3 comments about Wedding Photographer's Handbook.

1. I am always looking at ways improve my shooting experience. With that in mind, this book did not give me many new insights. The book has good information and start with the basics.



2. I'm about 3/4 of the way through the first time, making a few notes as I go. This book is exactly what I was looking for. I'm a technically competent camera user. I've done dark room work in the past, and PhotoShop more currently. I'm an aging geek and amateur photographer and can handle the technology end just fine. I can recognize a good shot when I see one, but I've never done "People Photography" as other than casual shots or incidental to scenery.
   
   This book gives great examples of the kinds of wedding photography currently popular. While it goes into some of the technical aspects of digital photograpy: work flow, RAW,color space, etc.; it covers "people techniques" such as appropriate camera height for portraiture, bust, and full body shots. It covers pose basics such as 7/8, and 3/4 head shots. Shoulders turned at an angle, head tilt differences for the bride verses the groom. Whether I make effective use of this book remains to be seen, but the information is just what I wanted.



3. If you're a serious portrait or wedding photographer who has read extensively in the field you'll readily recognize the name of Bill Hurter, whose skills have produced many winning titles on the subject of professional photography. Here he goes beyond the scenes with some of the world's top wedding photographers to learn - and impart - their secrets to any handy with a camera. From understanding current wedding photography trends to tips for lighting, posing, and digital manipulation of images, black and white and color examples compliment discussions of everything from developing photographer 'people skills' to technical manipulation.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

2 comments about Great Lodges of the National Parks: Volume Two.

1. Fun reading if you are an explorer of the National Parks, which I am. Certainly the most detailed descriptions in general circulation of these historic places. The second edition had a few places in it that I did not know about and have now placed on my list of lodges to stay in. Without a doubt all these places still have great position. For example the Many Glacier Lodge was the most dramatic nature setting of any hotel I have ever stayed in. This includes some really fabulous places in Europe. But the level of the rooms does tend to vary. Check Frommers, AAA, or others to get a sense of what the room quality may be. Frankly with some like the Many Glacier, it did not matter. But to those wanting to stay at a "Four Seasons" level accommodation in a National Park you may not be happy.



2. When I saw GLNP on PBS, I was surprised to find that Christine Barnes had yet again discovered more national treasures to share with us all. I have all of her books, and like the earlier ones, she makes these lodges come alive in so many ways. I suggest you only read one chapter at a time, then let the experience sink in overnight. The photography by itself tells a story with a great selection of photos including priceless historical shots. Those who appreciate history will not be disappointed as the author covers each topic in an accurate, but interesting way. Architects will appreciate the detail and early renderings. And finally, for those who are looking for new places for the family vacation, this book is a must. I visited many of the lodges featured in her previous books, both in the US and Canada. I can assure you there is nothing artificial about any of these places. As they say, they are the "real deal" and part of our history we can all be proud of and experience ourselves

5 comments about Truth Needs No Ally: Inside Photojournalism.

1. "Truth Needs No Ally: Inside Photojournalism," Howard Chapnick, Univ. Missouri Press, Columbia, 1994, ISBN: 0-8262-0955-6, PC 370 pgs., (Table contents 2 pgs, 48 pgs photos, Biblio 12 pgs. Index 8 Pgs.) 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
   
   Author Chapnick, 50-yrs experience in freelance PJ, photo-agency presidency, & as monthly columnist, amassed salient sagacity that sanctions him to write, rigorously, of the many faces of photojournalism (PJ). He illustrates 4 broad miens of PJ - its foundations, basic components, career evolutions, & creative and ethical issues in 24 chapters of succinctly written prose. His style & clarity of delivery reveals he is a gifted writer.
   
   He interprets the essence of eyewittness PJ, responsibilities, of "concerned" photographers, & PJ essays using examples of renowned PJs, & of how one enters the field via portfolio, dress code, gender, education, specialization, minority ranks & agencies. He summarizes fundamental assets of 29 successful PJ photographers.
   
   In describing the evolution of PJ field, he notes importance of ideas, aesthetics, personal projects, writings, photo book projects, workshops, grants awards, etc. Importantly, he devotes coverage of ethical concerns including invasion of privacy, manipulations, setups, marital break-ups, demands of wartime PJ & re-affirming news photographs as sacrosanct.
   
   Throughout the book are short accounts of PJ greats as Margaret Bourke-White, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, Newman, Karsch, Lange, W.E. Smith, Leibovitz, Arthur Fellig (Weegee), & 2-time NPPA awarded Lisa Larsen of LIFE whom I met on photoshoot of Paul Robeson. He quotes the 1990 AP statement: The content of a photograph will NEVER be changed or manipulated in any way," but then details some deviations & manipulations by mags as LIFE, Nat. Geographic (pyramids), TV Guide (Oprah Winfrey's head on Ann-Margaret's torso) etc., & notes damages are done to alter public's perception of truth.



2. I have honestly say that I expected more from Mr. Chapnick. While some chapters ARE informative, others - like how to present yourself at an interview - are routine and almost obvious. Any so-called professional should NEVER show up looking like a bum. Or, (if I recall correctly) to use Mr. Chapnick's example, 'Animal' from the old Lou Grant program. You better have the rep of an Avedon or an Adams, and even THEN, you might not get the job. While I did see some pages on amazon, to judge from the title, I feel the title is a bit misleading. While Mr. Chapnick DOES cover some points of 1st Amendment, ethical and legal issues, I was expecting the bulk of the book to deal with these issues from a journalistic/freedom of the press point of view - both in America AND abroad. While he DOES touch on this when discussing shooters killed in the line of duty, I was expeceting more. For example: How did BLACK STAR photographers (or any other photog he knew about) deal with the Chinese Army and censorship during Tiannamen Square? What about shooters in previous years working in Central and South America (ie: Susan Meiselas)? As a counterpoint, the story about Don McCullin is interesting. At what point do you HAVE to stop looking at man's inhumanity to man and almost force yourself to walk away from being a war photographer? Mr. Chapnick discusses this. All this said, Mr. Chapnick never, EVER denigrates a shooter! From Adams to Nachtwey and every one known and unknown in between, Mr. Chapnick writes about every one with respect and the kind of thoughtful patience he showed me when I was in his office one day more than 20 years ago surrounded by photographs by James Nachtwey. For me, I learned about photojournalism by going out and doing it. Books are nice, but experience is your best teacher.



3. this book it reads like a text book. It is very informative.



4. Howard Chapnicks book on Photojournalism should be a standard text book on any PJ course... ooops it already is. And rightly so. The book is an absolute mine of information. This man was a genius and deserves much wider recognition.



5. There are many must-read about photojouanlism. Among these, this should be the first you buy. It leads you to the professional field. It tells you how you can get into the business and what you should know. I cannot find something compete.

5 comments about Microsoft Windows Movie Maker 2 (Visual QuickStart Guide).

1. This book is an easy to understand read.
   It is also written in a way you can use it easily for referencing.
   Explains everything in a detailed step by step fashion with explicit black and white pictures.
   Highly recommend this book and Movie Maker Zero to Hero for anyone who wishes to use Movie Maker seriously for your home videos or projects.



2. Movie Maker2 by Jan Ozer is An Excellent Book. I,like most people,have Windows Movie Maker on my computer so I wanted a book that would help me do good book promotion video's and understand the program better. This book does everything I hoped for and I am glad I purchased this book and every since I purchased it I use it at least once a week to make sure I am doing things right and also to see if the book suggests doing something different that will result in a better video. My video can be seen on my web-sites and places like Google and Yahoo. Look for ErvHarmon
   Video's
   
   Thank you Jan Ozer for writing this book as it has helped me very much and I gladly recommend it to anyone that wants good results from Windows Movie Maker2



3. I wanted to know how I could take video from my camera, edit it, create a video and store it on a CD. This book did exactly that in a no-brainer manner. The book showed the Window's screens and what you had to do at each screen. The only minor problem is that the screens are different for different versions of Windows.



4. I didn't know - and this book showed me how to use it. It is so easy to create a narrated powerpoint presentation, and give you the ability to distribute as needed.
   
   I cannot believe how easy it is to create movies using my video camera, and even better, the softare is FREE (Look in your "START " to find it.
   
   This book could NOT make it easier to take full use of the program.
   
   I lead a business unit and now pre-record and narrate all of my powerpoint presentations, which has eliminated the need to give multiple presentations on the same topic. This has reduced my travel, time needed to present multiple times, etc.
   
   I looked at a number of other books on the Microsoft software package, and this one is the easiest to use by far. YOU WILL BE AN EXPERT AT CREATING VIDEO BLOGS OR NARRATED POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS IN LESS THAN A FEW HOURS using this book.



5. Jan Ozer's book was a great find for me. I needed to quickly edit digital interviews using Movie Maker 2 and this book gave me everything I needed (and more)! I jumped right in reading the chapters I needed--I'll save the "other stuff" for another day.
   
   This is an excellent resource tool for my book shelf. I really like how the author took his own personal project and walked me through it from beginning to end, offering process and tips along the way.
   
   I edited a professional looking video for the web--not bad for a first project!

5 comments about Hollywood Portraits.

1. This is a fascinating book which has been organized very intelligently. The quick-sketch diagrams displaying the lighting used to create each image not only make it easy to try for a similar look, but also teach the reader how to look at lighting clues in an image in order to reverse-engineer the lighting conditions. While a great many other skills are involved in producing the photos in this book (like how to retouch using a graphite pencil), this is an excellent primer for those already familiar with the basics of studio lighting.



2. This is a great start for developing a foundation of this kind of lighting.The diagrams are easy to follow and it explains what are some of the pitfalls of certain kind of lightings.This is one of the reference book that I can say worth of what I paid for.



3. This book is perhaps not the end-all/be-all of Hollywood portraiture, but it is a delight to look at and inspirational for photographers. The steps and insight on how these images were created is both interesting and fun to read. A great book for a great price.



4. This book, by Roger Hicks, was good in its way. Having recently been required to try to reproduce the style of Hurrell/Bull, I did find it useful. The photographs were well reproduced and the descriptive material, particularly as regards history, was good. I did find it a bit confusing with "camera right" and "subject right" being thrown in willy-nilly. You would think that this would be self explanatory. However, combined with the illustrative drawings which looked at the set from different angles I would often get mixed up as to which light went where.
   
   I am just a little thick, perhaps.



5. This is an excelent book for the budding portrait photographer, dealing with the various lighting solutions used to produce stuning portraits; I certainly found it to be very informative when undertaking my HND portrait assignment.

5 comments about A Privileged Life: Celebrating Wasp Style.

1. I found this book disappointing. it is a very shallow superficial look at a really interesting subject. It goes into no depth whatsoever, and the only wasps she knows anything about or portrays are her small new england family. It seems to be a strictly commercial try at making a little money with virturaly no real research or information.



2. The bookstore owner and I thought it was a parody, especially given the cover photograph. We paged through this book looking for evidence of humor or perhaps even depth in the analysis of the privileged life. We found neither.



3. This book came fast, and was in perfect shape! Service couldn't have been better.



4. This book breaks the cardinal rule of WASP style-- discretion! The book is basically all about the author, how very WASPy her upbringing was, and what paragons of style her various family members were. As if being born in a rich New England family was some sort of personal achievement. I agree with another reviewer that it could have been really interesting minus the self-absorption and plus information to make it relevant to readers who aren't personal friends of the author or her family-- some discussion of history, architecture, design and so on. As it is, flipping through for five minutes at the bookstore or library should be plenty to get the full effect, there's no need to buy the book.



5. I think the editor and the author had one too many G&T's when they thought up the name for this book. It's more of an obituary than celebration. But go ahead and take of a look at it ( borrow unless you want something as embarassing as this on your coffee table); especially since it has the stunning photo of C.Z. Guest, at her prettiest, on the cover. That is really what this book is -- nice photos of (sometimes attractive) waspy-looking people looking like they are having a good time. Admittedly, we all love to look at family and celebrity photos. However, textual content disappoints: it is thin and boils down to the whistfulness/bemoaning of times gone side-by-side with photos(but we all KNOW why there are no images of women in those days gone by at Yale/Harvard/Princeton and no images of people of color except that Ralph Lauren advertisement shot). There are historical/social realities that the author and the book requires us to have amnesia about in order to elevate the lifestyle (and the supposed instrinsic virtures that go along with it) portrayed in this book. This lifestyle, devoid of any consciousness, is depicted as admirable and its merits attributed to the Privileged as defined by the author. It is curious that the author seems to want to claim some Hollywood icons (who couldn't be more remotely a member of her set) as one of her own. But this is her book afterall, and she was able to talk some publisher into producing it. I recommend you buy The Preppy Handbook by Birnbaum, et al. -- a lot more fun and astute, written by real smart kids (at the time) -- they intuited what was on its way "out" would only endure and continue to inspire if everybody thought they could get in.

4 comments about Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)).

1. I am sure the book itself is OK, just never got it and keep getting told to wait and wait.



2. I am not overly big on the "for Dummies" concept, but despite that, this book is well-written and provides an excellent tutorial for those who have just purchased their new Canon EOS XTi or 400D camera. As great as the Canon camera is, the documentation provided by the manufacturer leaves more than a little to desire. Even if you are familiar with SLR cameras, you will find this book very helpful in tieing all the various considerations of SLR photography together with the features and functions of the camera. This book is well worth the investment!



3. Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D For Dummies
   
   I am pleased to be able to recommend this book to other shoppers. It's an all in one explanation for those like me who need a little help in understanding their Canon EOS 400D. The layout of the book is excellent and each aspect of the camera and its operation is clearly explained. It gets the thumbs up form me! 10 out of 10



4. I was given a Canon Rebel XTi as a Mother's Day gift. I absolutely love the camera but the manual modes were way over my head! When I received the book I began reading chapter by chapter. It is set up very simply & easy to follow. I went from not being able to even understand manual modes to taking gorgeous photos within minutes! The f-stops, shutter speed, & ISO were explained in a way that just made it "click" in my head. Great book!

5 comments about Adobe Photoshop CS2 One-on-One (One-On-One).

1. I have used this book as a Photoshop text book for two years in a 3 month Multimedia Specialist Vocational Course I teach. Students come into my course at many skill levels, ranging from new with no experience to graphic professionals with over 25 years experience.
   
   I have often heard from students "If I had only known that before!" and then an explanation of how much time one of Deke's tips would have saved them on some past project.
   
   The introductory videos to each lesson are packed with useful information. The practical exercises are fun and inspiring as well as aimed at users from all skill levels. The explanations are clear, concise and well thought-out. Deke's humor helps to keep things from being overwhelming.
   
   I strongly recommend this book from an author who knows Photoshop inside out for anyone who wants to learn Photoshop. Introducing my students to this book is one of the best things I do for them.



2. I am a newby here. I ordered different books to learn CS2, and this book is amazing. I don't have anything original to add to all the excellent comments people already wrote, I just felt compelled to give it its five starts. The book is clear, well organized, easy to follow, and gives you a pretty good understanding of every single topic. It's not just do this and this, like a recipe. This was the book I was looking for!



3. I have had college classes in photoshop. I could say that I have forgotten more about photoshop than most people know. Unfortunatly this means I have forgotten almost all that I knew. I found myself a beginning student at a new version of photoshop. This is a good book to sit down and go through the exercises. Good combination of video lectures and workbook exercises. I have just finished chapter six out of twelve this morning. You can not work your way through this book without coming away with a solid base in photoshop. After making it half way through this book, I am able to do things that I had no clue were even possible.



4. Adobe Photoshop CS2 One-on-One (One-On-One) This is not a book for any digital photographer who wants to increase his or her understanding and proficiency in essential "finishing" techniques of digital images. It barely addresses or doesn't address at all the necessary skills of adjustment levels, working with curves, and so on. He recommends too using auto fixes and variations which ruin the integrity of a digital image, and concentrates instead on creating slick finished products. It reminds me in a way of a class I took that was supposed to educate a student in approaching an image with CS2, but instead dealt with all the whacky things you could do to a picture with distortion filters and so. You come away thinking you can torture an image any number of ways without effecting the integrity of the pixels. The parts of the DVD I was able to watch were sketchy and too brief. I would recommend instead anything by Scott Kelby, Bruce Fraser, and David Blatner.



5. Bought this for my son, who found it helpful while taking classes for his graphic design classes.

5 comments about Fresh Fruits.

1. I received 'Fresh Fruits' as a gift from my best friend, and even she is shocked by how in LOVE I am with this book and the photos in it. I am an artist and a fashion designer (among other things), and this book provides so much inspiration--not only for clothing and personal style, but for self-confidence as well.
   
   The true message from this book: For those who really want to rock this world, wear your spirit on your sleeves, and your stockings, and in your hair and on your shoes!!!!



2. Every time I go to Japan, I buy a copy of the magazine "Fruits". I sometimes detour through otaku-town in Osaka to see what's new on the videogame front, and to see what some of the kids are wearing. Aoki's magazine and books (which are best-of collections from the magazines) are immensely interesting and enjoyable when we divorce ourselves of our American mainstream prejudices and see these young people defining their own fashion and developing their own aesthetics, appropriating high and low and non fashion to express themselves. What happened that American youth are generally so homogeonized, everyone essentially wearing the uniform of their declared social group? It's no fun, really, not compared to these kids.
   
   Sadly, the 'Fruits' in Japan are also slowly disappearing, being choked out by conformity and a changing local landscape. A sign of the times, for sure, and not an encouraging one.
   
   Well, borderline expat digression aside, this is a wonderful book. It's a semi-hardcover, real cloth binding, so with care it should last for a long time. There is no text to speak of (aside from some of the kids' names and what they're wearing) so it's an accessible book for - well, literally for anyone. I gave a copy to my eight year old niece last Christmas and she loved it, as did her parents. I have both "Fruits" and "Fresh Fruits" (as well as about ten different copies of the magazine) and they are equally good. If you have lots of books, the bright colors on the spine stand out nicely when these books are shelved, if that matters.
   
   'Bright colors standing out nicely' just about sums up the spirit of these books.
   
   By the way, a few years ago I showed the magazine to a professional fashion-designer friend of mine in New York and he fell in love with it immediately. You'd have to be pretty stodgy not to enjoy this book, highlights of the magazine, and document of a gradually fading, colorful and inventive subculture.



3. i saw that book when i was in Germany and wanted it ever since. Now i finally have it and i'm very happy about it. I like all the series of the Phaidon books and already have Fruits. The idea of this book is really great and i hope Phaidon will have some more books like this in the future!



4. Though it's pretty much the same as the previous Fruits book, I guess it's best if you keep it the way it is.
   It's a great quality book, completely filled with photos which are not only unique and beautiful, but also makes you question yourself about what is fashion, and what is acceptable or not on everyday life clothing.
   
   There should be more places around the world like Harajuku.



5. Great book, made my girlfriend quite happy. She is very into Japanese street fashion and this book just captivated her, she looked through it about 20 times the day i gave it to her. I enjoyed it too, but it was mainly for her.

5 comments about Numismatic Photography.

1. I'm very new to numismatic photography, but I'm very interested in creating the best quality images of my collection possible.
   
   This book presents a good overview of the tools (camera, copystand, lights, post-editing software) and techniques for doing this.
   
   It is a short and easy read for the novice, and more advanced photographers should appreciate the extra sections written to go a level deeper into each topic.
   
   Imaging coins of various compositions (copper, proof silver, gold, etc) are discussed in detail. Raw and slabbed coins are also addressed throughout, and the many sample photos thoughtfully include the camera, aperture, and shutter settings.
   
   Thanks to the advice presented here, you don't need to spend a fortune on creating good images. But with some small tool upgrates and some hints and tricks as presented by Mark Goodman, virtually anyone can make great photos!



2. The author, Mark Goodman, has put together a nice systematic presentation of the material. For example, Mark has broken down high, medium and low contrast coins into chapters. In each of the chapters, Mark selected representative examples of coins that fall into the relevant contrast category. Photos of each coin are presented with changes in lighting. The photos are compared and contrasted.
   
   I have bought multiple copies of this book (as gifts) and have recommended this book to collectors of material other than numismatics as the principles in this book are universal.
   
   Excellent book. Quick read. Immediate results. Nice reference material.



3. I've known Mark Goodman for a couple of years through an online forum for coins. His tips along the years have made my coin photography much better. He graciously provided PDF documents that were quite helpful along the way. I am counting on this book to really put me over the top and into a different class of coin imaging.
   
   The book is well laid out and covers everything you need to become a top-notch coin photographer. It has beginner sections right along advanced sections, so this book is for anyone who owns a camera and wants to image coins.
   
   I have yet to make it through the whole book... There is a lot of information to absorb. But my images are already improving and my skills were adequate before. Soon, they will be much more than adequate due to Mr. Goodman's instruction.
   
   Thanks, Mark!



4. OUTSTANDING. Beyond doubt, this book is an indespensible addition to numismatic literature. In the Internet Age, coin photography is more important than ever. The body of work, hobby wide, will improve dramatically as hobbyists improve their skills - thanks to this book.



5. The book is written well and explains a lot of things in good detail. It's nice to see a book written specifically on this subject. As with anything, coin photography takes practice, but this book gets the reader off to a good start.
   
   As for the printing, the first few pages had bad bleed-through. If I were the author, I'd be hollering a bit about that to the publisher. Other than that, great pictures and layout.