No comments about Little People in the City.

5 comments about Where Valor Rests: Arlington National Cemetery.

1. A beautiful tribute to those who have given their lives for our country. The pictures chosen reflect the dignity and beauty of this final resting place better than any words can. Excellent historical documentation. Everyone should own a copy for their personal libraries.



2. Where Valor Rests: Arlington National Cemetery: is an inspiring tribute to hundreds of thousands of our uniformed men and women who served this nation - in war and in peace. Arlington, like other military cemeteries at home and abroad, is ground made sacred by their dedication, their lives of service, and their sacrifices. This book tells the history of Arlington Cemetery and through it the history of many from our nation's heroes, ordinary and extraordinary. The selection of photographs is excellent, and Rick Atkinson's essay informative and inspiring.



3. Stunning pictures and moving text combine to give you an awe inspiring tour of probably the most revered area of the United States. You may have visited Arlington on a tour of Washington D.C., but Rick Atkinson and National Geographic takes you past the tourists and delivers a book that shows the care, dedication, and honor that envelopes the cemetery.
   
   Contents:
   Preface
   Essay
   History
   Final March
   Autumn
   People
   Caring
   Salutes
   Ceremony
   Sacrifice
   Tomb Guards
   Services
   Afterglow
   Afterword
   About the Contributors
   Photography Credits
   
   Beginning with the history of Arlington, which was once General Robert E. Lee's estate, and ending with pictures of Arlington at night, Where Valor Rests: Arlington National Cemetery is a beautiful, lovingly photographed book. The Afterword tells you that after every internment, this book, along with the flag, are given to the family. And I can see why.
   
   I've been to Arlington, but not the Arlington presented in this book. That Arlington is populated with people that dedicate themselves to the care, maintenance, history, ceremony, and protection of 300,000 graves of the fallen. Exquisitely photographed, this book brings you more than a tour ever could. You see the cemetery in all seasons, you see veterans of World War II honoring their comrades, you witness the burials of soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan (Section 60). You learn that ever since July 2, 1937, every minute of every day, someone has guarded the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Every. Single. Day.
   
   Think about that for a moment.
   
   There are pictures that show the guards in snow, at night, and other times when not a single other soul is in the cemetery.
   
   It was difficult for me to read the captions on those pictures.
   
   While I have read a few books this year, none of them affected me like this one. None of them included pictures like the ones that are in this book. This is an amazing tribute to Arlington National Cemetery, the 300,000 interred, and those who protect, care, and serve within its boundaries.
   
   An incredible work. One that everyone should experience.



4. As a former member of the 3rd Old Guard Infantry, the ceremonial unit at Arlington, I very much appreciate the great photographs and fine writing that went into this beautiful tribute to the Garden of Stones. I visit my brother, my father-in-law, and a half dozen brothers-in-arms at Arlington at least once every year. With this book I can visit that hallowed ground more often. It's a wonderful tribute to the fallen and those who tend the fallen at Arlington. bb



5. Where Valor Rests: Arlington National Cemetery Outstanding in pictures and facts. The emotional response evolves as one gets further into the content. What a tremendously powerful book!

5 comments about Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism (Associated Press Handbooks).

1. It's an easy read, with interviews of assorted veterans of the PJ world. Most of these guys worked in the film era, so don't expect much on digital technique. In fact it's more about the human experience of these people, as they do their job as silent, passive witnesses to history. I can't say I learned anything, but I did read the whole thing, so it was cheap entertainment. If you are looking for practical advice or technical guidance you need to look for something less dated. These are bedtime stories, kinda like the stories my grandma told me years ago.
   
   Dave



2. This book clearly is not meant for advanced journalism students but it's perfect for someone working as a stringer or a novice who is thinking about entering this field. The most important aspects of photojournalism are covered, including a section on electronic ethics. If ever you needed a good reason to keep ethical standards then the "Photoshop War" run by Reuters last year in Lebanon is an excellent example: one of their photojournalist was actively creating even more photo-edited havoc and carnage than what was actually happening... and slanting the images to make it appear as if Israel was indiscrimately destroying Beirut. I'd like to see an updated edition of this book that takes this into account but I doubt I'll see it any time soon.



3. If you are extreamly new at photography or maybe working for a high-school newspaper, this book would work well.
   
   For anyone that is serious about hard-core photojournalism, like the professionals the book highlights, I do not recomend it.
   
   I was looking for a book on some on ways to break into some of the big names. I just assumed that since it was an AP book.



4. "Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism", Brian Horton, McGraw-Hill NY, 2nd. ed. 2001, ISBN 0-07-136387-4, SC 223 pgs.
   
   Sports photo editor at A-P since 1971, Horton has many credits including 2 books on news photography. This text explains PJ (picture story) - how a photographer "sees the story" is a skill requiring experience, insight, anticipation, inventiveness, & a passion. Often "breaking stories" are heavily covered & many photos require sensitivity, rapport, knowledge of equipment so to acquire a style using composition, cropping & those angles to communicate photo stories of news, emotions, life experiences, etc.
   
   Horton quotes an A-P policy adopted in 1990 indicating "the content of a photograph will never be changed or manipulated in any way". Horton then goes on to recite of some widely published photos with recognized manipulations & public outcries leading to general distrust of media by the populace (& rightly so!). Indeed, even cropping can be viewed as manipulation, the latter generally a product of Madison Avenue influences that shouldn't reflect PJ integrity (need for well insulated photo editors).
   
   Relying on "photo setups" can numb public's perceptions & lessen reality. Telephoto lenses as 80-200 zoom provides close-ups without intrusion despite an onerous sanctifying of 24 mm wide-angle to fill the frame by getting into the subject's face & personal space. Author interviews 8 pros on their perspectives & experiences in PJ & then concludes with a short summary of some changes in photography over the past half-century, namely the gradual switch from 4"x5" to 2 1/4" to 35 mm to color & now electronic (digital) imaging.
   
   As a former newspaper photographer I'd been taught a good PJ shot did not require a title. I found Horton's book exacting, full of exciting photos, many good "how to" tips, and how PJ news photography has evolved into specialized art forms for optimum coverage of war, natural disaster, politics, crime, disease & subspecialities of certain sports as basketball, football, Olympics, Indy 500, etc. It is a pleasant, informative read, not overtly technical & fairly priced.



5. I bought this book in hopes to satisfy my curiosity about photojournalism. I would say this book did a pretty good job of doing that. Although it doesn't address any real specifics of photojournalism, it does deliver a lot of the basic principles and general knowledge.
   For what it was worth, I found this book to be an excellent read, with plenty of insights that would be valuable to any photographer, written with a very simplistic approach. I can see how ideas presented in this book could be applied to other areas of photography and not be limited to the field of photojournalism.
   If you're novice photographer and looking for a technical, how-to, reference book, this is not the book for you. If you a photographer of any level, and you want to broaden your general knowledge of photojournalism, then this book would be a fine addition to your library. Also, I feel that this book could be used as a warm-up read prior to diving into the more advanced, technical books available on the topic.

5 comments about Handbags: The Power of the Purse.

1. Handbags is a light-weight (as in no information on what makes a great handbag great) lots of very good photographs of iconic "classic" and "it" bags. Lovely biographical sketches of taste-making handbag designers and many historical bags and historical details (but not adequate if you are doing historical costumes). One brief sketch of how a very high-quality (Hermes) bag is constructed. All in all a lovely read, though, because of the pictures.



2. Another excellent book on handbags with beautiful photographs and descriptions by designer/historical context.



3. This is a great product because it shows you all the collection of purses that have been made. It has the expensive ones and the wierd ones and how they are made popular.



4. I somehow thought this would be a much larger book. It's quite small in size. Still it's lots of fun to see all the variety of handbags over time. It's a light hearted subject.



5. This book helped my mom and I understand the different handbags out there that are really looked at as high fasion. We are both into fashion and after reading this book, she bought two authentic Hermes birkins - WOW!! - from Haleys Couture Galleria aka hermes galleria and MightyKismet. Both excessively nice ladies. Awesome news for us. We recommend this book as it helps you learn all of the styles out there and is really like one big encyclopedia. Awesome. Thanks.

5 comments about Low Budget Shooting: Do It Yourself Solutions to Professional Photo Gear.

1. When I opened my shipment from Amazon, I was a little disappointed when seeing this book. It's thin...
   
   But you shouldn't judge a book by looking at it's cover, right? The content of this book is interesting, and it's not unlikely that I will try out some of the projects shown. However, for amateurs like me, I don't feel I need such a great variety of equipment. And for pros, professional equipment is better. But for serious amateurs on a budget, this book is probably a good investment. And after all, it's probably the last group mentioned for which this book is intended. So if you want to build your own light tent, reflector, diffusor or soft box, go get it!



2. For the person with more time than money this book provides specific low-cost methods to make your own ancillary photography equipment. That being said, I should point out that the projects focus almost entirely on lighting and include softboxes, reflectors, and diffusers. In addition, most of the projects are focused on tabletop photography needs. That does not mean that they cannot be applied in other types of photography and I found that with some minor adaptations some of them were useful to my style of outdoor photography. What I found particularly useful was the fact that so many of them could be adapted to be a truly light-weight and highly portable solution to my outdoor needs. Low Budget Shooting has some very creative ideas for those on a low budget that can help you produce professional quality photography and is a highly recommended read.



3. Even without a full diagrams, measurement and detailed explanation this book give to the reader a lot of suggestions about DIY gadjets. And no matter if you American or European citizen, here you not find information about exact store names where you can find all of the materials and I think that this is normally. No one book of this type must not be USA or whatever else specific. I'm sorry about silly peoples, who must be convoy to the store door...
   
   May be the author must include much more in the book, but knowing publishers habits, hope this will be the fact in the next edition...
   
   Nevertheless the book is must have for handy/skiful persons...
   
   Best regards to all of the clever photographers from all over the world
   
   [....]



4. This book does contain good ideas, but I think the book could have included more build it yourself projects. The book is too brief; but it is worth the cost. It just leaves the reader hungry for more. Maybe this is intended by the author. For a fact, "Closeup Shooting," by Cyrill Harnischmacher, is a solid five star work. Readers who enjoy "Low Budget Shooting" should also get "Closeup Shooting."



5. This book has some elegant DIY photography projects--various foam softboxes, diverse diffusers and reflectors. I made a simple softbox of my own after reading it, though not nearly as cool looking. Think of this book as providing more inspiration than practical instruction. The projects look very cool, but the actual "how to" isn't always terribly thorough--you're going to have to figure out a few things on your own. Nonetheless, I really like this book and keep going back to look at it. Maybe one of these days, I'll actually build something from it...

5 comments about Mutter Museum Historic Medical Photographs.

1. The truth is this books is in between two worlds, that of the scientific and that of the freakshow. I could say I'd prefer the former being a person with a disability myself (some of the photos here of people with "afflictions" like cerebral palsy would today lead normal lives) but also like any human being can understand your Malady of the Month curiousity about the whole thing and for that I'd reccomend the book "Death Scenes" (if you can stomach it and frankly the intro to that book has far more informative analysis of the photos than anything in this book). But the Mutter Museum although a sort of "odditorium" is also a scientific museum to inform people so I want facts. Obviously, the photos taken at the time and their captions don't depict current scientific knowledge. Many say "unknown disease" although a current scientist or medical provider could make a good guesstimate from the photo alone. What was the treatment at the time? What would the people have gone through? What would happen now? One photo particulary striking (among many though I'll choose one) says "meningitis, injected with serum, discharged 5 days later". The photo (striking to me because I have a neurological disability as well and after recovery from this disease people have long term after effects and disabilities that are neurological) unconsciously reminisant of the famous Victorian era photo "Fading Away" shows a girl in what appears to be a coma from that disease and one would assume she died after. But when it says she was "discharged five days later" she recovered, at least enough to be released. What happenend? A good "update" might read "the antitoxin available at the time would stop the progress of the disease and enable people to live though not nearly as effective as antibiotics did save some lives. But with the long term after effects of the disease people would often develop mental retardation or mental illness and in those times eventually end up in institutions which would not occur today". But that infomation (scientifically correct) is missing. The museum promises to be "shockingly informative". Good enough. Shock value I'll grant you but its a little lacking in the "informative" department.



2. This is a good source of interest for human oddities, and of history for conditions that are routinely corrected now.



3. oh my my my... i've seen a few programs on television that spotlighted the mutter museum, and one day i should so love to visit. but this book has given me more insight into the history of medicine and such. i was smitten by the pictures, and it makes me want to visit the museum even more! beautiful photographs. i poured over each one intently before turning the pages.
   i would have liked just a little bit more information about the subjects, otherwise it is a beautifully edited book!



4. This book is very interesting if you are intrigued by medical history. but I wouldn't necessarily call it fascinating, like I was thinking it might be. it does, however, provide an insight to 19th century medicine that I had no idea existed. pioneering lifesaving medical techniques and even astoundingly advanced corrective procedures that I had no idea were even possible during this period are shown.



5. I got this as a gift for my sister and having previously been to the museum, she was thrilled to have a book about it to look at whenever. It is packed with eerie pictures and information and is definitley worth giving it a look. If you or someone you know is interested in strange things, this is a perfect book for you. She said more than once that this was her favorite Christmas gift. Enjoy!

5 comments about The Kids' Guide to Digital Photography: How to Shoot, Save, Play with & Print Your Digital Photos.

1. This book is very informative and easy to understand.My daughters love it. They are both into photography and I am a photographer.



2. Although the cover shows a young girl and a young boy on the back cover who appear to be 7-8 yrs old, in my opinion this book is not for 5-8 yr old children. It is too complicated, the computer work, editing, layering, templates, internet, webpages, etc, are more appropriate for 8-12 yr old kids. It should clearly indicate (on the front or back cover) what age child it is for. We bought it for a 6yr old, by the time we hang on to it for 2-3 yrs, digital photo technology, software, will likely have advanced... The book would be good for older kids.



3. Wonderful guide for kids, and those of us who are starting with photography. Great descriptions and clear directions.



4. this book covers the basics. easily written for a kid to understand. my daughter is 11 and that seems about the right level for her. i wish it covered more setting up a good composition. it covers the basics on camera use and scanners and fixing photos after in the computer. i wish photo books would stick to teaching how to take good pictures and not so much on fixing them up in the computer afterwards, but every book seems to spend a lot of time on that. overall, its the best book i could find for a kid. it's written in language that i think they will relate to well.



5. While there may not be a "perfect" guide for digital photography, this one comes as close as I've ever seen.
   
   It covers everything from choosing a camera (and how to get the most out of it) to editing, printing and even using the web.
   
   It even covers areas that many adults seem to have problems with, like the "Reality Check" regarding built in flash.
   
   Focus, composition, exposure and even ISO are all covered. Granted, some subjects are just touched on rather than discussed in depth but remember the intended reader. (In my case, my 12-year old.) If the kid really wants to learn about any given subject there are countless specialized books to be found.
   
   Overall I have to say that I highly recommend this book.
   I'd even go so far to say that I would even buy it for an adult, especially one that might be a bit technophobic.

3 comments about David Busch's Quick Snap Guide to Using Digital SLR Lenses.

1. Excellent book. Well written and easy to understand. Being a beginner in the area of digital SLR's, this book gave me the information I need to understand the different types of lenses and what to look for when I buy new ones. The information in this book makes it easy to determine which lens to use for which purpose. My photography has improved greatly after reading this book.



2. As with all of David Busch's books I have so far, this one is very helpful. I am new to dSLR photography and this book taught me a lot about lens construction and how and why they do what they do. It was very useful in helping me identify which direction I want to go with lenses in the future.



3. This book was a revelation for me! I purchased a fairly advanced digital SLR without having a lot of experience, and have been struggling with learning all the nuances of photography and the equipment used. Lenses have been one of the biggest puzzles. What lenses should I get? Why does one 70-200mm lens cost $300 while another one costs $1700? How do I choose among telephotos and wide angle lenses? This book answers all those questions, and a lot more.
   
   It's arranged in two page and four page layouts, with each set of pages dealing with a specific aspect of selecting or working with lenses. There are chapters on improving the quality of your results with any lens, using filters, and the correct use of every lens control. I learned about "bokeh," depth-of-field, perspective, and how to shoot great close-up pictures with the lenses I already have.
   
   I'm glad that there is a book that takes just one aspect of digital photography and goes into it in detail. This is a wonderful resource for anyone who has purchased a digital SLR camera and now needs to know how to go the next step with lenses.

5 comments about Backstage Pass: Broadway Bares.

1. Once a year, Broadway goes over the top--well even more over the top--with a strip-a-thon, all done for a very worthy cause: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. This fun, frivolous, delicious book memorializes this wonderful event with photos, front and back stage, of some very, very nice looking men. Some are still. However, some are not; capturing the hectic, frantic, ecstatic goings-on of this spirited and campy event. Sure you can say its arty--but its silly arty--not the least bit pretentious. This book is a cheap ticket to an expensive event--well-worth the time and money!



2. Is there actual full frontal male nudity? The verbiage leads one to think it is full frontal nude with genitalia, but then there's a couple of keywords suggesting "No, it's a tease"...
   
   I wish they would straight out say one way or the other.



3. had trouble with the first book being damaged and within a day of mentioning it i had another one sent to me



4. For what looked like it was going to be a fantastic look at backstage antics, nudity and actors baring it all, it is a HUGE disappointment. The quality of the photos is sub-par, less than desirable, sort of that hazy "artistic" look that actually is so unclear that often you don't know what the subject is.
   
   HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED, am returning the book right away for a refund...this the first time I've ever returned something to Amazon in over 10 years of using their service.



5. But I actually just have a question: Do the profits of this book also go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS?

5 comments about The Pink Pocket Poser: The Glamour Photographers Posing Guide.

1. Even though this book is written by a Brit and displays the singular humor Brits are famous for, this is one of the best posing guides for glamour and boudoir photography that I have come across. Add to that the very amusing line drawings the author has done to illustrate the "rules" he lays down and you have a very fun way to have your imagination and creativity piqued.
   
   I have even shown the book to a couple of models that I was shooting and we were having a hard time with posing ideas and the results were amazing! Their own creativity was jump-started and the poses began to flow.



2. This has excellent advice, in very simple terms, that anyone can take advantage of. Though I have years of experience in Glamour Photography, I did learn some helpful stuff. But, it must cost like Fifty Cents to print this, and does not deliver on bang for the buck.....



3. Although some may be turned off by the cartoon-ish type drawnings, they are actually quite practical... leaving you to get the pose right for the particular model and not 'copying' the authors pic.
   Mainly the book is simple, to the point, and gives some great advice on topics which often go unnoticed. Like how to position hands, feet..etc.
   If you shoot models or portraits this a nice handy little book to throw in your bag. Great to let the model browse through too... just watch they don't steal it.



4. Great book, very easy to use. It is written sequencially and has lots of hints, tips, and things to avoid. The poses are cartoon type and very easy to duplicate. Good stuff.



5. This is a great item to always keep with your gear.A nice refference for glamour posing.Easy to follow sketches and no brainer instructions.