5 comments about RATTLESNAKE.

1. No it is no Lawrence Klauber, but this is a well written well photogrpahed book. This work, in a large part based on the much more informative "Rattle Snakes" book by Lawrence Klauber makes up for its rather thin amount of information by offering the reader a wealth of colorful and amazing original photos. The book itself is only a decent read, coming no where close to Klaubers full 2 volume book or even the abridged addition. However for the beginner herper, or die-hard crot fan it is infact a must have.



2. Go ahead and get in your car, on your bike, scooter, power-wheels , or however you like to get around and grab this book with a big old gallon of milk!! This is, in fact, one of the best books not only on rattlesnakes, but of the best snake-related books in general. It looks real good up on my bookshelf as well. Its format, photography, and information is excellent. An awsome read as well as informative. It is well worth the money and is a great resource. It gets a big ol' YESS SIR!!! Drinking some milk with this book seems to compliment it quiet well too. Just gulp and read!



3. This book is a good resource for those who are interested in rattlers without being interested enough to read Klauber's treatise on the subject. The information is sound, and goes into fair depth, although at times I felt that a more scholarly less pop tone would have worked better. Still the author did what he set out to do; produce a great work on rattlesnakes that was accessible. It's easily worth reading, and is very informative. Although much of the info you can get from Klauber, there are many cases where Rubio has provided useful and worthwhile revisions/changes/additons to material (medicinal significance, the ecological effect of roundups, taxonomy etc.). These make the book more than a contemporary rehash of Kaluber's masterpiece.
   The text alone would be worth the price of the book; the photography makes the book a steal. This man knows how to take pictures; some of the best photos of rattlers I've ever seen (and I've seen and taken several) are here. I borrowed this book from a library, expecting something that was little more than an update on Klauber; however, this work stands alone very well, and is informative--I intend to buy it. The photos are on par with any herp photography I've ever seen, and are impressive and useful; almost worth the price of the book themselves. This book is a must have, and well worth the time and money that one must invest to read it.



4. I have always been fascinated by rattlesnakes, ever since living in the heart of California's rattlesnake country as a young lad. This book covers the subject in loving and fascinating detail, with loads of superb photographs which splendidly support the excellent text. These are magnificent and beneficial animals and the author does a superb job of writing about them.

   My only criticism of the book is that it spends a lot of time dealing with human activities as regards rattlesnakes, such as the notorious "rattlesnake roundups," which the author rightly explains to be unconscionable predations by man against innocent and essential creatures. I would have rather seen even more space devoted to a pure scientific study of rattlers. But this is a minor quibble, and many will doubtless disagree with me because these sections are very well done and interesting.

   The book's scientific discussion of rattlesnakes is very interesting. These are amazing creatures and the author plainly is highly motivated by the subject. This book is a labor of love in which the reader will delight to share.

   This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in rattlers.




5. This is undoubtedly one of the best zoological books I've ever read. The photographs are superb and the text is both enlightening and understandable. This book along with Klauber's has opened a whole new world to me that was previously very dim and mysterious. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the mystery and excitement of venomous snakes.

No comments about Photography Speaks.

No comments about Zoe Leonard.

5 comments about Technics & Civilization.

1. Mumford reaches back over a thousand years in search of an explanation of how Western Civilization developed culturally and materially. He refutes the contention that mechanical progress began in Britain during the Industrial Revolution and argues that man had used machine instruments for at least the previous seven centuries.
   
   In Europe machines became a part of the whole fabric of cultural life. Mumford distinguishes the machine, a mechanism to modify the environment for human benefit, and " `The machine,' ...a shorthand reference to the entire technological complex."(12) Furthermore a tool and machine are distinguished by the skill and dexterity of the operator and, whereas "utensils, apparatus, and utilities" refer to chemical transformations (brewing, for example), machines "transform the environment by changing the shape and location of objects."(11)
   
   Mumford identifies three overlapping and interdependent periods where machines and society interacted to define modern industrial culture. The eotechnic phase began in about the tenth century and was characterized by water and wood; the Paleotechnic phase emerged in the eighteenth century and was characterized by coal and iron; and third, or present Neotechnic phase, is characterized by electricity and alloys. Leading up to each of these periods, society experienced a period of cultural preparation and adaptation.
   
   Following the fall of the Roman Empire, the monastery was a refuge of order. Within the sanctity of its walls, the clock regulated routine and discipline. Thus, according to Mumford, "the clock, not the steam engine, is the key machine of the modern industrial age."(14) Time and the adaptation of space in the middle ages changed people's perspectives toward mechanical improvement which was further stimulated by the potential of profits from emerging capitalism. Eotechnic life refined the senses after the religious asceticism of the preceding era.
   
   Mechanization between the tenth and seventeenth centuries is illuminating. Mumford illustrates this in the context of a civilization emerging within a mountain-and-river valley section. At the tops of mountain, outcroppings of ore led to quarrying and mining. The pick and the hammer were the earliest tools, augmented by machines in later stages. The forest stretching from the mountain top to the valley floor harbored "the hunter who stalks his game: his is possibly the oldest deliberate technical operation of mankind for in their origin the weapon [missile/hammerhead, knife, ax] and the tool are interchangeable."(61) Heading down the valley the river stream served as a transportation route leading to the development of hollowed out wooden canoes. Upstream, pastures fostered spinning and weaving by herders. Downstream, the domain of the peasants, farmers cultivated the lowlands. Here man's tools remained mostly unchanged, but his "utensils and utilities are many: the irrigation ditch, the cellar...[etc.]."(63) Finally, when the stream empties into the ocean, fisherman learned to weave nets and baskets and, with boats, trade and communication become possible.
   
   Mining led to capitalism by requiring investment capital to fund expensive operations and spread the risk. In addition, to buy capital goods, a sound currency was necessary. Wood was the most important component of early technology. It propped up the mines, was used to make machines, and was a source of fuel. The woodman was a technical innovator; "the lathe...his decisive contribution to the development of machines."(80)
   
   Warfare organized human effort and utilized machines in a cohesive manner. Firearms added to technics by the unprecedented need for iron, the development of a power cylinder (the barrel) and piston (the projectile), and the development of heavy fortifications. The ability to make standardized weapons, steel, and uniforms for the military encouraged a consumer market for civilians.
   
   In the paleotechnic phase the Industrial Revolution transformed the way men thought, the manner of production, and the way of life. These ideas are so profound that historians saw them as new, but Mumford shows how they were rooted in the past. What is most striking is that they occurred in England where the eotechnic phase had had the least impact and England, therefore, was susceptible to change. Whereas technical development in the earlier phase was not a complete breach with the past, "paleotechnical industry, on the other hand, arose out of the breakdown of European society and carried the process of disruption to the finish."(153) The machine thrust society into an era of "barbarism." This had as its basis the shift to coal as the new energy source, and iron as the medium of construction which gave us the steam engine. The cost of steam power was expensive and this encouraged concentration and monopoly, in contrast to water and wind power, which were free. Military demands for steel influenced the Darby process for cast iron and made it more affordable. Mumford says the paleotechnical period was characterized by warfare, environmental pollution, the degradation of the worker as a machine tender, diseases, and from a rising population. The net result was a lowered quality of life. Mumford sees the paleotechnic phase as a period of transition.(211)
   
   To Mumford, the neotechnic phase is more like the eotechnic phase, except in degree. Fifteenth century ideas have become reality, but class and national struggles persist. Since the neotechnic phase is ongoing, its full implication cannot be measured. It began with the Fourneyron's water-turbine which increased water power output nine fold, but electrical power characterizes the period. Electricity can be transported efficiently and used in many ways. In the Neotechnic phase, the use of the scientific method is widened to include the humanities. This awareness promots social order and clarity.
   
   "In the neotechnic phase, the main initiative comes, not from the ingenious inventor, but from the scientist who establishes the general law: the invention is the derivative product."(217) Improvements in the internal combustion engine provide a new source of power which changes the social order. Rapid transportation is possible by the automobile and the airplane. Communication is further enhanced by the telegraph and the telephone. But, "whereas the growth and multiplication of machines was a definite characteristic of the paleotechnic period, [Mumford says] one may already say pretty confidently that the refinement, the diminution, and the partial elimination of the machine is characteristic of the emerging neotechnic economy."(258)



2. Lewis Mumford's, Technics and Civilization, may be one of the most important and influential works concerning technological progress in Western Civilization and its cultural and environmental effects. The study covers a wide area of historical past stretching from the Roman Empire all the way to the present (1934). The importance of Mumford's study lies in the fact that it is not just another technophilic antiquarian study of technological improvement but rather it is an intelligent and highly critical look at the cultural development that gave rise to the machine and, from there, a critical study of how the "progress" of the machine affected the culture it was developing within. Mumford shows how the progression of the machine has affected nearly every aspect of human society including but not limited to sexuality, economy, ecology, warfare, occurrence of disease, and medicine.
   
   The terminology surrounding matters of technology is not firmly defined and usually becomes a question of post-structural analysis when the meanings of these words are debated by academics in various fields of study. One of the main areas of confusion has been over the meaning of the word "tool" and the meaning of the word "machine." To quell confusion over the meaning of his own study, Mumford has given each word his own definition. According to Mumford: "[t]he tool lends it self to manipulation" while "[t]he machine lends it self to automatic action" (p.10). These definitions are important for understanding the meaning behind Mumford's study.
   
   Mumford traces the cultural origins of the first machine, the mechanical clock, to the influences of monasticism and the Catholic teachings. The Church teachings of the early millennium stressed an extreme denial of the body which was viewed as sinful and polluted with the profanities of the earthly realm. Mumford believed that this denial of the body led to the growth of hatred for the organic which in turn fostered a cultural admiration for the machine as something that was disassociated from a polluted organic nature. Thus, as the first true machine, the mechanical clock fostered one of the original disassociations - the disassociation of time from the rhythms of nature. Although the Church teachings were based on the subjective belief in a utopian afterlife, the extreme denial of organic and natural earthly pleasures advocated by the early church caused an objective view of the organic to develop. By the 16th century the new protestant religion and the growth of objectivism coincided with what Mumford labeled the "disassociation of the animate and the mechanical" (p.31). This disassociation opened the floodgates for the objective sciences which were developing a common cultural understanding of the organic as merely a conglomeration of dead material to be studied and manipulated. The growth of objectivism coupled with the new protestant teachings, specifically the abandonment of the prohibition of usury, enabled the development of the early stages of capitalist economics by allowing God's work to be viewed as the accumulation of personal wealth. Not surprisingly, it was to the machine that these possessed western men turned to increase the production of wealth.
   
   At this point in time, western civilization was in the first of three periods of technological development. Mumford labels these three stages based upon their method of energy production and organic material usage: the Eotechnic phase (based on water energy and wood), the Paleotechnic phase (based on coal energy and iron), and the Neotechnic phase (based on electricity and the alloys). Mumford explains that these stages overlap in many cases and should not be viewed as clean categories. Nevertheless, they do provide a useful framework for understanding the progression of the machine. The origins of capitalism occurred during the Eotechnic phase. Mumford finds the mine to be the central stimulant of Eotechnic technological progress. New mining technologies were created to extract increasing amounts of organic material to be converted into ever-increasing wealth for the emerging capitalist class. For Mumford, the Eotechnic phase cemented the alliance between capitalism and technology.
   
   Soon, deforestation for fuel to be used in iron manufacture became a major cause for the progression into the Paleotechnic phase and the usage of coal as a primary energy source. Mumford labeled this Paleotechnic phase "The New Barbarism" (p.153). Although it decreased the levels of deforestation, the burning of coal ushered in profound environmental damage to the air and water. Through the use of coal and the development of steam power, production of iron and other goods increased exponentially at the expense of the emergent proletariat class. Mumford argued that this period gave birth to the "unsustainable society" (p.157) where military interests and warfare grew together with increased production and the need for continuous, escalating consumption, all of which were only possible due to the technological progress of the Paleotechnic period. As an example of this alliance, Mumford explains how the American Steel Manufacturing group deliberately destroyed the possibility of an arms reduction agreement, at the international arms conference of 1927, in order to maintain their profit share in the arms trade. (p.165).
   
   The Neotechnic phase was ushered in with the spread of electricity as a power source at the beginning of the 19th century. The creation of electric power dramatically cleaned the air and water and the increased production enabled by the efficiency of electric power enabled another boom in the production of consumer items. However, the new phase also increased the power of those in control of technology, and Mumford shows how Neotechnic inventions such as the radio, photography, and the telephone were used by those in power to manipulate and manufacture consent in populations. Nevertheless, in the Neotechnic period, Mumford saw what he believed to be a possibility for the creation of a humane and compassionate society as well as a return to the organic.
   
   Mumford saw the Paleotechnic phase as one that enabled and rewarded the anti-social characteristics of human nature, thus it inevitably created a society of inequality, increasing pollution, anomie, and warfare. Although Mumford was very aware of the destructive and anti-social record of technological progress, he refused to argue for the abandonment of the machine. Mumford stated that "lacking a cooperative social intelligence and good-will, our most refined technics promises no more for societies improvement..."(p.215). In this he is placing all the blame for the anti-social and ecologically genocidal effects of the machine on the economic organization of society. The problem with this analysis is that it is not teleologically secure. Written during the early years of the rise of Communism in the former Russian Kingdom, Mumford held out hope that, through Communism, the power of the machine could be harnessed to provide for the general welfare of society and that his hope in the future of technics would be born out. However, history has shown that technology in service of Communism, while it may help to normalize consumption, still produces many of the same destructive effects that it produced under capitalism - specifically militarism and environmental destruction. The hard reality is that Capitalism was not the cause of technological anti-socialism. Capitalism is a function of the same anti-social impulse that gave rise to technology - the will towards domination. Given the history of mechanical progress, it becomes essential to view technology as inherently anti-social. Rather than looking towards alternative methods of using machines of power to fix our world, as Mumford did, we should be thinking of and developing methods with which we can create a future world where machines and domination are not only unnecessairy but are also non-existant.



3. This book is a historical interpretation of the effect of technology on society. Mumford traces the Industrial Revolution to its earliest roots, which he argues, go back to the invention of reliable timepieces in the Eleventh Century (whose invention was motivated, according to Mumford, by the need for recognizing prayer times in Catholic monasteries). Mumford also stresses the effects mining, the military, and the production of arms had on each other and on the development of technology, from earliest recorded history through modern times. Another recurrent theme is power, and how discoveries of new ways to harness power led to economic development. The final part of the book discusses the invention and assimilation of "the machine," as a generic concept for an advanced technology item. The book is illustrated with several sections of black-and-white photographs and reproductions of artwork. End material includes a chronology of inventions, a lengthy annotated bibliography, and an index.
   
   In a discussion of the motivation behind invention, Mumford notes that "a good part of the mechanical elements in the day are attempts to counteract the effects of lengthening time and space distance. The refrigeration of eggs, for example, is an effort to space their distribution more uniformly than the hen herself is capable of doing...The accompanying pieces of mechanical apparatus do nothing to improve the product itself: refrigeration merely halts the process of decomposition." Is this progress? Although he originally wrote this book back in the 1930s, well before our present energy crises, Mumford was adamant that renewable energy sources must supply the power of the future. He is an advocate for wind and water energy, and he dreams of a day when the power of the sun can be used to generate electricity. Mumford is also disturbed by rampant consumerism. He quotes a Hoover Committee report on a survey of Recent Economics that states "The survey has proved conclusively, what has long been held theoretically to be true, that wants are almost insatiable; that one want makes way for another. The conclusion is that economically we have a boundless field before us; that there are new wants which will make way endlessly for newer wants, as fast as they are satisfied." Interesting points such as these, which sound remarkably fresh today, can be found scattered amongst the text. Unfortunately, however, such gems are overshadowed by the sheer volume of text. This book would benefit greatly from an abridgment that would bring out the best, most important ideas by eliminating the wordy asides and statements of personal opinion.



4. Mumford has got to be one of the most over-looked (by main-stream) social critics of our time. He covers and unravels our confusing society so well, even though this book was written some time ago. Mumford's points ring quite true even in the 21st century.

   Lengthy read but, for those who are serious about making sense of "why" things are they way they are here in the "civilized" world, Mumford is worth it.




5. From the beginning of time, technology has affected our lives. Learn how every invention (from the greatest milestone of them all: the clock) through history influences society and the way we live and think.

   Excellent source for everyone wanting to reflect deeply on technology.

5 comments about The American Wilderness.

1. I have received this book as a birthday present from my wife. There is nothing much to critique, its really really good! Nevertheless, here it goes......
   
   Ansel Adams shot with large format and never intended to print them small. Some of the photographs of this book could have been printed at a larger size. I have seen same photographs printed at much larger sizes in other books, for example in Ansel Adams Guides I & II.
   Overall the sizes of the prints are adequate or just adequate.
   
   For whom this book is intended?
   My personal opinion is that it is primarily intended for the serious (nature) photographer and then for the nature lover.
   
   What has it got for the Photographer?
   A gallery of Master's work, in very high print quality with the entire tonal range beautifully depicted, it's simply like owning a gallery by Ansel Adams.
   
   If a beginner or an intermediate photographer has come to the stage of learning his/her craft by looking at, and then carefully analysing, how a champion of the craft has controlled - framing, by carefully placing the subject in the view finder and then by cropping - tonality, by placing the particular areas in the `zones' he wanted - print quality, with his precise technique; this is the book for you - its a master class in photography.
   For those who do not have such interests - It is still a visual treat.
   
   My only other criticism is that there should have been some technical details about the photographs, at least one or two lines; Nevertheless, it gets my five stars!
   
   
   



2. This is one of the best Ansel Adams books out there published by Bulfinch. It uses heavy paper stock and the print quality is excellent. To appreciate its quality, you have to view it under a brighter light setting, preferrably next to a window. You'll notice all the details in the shadow area and appreciate the overall print contrast.
   
   In terms of subject area, the book covers many National Parks, including Yosemite, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Grand Teton, Grand Canyon, Glacier... Unfortunately, it does not have all the famous Yosemite prints, but it does have many other gems that's not over exposed to the public.
   
   Some people may complain about the price, buy I think its worth every dime. Buy one and enjoy it.



3. ... because you can put four legs on it and use it for a coffee table. If you're going to have a single Ansel Adams book, this is the one. His images just don't work in any smaller format.



4. This book is flawed by the images selected to be in it. The other main weakness is that the book is clearly overpriced.

   The good news, however, is that the image sizes are large enough to capture the power and majesty of Adams' work. The reproduction quality is superb, as well!

   The essay by William Turnage is an excellent discussion of the roles of Thoreau, Muir, and Adams in creating the awareness that has helped us to save and cherish some of what remains of our American wilderness. The artist-turned-conservation leader, Adams' role, is a particularly important function in our society. The artist helps us to experience what we have never seen while the conservation leader takes actions that galvanize the emotions that are evoked by nature and the artist into helpful improvements. When the artist and conservation leader are the same person, there is a combined power and continuity of vision that is irresistible. Thank goodness!

   Adams is someone we should all admire for another reason. His nature photography and conservation efforts were hobbies, labors of love. Photography of nature is a field that offered meaningful remuneration only in recent years.

   His day job was doing commercial photography. He took pictures of dead people in the Los Angeles morgue as well as of open pit copper mines in Utah.

   What we admire about him was what he did on weekends, before and after work, and on vacations. Because he wanted the most remarkable images, this often meant hiking before dawn in difficult winter conditions to remote peaks to get just the right perspective.

   Andrea Stillman did a good job of selecting Adams' quotes for her opening remarks. "Photography is a way of telling what you feel about what you see." " . . . [T]he turning out to the light the inner folds of the awareness of the spirit . . ." is what his work is about.

   Throughout the book, you will find other quotes about Adams' reflections on the wilderness. They are well selected and add much to your consideration of what his images mean.

   Here are some of my favorite photographs as reproduced in this book:

   Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park, Texas, 1947

   Monument Valley, Arizona, 1942

   Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 1942

   Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley, 1948

   Sand Dune, White Sands National Monument, 1942

   The White Stump, Sierra Nevada City, 1936

   Terraya Creek, Dogwood Rain, Yosemite, 1948

   Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite, 1944

   Half Dome, Winter, from Glacier Point, Yosemite, 1940

   Leaves, Mills College, Oakland, California, 1931

   Maroon Bells, Near Aspen, Colorado, 1951

   Old Faithful (4), Yellowstone, 1942

   Mount McKinley and . . . Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska, 1947

   After you have finished being refreshed and rejuvenated by these inspiring images, I suggest that you contemplate what the wilderness meant to your grandparents and parents, what it meant to you as a child, what it means to you now, and what it means to your children. If you are like me, you will see that wilderness is rapidly receding as a concept as well as a reality. What are we losing? How can we reverse that loss?

   Understand all of Nature's message for us by living in harmony with her!




5. The photographic images of Ansel Adams are among the most significant pieces of artwork which have been created within the 20th century. His techniques have revolutionized the world of the black and white photographer, and his images are the rule by which all others are measured. His art has spoken to the soul of millions, and you should not be left out! This book contains some of the most beautiful images of nature ever made, and is a bargain at twice the price! Review by Edward Lynn, student of commercial photography, The Art Institute of Seattle

5 comments about Magic Lantern Guides: Canon EOS-1D Mark II & EOS-1Ds Mark II (A Lark Photography Book).

1. I have just bought a Canon EOS-1Ds and was interested in getting a book that would help with explaining the meaning and effect of some of the settings on the camera that are just glossed over in the Canon manual. I read the reviews here and, not unusually, found a dichotomy of views. Normally it is those who are unhappy with something that are the most vociferous, so I decided to give the book the benefit of the doubt. Mistake.
   
   This book purports to be a manual for the the two most expensive camera bodies that Canon make. These bodies are aimed at professional or semi-professional photographers. You don't buy a $7,000 camera without already knowing what a Jpeg is, what depth of field is, what the difference is between zoom and prime lenses, and the dozens of other digital photography fundamentals that pad out this book.
   
   Padding with trivia would be bearable if the rest of the book were packed with information that you couldn't get from reading the Canon manual. It isn't. While there might be one or two tips, like using the trash button to lengthen the image review time, major opportunities to expand on the manual, such as why you would pick particular options in the Custom and Personal Functions, are largely overlooked.
   
   To make matters worse, there are typographical errors and even technical errors. Memory cards are not magnetic devices as the book claims.
   
   Believe the negative reviews on this one. Save your money and your time, ignore this book.



2. Very similar to the smaller sized original manual with a few more descriptive bits here and there. Better quick ref cards. Mixes in bits of general photo theory & teaching that makes the many settings more relevant. Good inclusions of what not to set (items not needed as these cameras exceed the usual reasons to use).
   
   Almost mandatory if you want to use the many potential in-camera presets in a custom way.



3. This book offers very little about these cameras that is not in the manual. What it does offer that is not in the manual are general discussions that any photographer owning one of these cameras would know. I had hoped to get an understanding of how and when to use the features that are unigue to these cameras, a discussion of the custom functions and personal functions for example. The coverage of these subjects is not much more than a list of the functions and what their default setting are, just what's in the manual. Canon has a white paper that gives some of this information. You can find it at Photoworkshop http://photoworkshop.com/canon/EOS_Digital.pdf



4. I purchased this book because I wanted more information about my 1Ds MkII than the Canon user's manual contained. I was pleased that this book did expand upon the user's manual, and was clearly written. It follows the format of the Canon user's manual and I would guess that this book adds 15% of new information to the Canon manual...not a lot, but it really is a valuable 15%. I'm glad I bought it. This book is not written as a "How-To" guide. I want one of those, too, and will continue looking.



5. I read the previous ML books on the Digital Rebel that was reasonalbly infomative...THIS ONE IS NOT. If you have ever used an SLR camera before you will find yourself promptly throwing this book away. I have tried several times to look up functions in the ML book only to find myself looking it up in the owners manual.
   This book makes the owners manual look like a work of art...and if you have a 1DM2 you know the owners manual is anything but.
   
   Bottomline: Do not waste your money. Unfortunately, the best souce of info on the details of this camera can be found on the internet at http://photoworkshop.com/canon/. I really wish there was a good manual out there that explained the functions of the 1DM2 camera and when/where they are most useful (especially the custom functions but it just doesn't exist yet and this book doesn't even come close.

2 comments about Jurgen Teller.

1. Let's face it--you're not the thinking type. They tend towards the important lighting studies of Philip-Lorca diCorcia and Crewdson; they like the contrast of beautiful composition with the seedy underbelly you get from Goldin; or the thousands of serious, non-name photographers who find their sustenance in light, color, line, shape and composition.
   
   
   Not you, though: you want the cliched notion of the Enfant Terrible splaying his les, metaphorically for commercial fashion photography or literally on a white grand piano. You think a photographer can be measured by how many models he can get to hang around him. To the degree you can articulate it (which ain't much), you think amateurish lighting, snapshot composition and a disdain of the technicals is a renunciation of the dessicating academic force in photography.
   
   Of course, it's not like you'll read this or the overwritten introductions to your coffee table art books. You're not totally sure who Jergens Tiller is anyway--he dated Cindy Sherman the fashion model or something? You're just happy to be part of the circlejerk of delusion where talentless, sloppy photographers like Teller are lauded by insensate dolts like you. I'd like to tell you Teller is exploiting you but in truth he's just as dumb and unthinking as you. Enjoy fans--you've earned it.



2. The book is a catalog for a Juergen Teller (retrospective?) exhibition in the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain at Paris. It is very nicely edited and has over 50 works presented during the years 1998-2006. I think the book shows most of the important works from Juergen (like most of the images from the "Nürnberg" -series) in a same book, plus an amazing short story by Marie Darrieussecq and a conversation of Isabelle Huppert and the artist.
   A definite buy. Don't sleep.

4 comments about Bay Area Wild: A Celebration of the Natural Heritage of the San Francisco Bay Area.

1. This book was very interesting. Not only did it have plenty of photos, the text was actually useful and have a great message. Reading Galen's work is just as great as looking at it. I had never even heard of or seen most of the places in the book until I got the book. Now, I'm walking some of the same trails I discovered in the book.



2. An incredible photographic argument that nature is ever-present, fecund, and indomitable! Rowell and Sewell capture the majesty of one the world's most beautiful urban areas to describe nature's ability to adapt and thrive next to mankind. A surprising array of wild animals are photographed within the ex-urban landscape and combine with dramatic Bay Area landscapes to make a compelling story of the beauty that surrounds us--if only we can take time out from our busy lives to see it! This is a great gift to bring back East for the holidays.



3. Galen Rowell is showing here surely the nicest landscape shots I have ever seen. The Bay Area, that I didn't know, is here in spades, and if you know a little bit of tech, you see several uses of Galen special shooting way (flash, A2 Nikon filtering, s.o.)



4. Galen Rowell and Michael Sewell have compiled their photography of the San Franisco Bay Area's remaining natural areas into an excellent book. The photography in Bay Area Wild illustrates the Bay Area's vast greenbelts and natural areas. For someone who has only been involved in still photography for eleven years, Sewell is an amazing wildlife photographer. The text is extremely interesting and informative--Rowell reminds those of us who live in the Bay Area how lucky we are to have such a wonderful backyard abundant with a great diversity of flora and fauna. However, conservation of our wild places didn't come easy. Rowell discusses the many struggles involved in preserving these places. This is a book I've been waiting for!!!

1 comments about Barns: Styles & Structures.

1. I was really looking for a book that can give you ideas of how to remodel your barn in different climates. We recently purchased a new home in Oregon and put all of our machinery in the pole barn. Well, the machinery is starting to rust. So I bought a bunch of these "Barn" books thinking that I could find some ideas of how to insulate our barn. No such luck. However, this book is pretty nice.

3 comments about Bryan Adams (Fotografie Portfolio).

1. Even if you are not a fan of Bryan's music, you will really enjoy his photograhy.



2. This photo book series is really high class, and Bryan Adams did not disappoint. I will collect most of the books for future reference.



3. This beautiful book stuffed with Badman-pictures really is a must for every Badfan on this earth. With over a hundred pictures in it, it shows Bryan Adams in a lot of different positions. Sleeping in an airplane, playing with dogs, standing on top of a rock in the desert of Utah and, of course, on stage. If not for the photographs, you should buy this book for the great comments on the pictures, written by Adams himself. Can you sing along to Vanishing, consists your CD-collection mostly of Adams-albums, do you get angry about everyone who spells Bryan with an 'i', or are you in any other way a die-hard, I would say: BUY THIS BOOK!