5 comments about How to Do Everything with Your Zune (How to Do Everything).

1. Very well-organized overview of the zune and how to use it. This is an excellent option for those whose lives are far too full to spend endless hours on the Internet pulling out the information piece by piece by piece. Although it doesn't cover the latest zune, the 80, you should find everything you need to get started. If you do have the 80, the websites the author recommends will cover the changes, although most of them just make the zune work better (e.g. lots more storage). Broida is a wonderful writer for this kind of book -- like a smart and entertaining friend who knows how to have fun and shows you how, too!



2. I liked the book and did learn a lot but it is very out of date. The Zune has changed and the book hasn't



3. Just operating a Zune straight out of the box may be easy for a teenager but, for the "mature" user, a manual that you can actually read is so much better.
   
   I found this an easy read and quickly helped me get up and running with the Zune.
   
   I recommend this to anyone above the age of 13. ;-)



4. This book is great. My husband and I both read it and found it extremely helpful and easy to read (great informative pictures). We have the original 30gb Zune model-which is what the book covers. If you have the 2nd generation Zune, it may not be quite as helpful-we can only attest to its value for people who have the 30gb version. We bought two more copies for gifts to other family memebers who own the 30gb Zune. You will learn a lot!



5. I received a Zune 30 GB for christmas and I had not a clue on how to use it. Then I bought this book. I found out that my Zune does so much more(with the help of this book). The author, Rick Broida, makes it easy and fun with this book. This book is hard to put down because of the witty notes and tips. It is a recommened must have to any Zune owner.

5 comments about Beyond Basic Photography: A Technical Manual.

1. I really like Henry Hoernstein's book, Beyond Basic Photography: A Technical Manual. I use it as a text book for my Photo II class. It brings 2nd semester students to the next level, "Old School" style. Easy to read and to the point.



2. For those of us who want to go on in photography and learn in depth techniques, I think this book is pretty good. I have Horensteins book Basic Photography. I appreciated all the indepth coverage of the elements of basic photography. Beyond Basic Photography continues with more detailed coverage. I don't like the illustrations this time around, they seem more cartoony--but the content is very detaile.
   
   The book is very specific about teaching you how to get good negatives, which will in turn, help you make better prints. That's always a good thing.



3. "Beyond Basic Photography" is indeed a technical manual, in the sense that it focuses on things you can do in the darkroom and in lighting setup. It does feel outdated for those of us who have left the bad-for-health-and-environment chemical world and adopted the digital revolution. There's also nothing about how to take pictures; the emphasis is how to light and how to process the film.



4. This book is really surprisingly still in print. It's from the 70's and it looks like it. Some useful information can be gleaned from it to be overgenerous. I find it rather amusing in fact. The photos inside are absolutely ridiculous. They are clearly examples of "just let me take your picture for this ass of a book I'm writing..." -- the fat couple in lawn chairs is pretty funny (pg. 21). The discussion of the zone system is laughably short and comprises only 5 pages. Most of the discussion centers around mixing various chemicals in various ratios. I wonder if all of these are still available on the market. The drawings in the text are third grade level, and someone actually gets credit on the cover! This is a very poorly done text and I don't recommend it with so many other books out there on this subject matter.



5. As a student of Henry's at the Rhode Island School of Design I read the book BEFORE I attended RISD I was captivated by the simple ways he explained the "sometimes" complexity of photography.

   Such as Henry's way - making life easy and fun for everyone.
   
   I suggest checking out his other books too.

4 comments about Los Alamos.

1. The photos in this book are not about Los Alamos, New Mexico. Although some of them may have been taken there, many--maybe most--are from Eggleston's familiar Deep South. One is done in an airplane flying over God-knows-where.

   But the photos aren't about the locations. They are about color. And the main colors are red, white and blue.

   If Eggleston's "...Guide" was photographed under the influence of the design of the Confederate flag (as Eggleston has claimed), then the framework and inspiration for this book are the colors of the American flag.

   Robert Frank's monotone classic "Americans" had the underlying theme of the American flag. Eggleston's "Los Alamos" uses the colors of the flag as a motif. Shot over the years 1966 through 1974, there is a range of emotions within the photographs. There is cynicism--those were times ripe with cynicism--but there is also much found to admire in the American landscape at that time. Particularly the richness of the colors portrayed in the most banal and commonplace of subjects. In this arena, few photographic artists compare with William Eggleston.




2. Los Alamos is a full-color, 175-page, photographic portrait of a New Mexican town. These images, captured on film by master photographer William Eggleston, range from 1966 to 1974 and superbly capture the ups, downs, scenery, and close-ups of a living, breathing city. No text distracts from the full-page photographs, which are presented as the works of art they are. This large sized compendium is a welcome and recommended addition to any personal, professional, academic, or community library Photography collection.



3. Eggleston is a bit of a mystery. His photographs make you open your eyes wide and say, "Wow!" but it's hard to say what it is about them that is so stunning. This book is the best thing he has published to date and it offers the clearest window into Eggleston's genius that I've seen. Reproduced on large pages in rich colors that leap out and shake you until you splutter, these pictures bypass the intellect and kick your sense of raw beauty like a mule with a belly full of habaneros.

   It's clear to you that the beauty is all about the color, or is it? What's happening with the composition? Soemthing is at the tip of your tongue, but try as you might, you can't say what makes these pictures so obviously works of great genius.

   When you calm back down and try to figure how a book of pictures that look almost like snapshots could sting you so hard, the accompanying essay by Thomas Weski gives the best account of Eggleston's work that I've seen to date---short, but clearer and more insightful than Janet Malcolm's meditation on color and snapshots in Diana and Nikon or Eudora Welty's introduction to The Democratic Forest.




4. This book is stunning! A large number of Eggleston's photographs beautifully printed on good paper. "Los Alamos" is one of the best photography books I have seen in years.

2 comments about Separate, but Equal.

1. During the middle of the twentieth century, American black and white people lived in separate communities by law. White people never entered black areas while black people only entered white areas if they were employed as butlers or maids. This segregation created many impoverished black ghettos but there were a few black communities that prospered and this book is about one of them, in Greenville, in the American state of Mississippi.
   
   The inspiration for - and focus of - the book is the collection of photographs by Henry Clay Anderson who died in 1998, a few months after selling that collection to Shawn Wilson. These photographs show successful black people going about their normal lives at school, at home, at weddings and a variety of other everyday situations as well as photographs taken in a studio. Most of these photographs would be unremarkable if they were of white people, but because most photographs of black people are of the poor and oppressed, these photographs may come as a revelation to some.
   
   Supporting text by Clifton L. Taulbert, who remembers the area from his childhood (he was raised in a nearby community), explains what Greenville was like during the period in which these photographs were taken. Greenville is not one of America's more famous locations. I only recognize the name because it is mentioned in a song that I know well - Mississippi, by the Dutch pop group, Pussycat. As this book is about a particular period in Greenville's history, I (and I'm sure many readers of this book) would have appreciated the inclusion of a chapter about Greenville's history and culture to set this book in context, explaining what it was like before the period covered and hw things have changed since. In its absence, I have to drop the book (otherwise easily worth five stars), to four stars.
   
   Another chapter is devoted to the rise of the civil rights movement and the murder of the Reverend Gus Lee, accompanied by some dramatic photographs that are not typical of the rest of the book, which set out to portray the good aspects of black people's lives. However, bad things happen to everybody and it was necessary to cover this episode in the book.
   
   This book, despite the murder, shows that black people can be very successful. It's the kind of book that shouldn't be necessary and it's a sad reflection on society that it was felt necessary to publish this book.



2. This book is a moving pictorial testament to the daily life of middle class blacks in the deep South in the time of Jim Crow, as well as on the cusp of the civil rights movement. It is a slice of black life with which most whites at the time were unfamiliar, as most photo-journalists chose to capture the more sensational types of images in the black community.

   Henry Clay Anderson was a black school teacher and minister who, courtesy of the G. I. Bill, studied photography and became a professional photographer. In 1948, he established his own business, Anderson Photo Service, in Greenville, Mississippi, where he lived. For more than forty years, he would photograph moments in the lives of Greenville's black middle class community, forever freezing in time images of a rich life that paralleled those of their white counterparts in the Jim Crow South, separate but equal.

   The book has one hundred and thirty of his photographs, memorializing a time long past but one that continues to haunt America today. Clifton L. Taulbert, who was raised in Mississippi in a town not far from Greenville and is the noted author of the book, "Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored", writes a poignant and moving essay in remembrance of the black denizens of Greenville, grounding the photographs in the context of the times out of which they arose. It is as if it were a walk down memory lane.

   Mary Panzer, curator of photographs at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., writes an essay that details Mr. Anderson's photographic involvement in the early civil rights movement, when he agreed to go travel to Belzoni, Mississippi in 1955. Belzoni had been the scene of the grisly shooting of Rev. Gus Lee, a black civil rights activist who had been involved in voter registration efforts. Mr. Anderson's photographs memorialized the shooting and its aftermath, appearing in magazines such as "Jet" and "Ebony", which were well known in the black community. Ms. Panzer grounds his photographs in the political context of the time, which affirm Mr. Anderson's political commitment.

   There are also two essays in Mr. Anderson's own words that are culled from two interviews conducted by Daisy Greene for the Washington County Oral History Project and by Shawn Wilson, in whom the idea for this book germinated. The book is a loving tribute to Henry Clay Anderson. His legacy of photographic images will delight and haunt those who look at them, seeing in them not only America's past but its future. This is simply a beautiful book.

5 comments about In the Womb: Witness the Journey from Conception to Birth through Astonishing 3D Images.

1. This book amazingly captures the scientific fact of life from conception and presents the journey in an easy to read format with loads of incredible pictures of real life. This would be a great gift for the newly pregnant mothers. I purchased a second copy for just that purpose.



2. The pictures in this book are absolutely amazing, and we will display it on our coffee table for years to come. Our only dislike was to the references to evolution. This book is extremely powerful in showing how children grow from inception to birth.



3. I was so excited to get this book after reviewing a similar one that a friend had, however, I was very disappointed in it. The pictures are clay models that an artist has molded. There are no real ultrasounds or images. With our wonderful technology today, I was hoping for the real thing not an artist's rendition of what a fetus and blood cells look like. Although the artist is talented, I was very disappointed that no where in the description of this book did it reveal that the images were clay models.



4. It is great to view, it shows you all babies details starting from creation, and till birth, unbelievbale images and details. One per page, and description plus more details, you won't believe how much it is nice really.
   
   Highly recommended with its DVD.



5. This is an excellent product that demonstrates the genius of our Creator and documents the fact that a baby is human life long before birth.

5 comments about Digital Photography Pocket Guide, Third Edition (Pocket Reference (O'Reilly)).

1. If you have used point-and-shoot camera for a while and want to learn more tricks like me, I would not recommend this book because two third of the guide gives the basics you should already know, and the last third has few tips you might think useful. In addition, this book is B&W print that makes the example photos not standing out between different settings.



2. This book is pretty decent for a beginner's guide, but not as in-depth as you might expect. Overall, I'm happy with it, but if you really want a great photography book, get Understand Exposure by Bryan Peterson.



3. This book is a good reference pint to start with for beginners or intermidiate. Cover many topics and list many functions. Good book to have



4. Even though it is a Pocket Guide, I was expecting more from this book. I'm not saying it is a bad book but it is very very basic; practically focussed to those who have never EVER used a digital camera. The only chapter (to my taste anyway) that I find with relevant/interesting/good information is the 3rd chapter where the writer describes some tips on "how to questions". In summary, if you have some experience on digital photography this book won't be that usefull and if you want to learn about aperture, shutter speed and so on..there are better books to learn those subjects.



5. I feel this is a perfect little guide for beginning digital photographers. I've been taking photos with my digital for about 3 years now and this little pocket guide still comes in handy and is very useful. It's size is perfect for carrying it with you in your camera case and it gets right to those frequent questions that come up.
   
   A good little book to own!

1 comments about Surfing Photographs from the Seventies Taken by Jeff Divine.

1. this is an amazing book- some of the best surf pictures (in my opinion) during one of the most visually inspiring era's of surfing. the pages are arranged in such a way so as to not distract you from their content, the printing is awesome and there's not a single shot not worthy of a poster size above your bed. this book will not harsh your mellow- it will make you want to move to lucadia, ride only a single fin & get a job wrapping surf wax for .25 cents per bar....

5 comments about John Fielder's Best of Colorado.

1. This was an immaculate condition book, Brand NEW. Looks like it never even had it's pages or cover opened. Great seller



2. Great directory of the beauty here in Colorado and how to get there. Other than some outdated restaurants, it really is a good book to have.



3. He's number one when it comes to capturing the beauty of Colorado. Awesome pics and some interesting historical information contained in the commentary.



4. This is a great book for anyone that wants to spend some time taking photographs of Colorado. Provides information on the best spots to photograph, how to get there, what time to take the shots and how to enjoy the location while you are there.



5. The beautiful pictures and descriptions of the sights of Colorado are breathtaking.

5 comments about How to Photograph Your Baby.

1. This is the book I wish I'd had when my son was a baby, and it's been my standard baby-shower gift for several years. However, I just ordered another from Amazon and discovered what "[BARGAIN PRICE]" means on the Amazon listing--there's a big sticker on the back of the book (which is virtually impossible to remove cleanly) saying it's an Amazon Bargain Book, as well as a thick black remainder line across the bottom edge of all the pages. Translation: this is not a gift-quality book.
   
   I was really annoyed to see this, as I needed it today and had even paid extra for faster shipping. When I went back to the Amazon listing, I found some small print explaining that "Bargain books are new but could include a small mark from the publisher and an Amazon.com price sticker identifying them as such." I'd guess lots of people don't notice this. I'll be writing to Amazon to urge them to make this info more prominent--like saying [BARGAIN PRICE--MAY HAVE "BARGAIN BOOK" STICKER AND REMAINDER MARK]. Meanwhile, if you want a new-quality book, be sure to read the fine print! (There is a new-quality version of the book available for about $5.50 more--I wish I hadn't been in such a hurry, as I might have noticed that and tried to see what the difference was.)



2. This book has become my standard "new baby" gift. Parents love it, use it, and come out with pictures they'll enjoy for a lifetime.



3. This is the perfect book for new parents. It provides basic tips for the everyday parent who simply desires better photos of their child.



4. Though the book was written with film photography in mind, the principles/tips apply to the digital world as well. Most tips can be easily applied without buying any expensive equipments.
   
   The illustrative comparison of good vs. bad pictures is very helpful. For example, it showed the same setting taken using flash vs. natural window light. I especially enjoyed the section on how to find such ideal light conditions around the house.
   
   This book discusses concepts/tips without using technical terms like aperture, shutter speed, exposure, and flash ratio, etc.



5. The author's advice is straightforward, easy to follow, and makes a world of difference. I used to say that I was good at photographing scenery but terrible with people. I've now used the advice in this book to take pictures of my nephews for several years and the results are better than professional shots the kids' parents have paid for - much more personal and relaxed and insightful. The author's suggestions address all aspects of the process; for example, I involve the kids moms/dads (just off screen) to engage the kids and relax them. This is a phenomenal resource!

5 comments about Lighting for Digital Video & Television, Second Edition.

1. This is an amazing book. The guy is a true pro and explains everything you need to know to get takes that look professional on the first try.
   
   The book is really well written and organized. I blows by while you learn all the hows and whys of lighting video.
   
   I recomend this to anyone who feels that they are not at the professional level with lighting yet. It will change your life.



2. Overall, I think this book is very easy to read. The author starts with the basic elements of lighting and builds on that foundation. I am using it with a lighting for video class that I am enrolled in, but would be very helpful by itself. The pictures really help to guide the process and set up your lighting scenerios properly.



3. This book changed my perspective of lighting being a beginner and it gave me so much insight and the buzz words to work with the pros... Truly enjoyed it and refer to it often! (NO I am not the author)hehe I just really liked it. It rocks!!



4. Lighting for Digital Video & Television introduces the basics of lighting for film and video in a very concise and lucid manner. The information published here will serve the filmmaker with very little or no budget as well as those with professional budgets. The author presents both relevant theory and practical advice. The single best book I have purchased on the subject of lighting for video.



5. This content of this book is consistent with the "DV Expert series" range, which I would say are aimed at the novice who has discovered that 'automatic' settings don't really work in most situations and want to understand why and how to start taking their abilities up to the intermediate level.
   
   There are many books on lighting out there, be it for still photography, stage lighting, etc and they all cover the same basic 3 point lighting principles, however this book builds upon this by showing how certain aspects relate to digital video. It also throws in real world examples of lighting situations likely to be encountered and ways to work with them.
   
   I think this is a great book for anyone with a consumer/prosumer video camera and wants to get to grips with subject lighting.