No comments about Workbook for Black & White Photography.

5 comments about Photoshop 7 Artistry (Voices (New Riders)).

1. Excellent book on Photoshop. There are many books out there which spend to much time going over the obvious but this book differs from that in its approach. If you are a beginner I probably wouldnt recommend this book, but if you have some experience with Photoshoop you will find this book an excellent way to extend yourself. Easy to read and well layed out. The book has a quality feel and is full of useful information...Highly recommended...



2. This is the best Photoshop book I have read. Its subtitle, "Mastering the Digital Image," says it all.

   As one works through the step-by-step exercises and tutorials, the serious photographer begins to understand the complex relationship between the Photoshop tools.

   Tutorials are explained in a simple and straightforward fashion. The explanations are grounded in reality, but offer a doorway to understanding the program's theoretical basis.

   The book is not cheap, but it is a tremendous aid in unlocking Photoshop's potential.




3. It's true. The book is packed with detailed information. But it's mostly the information that I do not care to know or already know. I guess I shouldn't have bought this book because I primarily wanted to know about color correction. So I read about color correction from this book, and I was surprised yet disappointed when not much info on how to write Curves were included. The methods of using Level to correct a picture are rather simple and for beginners only. The before and after pictures are not that big of a difference compared to other books I read.



4. This is a comprehensive guide to the use of Photoshop for the production of photo art. It covers clearly just about everything you need to know to turn your scanned or digital pictures into publishable images on paper. I've followed this series since Photoshop 5 Artistry and it continues to be an extremely valuable reference and tutorial for me. There's a lot of material here and it can be intimidating but I guarantee that you'll be an accomplished Photoshop user if you follow the advice and techniques from this book.

   I would also recommend as a complementary book Scott Kelby's 'The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers'.




5. This book is amazing. It is written for and by a photographer. I've had the book for only a few days and I am already doing things that seemed complex in just a matter of moments. I can't express how happy I am with this book purchase. It was the perfect book for me and anyone else that wants to work with digital photographs.

2 comments about Natural Patagonia / Patagonia natural: Argentina & Chile.

1. Photos are so, so... after visiting Patagonia live, just awesome, its people and gastronomy superb, definitely recommended, book and visit!!



2. When I think of Patagonia, I think of the Natural Wonders of a place that has seen little human intervention. This book has magnificent pictures and in interesting text about the geography and wildlife of Patagonia.

No comments about 15 Minutes of Fame: Becoming a Star in the YouTube Revolution.

No comments about Richard Ross: Architecture of Authority.

5 comments about Scrapbooking Your Pets: 200 Page Designs.

1. Any scrapbook idea book that has something else besides kids in the layouts deserves at least three stars. I gave this four because the layouts are beautiful and I got several ideas for pages about my cat. The reason why I didn't give it full five stars was that I was hoping for more pet quotes and inspiring text. Also I felt other than stark white background would have complemented the layouts better. However definitely worth the money.



2. I really love scrapbooking my dog Wesley. He loves to have his picture taken and poses quite well for me. I am always looking for great page ideas and this book provided me with what I was looking for. I also like how it covered other animals also as my family goes to our zoo at least once a year. Thanks for all the great ideas once again.



3. I absolutely love all the layouts presented in this book. Some great ideas - even just for taking photos. I also loved reading the journalling which reinforced how much we love our pets. I would (and have) recommended it to all my scrapbooking friends.



4. This is a wonderful book! So many great illustrations to review & get examples from.



5. My pets are dogs. I absolutely loved the page layouts in this book. They were stylish and imaginative. Very "current" layouts and some great ideas.
   I also recently bought "Its All About Pets And Animals (Memories in the Making Scrapbooking)", but this book by Stacey Panassidi had much better pages in my opinion. More dogs!!
   
   The one thing I would like to see more of is ideas regarding colors of pages for dogs. Dogs come in many, many colors and it is not always easy to figure out what color pages to use to feature your pet. Otherwise this was a GORGEOUS great book.

3 comments about The Exotic Plumeria, a pictorial, Volume 1.

1. The author is one in all: a photographer, a writer and a graphic designer. He is great with photography but writing and book designing should be left for a professional. Book is unorganized. Not enough descriptions for each varieties. Chapters jump around. Page layout is very amateurish. This should not have been a book but a PowerPoint slides show instead.



2. This is the best book yet for plumeria photo's that are true to life, the pictures are that good it makes you almost want to bend down and smell the pages. This is a must have for every plumeria lover and it will be well read once you do get a copy, especially if you have it on your coffee table. Even non plumeria growers will enjoy the photo's in these pages, they are just so vibrant , anyone that has an interest in flowers will be nothing short of amazed and find it hard to put down, I know I did.



3. All I can say is that this is the most fabulous book ever published on plumeria. The photography is absolutely outstanding. These pictures could very easliy be framed with great pride. It is obvious no cost was spared, down to very heavy paper stock the book is printed on. Great job and keep them coming.

5 comments about Photoshop Elements 2 Solutions: The Art of Digital Photography.

1. Couldn't go another day without thanking you for this great "Photoshop Elements 2 Solutions" Book. After completing half of the Books Photo Exercises which gives the simplest, precise way to acheive the best professional results, I've finally learned Photoshop. This has evaded me for years spent on other learning programs. I just couldn't understand how the layers related and applied to each other for the background or how to work on them to get a final finish quality photo. The exercises were easy and understandable and fun to learn. Plus all those Plug-Ins on the CD.
   Thanks,
   Satisfied Customer.



2. Excellent book. Gives you step by step instructions on how to do some neat things with your digital photos.



3. I bought this book expecting the enclosed CD to be a full tutorial. It is not. If you read far enough into the fine print it does say it is a trial (read demo) copy. To my sorrow I didn't see this; all I read was "100 before images" and "follow along with the book". Sounds great, but what you get is software that shows you what the real thing WOULD do if you bought it. Legal but morally reprehensible.



4. This is a wordy introduction to Elements 2. Mr. Aaland provides a good rationale for improvement with photographs and how they may be accomplished. This is important - as it is not immediately obvious what improvements need to be made to a photograph when starting out in digital photography.

   However, his approach is wordy - and you have to plough through a lot of (unnecessary) text to go through the individual steps. Some people like wordy explanations, others a more visual guide to a visual medium.

   Secondly, and this is a personal feeling, it is clear that Mr. Aaland makes his living by writing computer manuals and not in graphics or as a photographer. The photographs supplied on the CD and in the book are of the mundane snapshot variety. This may be fine if you are simply working on mundane snapshots - however, for me (and I am sure others), I am looking for approaches to improve more artistic photographs. (If you are looking for help with this and you are visiting the UK, I recommend you buy a copy of Digital Photo magazine [not Digital Photography or other similarly named magazines] - you will get a lot of clearly, explained advice there).

   So a mixed bag. If you are looking for a reasonable comprehensive 'textbook' on PE2 then consider this. If you are through the basics and are looking for a deeper explanation of advanced features and artistic management, then I suggest you look elsewhere. For me, the book falls short of my needs and interests and the CD photographs are disappointing.

   Hope this helps!




5. I've seen the author on TechTv explaining tips with Photoshop Elements...he's good. But, he wrote the book like you already know most things instead of a step by step approach. I've taught myself more just by using Photoshop 6.0 and Photoshop Elements through trial and error. Look for another author or go to a book store and look through one of these books to see if it will help you. This author can't even explain the red eye tool...I learned on my own. Bottom line...I threw the book in the recycling container.

1 comments about Pin-up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality, Popular Culture.

1. For anyone who doubts what a study of pin-ups might have to offer, prepare to be convinced otherwise! Buszek has composed a rich analysis of her subject, which while full of original ideas on the topic never loses sight of the fact that it's a book about pin-ups, images created to titilate and delight. The author's subtlety in interpreting the history of the pin-up, which turns out to be much longer than we might have thought, enables her to extract a number of fascinating threads which connect the genre to contemporary feminist art. It is a compelling and novel approach on a fascinating, under-researched topic. Buszek leaves her reader with a deeper understanding of the pin-up as a genre and of the feminist movement overall. A must-read for anyone interested in either topic, not to mention pop culture in general.

5 comments about Videomaker Guide to Digital Video and DVD Production, Third Edition.

1. Video production book is very creative and fun to read. Ray West from Rayscorner fame is also another rare source of brilliance.



2. Great compilation of Videomaker articles!! These are written by the pros, and each one shows that the research and experience of the author come to bear on the subject at hand. The tone is generally light-hearted but often heavy on details, both of which I love. It's easier to read than you would imagine. And the breadth of topics is substantial. As a first-timer doing research, this was great. The only shortfall is that it needs to be updated - several topics were behind the times (cost and availability of media like P2 storage cards for Panasonic HD camcorders, for example). Of course, these high-tech gigs change so quickly that it would be difficult to publish often enough to keep up. And you can always visit their website to get the latest info, which I do constantly.



3. I wanted a book that would help my amateur videography skills. I decided to go with the Videomaker Guide based on its original Amazon rating, and the history of Videomaker magazines.
   
   I found a lot of useful information in the book that I'm just starting to use such as lighting, filters, sound, and shooting angles. I've already started to apply the information from the book into a music video and a short film. So far, the information has been a plus, and I've used the book for reference to expand my amateur knowledge.
   
   A minor negative on the book was that some chapters (back-to-back) seemed to state the same message. Although they were written with different examples, the same points were expressed.
   
   A major negative on the book is that most technology and software that was referred to are about 3+ years behind. I was thinking some chapters might be updated to reflect the future of DVD production and using updated software video editing programs. However, there were no updated chapters. Lucky for me, most of my current knowledge of video editing is with today's software programs and hardware.



4. I have not finished this book completely, but so far...so good. This book literally seems to cover every aspect of production. Whether you're fresh out of school or well established in the business, this is a great book to keep on hand.
   
   Go for it.



5. This book is excellent and extremly helpful. It is a great introductin to digial video production. The book is comprised of many short articles that give you all the ins-and-outs production. I use this book in my digital video editing class, it's a great reference!