4 comments about Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book).

1. I have been trying to learn HDR for the past 6 months using mainly online tutorials. This is the first book I have purchased or read on the subject. Without going into too much scientific detail the author gives a great understanding on what HDR is all about.
   
   He gives great background info on why HDR is needed, what causes noise in digital photos and a lot of information you might or might not want before he ever gets into the how-to-do part of HDR.
   
   He also compares the different programs available for HDR processing and the strengths and weakness of each program.
   
   Once he gets into the actual HDR part, he gives you pretty much all the information you might need to produce great HDR photos. He shows examples and explains how to get both 'realistic' and 'artistic' photos.
   He also shows what kind of problems you might incur with different types of scenes and how to approach and correct the problems you might encounter. He also shows how to do HDR-type processing from single images(although he says it won't get you the same 'true' HDR results.
   
   He covers many areas in which you can use HDR, including interior home photography, or, color gels, and a new technique he developed called 'flash merging', which is shooting multiple images using your flash and making an HDR photo from that. I personally think learning this new 'flash merging' technique is worth the price of the book alone.
   
   There are also some samples from great HDR photographers (but those are mainly for inspiration on what can be done, and don't offer much in the way of how-to's).
   
   If you are new to HDR and want to learn how its done, from analyzing scenes before your first image is ever captured in the camera, all the way through to final image, of if you have been doing it for a while and want to learn how to approach problem areas that are keeping your HDR photos from looking like the pros (like noise in your clouds and dark areas) then this book would be a great investment....and it's at a great price.
   
   ByronT....Tulsa, Ok



2. HDR photography solves one problem with digital photography, the inability to record an extended tonal range that captures detail in the shadows while preserving it in the highlights. Most fussing with histograms, contrast, and post-processing is simply a compromise. The techniques explored in this book can truly extend the dynamic range of your photographs, and the author provides solid advice on how to apply this tricky process.
   
   You'll find step by step instructions for capturing the dynamic range of any scene, using features found in virtually every digital camera. The photographs used as illustrations in this book are inspiring, too. I recommend this book highly.



3. Ferrell does a nice job covering the technical and then applying it to the practical. He does this with excellent examples of his own work and that of other fine HDR photographers. The book covers the basics and also the details with fine examples of the various techniques. It is obvious that McCollough is technically grounded however his is wise enough to keep the information accessible, understandable and usable. I recommend this book as it will make HDR photography understandable, usable and fun!



4. Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book) is an easy to read guide that makes HDR understandable and do-able. Unlike other books on HDR that left me thinking maybe I shoud'be gone for that rocket scientist degree after all, this one works for me. McCollough takes a relatively difficult aspect of digital photography and puts it on a level that makes me feel like I really can take perfect HDR photographs. I know I will want to refer to its informative and well done illustrations many times to fully utilize all the aspects and possibilities of this phenomenal and relatively new phase of photography. I highly recommend it!

5 comments about Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers,The (Voices That Matter).

1. An excellent, well written and presented instruction book. Easy to follow although a bit 'folksy' in its wording



2. I purchased this book from Amazon and not only got a nice discount but I also got a perfect readable book for Adobe lightroom. This book is a must have if you are using lightroom. It is very understandable reading and covers everything you will need to know.



3. I purchased this book and Rob Sheppard's "Photoshop Lightroom for Digital Photographer's Only" after getting Lightroom and finding that I needed some instruction. After working with Kelby's book for a couple of weeks and going nowhere fast, I turned to Sheppard's and found it far more helpful. The issue I see with Kelby's book is that it's needlessly complex and tedious. I wonder if he got paid by the word, or even by the step. The book is arranged by the program's modules, and each module's functions are broken into several steps that explain how to use it. Many steps. Multitudinous steps. O, if only there were 12 steps, not 25!
   
   Is there good information in the book? Surely. Is it hard to find? Somewhat. Is the book's structure tiresome? Yup.



4. Kelby is the consummate Lightroom guru. He writes with extraordinary clarity. Of course the 2.0 version of Lightroom will somewhat outdate the value of this book. Kelby already has published a book on the Beta version.



5. LR is a very powerful editing program for photographers but not the most intuitive program, however. I tried the beta version initially but decided to give another try of 1.3.1. This book really helps to bring the best out of LR.
   
   Even though I have PS CS3, I am using LR almost exclusively now because this book teaches me how to organize photos, setup libraries, export photos at various resolutions, jump between CS3 and LR. I am sure I could have learnt on my own eventually but not within the LR evaluation period to make a purchase decision.

5 comments about Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography (Updated Edition).

1. The autor shows his way to be "creative" in the photo stock agencyes world.
   It's not so simple to understand and use all his tips, but it is a great beginning point.



2. I found this book and the other book ( Understanding Exposure ) on PDF file and I read these books, then I purchased the two books for my library because these books are very easy to understand and also great reference in photography.



3. I LOVE this book. I have a great camera but have been using it like a point and shoot. I love photography and have wanted to take a class, but haven't had the time. For me, this book has been like having a teacher on my own time. There are assignments to practice the tools given. Already my photography is getting better and people are commenting that they like my photos.



4. I bought this book along with Understanding Exposure and they make a nice pair. One for the technical basics and the other for the more creative side.



5. My order for this book arrived today, and I picked it up, and started reading it over lunch. After I got my daughter to bed tonight, I finished reading the entire book. This does not happen often. This is just a great book. I would say about 1/2 the book is really about learning to see creatively, about 1/4 is about photography, to make more sense of the creativity part, and about 1/4 is other stuff, that binds the book together, to be one great read. It features a lot of wonderful photographs that SHOW you what he is talking about. I really liked the author's "challenges" in the book. From looking at things from a different perspective, to taking pictures, of the same subject, from the same angle, at different times of the day. Great ideas.
   
   It feels a LITTLE (VERY LITTLE) outdated. With the break-neck pace of digital photography, I am not sure that you could ever truely have an up to date book. The book is written by a person that sounds like he shot a lot of film, but I would say EASILY 99% of the book is generic for anyone that shoots film OR digital. I really like how he talks about how he uses photography as his business, and discusses how much he has made on some pictures. It was a real eye opener.
   
   What I really liked about this book, is that it was easy to read. The concepts were broken down well, and it had that elusive entertaining quality.
   
   I have dabbled in photography throughout the years, and consider myself an amature.

5 comments about Robert Frank: The Americans.

1. Captured moments of Amercian Life, often shown here with an American flag in the photo. These images in this book portray a visual artist who is creating photos by shifting angles, waiting for the right moment, using light in a different way. Its tough to describe this book other than to say that it was edited pretty well.



2. This is a wonderful monograph of Frank's early work, presented in a highly innovative sequence of images based loosly on formal and thematic topics. The book's meaning grows and changes with every read. Although it is hailed as a seminal work of progressive street photography now, it was not so warmly received in its postwar days. For instance, in 1960 a critic for Popular Photography called it, "A sad poem for a sick people." However, Frank maintained an aloof political stance and managed to escape McCarthyism's career-ending scrutiny, unlike many of his coleagues.
   If you like this book, you might enjoy Walker Evans' "American Photographs" and Tod Papageorge's comparison of the two photo-books. Also see Frank's later works, as seen in the retrospective "The Lines of My Hand" and such extensive exhibition catalogues as "Hold Still-Keep Going" and "Moving Out." Frank's later body of work reveals a preoccupation with the passage of time, perhaps inspired by his 40+ years in film. These photos also bear negative scratching, collage, over-painting, and the deliberate addition of text--all of which vastly different from his Americans-era images. Although these photographic accomplishments, stunning in their own right, have been ignored by scholarship for some time, the 1990s establishment of the Robert Frank Collection at the National Gallery promises to preserve as well as present Frank's later works in a new and interesting light.
   
   Also:
   Dear Benjamin,
   
   Per your inquiry, Robert Frank's book was published in Switzerland because the photographer is SWISS. Scalo has made an effort to publish most of Frank's books in his home country, as well as the US, England, France, Canada (where he lives now), etc. Frank emigrated to the US in 1947 and became an American citizen in 1963. Knowing these simple facts might help you examine this work with renewed clarity. Also, people in Switzerland enjoy books just as much as Americans. Perhaps you should conduct some research every now and again, it might make you look less ignorant.



3. I've been a professional photographer, still in love with photography after 40 years shooting, still shooting every day. Thank you Robert Frank. You've had a vision that is the best photography book ever done, I wish I could do it!!!!



4. Si os gusta la fotografía de reportaje compradlo sin reservas.
   No tiene desperdicio, ojalá encuentro más libros de fotógrafos como Robert Frank.
   Muy bueno.
   Un saludo desde España a todos los hispanos.



5. This book is the real thing, it should be part of any collection of outstanding photography books. Robert Frank shoots beautifully and unselfconciously, this is exemplary photojournalism that takes a viewer into the deep waters of the truly gifted.

5 comments about Porn for Women.

1. This is an awesome book for all women who need a pick-me up and want to be reminded how men can be (but most likely are not!). This is NOT an xxx rated type porn book but more like a humor / romantic idea of what women would like. No nudity, just humor... will put a smile on any woman's face.



2. Well, based on what this book and its publishers would have you believe, that's the inarguable truth.
   
   This reeks strongly of an incredibly weak attempt to subvert the 50's books on how to be a "good wife" by intimating that all women TRULY want in our lives is a fella that will pull his own weight, gosh darn it!
   
   ... Which: no. Not only is it insulting to the entirety of the female population by its unfaltering insistence that we have more interest in a clean house than getting laid (no, dear man, that's your fantasy, not mine), but it's equally insulting in its insinuation that men have not moved into a societal place where these tasks are commonplace.
   
   I have a sneaking suspicion these "women" should get out more into the world, and stop messing up my search terms. If I wanted garbage, I wouldn't have keyed in "porn."



3. What a great idea! You bet watching men being attentive, caring and focused on ME is sexy. And you know what? Why shouldn't men be doing that stuff for us? This isn't a about women's equality (as some reviewers have complained), but instead it's about women being treated as if we are important in a relationship! Women don't always have to be the "nurturers!" If only all men could see this book before they start dating. I'll be buying it for my sisters and friends! Too bad it is a fantasy! :)



4. Freud wanted to know what women really want and this book plays up on what us women know is true--that an attractive, attentive man is sexy. And like true pornography, this is an idealized version of men. We don't expect them to be just like this, but if they got close, we'd be ecstatic. The situations and captions are funny. An amusing, harmless gift that will have your girlfriends chuckling.You can send a friend a postcard by going to wannasnuggle.com



5. I bought this for my wife on Valentine's day. She enjoyed it and decided she will give it to her girlfriends.
   To other reviewers writing this book is insulting to women, I would say that this book is rather a blow to guys like myself, as it illustrates how self-oriented and shortsighted they are. This book just express the expectations of woman, rather than ours. It's a way to tell us: open yours eyes and think about her before your own little pleasure. Difficult for us to admit but refreshing to read for women.
   I wished this book had had a few pages to explain the result of the study on women's expectations and issues with guys. Thus 1 star off.

5 comments about Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop Elements 6 (Teach Yourself VISUALLY (Tech)).

1. Ocassionally I've found a few visuals that don't match my screen.........then I have to go back to a previous chapter and try to work through it. It might be that I have a slightly different version of PSE 6. Sometimes the visual is a bit small for my old eyes. But in all, the chapters are well done.



2. This book is probably worth the money- it does help- but don't expect to be able to follow each and every step of each and every procedure.



3. At last a PhotoShop book that is easy to use and understand. As the old saying goes, One picture is worth a thousand words. Following along with the pictures makes difficult tasks easy. In a few instances, the pictures do need some additional explanation for a complete understanding. However, that is more than offset by the ease of things like layers, gradients, & selections. I am sold on the Visual books.



4. I love this book. I purchased two other books before this one on photoshop elements 6. This is the best. It simplified every project.



5. I am pleaed with my purchase and it has already been very informative while using the program.

1 comments about Apple Pro Training Series: Aperture 2 (Apple Pro Training Series).

1. I'll write a more detailed review once I've gotten a chance to actually use the book. But I wanted to tell people that this book is beautiful. So many times I've had the unpleasant surprise of buying a computer book, only to find that the entire thing is _black and white_. :-(
   
   But this book has beautiful color pages with pictures. It's the way a computer training book should look like. Indeed, the book is so nice that I'm now excited to use it (before, I was kind of dreading it). Looks very accessible and easy to follow.

5 comments about Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers.

1. Everything you'd like to know about lighting. This book really gets into the specifics. Explore the effects of lighting ratios, different light modifiers etc. - in great detail with clear examples. Thorough lighting diagrams throughout.



2. I've got the same problem as Randy. The book I recieved was also defective! The pages are out of order. The book is good but this problem has me to rate this book with the lower score.



3. I have read a number of books of how to light and how to see the light but this book on lighting by Christopher Grey is one of the best books I have read. It is truly a "how to create" and "how to see light" book all rolled up into one package. He discusses every aspect of portraiture lighting but as one reads through the book you can see where some of the "seeing" of the light can be applied to other forms of photography. I am not saying buy this book if you want to learn to see light for landscapes or architecture but some of the points in this book if studied closely may apply to other things than portraiture. As far as portraiture goes it covers a wide range of lighting techniques in an in depth way with illustrations (pictures and diagrams) to match. The techniques can be used as is to create the lighting or modified with your own creativity to produce your own style of lighting. I think the most important thing this book attempts to do is to tell the reader that there is no way way to light. Examine your environment, decide what you need and what you don't need to do to light it in the best way. For some of you who have commented on the Michael Grecco lighting book ... this book is the opposite of that book it appears. It helps to have some knowledge of lighting and cognitive thinking to apply your own methods but it is not a book that is going to have you create a lighting setup that only Bill Gates could afford. There are no so called secrets revealed but just strong, basic and logical techniques for lighting. Not only is it informative but also inspiring because just a quick flip through the book will let you know that Grey attempts to give you various lighting setups for very different looks. Successful hard, soft, broad and short lighting are just the tips of the iceberg with this book. If you ask me and obviously many others who have reviewed this book ... it should be a must buy for any one who is interested in creating and shaping light for not just portraiture (although the subject is truly portraiture). If you buy the book and read it through you will understand why I say the lighting can be used for more than portraiture. In theory, the "seeing of light" expressed thoughout the book ca be used for more than just portraiture if you would light to create and find beautiful light on a subject. To buy Grey or Grecco ... save the money on the Grecco book and buy the Grey book, some foam core, maybe a modifier or two of your choice depending on your style and enjoy your creations.



4. Well laid out. Perfectly in depth without getting bogged down. Flows very well. Covers every facet for an amateur to enthusiast photographer to get right in and learn quickly.
   
   One reviewer stated the photos are "uninspired..." I partially agree. The setups and photos are meant to be BASIC. The author goes into great depth to demonstrate what the changes in lighting (number, angles, types, diffusor types etc) do to the image, with shots of each change. You as the photographer are expected to adopt what you like from what you see and put your own creative style. These are just basic stepping stones to build your style upon. This book gives that solid basic understanding of lighting, that without, you're hit and miss in what you wish to do. The style of most of the photos is not what I'm especially keen on, as they are somewhat "meh" to me, but the lighting principals they are based on are what I'm after.
   
   One of the best photog books I've read recently. Surprising for Amhert Media as I've read quite a few of their books recently and they are very hit and miss. Mostly miss. This one was very worthwhile though.



5. This book is well-written and imformative. However, the copy I received was defective. Everything was fine until I turned to what should have been page 66, but is was 82. Pages 1 through 65 are correct, then 82 is the next page. The pages then are 83, 68, 69, 86, 87, 72, 73, 90, 91, 76, 77, 94, 95, 80, 81, etc. I returned the first one to Amazon for exchange and gave them a detailed report, but the second one they sent had the same problem. I emailed the publisher and was told that they were aware of the defect with one of the print runs of the book--that it was being corrected. They said they would send me a corrected one. If not for this problem and Amazon's lack of a good solution, I would rate this book higher.

2 comments about A Time it Was: Bobby Kennedy in the Sixties.

1. On the surface, 'A Time It Was' may seem like yet another book about the Kennedys. It is most definitely not.
   
   The book is the story of Bill Eppridge, the photographer who took *the* famous shot of a grief-stricken busboy holding Robert Kennedy as he bled to death on a kitchen floor. It's a hauntingly beautiful picture. In fact, it's impossible not to get lost in it: What could have been going on in the minds of a dying Senator and a startled busboy as bedlam unfolded? Do their eyes reveal anything? If so, what do they tell us? These are questions that have probably been asked a million times and answered in a just as many ways.
   
   But what about the photographer? It's easy to forget him. You see things unfold through his eyes, but you don't see him. Yet, this is someone who, in the chaos of an assassination, had enough wits about him to make a picture. In Eppridge's case, he didn't just make a picture. He made one of the most searing images of the 20th century.
   
   'A Time It Was' reveals how this historic photo got made. But it also reminds us that Eppridge made all kinds of pictures (as opposed to just taking them)--and they are bold and graceful, subtle and extravagant, gritty and funny. The book isn't just a salute to RFK, its one man's tribute to the art of photojournalism, in circumstances full of pomp and tragedy. And anyone interested in photography would do well by picking it up.



2. If there ever was a time our country needs to look back in history for help, it certainly is now. This book captures that time. Great insight from a photographer seldom seen today in a presidential campaign. It will make you smile, it will make you cry.

5 comments about Digital Wedding Photography: Capturing Beautiful Memories.

1. Great Book! Perfect for people who want to start the wedding business... not for people looking to learn how to use a camera.



2. I was asked by a friend to photograph her wedding. Since I had never done such before, I decided to purchase a book on the subject to try and get some information on wedding photography. This book was very helpful to prepare me for shooting the wedding along with various tips on taking the photos. What was really valuable was the subject of lighting both natural, flash fill, and total use of flash. I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to know the basics of wedding photography. The pictures in the book were very helpful for the author to substantiate his points.



3. The content and images is average, just like my cousin took wedding pictures. I so fortunately live by the library of Phoenix,AZ. I can loan ton of books just for wedding. 80% by Bill Hurter books, I recommend to everyone.



4. I've been doing photography as a business for about two years and have always been hesitant to shoot a wedding. Much of this is because I'm working in an information vacuum. Short of apprenticing with an experienced wedding photographer, Glen Johnson's book, "Digital Wedding Photography - Capturing Beautiful Memories is a great way to get your bearing in the world of shooting weddings.
   
   Johnson assumes a basic knowledge of photography and dives-in with a description of the three prevailing types of wedding photography today: Traditional, Journalistic, and Portrait Journalistic. He explains how the photographer's financial needs may actually dictate which artistic style is chosen.
   
   The book covers how to be prepared for the key events in any wedding, and strongly emphasizes the authors philosophy of non-interference in what should be a couple's key life event. Not turning that blessed event into 'a photo shoot'. He covers photographic technique; which equipment is essential to (digitally) shooting a wedding, and what not to waste your money on; to creating a manageable workflow.
   
   I'm still not convinced that wedding photography is right for me, but I am sure that any digital photographer who is considering entering this area of specialty, cannot afford NOT to buy this book!
   
   Rating 5!



5. Would give this book a 5...if only it came without creased covers! Amazon, please be more careful with packing next time! Didn't want to return it because I was so excited to read it. I read the reviews, and I'm pretty much just a hobbyist that occassionally get calls to do event gigs. =). This book worked like a guid, as if though i was working with the pro himself! Some seasoned pros may not find this book too useful, but for some of us who are just starting out, or at least in the middle of making sense of our own photography style, this book is a gem. The tips on pricing models, shooting styles, album resources...and a lot more, are just great. Thank you Glen Johnson for writing such a concise and easy to read book. Photos are great...and if anyone just reads the "photos" on this book, you can actually have enough to go with to shoot/cover a wedding. Thanks! Great book!