5 comments about Legal Handbook for Photographers: The Rights and Liabilities of Making Images.

1. Photographers need to know the principles in this well-written and straightforward book. However, it has not been updated in some time, and the laws do keep changing in this area. It might be good to find something more up-to-date to rely on as a resource.



2. Matters of law are usually best left to attorneys and alike. It makes perfect sense to have some basic knowledge before entering any type of business. I really enjoyed the manner in which this book is organized. The straightforward approach of this book is much appreciated. A must read for anyone who wants to take photos beyond family gatherings.



3. Krages has done all of us a great favor by writing this book. Taking pictures is NOT a crime, and as long as you're on public property, you can photograph just about anything. Knowlege is ammunition and all photographers should know their rights.
   
   This is well written and illustrated with photographs by the author. It is written for the layman and contains a glossary of legal terms.
   
   And Krages is a good guy. Just because one has a legal right to photograph something, he writes, doesn't mean we should, for ethical reasons.
   
   Put those security goons and pushy police on notice - You know your rights!



4. Great book to have on hand to take notes from and to reference when needed.

   It touches on all topics re: liability and includes a great resource section.




5. Everyone who takes photos in public places should have a copy of this book. Krages points out that laws restricting the publication of photographs are different from laws about making those photographs in the first place, and many misconceptions are the result of confusing the two. He also has some good suggestions for staying out of trouble, how to deal with confrontations if they occur, and when to call a lawyer. He writes: "Confidence in knowing one's rights is important when photographing action on the streets but knowing how to avoid upsetting people can be more important." He says that most lawsuits are the result of emotional issues rather than a desire to collect money.

   If you want an extended discussion of copyright law, look elsewhere-- this book is about *taking* photographs, not publishing them. Good information and advice on every page.

No comments about El Vaquero Real: The Original American Cowboy.

No comments about Boys Will Be Boys 2009 Calendar.

3 comments about American Photography: A Century of Images.

1. This has to be my favorite of all the century photo books that came out. The images cover a wide range of subject and intrest, with very few graffic images of wars or violence. It is a wonderful addition to my coffee table!



2. "american photography: a century of images" By Vicki Goldberg and Robert Silberman 1999 A companion to the major PBS series Publisher: Chronicle Books 232 pages

   american photography: a century of images

   If you only have one book about photography in your home library, this should be the book. Marilyn Dalrymple, reviewer

   This is a truly beautiful, fascinating and informational volume. "American photography: a century of images," traces the history of photography from 1900 to 1999. It is not just the mundane, "cameras were invented--color film made its debut in . . . , or Steichen, Adams Avedon were known for . . . ," however. A blurb from the book's cover notes, "New York Times photography critic Vicki Goldberg and art historian Robert Silberman, senior consultants to the PBS series, show how profoundly photography has helped shape the life of our nation, examining it in the realms of home life, advertising, science, news, propaganda, fashion, and celebrity stardom."

   "One of photography's great gifts has always been to make possible many kinds of vicarious experience," says the introduction to an article about National Geographic magazine. Photography brought foreign peoples and foreign places into our homes. On the other hand, "Even our worst faults were put before the world's eyes by our photographers because of the extent of our media industry and the openess of our press," say Goldberg and Silberman. These two examples illustrate the awesome power photography possesses.

   The first use of halftone screens and the regular publication of photographs in magazines and newspapers (1897, The New York Tribune); the first American photo magazine (Life); the first horrific photographs of war. The image that showed the stars so clearly that the first catalogue of stellar positions based on photographic measurements appeared in 1885; images that proved scientific theories and made social reform possible. Photographs that showed the world how evil the family of man can be. Images that portray the wonder and beauty of our world. All are illustrated and discussed in this one volume.

   Well written, compelling, and beautifully illustrated, this book is well worth the price.

   Marilyn Dalrymple




3. "...the photography critic Vicki Goldberg and the art historian Robert Silberman have neatly divided the century into three chronological parts and written 30 brief essays, each focusing on notable aspects, from a photographic point of view, of a particular period. From the authors' vantage point, it certainly seems as though the first two-thirds of the century are when the innovation, energy, passion and commitment are, and the last period is more analytical and self-referential -- rather like life itself. There is a photogoraph for each year of the century, plus others to illustrate chosen themes like war photography or the rise of the news agencies. Goldberg (who also writes about photography for The Times) and Silberman have succeeded in bringing a semblance of order to the past century of photography and have given a lively and informative overview of its many facets."

5 comments about A Study in Scarlet (Oxford World's Classics).

1. A study in scarlet is the first Sherlock Holmes adventure with Dr. Watson, the classic crime-solving partnership. I read it in Spanish (my first language) when I was around 9 years old and I love it at that time.
   I just finish reading it, 21 years later and in english, and I still think is a great book.....short enough to read it in a week, probably less, nevertheless, complex enough to catch your attention.
   I haven't finish The Sign of 4 yet, but so far it seems to be as good as a Study in Scarlet!



2. A lovely origin story. Dr. Watson, returned from a war and in need of lodgings is led to Baker Street. In this fine location resides one Sherlock Holmes.
   
   They are soon on the trail of a mystery that involves a corpse, and a word scrawled in blood on a wool. Then there are dodgy mormons and a bit of wild west action.



3. As Agatha Christie's "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" introduced a grateful reading public to Hercule Poirot, perhaps the second best known fictional detective of all time, Conan Doyle's "A Study in Scarlet" marked the debut appearance of the acknowledged master of detection, the one and only Sherlock Holmes!
   
   John Watson, a medical doctor recently retired from the British military to recover his health and recuperate from wounds received in Afghanistan, is looking to stretch his limited budget by finding another gentleman with whom he can share accommodation. When a mutual friend introduced him to Sherlock Holmes, one might slyly suggest that the game was afoot and the rest, as they also say, became history. Already characteristically melancholy and moody, a jaded Holmes, who labeled himself the world's only consulting detective, is invited by Scotland Yard's Lestrade and Gregson to assist in the investigation of a baffling pair of murders.
   
   With "A Study in Scarlet", Doyle is clearly new to the craft of writing mysteries and the great detective's debut outing suffers from characteristic first novel and new character jitters. The style itself is markedly different from everything that follows in the Holmes canon with the story being told from a third-party perspective. The background to the mystery is revealed through the mechanism of a flashback to the western USA at the time of the Mormon migration to Utah. Feedback from the reading public must have been immediate and - we'll have to hand it to Doyle - he must have been a quick learner. Watson was thereafter appointed official narrator and diarist to the master and Doyle never looked back.
   
   I leave it to others smarter than I to judge whether or not Doyle's historical characterization of the Mormons is justified or accurate! Suffice it to say, that the mystery is entertaining but the details are, quite frankly, entirely unimportant beside the overwhelming fact that this was the first time the world heard the name "Sherlock Holmes". It took Doyle only a few pages for example to treat us to an aphorism that we would come to hear over and over again, "It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence."
   
   This novel is a cornerstone in the annals of crime fiction, an extremely important piece of the history of English literature and a darned good read! Enjoy it!
   
   Paul Weiss



4. 
   I recently picked up THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, which has been sitting on my shelf for over a year and I'm glad I did. The first book in the compendium of his early works is A STUDY IN SCARLET, to which I restrict my comments.
   
   The story is broken into two parts. The first chronicles the murder and pursuit by Holmes, the second provides the background and motive for the murder and ultimately the resolution of the case.
   
   A STUDY IN SCARLET is the first of many Sherlock Holmes novels and is a good place to start if you, like me, are aware of Holmes' preeminent status as the literary world's best detective, but have not yet taken the opportunity to read his adventures.
   
   The first book introduces Holmes and Watson and chronicles how they came to be companions. It also gives an insight into the pains Holmes has taken to develop his sleuthing skills. This introduction is intriguing and will pull you along until the crime is discovered, at which point you'll be hooked.
   
   The development of the rest of the first part is equally intriguing as the mystery becomes clearer and clearer to Holmes, though no more clear to the reader. One is truly impressed by all that is "elementary"* to Mr. Holmes, but imperceptible to we mere mortals.
   
   The second part of the book takes place primarily in Utah at the time the valley was settled by the Mormons. Brigham Young and the burgeoning Mormon society are menacing and effectively occupy the role of the antagonist for the second part.
   
   For those unfamiliar with the Latter-Day Saints, please note that this account is purely a work a historical fiction and is wholly inaccurate in its depiction of Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, and Mormons at large. For that, I deduct a star for the hazard it may present to those unaware of the true character of the Mormon faith. Personally, I found the second part more distasteful than will the average reader because I am a proud Latter-day Saint.
   
   Still, with these flaws, the book is a wonderful introduction to a literary character with whom all should be familiar. I recommend the book.
   
   
   * I must say that I was disappointed to find Holmes' catch-phrase "it's elementary my dear Watson" missing from this volume (though I don't deduct any stars for its absence). Surely, it appears in later works. I was waiting for it, but, alas, it didn't appear.



5. A body is found in an empty house, but there are no wounds, or signs of struggle. With Scotland Yard officials baffled, Sherlock Holmes is called on the case. Watson and Holmes meet through a friend of Watson, because that Holmes is interested in sharing a suite on Baker Street with someone. Soon after moving in together, Holmes is asked by two top - ranking Scotland Yard officials for help with a case. A man was found dead in a house, with no wounds or signs of a struggle. Holmes finds the killer, a man from the United States name Jefferson Hope, and arrests him. But, before being put on trial, Hope dies from a heart failure. I would recommend this intriguing mystery novel to anyone.
   
   One reason for my recommendation is because of the complexity of the mystery. To the normal person, the mystery may have seemed unsolvable, but Holmes somehow, even from the very beginning, seems to know the answer. Even with most of the facts at your hands that the average investigator would have seen, there seems to be no way to know what happened, and who the murderer was. But, Holmes figured it out, and it is even explained how that he figured it out.
   
   Another reason for my recommendation is the way that Holmes solved the mystery, and the way that his thoughts were presented. Despite the complexity of the mystery, Holmes figures it out in a matter of days. He took notice of such things as the height of words written on the wall, and from that came to a brilliant conclusion on the height of the killer. He even noticed the size of the shoes that the victim and the murderer were wearing. The way that Holmes solved and explained the mystery was very interesting.
   
   The last reason is the story behind the crime. Jefferson Hope, the murderer, explains everything about the crime before he dies, from motives to the difficulties in killing his victims. It turns out that many years before the crime, Jefferson Hope had been in love with a fine young lady, and was planning to marry her. But, a Mormon, who believed the girl should marry him, so killed her father, and took her away. The girl later died (from "unhappiness"), and Jefferson swore revenge on the one who took her away. He ended up following the two who killed her love, Strangerson and Drebber, all across the United States and Europe. After many years, he finally put them to rest in London, but was caught.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone, particularly fans of mystery novels such as this one. Doyle's descriptive writing and vivid use of vocabulary made this book a pleasure to read. If you're looking for a wonderful mystery, then you should read this book.
   
   
   -Bill L.

5 comments about The Human Figure: A Photographic Reference for Artists.

1. This black and white artists' anatomy has its share of
   shortcomings: the single male and female models that comprise
   most of the illustrations, the ridiculous jock strap, the distractingly
   stunned expressions on the models' faces.The reproductions themselves
   are mediocre and the book is not terribly attractive.
   Why four stars then? Because for graphic artists, where the need
   is often for a symbol of a person rather than the depiction
   of an individual, these photos are more than adequate. Coupled with
   the very low price and the convenient format, this is a good
   studio investment.
   
   Lynn Hoffman, author of New Short Course in Wine,The



2. From the back cover: "Subjects included are male and female, and the models range in age from two years old to ninety years old. All together seventeen different models were photographed, in the most useful and instructive poses for the artist." This is a grossly misleading statement! What it should have said is: "We photographed one young male and one young female in some very uninspired, amateurish, and rather stiff poses. Because we have a ridiculous, prudish, and skewed Victorian attitude, we clothed the male in a distracting jock strap, making all of his photos somewhat useless as an honest reference for drawing and painting complete figures. We then filled up the rest of the book with a handful of equally uninspired shots of children, and a bunch of closeup photos of things like ears, but we made them such extreme closeups they contain no proportional reference and so are rather out of context with the rest of the figure. It did however, allow us to state, categorically, that we portray 17 different models!" I'm not sure who this book was meant for; prudish, Victorian, amateurs and shy, easily offended, weekend sketchers maybe? For a serious artist involved in the serious study of the human figure this book has nothing to offer. Don't waste your time or money. The only reason I gave this book one star is because I couldn't give it 0 stars... I sent it back the very next day after recieving it.



3. This book is a rare find for easy reference for an artist. Has a great collection of various poses for both male and female models, including holding objects. The only problem I found with the book is the layout...every page has you turning around the book.



4. Because of comments like the reviewer who assumes that because it includes a few shots of a nude child it must be harmful trash and banned. This book was on the library shelf at my community college, and I never expected to find it still in print now because of its age.
   
   I would not be interested in owning this book if it weren't for the various shots of different faces at different angles, hands, older and younger models, etc. Drawing children is incredibly difficult, the proportions of their bodies and faces are different from adults. It's very frustrating if you are working on a piece that requires children, especially if you have no children of your own to model for you, and going to public places to sketch or take reference photos of children will get you suspicious looks from parents. A nude child is NOT sexually provocative, and none of the other poses by the adults in this book are provocative either. I do wish there were more full-body poses of models besides the young adult male and female model, but you can't have everything in a single volume. The male model's jock strap is silly, especially considering there is no such censoring garment for the female model - underlining the silly belief in western society that female nudity is acceptable, but male nudity is taboo. It doesn't get too much in the way if you just need a generic pose reference. There are also some shots of the male posed with a stick, holding it similar to a shovel or other such prop (Can't recall if there are similar poses with the female), which is also helpful if you need to draw a character in action. Certainly no equal to having a real live model, but a good alternative in a pinch.



5. For anyone that appreciates the beauty of the human form, and enjoys drawing it...this is the best pose book on the market. This is not saying a lot, since there are not that many pose books out there. At least not many with lots of pictures, and at a size that is usable. This should be in any serious artist library for reference. The head shots and hand shots alone are worth the price. I agree with one reviewer that the jock strap is unnecessary and only distracts from the male form. Fortunately they did not do this with the woman. Considering how high modeling fees are, this book is a bargain.

3 comments about Sparkman & Stephens: Classic Modern Yachts.

1. A wonderful book with beautiful pictures. S&S at his best. A chapter is dedicated to the S&S Swans, as an owner of a S&S Swan, it's a "must have"!



2. illustrious book with high-quality binding, interesting feature on restoring Stormy Weather, and chapters on Kialoa II, and my favorite,
   Bolero, plus fast delivery 1 week to Canada, right to my door!



3. Sparkman & Stephens: Classic Modern Yachts, glories in the beauty of their classic boats and their racing successes. Some of Sparkman & Stephens best and most successful designs are presented in superb color photographs. The book has enough gorgeous interior shots and sparkling action pictures under sail to satisfy any sailor or photographer.

1 comments about Dolce Italia: The Beautiful Life of Italy in the Fifties and Sixties.

1. I was expecting a collection of beautiful Italian women in haute couture, instead I got what appears to be one photographers work. It was interesting in that it introduces many influential Italians and makes a good one-sided sampling of cultural history of that period. As a photographer I was looking for a "keeper" that would inspire me with the work of others, this book doesn't fulfill my expectations.

2 comments about At the Water's Edge: Muskoka's Boathouses (Art & Architecture) (Art & Architecture).

1. You can not longer build and live so close to the water's edge but these beauties are grandfathered in on beautiful Muskoka and Rousseau, et. al. I thought of my boyhood days on a lake in Northern Minnesota. I remember smaller and less grand boathouses where the sundappled water reflected off the rafters inside. You were really one with the water. This book captures the essence of it all--I could almost smell the water, wood, paint, varnish, canvas, wet rattan and wicker--



2. At the water's edge

   Muskokaá Boathouses.

   This book gives the reeder a chance of dreaming back to the early yaers of the 20th century and experiance how the riche and famuose people spent there weekends and holidays. If you are intrested in old houses, especially bothouses, and architect designs this book is a must.

   This book is my best inspiration ever.

   Peter Östlund Stockholm Sweden

5 comments about Body & Soul: The Black Male Book.

1. D'Angelo, the cover man, is not to be found inside. The title is much too broad; a more accurate title would be, "Fashion Styles of Some Rich & Famous Black Males." As for bodies, they are mostly clothes hangers here; the amount of skin on the cover is misleading. The contents rate as PG because of a couple behinds and a few covered crotches; there is no full, frontal nudity whatsoever. I don't know how anybody gets any soul out of this book, unless they see it in the eyes of some portraits or glean it from scattered quotes of fashion magazine staffers, usually a phrase or single sentence each, as the quotes, along with some other one-sentence observations by the author, are the only text. Therefore, the cover and title are cheap, bookselling tricks, but the book price is not cheap. A used copy, however, IS cheap, as buyers turn into sellers. Although a book about men of color, I am surprised that black & white plates out-number color 3:1, as I count about 90 b&w and 31 color photo's. I am a fan, too, of some of the people featured, but, to me, this is no reason to gush about the book as a whole. Although I could ooh and ah about some of the photo's, there are a like number of dogs and mediocre shots. What could form a pop-culture chapter itself is the number of celebrities who must have paid a lot for elaborate fantasy scenes shot by highly-paid photographers. I would not feel good about seeing this sort of arrogance if I shelled out a lot for their books, CD's, magazines, ticket prices, etc., the profits of which finance such folly. The author sees Black male fashion from a mainly GQ-type perspective, which may be right in-step in certain parts of Manhattan, but, from here in 'da hood, its seems like he's in an ivory tower. He has a new book coming out, with a similar cover and title, of which I will be suspicious. Except for a few unkwnowns, I expect that everyone involved is highly paid--subjects, photographers, fashion industry, etc.--and I wonder if people paid to be in this book, either in the form of their likeness(es) or their work; it would explain a lot.



2. Have owned this book over six months but just had to get my twocents in on a review. My purchase was based solely on the frontcover showing the gorgeous black rapper- D'Angelo. Since his MTVvideo titled "Untitled" was one of the hottest & sensual videosever to hit the TV screen, I naturally assumed Mr. Thomas wouldtreat all his purchasers to a D'Angelo collection highlightinghis extremely buffed 'bod. Or maybe he could have given us JamieFoxx instead spoofing D'Angelo on his syndicated weekly program.I salivated alot at the other photos- many too small but in the end it galled me that MY MAIN MAN was really a "no show!"



3. Unlike most of the reviewers here, I got to meet some of the guys here either in concert, from the 'hood etc. All left a bad impression on me, so to see them so marvelously pictured here is confusing.



4. I agree Shannon. Gary Dourdan is SWEET! Someone should do an entire book on him!



5. Ladies, get your credit cards out (or borrow a friend's), get your car to the mall (or catch the bus), buy this book now (do what you must)! I am not even kidding you for one second. This is a beautiful book. This book will make you proud to be (check one): 1. Black 2. An admirer of black beauty 3. Female 4. Male 5. Visually adept. All I got to say is Gary Dourdan, my dear, God Blessed You. God Bless You. All the other fine young specimens and the infinitely talented stylists, editors and photographers, "y'all GO"! (Specifically, GO directly back to the drawing board and do this again...serially,pleeeeeease!) Love... me.