1 comments about Henry Dunay: A Precious Life.

1. Turning thick glossy page after page - this book is as opulent as the Jewelry produced by Dunay. His life story is well written and awe inspiring.
   
   As a beginning jeweler this book provides a new muse for my imagination!

5 comments about Southern Californialand: Mid-Century Culture in Kodachrome.

1. Like many of the previous reviewers, I grew up east of L.A. during the period of (at least the later decades!) of these Kodachrome slides. We shopped at the same White Front where he met the Brady Bunch. I can attest to Phoenix's knowledge of what he lovingly documents. His often witty, reverent, and informative captions show his scrutiny. For instance, as a native of the Pomona Valley, he knows that a mile-long monorail ride with no windows or air-conditioning at the County Fair would, indeed, be agonizing in Labor Day temperatures for the region!
   
   My favorite factoid: an Arcadia supermarket's interior cornucopia is dated within the week it was shot. How? There's a dimly visible magazine rack in the center of a panoramic composition. Phoenix must have researched the "Time" cover, which he identifies as June 20, 1960. Stephen T. McCarthy in his review (I agree with his China remarks; but I checked this out from the library!) has already admired the Desert Hot Springs pool comments, which I found the cleverest in the book, but I also must nod to the "Perfect Suburban Couple" lounging on a dangerously white-grey loveseat with surrounded by three ashtrays. The city looks-- as it must have been-- far emptier and thanks to the film stock much more colorful and less dusty. Ike and Mamie materialize in Palm Springs, 1962, and as Phoenix marvels, there's a distinct lack of Secret Service around their arrival. A middle-aged crowd of cavorting couples at an Ike-era pool 'n' patio party does look, from the looks on their faces and the empty martini glasses on the table, to be progressingly quite well!
   
   You learn of the fate of the Farmer John muralist in Vernon, how the Cabazon dinosaurs arose, and the how sturdy the demolition team found the ironically named House of the Future at Disneyland. The vanished kiddy parks, the ones that Disneyland helped make obsolete even as they inspired Disney's idea of a theme attraction wonderland, find a place here-- I'm curious how many there were in the Southland alone. Similarly, the demo derby race tracks and drag strips, but not nearly enough of the drive-ins (only Compton's Viking-themed one, which may astonish contemporary fans of that suburb) are shown. I suppose the author must work with what he has from chance finds taken by ordinary folks, but I expected more coverage of iconic edifices such as these.
   
   There's a great snap of the parting of the Red Sea on the set of "The Ten Commandments," which I am not sure was taken by an amateur tourist or was an official souvenir. I'd have liked to have known that, among the considerable amount of fascinating detail that Phoenix provides in his two paragraphs of comments. For non-natives, it'd might have been useful to have a simple map of the region, perhaps a period one, with "pins" stuck where the photos were taken.
   
   This anthology may appeal to those readers, as with me, from the same region as the author, and in the same decades, so my enthusiasm may be tinged by nostalgia. I wish that one of the final photos, that of a location that captivated me, Rialto's Wigwam Village, had a caption-- it's relegated silently to the last page's credits. Still, reliving my boyhood amazement in Tomorrowland's Carousel of Progress at Disneyland, laughing at the author's careful observation of his hometown's Hot Dog Stand's iconography, or pondering how southeast L.A.'s suburbs look so much fresher and innocent then than now in the tracthome postwar boom era does make for a valuable collection that probably could have been three times the length and remained entertaining. I guess that's why he has published his other popular culture image collections.



2. As Someone Who has 'Lived' This Era, The Book Was Especially
   Gratifing! Esp. The 'San Pedro' Pics (Where I Hail From) Everyday
   People Capturing Everyday Situations....Makes The Book VERY
   Spontaneous! A Winner!



3. You'd be better off buying a pack of postcards. Pictures are certainly NOT exuberant, lack good explanations, and are not relevant enough--I am a native Southern Californian and was bored and disappointed.



4. [*Lyric from the song, 'HOTEL CALIFORNIA' by The Eagles.]
   
   I acquired SOUTHERN CALIFORNIALAND by Charles Phoenix just over a week ago in a Christmas gift exchange game. The book is a true celebration of Southern California in its glorious, paradisiacal decades of 1940 through the 1970s. Charles Phoenix who oddly became obsessed with the old 35 mm Kodachrome slides taken by strangers in memorializing their family trips, gatherings, and everyday lives, shares about 150 of his favorites with us in this absolutely charming book. His love and enthusiasm for his subject (SoCal in its glory days) just oozes from every page. Like the author, I grew up in SoCalLand in the '60s & 70s, and so I share his fascination for the magic that it once held.
   
   Enchanting, dreamy, nostalgic, and a tad melancholic (because the enchantment and the dream has been reduced to nostalgia) are words that best describe this picture book. But "surprising" is another word that fits, because I was surprised by the wealth of information to be found in the brief text that accompanies each photograph. Even I - who has traversed so many of these locations - learned some interesting bits of trivia. For example: Did you know that when Vice President Richard Nixon cut the ribbon and became the Disneyland Monorail's first official passenger, unbeknownst to that famous rider, it was the first time the unique transportation train completed a trip without catching fire? Phoenix describes Walt Disney as being very nervous. Yeah, I suppose he was! Did you know that the Luer "Quality Meat" Rocket (a forerunner to the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile) was discovered in a Prescott, Arizona junkyard in 1997, "weathered, but restorable"? (And here I always thought that I was the only good thing to wrench free from the evil clutches of Prescott! I made good my escape in early '94, also "weathered, but restorable.")
   
   I loved perusing the lost details of places where I have traipsed: the famous Brown Derby restaurant and the Pan-Pacific Auditorium; White Front of Anaheim, one of the discount chain of stores fo' po' folks. (My Ma used to drag us to one as children in Orange County. I don't know how many the O.C. boasted of, but this might well be the same White Front.); the Pacific Ocean Park amusement park, which I guarded as a young Police Explorer during its demolition in the Winter of 1973-74; the L.A. International Airport Theme Building where I experienced my first Red Dog beer. The beer wasn't memorable, but the location was.
   
   Phoenix includes insightful, and sometimes funny commentary. When he describes the cover photo (a white, 1955 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible parked near the corner of Walnut & Allen in Pasadena, with palm trees, an orange grove, and snow-capped Mt. Baldy in the background) as "a perfect Southern California shot," he's right on the money! When he writes of the 1954 Mineral Baths photo in Desert Hot Springs, "Hundreds of thousands of acres of beautiful undisturbed desert scenery and someone had to build a wall around this place and paint in [desert] scenery," it's genuinely funny.
   
   This book is a treasure trove for any pre-Hotel California SoCalLand lover. Where else are you going to find a photograph of a 1956 teenager with the perfect ducktail 'do waiting to test Disneyland's Autopia track? Or a photo of President Eisenhower blowing his nose in Palm Springs? Or a photo of Lee and Katie Kellogg eating meatloaf sandwiches in 1955 Alhambra? This book is a vibrant, eye-popping gem of pop culture which I urge you not to buy.
   
   I'd rather you didn't purchase this fun Charles Phoenix book. Why? Because on page 144 we learn that SOUTHERN CALIFORNILAND was "Printed in China." Yes, this is the same China that embraces Communism, a failed economic/social system responsible for murdering approximately 100 million human beings worldwide, and torturing and starving many millions more. The same China that enforces its one-child family policy with forced abortions. The same China that got caught smuggling AK-47s into the U.S. to be sold to Los Angeles street gangs; threatened to nuke L.A. if the U.S. militarily defends Taiwan; kills its citizens who have the audacity to publicly request freedom; sells body parts of executed prisoners to medical facilities; enslaves political opponents & Christians for their faith, and puts them to work in forced labor camps, producing all imaginable types of goods, and printing books, all to be sold to Americans.
   
   Everytime we purchase a Chinese-made product, we are feeding the human rights-abusing monster that has made no secret of its hatred for us - a monster that is increasing its military might at an astonishing rate and will someday overrun its neighbor, Taiwan, and declare war on the United States. Let's have a little foresight for once. Let's stop building our enemies. Let's boycott ALL Chinese products and sleep better at night. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIALAND is a nice book, but until it is being produced in a country that values human life, it's a book that we can LIVE WITHOUT! (Of course, if you're buying a used copy, this is not an issue.)



5. I purchased this book for my husband's 50th birthday and it was a big hit!! He loved seeing many of the sights he grew up with in the San Gabriel Valley. We both grew up in So. Cal. in the 50's-70's and the photographs captured the "feel" of those times perfectly. Looking at them was like going back in a time-machine,just a fun blast into the past!

No comments about Capture the Portrait: How to Create Great Digital Photos.

3 comments about Classic Shots: The Greatest Images from the United States Golf Association.

1. This volume gives us a very unusual and refreshing glimpse of virtually every aspect of the game. The patience and thoughtfulness given to analyzing and selecting from among the half-million images in the USGA photo archives is amazing enough in itself, but what Marty Parkes and his collaborators at Golf House have put together here will stir the imagination and thrill the soul of anyone who has ever held a golf club. Whether it's Tiger with his Dad or Old Tom Morris and Harry Vardon at St. Andrews, Ouimet blasting out of a bunker at the '23 Walker Cup or, perhaps one of the most poignant photos, a group of uniformed servicemen on a practice green at Camp Gordon, Georgia during World War II, this volume has it all ... and all of us will be the better for spending time with it!



2. I am fortunate and I am forever grateful to be the proud holder of this beautiful book.



3. I purchased this book as a Father's Day gift for my golfer husband. He loved it! Our golfer son came to visit and he loved it! National Geographic has produced an excellent product with this beautifully photographed and extremely well written volume. My husband placed it on our bookcase...face forward...it's that beautiful!

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

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.

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.

1 comments about National Geographic Photographing Birds (National Geographic).

1. "Photographing Birds" is a pocket-sized book aimed at covering the full gamut of bird photography from equipment to a short list of places to take photographs of birds. In between, chapters include luring and stalking birds, photographing nesting and flight and special challenges like night photography and winter photography.
   
   This book is apparently an update of a previous National Geographic book entitled "National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Birds". While I did not read that prior volume, this book has the feel of a job of cutting and pasting. For example, in the Getting Started chapter, there is an extensive discussion of film in the main text and then some sections that feel like they had just been appended on digital photography. The same section contains a discussion of catadioptric (mirror) lenses. No bird photographer I know would consider using such a lens today.
   
   Two of the basic problems that any bird photographer will face are exposure and focus. There is no discussion in this book of how one might compensate for different lighting conditions and bird tonalities. There is a reference to the histogram, one of the most useful devices that digital SLR cameras offer for the control of exposure, but no explanation of this function. With regard to focus most modern cameras offer a choice between single focus and continuous focus and the selection of one or the other can greatly affect the images taken, but there is virtually no mention in this book.
   
   The basic shortcoming is that while the book recognizes the problems of bird photography, there is very little practical advice. Even such a basic subject as depth-of-field is not included in the book.
   
   For several years the gold standard for bird photography has been "The Art of Bird Photography" by Arthur Morris. It doesn't cover digital photography but it's still a lot more useful than this book. Morris has an e-book on digital bird photography which is available from his web site, but which he is not yet offering in a printed version.
   
   The bottom line is that I cannot recommend this book for any photographer.

2 comments about Ansel Adams: Letters, 1916 - 1984.

1. I was amazed at Ansel Adams outlook on life and his art. From reading you can tell he was greatly respected as well as a true artist in more ways than one. If you want to learn more about the man and his character I would highly recommend this book. Amazing really...



2. Pouring over letters to and from Ansel Adams brings you closer to the photographer. From a telegram to his father in 1920 asking for $20.00 to buy a burro (and letting him know that he'd sell it at the end of the season for $10.00) to touching letters to his wife over the years. His descriptions of nature are as wonderful as his photographs. He writes to US presidents, newspaper editors,friends, family and more. You see the scope, imagination,and honesty of a man and a fantastic photographer.

   You laugh,cry and share the man; Ansel Adams. Interesting personal photographs in the book also.