5 comments about Mastering Your Digital SLR: How to Get the Most Out of Your Digital Camera.

1. If you want to transition from a point and shoot to a DSLR, this book is great. It shows the differences between it, what type of camera to buy based on several different areas, lens lingo, exposure techniques and up to some editing. The book tells you how to get the pictures you want and then shows you the ending photo so that you can visualize it. It really made me want to get up and grab my camera and go!
   
   Very concisely written with great charts!



2. I am reasonably happy with this book. Very informative on technical aspects of SLR photography. Realizing this is an evolving technology, some of the author's recommendations on equipment is a bit dated. Mainly in the computer & storage area. Otherwise good for an amateur wanting to gain knowledge of Digital SLR photography.



3. This book takes you through the terminology, meaning and use of the features of your digital SLR. Very easy read; been through it roughly twice myself. This is the book that got me from 'what is going on' to 'ah, I see' after purchasing a Canon 30D. After reading this book, I could at least understand the 30D manual!
   
   The book stops at basic digital workflow. To pick up from there, have a look at the books by Scott Kelby about Photoshop. If you're looking to understand how to get sharp photos, have a look at "Digital Photography", also by Scott Kelby.



4. I think I would have purchased Chris Weston's MASTERING YOUR DIGITAL SLR simply for its photos. Just looking at the book makes the reader want to get up, get the camera, and begin shooting, but most how-to books on photography have beautiful pictures, and many times they can be sparse on content. I found that this book has both good content and inspiring shots.
   
   The purpose of the book seems two-fold. First, it aims at convincing film users that the digital world is not as scary as many think and good, artistic photography is available using digital cameras. Throughout the book the author points out how the film and digital differ. The second purpose of this book is as an introduction to people who may be new at photography and shows the way a SLR differs from a point and shoot camera. For some of the information in the book, the information could apply to either a digital or film camera since the basics of photography are the same.
   
   For me, the most helpful portion of the book is the third section on image processing. As a film user, primarily color prints and E-6 slides, processing meant dropping off film and visiting the lab to correct flawed but interesting photos. With digital, a home computer can become the lab. The book gives and introduction to how photos can be improved, the software and printers needed, and provides explanations of new terms. As I have started doing some repairs to images and trying to enhance others, I've found the book helpful as a beginner to using a computer to edit and enhance photos.
   
   At one point, the author states that for many people, digital has helped rekindle their love of photography. I didn't think my love for photography needed a jump start until I purchased my new digital camera (the Nikon D70S. Now that I have, I can't wait to get out and get some shots or set up something just to use the camera. Digital is enjoyable, can be artistic, and is with considering and trying.



5. This book is an expansion on his book - '500 Digital Photography Hints, Tips, and Techniques: The Easy, All-in-One Guide to those Inside Secrets for Better Digital Photography (Paperback)'. This is the best digital photography book I bought. The writing is very clear and full of tips. I especially like the topic on exposure compensation and white balance and certainly benefit a lot from the book while exploring the features on my Canon 350D. The pictures are very good (beautiful). I strongly recommend it for those new in DSLR. The book is published on very high quality gloss papers and certain worth the price as it is a very durable hard cover book.

1 comments about Helmut Newton: No. 1 - No. 4.

1. All 4 issues of Helmut Newton's Illustrated in one well made volume. A must have for Newton fans.

No comments about Visions of a Huichol Shaman.

2 comments about Backroads of Michigan: Your Guide to Wild and Scenic Backroad Adventures in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana (Backroads of ...).

1. This book is great for those who like to go "outside the box", and get off the freeway as they head up north, to take in Michigan's unique beauty.



2. Beautifully illustrated with a wealth of color and black-and-white photographs, Backroads Of Michigan: Your Guide To Michigan's Most Scenic Backroad Adventures is a guide to touring the most breathtaking and scenic natural venues to be found in the Great Lake State. Backroads Of Michigan is a fairly large trade paperback, not meant to be carried in a pocket, purse or small backpack; yet its size also allows the fine detail in its illustrations to shine through, and its typeface is easy to read without a magnifying glass. The chapters are arranged by Michigan subsection, and cover everything from historical sites to river valleys to prime spots for beachcombing to state parks ideal for viewing wildflowers and much more, with maps and general directions. The text is written in a leisurely style that is as engaging to browse for pleasure as it is filled with practical information. Enthusiastically recommended for Michigan tourists and residents interested in the state's most wondrous sights, and also for armchair travelers.

5 comments about Polaroid Manipulations: A Complete Visual Guide to Creating SX-70, Transfer, and Digital Prints (Photography for All Levels: Intermediate).

1. This book is awesome! I wanted to purchase it at a major chain and decided to look here instead. I got 4 books for the price of one! I highly reccomend this if you are interested in excelling at your transfer techniques.



2. I've been wanting both of her books for awhile now and I finally splurged and got them both. When I first flipped through this book I was blown away and amazed by the content. This book is the number one resource for helping you along with your Polaroid SX-70 manipulations. She also provides some brief information on transfers and emulsion lifts (If you want to know more you should invest in a copy of her other book "Polaroid Transfers". It is HIGHLY informative. The author guides you step by step and even provides some background information on how the processes were discovered. She also offers a lot of inspirational material in an advanced techniques section of the book. At the end of the book there are artist galleries with drop-dead-gorgeous work!
   
   I especially find the handcoloring section of this book to be very helpful. I wasn't really aware that I could add some color to my SX-70 manips. She goes in-depth about each medium that can be used to enhance the color (Prismacolor markers, watercolors, pastels, etc.) She also provides some useful information on how to enhance the Polaroids digitally in Photoshop.
   
   I recommend this book highly to anyone who wants to get into the alternative processes with the Polaroid medium. Don't hesitate... get a copy today!



3. I have been doing SX-70 manipulations for about 4 years and to this point have been totally self taught. I have looked at some galleries online and had previously wondered how some people were able to achieve such vibrant colors with their work, had their lines squiggle to such a great extent, etc. I now have the answers to all my questions. I am so grateful to Kathleen for writing this book (thank you!).
   
   There is so much valuable information in this book that I know I will be using it to expand my skills and experiment with new ideas for years to come. If you are a new or seasoned manipulator, this book is a MUST HAVE! 5 Stars!!!
   
   -dave walker (tucson, az)



4. This is the best book on Polaroid manipulation techniques that I have found.



5. I've just recently become interested in Polaroid manipulations and transfers. I can't imagine a better book on the subject.

   Carr covers all the technical details including a review of every Polaroid Daylab slide printer ever made -- with step-by-step, illustrated instructions. She also covers a TON of creative techniques to get the juices flowing. Lot's of full-color pictures of these different techniques makes it fun to just flip throught the book to see the art.

   I also like the way she uses Photoshop to supplement her manually manipulated images. Lots of just-technical-enough ideas in the Photoshop chapters.

   I highly recommend this book.

1 comments about Cowgirls : Women of the Wild West.

1. This book was a fun read for women, however there are other books on the market i.e. So You Wanna be a Cowgirl, that show life as a contemporary cowgirl.
   
   Patricia Probert Gott
   www.prgottbooks.net

4 comments about Between Sea and Sky: Landscapes of Long Island's North Fork.

1. A bit disappointed. Seeing cover, I thought more photos would include a lot of landmark buildings on the North Fork. Turned out to be repetitive landscapes - should have surmised from the sub-title. Beautiful photos, though.



2. I live in the village where the divide between the north and south forks occur. It is the north fork that is the jewel of mother nature. Surrounded by water, one can not avoid the beauty of the sunset. The last remaining agricultural parcels on Long Island remains here for now. Sunrise over the farmland brings warmth within. These photos capture it so well, one of the best books on the effects of the hours of the day on the land and seascape.



3. 
   
   I gave this book as a Christmas gift and the recipient was thrilled. I was thrilled at being able to purchase it at a great price!
   
   Karen Byrnes



4. I'm envious of the author. I photograph landscapes and I spend a lot of time on the North Fork of Long Island. But mostly I photograph mountains or deserts. I've never been able to figure out how to capture the beauty of the East End of Long Island. But Jake Rajs has the vision to do the job.
   
   One thing he realizes is that if flat land doesn't provide enough variety, one should photograph the sky. Take pictures of it in all its moods: clear, cloudy, stormy. But don't just take pictures of the sky. Even though the sky may take up most of the frame, relate it to the land. There's a picture of a farmhouse on Oregon Road. I've biked by this farmhouse often and wondered how it could be photographed. Rajs answered that question. The horizon in the picture is in the bottom fifth of the frame. The sky in the upper four fifths of the picture is full of fleecy clouds. The field in front of the farmhouse and the trees around it are a dark shadowed green, and the farmhouse is a tiny square of bright buff with a red roof, illuminated by the setting sun. The scene reminds me of a Rene Magritte landscape. And this picture conveys a feeling of the relationship of this farm to the broad North Fork sky more clearly then I ever felt before I saw this picture.
   
   Mount Beulah Road is just a few hundred yards long. I travel it often and always feel comfortable on it. But it was only when I looked at Rajs' picture of the greenery stretching and touching from each side of the road that I realized that I felt this way because I was so tenderly enclosed.
   
   There is a giant wire-frame heron construction near Cedar Beach, that is claimed to be a work of art, and that many in the community consider an eyesore. But framed against a cloudy evening sky with a pier and a light patch in the sky drawing us back to this work, we are certain that this photograph is a work of art.
   
   I could go on describing picture after picture with high praise. But perhaps it is only those of us who wanted to capture the beautiful and calm sense of this place in a photograph that will think this book wondrous. Or maybe only those who love the North Fork will be interested in poring over this book. But I suspect that all those who love landscape pictures will find pleasure in these images.
   
   And even though this book captures so much of the sea and landscape of the North Fork, Rajs left out a few spots. Now I have to get out to those spots with my camera and see if I can capture some of his vision in my work. I doubt that I can ever exceed his images of the places that he has included in this book.

2 comments about Inside China.

1. The book opens with the question: How does one get inside China? In 272 pages, Inside China, featuring an expansive collection of photographs from an equally impressive list of photographers and essays by six experts on Chinese culture, politics, history, and economy, makes an earnest attempt to capture the China that it once was, is, and will be. Much of the book is devoted to the China of today, juxtaposed between tradition and the burgeoning capitalism. Unlike most propaganda and travel brochure images that the West is more accustomed to seeing, this collection of photos takes the reader deep inside China, into the hearts, lives, insecurities, and hopes of the Chinese people. No, this is not a book about what looks exotic or alluring to the Western eyes. This book is about the Chinese people and the reality they have to confront each day, which inevitably brings the reader face to face with images of poverty, demolished villages, arid farmlands, overworked factory workers, rising skyscrapers, remnants of Communism, struggles for democracy, and the rise of nouveau riche. These are the uncensored expressions of the Chinese people, seen through the eyes of photographers and journalists who entered China not as foreigners, but as unbiased individuals who were willing to accept the Chinese people as they are.
   
   As a Chinese-American who was born in China, I feel this book presents one of the most honest and compendious portrayals of the Chinese people. Most of the subjects were captured in their work clothes, unposed, simply doing what they do everyday - living, surviving, and dreaming of a better life. These photos also attest the skills of the photographers, who have somehow made the camera invisible, bringing the reader that much closer to the subjects. In a nation that is struggling to find its own identity, the divide between the past and the future is often blurred, as represented by the symbolic blurring in the cover photo. What gives meaning and significance to the ordinary and the mundane are the shared humanity between the subjects and the onlooker and the hope that the future will bring a more beautiful day. Fittingly, the book ends with a hopeful photo in which the promises of the future and the relics of the past are intertwined. So, how does one get inside China? You leave all of your judgments and preconceptions at the border, and you look at the truth in the eye.
   
   A few personal favorites:
   - Reza's photo of a girl dancing in a circumcision ceremony in Xinjiang
   - David Butow's photo of Nanjing Road on a rainy night
   - David Butow's photo of a parade of Santas in Shanghai
   - Kenneth Jarecke's photo of a pro-democracy hunger striker
   - Benoit Aquin's photo of a crossroad in Xilinhot during a dust storm
   - Mark Leong's photo of a teenage boy standing at the edge of a pool in a fat reduction hospital
   - Mark Leong's photo of girls cleaning vegetables at a rural home
   - Michael Wolf's photo of workers' living quarters



2. This book has a very sad and depressing tone. I was anxiously waiting for it to arrive, but I was truly disappointed, even more so because it is published by National Geographic, from whom I expected something better. I should have gotten a clue just by looking at the cover picture, an intentionally blurred photo of the Shanghai skyline.
   
   The book basically depicts the ugly, "inside" (thus the title, Inside China) parts of China: turmoil, conflict, contrast, hardship and misery. With so many spectacular photos that could have illustrated China's rise, the authors chose the most mundane images, at best. Especially troubling are the numerous pictures of "bargirls", massage girls, and prostitutes. Additionally, for every photo of progress, there is another one of poverty, displacement and worker exploitation. Maybe that's the authors' artistic way to express contrast. I must have missed the point entirely.
   
   The quality of the photography is not up to par with National Geographic standards. Many night shots are grainy or blurry. The only ones I could really enjoy were the few landscapes at the beginning of the book.
   
   If you are looking for a collection of spectacular photos of China and its people, look elsewhere. I was so angry when I finished the book that I considered giving it away, but even that would be too embarassing for me. I guess I will just have to throw it away, even if that means wasting the $35 it cost me.

5 comments about Cynthia Hart's Scrapbook Workshop.

1. CYNTHIA HART'S SCRAPBOOK WORKSHOP: A Complete Guide to Preserving Memories in Archival, Heirloom-Quality Books (Workman Trade Paperback, $19.95, 1998)

   I thought it would be nice to create a scrapbook for my son's first year at school, and so I started scouring the bookshelves for interesting scrapbooking titles. It was VERY hard to find ones that aren't hokey and super-cutsey. CYNTHIA HART'S SCRAPBOOKING WORKSHOP was one of the few books that somewhat appealed to me. You may be familiar with Cynthia Hart's Victorian art calendars. Her designs in this book are quite elaborate and definitely reflect her Victorian tastes, but the book isn't entirely Victorian-styled. There are plenty of contemporary ideas, which I actually didn't care for as much as her vintage-style page layouts.

   The book is comprehensive and an excellent source for the novice "scrapbooker." She covers the basics of how to use archival materials, how to restore damaged photos and prevent photos from future deterioration, and she also offers helpful information about tracing your family tree. Then she gets into the heart of how to create a scrapbook: the basic tools needed, planning your pages, incorporating three-dimensional objects, color and design schemes, and detailed instructions for making your own album covers.

   The rest of the book is devoted to lush, full-color scrapbook designs. Each design is accompanied by detailed instructions. She covers a wide variety of occasions, including baby, wedding, bar mitzvah, sweet sixteen, 50th wedding anniversary, sports, kids' artwork albums, holidays, travel, and pets. My favorites were the designs in which she worked with old photographs. The "Childhood in Collage" and the "Special Grandmother" layouts are gorgeous.

   This book is extremely well thought out. It offers detailed, easy-to-follow instructions for creating a memory album. And it features a wide range of scrapbooking ideas that will inspire readers to do something creative with their shoeboxes full of old photographs.

   Highly recommended.




2. If you're buying this book for more layout ideas, you might want to look elsewhere. Yes, there are plenty of ideas but the focus here is on the entire album - not the individual pages. Cynthia Hart shows the reader how to actually craft an album - from cover to cover (literally). About 90 pages are devoted to instruction, 90 pages are devoted to designs and about 50 pages are of art and templates (which can be copied for personal use). The scrapbook designs range from the usual wedding scrapbook to a rollerblade scrapbook. There's even a horse show book made in the shape of a horse's head! Supply lists, color photos and instruction are included with each design. While I may never be as creative as Cynthia Hart, I'll view my scrapbooking from a new perspective thanks to her book!



3. Sure it has beautiful layouts and if you are not a newbie you might enjoy it. It is way to advanced to start out with.



4. I have always liked scrapbooking, but this book has given my hobbie a whole new perspective. This is the first book I bought on this subject and it made me burst with creativity... I was thrilled to discover all the ideas Cynthia Hart proposes along her orderly advice and guidelines. The book is rich with pictures and examples, and going through it for the first time - without concentrating in the written material - is enough to start with. I was overwhelmed with the richness of the material. In your second reading you can go through the written guidelines.



5. I just began my scrapbook project. Cynthia Hart's book literally helped me prepare the project with advice on the tools required, the resource guide, etc. The pictures and the step-by-step instructions are beautifully presented. She gave a lot of ideas without limiting our own creativity.

   Scrapbook projects aren't as intimidating anymore.

1 comments about Natural Art Forms (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. I was disappointed with this book. It is not brimming with natural pictures as I had hoped it would be, it is a meager collection of black and white photos that didn't seem worthy of a whole book.