5 comments about Africa.

1. A book for real animal and Africa lovers!! Excellent photos, combining nature photography and the art of composing colours and/or designs. Phantastic views from the air, but also from the ground. Who ever has been on a game drive in Africe, would have hoped to be able to get at least one of these pictures. Also the size (and the weight) is absolutely gigantic!



2. Having recently returned from Africa - my "long-time dream vacation" alas come true, I wanted to savor memories of its beauty and wildlife so I purchased Michael Poliza's book, AFRICA. If I was captivated by the sights I beheld in person during many game drives, I am completely spellbound now after laying eyes on Poliza's incredible, oversized photographs! I am pleased to have this coffee table book so readily available, to take me back to a place that will forever live in my heart. Thank you to Michael Poliza for expressing so beautifully in pictures what I can barely even explain in words! He has touched the core of my soul. His AFRICA photographs are phenomenal and truly inspiring! I know I will one day return to Africa but, until then, this book takes me there (so wonderfully) again and again, every day.



3. Worth buying and having one of your own. The other reviews say it all. I add that it is one of my favorite books --- there are over 1200 books in my library.



4. Of all the many great African wildlife photographers, there are a select few whose images stand out from the rest and transcend beyond photography to art - - Nick Brandt's "On This Earth", Anup & Manoj Shah's "The Circle of Life", Robert Haas' "through the eyes of the gods" and now Michael Poliza's "Africa".
   
   As a wildlife photographer myself (I had the opportunity to meet Michael Poliza and observe him at work in the Linynati region of Botswana in 2002), beyond enjoying other photographers' images, I instinctively compare their work to mine. While anyone can take an occasional excellent photo, it is the collective body of work that defines the truly great photographers. Poliza's African wildlife portfolio demonstrates that he is one of those on a different artistic level than the rest of us, including much more widely known and acclaimed photographers like Beverly & Derek Joubert and Mitsuaki Iwago.
   
   If you're going to invest in a single African wildlife coffee table book, you won't regret making it "Africa".



5. After a recent trip to Tanzania & Kenya, I wanted to find some way to keep the images of the animal life I saw in those places fresh in my mind's eye. Michael Poliza's photography captures the colorful, raw elegance that is Africa in purest form. This large book is for anyone of any age who appreciates beautiful photography, and also for animal lovers everywhere who want to witness up-close the delicate balance of animal life at it's most majestic. A stunning addition to any collection.

5 comments about The New Manual of Photography.

1. I was using the automatic settings and never quite got photography until I read this book. The language is so clear and on my level. I have become a much better photographer since reading this book.
   
   I just took a chapter at the time and practiced it until I mastered it. GET THIS BOOK!



2. While not recently published, this book is still revelant as to the basics of digital photography for the beginner.



3. I was referred to this book by Ken Rockwell's excellent photography site (www.kenrockwell.com), and after reading other great reviews, bought a copy.
   
   I borrowed it from a local library and after a read through, bought it, regretting that its only available in very-heavy hard cover.
   
   The author has written many books on photography, and from other reviews I gather they have overlapping content. However if you have to buy one John Hedgecoe book which covers everything and is contemporary, this would be it.
   
   Mr Hedgecoe covers all manners of topics starting from the camera basics, different types of cameras, lenses, and other camera equipment. Then it goes on to cover most of different types of photography situations, and devotes a few pages to each of them. He covers what to look for, how to photograph it, and includes a few photographs to illustrate the point. He doesn't assume the reader has all sorts of expensive equipment handy, he will in most cases recommend the professional accessories and if possible mention a cheaper alternative.
   
   The book goes on to cover other aspects of photography, the photographer's eye, how to watch for the shot, how to make the shot, etc. Very well written chapters. All of us have seen some great photo somewhere and thought now that's a great photo, without quite knowing why. These chapters point out concepts of composition, timing, lighting, etc. and help you understand what makes great photos great.
   
   The volume is rounded off with chapters on post processing of the photograph, including touch-ups, printing, storage, etc.
   
   Some have faulted this book for not including much detail on each type of photography. That is true, because this book isn't supposed to be a detailed guide on all types of photography. This book is meant to be an introduction to many aspects of photography, and provide small guides to them. This it does incredibly well.



4. I am about a quarter of the way through the book and have found it as a useful reference. I think it provides good insight into differnt types of pictures. While some of the information appears dated is is very detailed. I especially like when talking about focal lenghts there is 1 picture showing how 18mm compares to 600mm. There are other useful tidbits. Many books and people say shoot with a tripod. Well what if you are in a place where a tripod is not allowed and you need to hand hold. This book gives some tips in that situation.



5. This is a very well-rounded book as it covers a lot of material in 400 pages. Obviously no book is perfect, and no book can cover every single segment or topic of photography. However, this is as well-rounded as any other photography book I have seen.
   
   The combination of text and (example/sample) pictures in almost every page is a big plus in this book.
   
   It covers technical stuff (cameras, lenses, exposure, focusing, etc), has a chapter on digital/computer processing, a couple of chapters on film, and a chapter on more advanced topics, among other things.
   
   But the majority of book covers various photography subjects ranging from two to four pages each. This includes a wide range of picture taking situations and techniques, such as sunsets, people, flash photography, travel and travelling, portraits, all the usual stuff you could think of and then dozens and dozens more. Each topic has both text and pictures and takes full advantage of the available space in each page.
   
   And now for digital photographers/gadget geeks: Often the publication date does not mean as much as to when the book was written, but the cameras featured in the book are a tell-tale sign: Some of the cameras featured in the book are the Olympus E-20, Canon 1Ds (Mark I), Nikon 5700, Pentax Optio 450. This should give you a reference from a camera model perspective.
   
   Conclusion: This is a great book for just about everyone interested in photography, whether it's a page by page instruction or quick reference for a particular picture taking situation. John Hedgecoe has written a number of very good photography books, so in general just about anything written by him will be good. But if you don't have any of his books, this is a very good one to start with!

4 comments about Photo Portfolio Success.

1. This is a gem of a book for the driven pro photog. If you think you've created a good portfolio, or are creating your first, get this book and hunker down for some serious soul searching! A very good companion volume is Selina Oppenheim's Portfolios That Sell. In many ways their approaches are the same, but different - a good mix; a second opinion is not only helpful, but allows you to step back and decide for yourself how to best represent your work.
   
   These two books, along with personal and client factors, resulted in a professional epiphany of sorts for myself and had me looking at my library of images in a new and exciting way. The result was expensive in both money and time, causing me to lighten my wallet by roughly $2500 and spend around 6 weeks straight working until three and four AM with three to five hours sleep night after night.
   
   What did I end up with? Three rockin' portfolios: Commercial (with tear book) and Portraiture, both in 13X19, custom, screw-post portfolios with name and logo laser etched onto the covers. And a 20-piece, conservation-matted Fine Art collection at 18X24, with logo-embossed, handmade paper separators in a personalized Pina Zangoro Boro carrying case, for beating down the doors and wowing my regional galleries. Oh, and a new 17-inch wide Epson 3800.
   
   And the response? First, it's only been a couple weeks, and of course it goes without saying that the pictures are the meat-of-the-matter. That said, it's obvious to me from the response so far, that across the board, whether it's a local advertiser searching for a fresh eye, a regional gallery evaluating your sense of style and detail, or a twenty-something couple wanting a portrait to hang in their new home, a sleek, professional presentation breaks the ice. Their demeanor toward you is transformed. Their body language belies a new openness in examining your work - you've passed the first crucial test of "first impression."
   
   Has it worked? Well, within the first week I have one new commercial client, done two new-family portrait sittings and have a three-month exhibit scheduled in a five-star, high-end hotel. Whether this kind of immediate gratification continues to be a "Success" as Kaplan puts it, or "Sell" as Oppenheim states it, is anybody's guess. But one thing is for sure, and that is the boost of self-confidence a high-end presentation gives to your self-esteem and self-perceived power when you enter that always vulnerable position of playing "seller" to a prospective "buyer" whom you've never met.
   
   One closing note. These books will be of no avail to you if 1) you're not prepared to spend some money, 2) you're not prepared to lose some sleep, and 3) you're not prepared to take a long, hard, unsentimental and honest look at your images. Be prepared to re-invent yourself and your vision.
   
   Carry on... I went out for a sunrise shoot this morning and I think I've got a shot in there that's just beggin' to be worked over in Lightroom and printed on a nice, fat piece of Arches textured-matte! I've got some product to shoot for a client in the morning, but today I'm a Fine Art Photog ;-), even if they say the difference between a Fine Art Photographer and a Family-Sized Pizza is the Family-Sized Pizza can feed a family of four. hehheh



2. As photographers, we live and die by our portfolios. They are our resume, our advertising piece, our list of references.
   
   Thus there is a need for a really, really good book on how to craft a portfolio. And John Kaplan delivers with this book.
   
   This book is an example of what I think that all photographic books should aspire to, its' subject is specialized, it sticks to topic, and it provides useful advice.
   
   In many ways this book breaks many of the rules that I usually don't like. For example, Kaplan puts many, many address of sources in this book. Usually I would complain that such information belongs in a magazine, not in a book, but somehow they work here. Perhaps because the subject is so specialized.
   
   What I like about this book:
   
   1) Specialized subject, covered well.
   2) Covers all types of portfolios, print, online, CD & multimedia, slide...
   3) LOTS of resources. This book will not age well, because of this, but it is a valuable resource right now... suppliers, album manufactures, workshops, it's all here. Want to publish your work as a book? The resources are here for that, too.
   4) Interesting sidebars, much like Ketchum's book. Consider: "Are you truly serious about your work" and "The ethics of captioning".
   5) STUNNING images. Tell me the image on page 21 doesn't make you want to give up the studio and become a photojournalist.
   
   What I don't like about this book:
   
   Not much really, just a few points.
   
   1) For example, under the sidebar "Web Design Don'ts" Kaplan advises 'Avoid Using Black Backgrounds'. I don't know about you, but EVERY single 'WOW' photographic website that I go to has in common a black background. This is an example of someone who came up in the print era trying to be a web expert... but don't worry about it, John, even Babe Ruth didn't hit 1000%.
   
   2) Readability is above average for photographic books, but that's a pretty low benchmark to shoot for.
   
   Still, buy this book. Worth the money, worth the read, worth the room on your photographic library shelf.



3. In his new book, "Photo Portfolio Success", John Kaplan has created the most comprehensive, current, in depth and honest book for photographers who may be hoping to get their foot in the door, for those where the door is already open, and even the lucky ones with an all-season pass in the competitive and rewarding field of photography. This book debunks every myth you thought you knew and tells it like it is from the very top people working in photography today. A literary device using pull-out quotes from top photographers, editors and even New York photo agents subtitled: "Your Biggest Mistake", and "Your Best Move" also gives the reader more honest guidance of what they really need to know to succeed in an often cutthroat business. Here's a nugget from Detroit Free Press photographer J. Kyle Keener: "Don't show something in your portfolio that you can't do consistently." It's honesty like this that helps photographers get to the next level. Kaplan's book scales several mountain ranges with advice every sane person really needs to know if they want to keep a roof over their heads in making a living at photography.
   In 13 chapters, this book covers all the bases and genres of photography and everything you need to know to get a running start. Photojournalism, wedding photography, freelance and commercial work, nature and wildlife, fine art photography and the extremely important areas of marketing and self-promotion are all covered. Detailed yet easy-to understand methods of building your own web page to promote your photography business are included. Necessary links to various companies providing presentation material like portfolio cases are also here. The book is well designed and beautifully illustrated with examples of some of the finest photography being done in the world today.
   I think the really nice thing about this book is the underlying encouragement that Kaplan offers the reader throughout. Reviewing as a professional photographer myself, Photo Portfolio Success gave me a renewed sense of vigor and honest assesment of where I need to go in this crazy yet wonderful career of photography.



4. There are alot of photography books out their to try to help people in different aspects of photography. But this book is backed with a punch. Author John Kaplan has a Pulitzer Prize to back his knowledge of the many different aspects in the photo business. This book cover it all, from wedding to nature photography Kaplan has brought to the pages some of the greatest photographers currently working. Kaplan even includes hands-on editing tests to test your knowledge. Every photo in the book is a example of the best in the business. Every photo school whether photojournalism or fine art should have this book in the classroom. Kaplan shares secrets that has made him an industry leader. This book can give the reader an edge over the competition by giving solid examples and information to help every photographer get in touch with whatever organization is avaliable to that aspect of their business. Finally a book for photographers everywhere. Don't be without this content driven book. Content is the key here, every picture example is extraordinary and inspiring. Everyone can learn more-so start here.

5 comments about The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers.

1. This book does a fairly decent job of covering the program in it's entirety, and I did learn a few new tips.
   
   However, I feel as if the "Intermediate to Advanced" skill level listed on the back is a bit misleading, unless you're completely new to photography (but why would you be learning a $300 program if you're a newbie shooter?). Lightroom was designed quite well (in my opinion), so a couple hours of just playing around in the program will be sufficient to teach you ~30-50% of what's covered in this book.
   
   This isn't to say I wouldn't recommend it to someone just crossing over to using Lightroom for the first time, I was just expecting it to be more in-depth or advanced. I got my copy for $26.40, but I think the $40.00 suggested retail is a bit high.



2. 
   I found this book to be easy to understand and very helpful.
   I don't usually read books on software, but, Adobe did a good
   job with making this book, very user friendly.



3. This book is very well laid out and full of useful information. Written by one of the people that developed the program. Highly recommended.



4. I am using this book in a school setting and I enjoy it. It has all of the details for students from the basic overview to the intricacies of the various modules. I especially like how the text explains how to do things and includes keyboard shortcuts. The "Note" sections in the sidebars provide context and they are sometimes my favorite parts.
   
   If you want to get into Lightroom this book can get you going quickly!



5. I get Martin's Photoshop book with every new version. Now I've got two of Martin's books to get religiously, with the introduction of his new book on Lightroom,
   
   Alpha-tester for both Lightroom and Photoshop, Martin's a practicing photographer and his real world expertise shows in every page. That and his association with many of the top professionals in the industry including fellow PixelGenius members (Fraser, Holbert, Resnick, Rodney, and Schewe) ensures that he's up to date on the latest developments at a very advanced level.
   
   One of the best authors in the industry, he's clear, concise, and thorough. Graphically and photographically Martin's books have always stood out in the field making them easier and more pleasing to digest.
   
   This book covers almost all of the features, making it a definitive resource on the subject. You may not read the entire book (certainly not at one sitting). But you will find yourself constantly referring to it when you need answers.
   
   At the heart of his discussion of the tools and his practices is the notion of an evolving streamlined workflow - getting the job done well simply and efficiently. This leaves more time for making images increasing productivity. That's what Lightroon and this book are designed to help you do.
   
   Martin does a good job of explaining when and why you might move to Lightroom instead of using Photoshop and how to integrate the two. It's something he's done both personally and professionally.
   
   [...]

5 comments about Perception and Imaging, Third Edition: Photography--A Way of Seeing.

1. New edition of a classic textbook by a well-known expert. Quite theoretical but very instructive. People take too many pictures unthinkingly, and should read on theory.



2. This book takes you--step by step with clear and often startling examples and with exercises to apply them--through the fundamentals of perception. That is the most basic of a photographer's necessary skills. Understand the concepts, practice seeing, do the exercises, understand your perceptions. Become a better photographer and, in the process, enrich your daily life as you see and understand your world in new ways. Highly recommended.



3. Encyclopedic in scope, but equally shallow and choppy.
   
   This is a textbook. Illustrations are student grade, margin notes are random, and exercises are strained. May be useful if you never took a basic design class or thought much about perception. Book gives a survey, oriented toward defining terms and concepts, but it never takes them anywhere.



4. I know that I will draw a great deal of critique for this review, but personally i did not find this book worth my time.
   
   For how well it might be written, for how easy and understandable the examples might be, for how precisely documented it is, it does not have what I was looking for in it: a partly theoretical and partly practical toolbox to expand my creativity when I create an image.
   
   The text is, as I said in the title, little more than a collection of well-catalogued, wide-ranging information regarding different fields of perception. Some of them are overly and uselessly technical, some are little more than tautologies, few are actually useful or stimulating. I could not find any reference, for instance, to "the rule of the thirds" (which might not be the ultimate principle of composition but is still an important starting point) but on the other hand there were more than a dozen paragraphs on colour notations and names, constantly moving between the obvious, the superfluous and the merely technical.
   
   On a sidenote, I do not understand why American writers in general assume that their readers have the attention-span of a goldfish and try to fit everything they have to say on an argument in half a paragraph, only to start a completely new one immediately after. It doesn't help, it creates unacceptable over-simplifications.
   Teaching is not made of putting on the table individual information, sweetened by a profusion of quotes and aphorisms. Teaching is a sequential activity, it involves a long propaedeutic phase, it entails the creation of foundations and builds upon them to get in the end to the real content. A book that teaches well cannot be accessed randomly at any page without missing any context. Useless to say, this one can.
   
   
   Andrea B., Verona



5. While it is true this book is somewhat erroneously subtitled WRT to the Photography bit -it is relevant not only to photographers but also painters, illustrators and others- there is a wealth of information presented in a detailed and well-illustrated manner. This book covers everything from color relationships and meaning, to "geometric" fundamentals such as symmetry and gestalt grouping, to the human physiology behind why some things appeal to our eye and others do not.
   
   In short the book provides not only examples of what works in photographic composition (or a painting's composition), but explains *why* it works, without boring you to tears with a doctoral thesis in every chapter. Some books (such as Itten's color tome) do exactly this and it makes them almost painful works to finish, even though the information is valid. It provides just enough scientific context to give understanding, and then gets out of its own way by providing real-world illustrative examples (be they photos, drawings or illustration) to demonstrate the current concept.
   
   And there *are* many references to things specific to photography such as a sub-section on color management systems and how color is controlled in the digital world. Is it the same as reading one of Bruce Fraser's works on color manegment? No, but it gives you enough to put it in context and understand why it's important. So it is with all the other chapters in the book. Highly recommended if you are an art student or photography student, or even a professional looking to hone your skills.

5 comments about National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Secrets to Making Great Pictures, Second Edition.

1. This is a great book for beginning photographers and even those that have progressed can still go back and learn something from this book. It covers everything from the camera, to lighting to how to shoot various subjects. Different photographers give their insights about how to shoot great pictures. If you are a beginning photographer then buy this book.



2. Get this.
   
   Anyone who wants to start photography as a hobby must have this book inside the essential list.
   
   I had the first edition, and I got the second edition. I gave away my 1st edition to another photographer as a gift. He still brings it around with him.
   
   The chapters are well structured. The explanations are easily understood. Despite being written for the "analogue" era, the techiniques and tips are still valid. The topics are still relevant to the digital enthusiasts.
   
   Great sections on experiances by seasoned NatGeo's photographers. It's a thrill just reading them.
   
   One might raise the issue of the lack of post processing techniques in a digital darkroom; but I say this is a "Field Guide", to be used on the field (which was what I got the book for).
   
   I say again, get this by your side when you go to the field.



3. great book, detailize every single lighting technique that you should know about photographing, highly recommended



4. Great book by highly-rated National Geographic photographers!
   I like the way the book is written, simple and compact, but full of information. Different photographers also give their tips, gives you different perspectives on how you should take a photograph.
   
   There is no details, however, like shutter speed, aperture, focal length on the photos in the book.



5. The national Geogrphic series on photography is great. With great detail they explain how to take memorable shots that will have family and friend ewwing and awwing. This is a must by for a budding photo journalist.

5 comments about Diane Arbus Revelations.

1. Diane Arbus' works reflect for me, the tragic echoes of an artist's disconnected soul in search of kinship. I believe her subjects reflected this inner state in its polarity - from the curiously delightful to the stark nakedness of oddity. "What do i see when i look in the mirror? I search for you, to document your being, your existence, your very breath because you rebel for me, against all that they say is conventional, permissable and normal. i record your pneuma and the beauty of your unorthodoxy."
   Be delighted to own this book if you truly appreciate art and the soul that creates it. You won't be disappointed.



2. The legacy of dead artists is always in the hands of others. As Doon Arbus, Diane's daughter, laments, some go way to far in "analyzing" the work of her mother. (For a particularly abominable and repulsive example of this, see Anthony Lee and John Stultz's "Diane Arbus: Family Albums".)
   
   This gigantic Arbus exhibition was mounted by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It features 200 Arbus photos, spanning her entire work and more than 300 auxillary images of her notebooks, darkroom and so on.
   
   There are several short, informative and informed essays (unlike the aforementioned "Family Albums).
   
   The production is gorgeous.
   
   What is unfortunate about Arbus' work is that it is rarely explained in detail. People see Arbus' work and conclude that she really saw these weird people in the wild, so to speak. The reality is shown in fair detail here. For example, Arbus' absolute classic "Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park" is shown with a contact sheet making it clear that Arbus took the one image that showed this little boy in a freakish pose. The other 11 images show a normal young boy playing. But Arbus wanted her subjects to appear as if they were trying out for a freak show. That was her point. That's why, for example, Arbus photographed "Dominatrix embracing her client" instead of a family picnic with everyone smiling for the camera.
   
   Arbus - and this exhibition demonstrates the point - used electronic flash and high contrast to make her subjects appear weird. Weird was Arbus' metier. You can see this again in the contact sheet from which her freakish "Boy at a parade" is taken. Arbus does not print the sprightly looking woman holding a "Support Our Boys" sign and an American flag. No, she prints the pimply faced, self-concious boy wearing a plastic straw hat, a bow tie and carrying an American flag. She prints it because the harsh strobe makes the uncomfortable boy look like a freak.
   
   Arbus was fascinated by the unsual, including twins and triplets. She suffered from various psychological problems, possibly alcoholism and drug addiction and killed herself.
   
   She left behind a magnificient body of work, one that too often (again, see the awful "Family Albums") is subjected to academic balderdash.
   
   In "Dane Arbus: Revelations", Arbus the person, Arbus the photographer is presented in splendid detail. It's a marvelous work.
   
   Jerry



3. I had the great fortune to see Revelations in person when the show was at the MET in NYC in 2004. There is nothing like seeing actual prints in person but this gorgous book is the next best thing. The paper stock is top notch as is the binding. I proudly display this book on my coffee table for family and friends to enjoy.



4. Diane Arbus Revelations may be a bargain, price-wise. However, there are many other women photographers who have produced much finer photographs. To me this book reveals Arbus as one who used photographs very selectively to portray a distorted, negative view of a subject. She seemed to exploit gloom as a trademark to make herself unique and gain notice.
   
   The well-known Jewish Giant portrait of Eddie Carmel and his "dismayed" parents is a case in point of her deception. On page 300-301 is the enlargement of frame number 1 of the contact sheet shown on page 209. Obviously, it was hastily shot before the family was ready or in position for what they thought was to be a warm, family portrait. It was a trick pulled on the unsuspecting, and it does not truly represent anything other than people puzzling over where they should stand for the pictures to come.
   
   In contrast, from the contact sheet on page 164, she selected the most obviously contrived pose of the Child With A Toy Hand Grenade, which appears on page 104-105 and as the enlargement she is holding in the Steven Frank photograph on page 208.
   
   As a study in promoting a particular, melancholy viewpoint and imposing it on naive subjects kind enough to be photographed, this book may be useful. But for honest photography, there are other books.



5. This was one of the greatest photography retrospectives and the book pretty much summarizes as well as delves deeply into the issues covered by the show. If you missed the exhibition, this book is a good substitute. If you want to know about what you saw in the show, this is an indispensable guide. Highest quality reproductions, even in the paperback.

5 comments about No Lifeguard on Duty: The Accidental Life of the World's First Supermodel.

1. Janice got down, dirty, and honest with this book in her tough journey to fame. However, she is an amazing woman who has survived much in life, while doing her best to thrive.
   
   Kudos Janice! Thank you for sharing a part of you with us all!
   
   A MUST read for everyone!
   
   Merna Throne
   
   Pocket of Pearls: A 30-day pocket workbook to start hearing a softer voice inside of you!



2. This book was AMAZING!!! SOOO good i thought it was fiction. A fantastic read.



3. This memoir delivers! Laugh out loud funny, and full of juicy show biz gossip. Janice rats out everyone in here. I like that her voice comes through 100%--it's like you are sitting with her listening to her stories over drinks, one on one. There is more to Janice's story--a darker side with a totally messed up childhood that shaped who she became. Think what you will of her, but she is never boring. A great read.



4. I must say that I truly enjoyed reading this book. There is one thing about the author that I like best and it is the fact that she is real; she tells it like it is. She has guts! This by itself makes the book worth it! I honestly believe that she shares honest and truthful tales about the modeling bussiness and her personal life. I give this book a 10.



5. So, I am a fan of crazy-gorgeous-extreme model types, because they are so much the opposite of me.
   
   Take Janice Dickinson, for instance. Janice walks in a room, and everyone knows it. Maybe they smell her heady melange of booze, perfume, and cigarettes. It could be the obnoxiously loud string of foulness that always enters before she does. And perhaps it's because she's gorgeous and has those crazy -- as in substantially unstable -- eyes that demand attention in a Charlie Manson kind of way. I don't know. Whatever it is, I want it, as do millions of young ladies.
   
   So I really wanted to like this book and experience a lot of "Oh no she di'int" admiration, but mostly, I was stumbling over the lackluster, disconnected writing. Does anyone believe celebrities of her caliber -- low, that is -- really write their own material? I suppose her "writing partner" is partially to blame for the poor quality, but having seen Dickinson in action (critiquing ANTM contestants and manipulating her way through the D-list dumpster that is The Surreal Life), I don't doubt for a second that she'd have creative control and final say on the content and style.
   
   Janice does deliver some juicy bits. For example, way back when Sly Stallone was her man, Janice was regularly given mystery "vitamins" by the Rocky that, in light of recent events, may've been an early iteration of HGH. Hm. Plus there's tons of drugs and boyfriends (and girlfriends), although I could've done without the explicit descriptions of sex ham-fistedly sandwiched into random spots. (It's like she forgot she wasn't writing a Harlequin for a couple of pages.)
   
   As in other memoirs by people who shouldn't necessarily be writing any, there's the usual childhood drama blown out of proportion. Being abused is drama enough -- why add the Lifetime Movie of the Week fanfare? It feels a little... exploitative.
   
   But I suppose that's the point. Dickinson made her career out of exploitation -- of her body, the camera, other people's bodies... you name it. I appreciate the candor she shows, and no-holds-barred "outing" of celeb secrets is balanced by kind words for others (for instance, Christie Brinkley is -- or at least was -- a saint). This could've been an excellent book if only she'd taken an intensive in English composition and pulled out a thesaurus. (At least it wasn't as bad as Iceberg Slim!)

5 comments about A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove (Southwestern & Mexican Photography Series, Wittliff Collections at Texas State University-San Marcos).

1. Hard to believe that it has been 20 years since the mini-series "Lonesome Dove" debuted on television. I remember sitting transfixed with my entire family before the TV screen for each night's new episode. I felt then, and still feel, that it was, if not the best western ever filmed, somewhere near the top. And what I loved so much about it, besides the authenticity of the costumes and sets, was that it stuck so closely to the novel, which I had read three years earlier. My admiration for that book was so great, I had stood in line for over an hour to have my copy signed when Larry McMurtry paid a visit to my hometown.
   
   In commemoration of this anniversary, Bill Wittliff, who wrote the "Lonesome Dove" screenplay, has collected 112 sepia-toned photographs that he took during the filming of the mini-series. The opening photographs in the book are of Robert Duval standing on his mark, with camera equipment and reflectors poised, doing a costume check, except that Duval is already in character, his posture so clearly that of Gus McCrae. The next photo is of Tommy Lee Jones, likewise his costume check, and he, too, has already become the intense Woodrow Call.
   
   "These are not just pictures from `Lonesome Dove,'" Harrigan writes in his Introduction, "they are documentary images of something that seems to have really happened." The passing of the mythical West perhaps, or a photographic journey through a hot and dusty bit of Texas History.
   
   The book is well-made with high-quality glossy paper and an excellent binding. Several of the panoramic shots inside span across two pages, with some looking almost like Charles Russell paintings: a stolen horse stampede, cowboys riding herd, Indians on the prod. Others go beyond sheer moviemaking magic, like the ones with the great black thunderstorm roiling in the background.
   
   "A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove" is not a book of movie stills or publicity shots. It isn't advertising for the novel or for the mini-series. Instead it is Wittliff's remarkable private photographic record showcasing the characters and the story, and if the faces weren't so familiar, the scenes would seem almost to have been pulled out of some photo history of a 19th-century cattle drive.



2. I checked this book out at the local library and had only read the introduction when I knew I had to buy it. Then I saw the photo of Augustus McCray's face that made me burst into tears and I ordered it on Amazon. It came quickly and didn't disappoint.



3. This book is an excellent book and was received in perfect condition. I recommend it for anyone who loves the rustic feel of the content. I have it in a log cabin on a book stand and people who visit love it. A very cozy book and pictures are great.



4. This is a wonderful book for any true Lonesome Dove fan.
   
   The pics are beautifully done. They definitely have that look of an old-time western pic. I have to admit I have not yet read the forward by Larry McMurtry - I just wanted to dive right into the pics 1st.
   
   Of course I'm glad I was able to get it from Amazon for $29.70 because there's no way I would have paid the $45 cover price for it.



5. I purchased this book for my husband and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a gift for me as well. I knew he would enjoy it since he has watched "Lonesome Dove" many times, one time was when this book was actually being shipped. Not only were the photographs wonderful, I enjoyed the Introduction and Afterword.

1 comments about Amateur College Men.

1. Anyone who collects books on erotic male nude photography will be disappointed in this volume, eighty percent of the photos are modle like shots with clothes on, or head shots. The twenty percent that are nude are quite beautiful but for the price I expected alot more. So I would say save your money for something better!