1 comments about William Albert Allard: The Photographic Essay (American Photographer Master Series).

1. The great thing about this photo book is that Allard provides you with a continous dialogue along with the photos about how he got the shots, what was going on, etc. As an amateur photographer, I was extremely inspired by "The Photographic Essay" to continue my photographic exploits with renewed vigor.

   The pages of "The Photographic Essay" come alive with photos from Mississippi, the Basques, Out West, Oaxaca, Mexico, Peru, and Australia. Allard focuses on human emotion and tends to go for photos that other photographers wouldn't attempt--ones where lighting conditions are poor and in situations that others wouldn't get into like Allard does. The result is a rich, vibrant, honest mood.

   I would recommend this book to anybody interested in photography, National Geographic magazine, or cultural studies.

5 comments about Raw Workflow from Capture to Archives: A Complete Digital Photographer's Guide to Raw Imaging.

1. This book is a very good source if you are a serious amateur-professional photographer jumping into digital. If you are going to manage hundreds of files, this book will give you an idea about what would work best depending on your needs. It will aslo walk you through softwares you can use. It is written in an simple and understandable language. I highly reccomend it.



2. I am still at the beginning of the book but initial impression is as follows:
   Pro: quality print & illustrations, good explanations, easy read, well laid-out, good software coverage
   Con:At times more depth would be good i.e. more technical detail for people really interested. Current level perfect for most people.
   Key complaint - American English - for example: gonna,yer chance, et cetera - why not use proper English.



3. Surprisingly, there are few if any books that cover RAW workflow these days; so any book that covers this important subject for the digital photographer is to be welcomed. Not surprisingly though, Focal Press have been the first to fill the niche with this excellent guide written collaboratively between Philip Andrews, Yvonne Butler, and Joe Farace. The book covers all subjects RAW, from capturing images through to archiving them. The initial chapter is aimed at the newcomer to RAW imaging, explaining what RAW is, the various formats, and the advantages and disadvantages of using it. In addition, for the beginner there is a chapter outlining the step by step procedure for capturing your first RAW images. There are two whole chapters devoted to getting the most out of Adobe Camera RAW, one for Elements users and one for CS/CS2 users. These chapters are probably the most informative and helpful I have read on the subject, with clear descriptions and examples of what each of the controls in the software do. Camera manufacturers' own RAW conversion software is also discussed, along with "Third Party" converters like Capture One and Pixmantec Rawshooter. The chapter discussing how to establish your own RAW workflow is also very helpful for beginner and more experienced alike. The "new kids on the block", when it comes to processing RAW files i.e. Lightroom from Adobe and Aperture from Apple are covered in some depth, again very informatively. These two pieces of software are the future of RAW image processing, as they allow you to perform the entire workflow using only the RAW image. The final two chapters give some useful advice on organising your images and suggestions on archiving them. This book is again of the same high standard that Focal Press is renowned for, with full colour throughout, clear screenshots and examples in abundance. For those new to RAW imaging you will find a mine of helpful information here to guide you through an oft-perplexing subject. The book's skill however, is to not only lead the beginner through the subject, but also to teach the more advanced user a few new tricks.



4. This book tries to capture too many products and really gives very few tips on workflow. I suggest looking else where.



5. I am not an expert, but as someone trying to improve my skills with Raw, this book definately covers the waterfront. I am very pleased. It has a very nice mix of text pictures and examples. Very easy to follow, and offers a wide choice of options for editors, setting up a workflow and covering the subject.

5 comments about Coming of Age : Photographs by Will McBride.

1. I'm one of those people who loves photography that seeks, not so much to be revelatory, but to capture a moment in time. I love photographs that allow you into the subject's mind and being in the precise moment when the picture was taken. McBride offers photos like these. There's something magical about being in that fleeting liminal space between childhood and adulthood, and McBride manages to catch and hold in black and white the beauty of that space. My favorite picture is of McBride's wife and three young sons; it's so beautiful that it brings tears to my eyes. I'm saddened to see several reviews that imply that the photos in this book -- at least those in which the subject(s) are nude -- are in some way exploitative or offensive; I don't see any such thing. This book captures and preserves boys at their most achingly ephemeral and precious.
   
   The only thing that could have made the book better would have been clearer organization. It includes photographs from larger series/sets by McBride, but there is little by way of transition between the collections. I would love to have a bit more biography about the different subjects. On the other hand, one could argue that more biography would rob the photographs of their "everyboy" quality, in which the subjects may serve as proxy for boys around the world who are, as the title implies, "coming of age." If you found offensive the recent pictures of Miley Cyrus taken by Annie Liebowitz, you will find this book offensive; for my part, I think it is a lovely book.



2. I made the mistake of ordering this book without reading any reviews. I too was expecting a book about teens becoming men but was very disturbed by see naked children fill its pages. Maybe it's just me but I don't find that kind of art appealing. I emailed the seller and asked if i could return this item and was never replied too.



3. This book was ok. It was not what I expected it to be and hoped for more pictures and more in depth study of the subjects. It was a wide generalized pictoral/essay. I dont think I would buy the book again. The front cover was very nice but not much else in it.



4. I was under the interpritation that this book would be a photograph filled book of boys becoming men the struggle of puberty and etc. But the unsettleing thing that I did not think of was there are pictures of naked children in this book. I appriciate art very much but to me naked children whether it "art" or not is till considered child pornography.



5. One of the reviewers below - interestingly the one with the longest tirade and the most misspelled words - sadly reflects the puritanical revulsion and hypocritical rebuke of so many works of art that involve male nudity. The poor guy actually exposes more of his own internal sexual disorientation than he probably realizes. His psyche is disrobed when he protests that Will McBride's photographic journal is "sexual and the only real purpose would be to get people hot and bothered."
   
   Reviewer C. Greene is obviously a true Son of the South. Shackled with so much sexual repression, he can't help but accuse Will McBride of leading him into temptation. It's really rather funny when you think of it.
   
   C. Greene's accusation that a book's intent is to get people "hot and bothered" says everything about C. Greene's internal world and nothing at all about Will McBride.

1 comments about PhotoSecrets San Diego, Second Edition: A Photographer's Guide (Photosecrets).

1. I bought "PhotoSecrets San Diego" before a trip there, and I was very pleased with it. The book has entries for essentially every major and minor sight in the greater San Diego area.
   
   As such, the book is a combination of a travel guide, and photographer's reference book. In addition to identifying sights, providing directions to them and discussing their history and background, it also offers excellent suggestions about how to capture the best vacation photos from each attraction. The entry for a location will often discuss the most photogenic features for that location, and include guidance about angles and lighting, best time of day, and technique.
   
   For certain attractions, like the Zoo, the book points out the best "photo ops," provides information about admission and tours, and offers practical advice about how to best photograph the animals.
   
   This is a solid reference book. It definitely helped me get the most out of my trip. My family also enjoyed using it as a guide for attractions, and it helped us plan our time more effectively. I'd recommend "PhotoSecrets San Diego" to any traveller, but particular to someone looking to get great vacation photos, or enjoy some amateur photography time during a trip to the area.

1 comments about World Press Photo 2006 (World Press Photo).

1. I try to buy the annual edition of this photojournalism collection every year. Even now, with the proliferation of web-based communication and international news sites at our fingertips, we don't always see some of these compelling, important images. Not only are they amazing photos, but they're accompanied by often-moving stories that explain the history behind the image and what was happening at the time it was captured. The stories aren't often told in our day-to-day news broadcasts, yet they're usually more important than the news we're actually served by the press.
   
   I've been fortunate enough to see some of these thoughtfully compiled photos in person, at exhibits in Amsterdam and Paris. If the traveling expedition doesn't make it to an area near to you, I recommend buying the World Press Photo books.

3 comments about La Danse.

1. La Danse
   The reproduction of his fantastic photos is even better than I had hoped for and the CDs are a great bonus!



2. A beautiful book with the impressionistic photography of David Hamilton. The main dance of the book is ballet, a rather nawor focus these days. Featured are mostly young, female dancers, but there are also shots of Nureyev and a few other male dancers. Finally, it differs from other David Hamilton books by featuring mostly fully-clothed dancers.



3. Do you enjoy ballet photography? Are you a fan of David Hamilton? Do you enjoy classical music? Are you a fan of Rudolf Nureyev? If you are a fan of one or all of them, you'll want to own this fine collectible publication. I recently purchased a copy and find it to be of top quality in terms of professionalism in photography.
   The original La Danse, which, I believe was published in 1974? Contained many of the same photographs which grace the pages of this up-to-date version. There's the splendid full page photographs of charming young girls in ballet, and the rare photographs of Rudolf Nureyev.
   But in the updated version, there is more, much much more. The book contains 4 Classical Ballet music cds, plus photographs from two other David Hamilton classics, Laura and Bilitis. So in many ways, this up-to-date version is much better than the original version.
   If you want to own a book of David Hamilton's at a more affordable price, La Danse will be it.

2 comments about Abelardo Morell (Monographs).

1. This is a great look at Abelardo Morell's career, full of inspiring pictures of simple ideas that have been executed flawlessly. A must for the serious black and white photographer.



2. The book is beautiful. If you like black and white photography I highly recommend it.

5 comments about Mastering Flash Photography: A Course in Basic to Advanced Lighting Techniques.

1. The book is outdated and a bit unorganized, with lot's of old stuff in it. I would not waste my time on it and therefore it went back on the shelf in a hurry, sorry.



2. While the author provided a few flash pointers, most of the information in the book is common sense. No information on digital photography either. Definitely only for very novice beginners.



3. I have to add my vote to the reviewers who consider the book pretty awful. The pictures are indeed uniformly terrible, and the content is a disorganized hodge-podge, barely succeeding in sticking to the subject of flash photography. It also seems true that there aren't many books on the subject. Attention photography writers! Here's a big opportunity for an imaginative and authoritative writer on this subject. Where are you? This is such an important and confusing topic, and of course amateur photography is burgeoning now. Surely you can outdo Ms. McCartney and rake in the dough.



4. As a photographer working with available light only, I bought this book hoping to learn to ins and out of flash photography.
   A few pages into it realized that this book wasn't the one. The first chapter covers the fundamentals of flash operation -
   how does flash work and the basic concepts to remember, and that was VERY helpful. But it was written sluggishly, which
   made the reading tiresome, confusing, and un-exciting.
   
   It's down-hill after that. I found later chapters to be off the subject, or irrelevant, or too general. For example, I didn't need to read about the difference between portrait photography and photojournalism photography, or the different style of people photography - I just wanted to know how to apply flash in both - and this information was missing, or too shallow. I had to fish for the relevant information among lots information that repeated itself but wasn't interesting, like the different types of camera that use flashes. The information I was looking for, like specific techniques and ideas, was scattered throughout the book in an unorganized matter, if at all.
   
   The sample pictures were mediocre, at best, stuff that I wouldn't even consider showing my friends... Seriously, I was surprised to find pictures like this in a photography book. I didn't learn how to take good flash pictures in different situations, I didn't learn how to apply different techniques of flash photography to take special or interesting pictures, and I didn't learn anything that my flash or camera manual wouldn't teach me.
   
   I wish I could return it to the book store, but I threw away the receipt. Very, very disappointing, not the book for anybody who has been using a camera for more than a few weeks. If this is the first time you've seen a camera, maybe. For everyone else - waste of time and money.



5. This book "Mastering Flash Photography" by a professional photojournalist and travel photographer
   (but not a wedding photographer) will teach you just about anything you want to know about how to use flash in a sophisticated way indoors and out.

   It starts at the begining and ends by showing how to set up portable flashes to give results that look as though studio strobes were used. The professional tips can easily be transferred to simpler lighting techniques for your own camera. It doesn't get any better than this when you can learn in good, clear English what you need to know. It takes the mystery out of flash and makes it as accessible as day light. A real discovery for anyone needing help on flash lighting.

5 comments about The Rolling Stones: In the Beginning.

1. This unique book follows the Stones from their earliest years as a struggling band through their early fame, as recorded by photojournalist and Stones friend Bent Rej. Many of the photos are more intimate than the typical stuff shot of the band, because Rej knew the members. The book is chronologically arranged, with sections on each individual original member as well. The text is informative and serves as a good backdrop for the photos.
   
   What amazes me is that this fifty dollar book is available on Amazon for under five bucks. What is everyone waiting for!? Jump all over this one.



2. fantastic book. Awesome pix of the Greatest Rock band ever!!! not enough WOW words to describe this book. Especially love the photos of my favortie musician ever Brian Jones!!



3. Bent certainly captured the uniqueness of Brian Jones and his Stones in this collection. Much humor was filmed that many can say is absolutely priceless! Especially Mr. Jones camping in his undergarments. Those were the days!



4. Thanks author and Bill Wyman for their work. Happy to see people from 1960-s. Think, that new volume about Brian Jones' Rolling Stones is great addition to the histiry of the Great Rock'n'roll band and to the history of the our papas and grandfathers' generation. Photos are fine. We can see them only in magazines and fanzines from early 1960s. But quality of prints is better here, in the "RS in the Beginning"



5. Great pictures, many never seen anywhere else. Essential for a Stones fan.

2 comments about A World of Rings.

1. I'm afraid to say you did a confusion regarding your Editorial Review (book description) between A WORLD OF RINGS, and a new book, which is not yet published, from the same author Anne Van Cutsem: A WORLD OF EARRINGS (November 2001). These two books have of course two different subjects despite the fact they have the same author. Thank you in advance to make the appropriate corrections in your review section.



2. First, this book has a misleading title. "Rings of Africa and Asia" would be more accurate (the few pages of rings from America hardly seem worth mentioning). I purchased this book for the library in our college jewelry lab, hopefully to inspire students with the variety of rings created around the world and throughout history. It will be looked at and enjoyed I am sure, but I am still searching for a book that would show rings from the entire world and throughout history, ancient to present. Second, in order to read the descriptions of the rings pictured, one must flip to the back of the book for details. While this makes for a beautiful coffee table type book, with great photos and no print on the page to distract, it does make it difficult to use the book as a reference. Also, many of the descriptions leave out important information, such as dates. The best descriptions include details regarding the symbolic meaning of the designs or similar information; I would have liked to have seen more of this type of content. On the plus side (the reason I give it four stars and will buy a copy for my own library)... it is a beautiful book that does present a great variety of rings from the two continents. The large collection of ethnic rings are well photographed (all in color) and presented in an artistic fashion. For this alone, I feel it is worth its modest price and recommend it despite the shortcomings I mentioned above.