5 comments about Sierra Club 2008 Wilderness Calendar.

1. Every year I purchase this calendar, hang it in my cube and hear the many compliments. The shots are gorgeous and afterwards, their generous size and excellent quality are easily frame-worthy. I recommend it for the person who likes to look over once in a while and visualize themselves to a calming, secluded area in North America that they may never get to visit (and may not be the same if I do). Support a good cause and appreciate the vast areas of nature at her finest.



2. fantastic calendar, got it for a gift for someone and was tempted to keep it myself.



3. We buy these every year not only to give as gifts to our family but because we want to support the Sierra Club in its efforts to save our world ecology. I didn't find the pictures as inspiring this year but they're still beautiful. And our friends and family always appreciate them.



4. Received very quickly and the product looks beautiful. This is for a gift and I am excited to give it. Thanks



5. I purchase this calendar for my office every year. This nature scene calendar always has high quality photography. I recommend this calendar to any nature lover or any one who likes to bring a bit of nature indoors.

5 comments about Dancers Between Realms - Empath Energy, Beyond Empathy.

1. For Empaths trying to figure out what to do with their impressions, this author suggests ways to manage the energy, including how to approach healing of onself and the world. It's a very useful book - I read it through in two days and am now re-reading the content, taking it in more deeply. The beginning chapters are more of an intro - good for people who are uncertain if they are empaths. And as the books continues, it goes deeper and more broad into the experience and nature of the empath. The final chapter is about empath children. Helpful to process your own childhood which was perhaps insensitive to your needs and experience as an empath, but more essentially, it's a great resource for adults with children who are empaths. This is essential reading. Also, for empaths looking to manage the sometimes unbearable storm, check out www.mysilentecho.com (no - this is not my website :)



2. "Dancers Between Realms" explains what it means to be an empath. An empath is a person who is unusually sensitive to the energy of others, a stance of being in the world that has its peculiar blessings and unique problems. "Dancers Between Realms" explores both the blessings and the problems and offers much practical advice for being an empath in today's world, one overloaded with stimulating energy of all sorts. It also provides an overall spiritual perspective to assist empaths with their own spiritual growth and service to others. I recommend it to everyone who feels overwhelmed at times by the energies that swirl around us all. Jim Marion, author of "Putting on the Mind of Christ, the Inner Work of Christian Spirituality."



3. Those of us who are sensitive and open will find this book -- and all of Orion's and Elisabeth's work -- supportive, useful, inspiring, and uplifting. That feeling of relief, of relaxing into the truth, of being affirmed and appreciated for our sensitivity -- these are gifts to the reader. Orion offers deeper perspectives and helpful tools for the empath, and for all of us, with compassionate understanding and non-judgmental clarity. How refreshing to hear that our "sensing awareness" is valuable and valid! It's like coming home.



4. Thank you, Elisabeth Fitzhugh, for ushering this information into the popular culture! For all those times when someone said, "you're too sensitive," or, "you're going to have to grow a thicker skin if you expect to survive in the world," we now have Dancers Between Realms. With straightforward wisdom and practical guidance, Dancers helps the empaths among us to identify ourselves - and to navigate the sometimes-tumultuous waters of our and other people's emotional seas. Definitely a must have for all empaths and possible empaths!



5. I was about seven years old when I was told by an adult (okay, it was my mother), "Don't be so thin-skinned". It wasn't really until reading this book and fully embracing my Empathic self that I truly understood the resonance of that comment and my role in All There Is ... My Truth. We all need to have our feelings validated. Well, at least we Empaths do. Dancers Between Realms is like a warm, accepting hug. Elisabeth and Orion offer this in an intellegent blend of cognitive awareness, knowing advice and their special teaching method which asks the questions we should all be asking of ourselves. To help our understanding even more, they bring us real stories of real people's experiences - both positive and negative. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know themselves (and others) better. Those who practice the more esoteric healing modalities can also gain much from Dancers Between Realms.

5 comments about Light of New York.

1. This book is one of the best books that one can appreciate the photographic style of the photographer. The fact that it was shot on film and the long shutter speeds are great. I am assuming that a bit of research went into picking out the various locations and picking out the right time of night or dusk to shoot was taken in consideration.f
   
   Great book all around and great conversation piece for people that appreciate photography and the art behind it.



2. New York City at dusk or dawn with a magical lighting and a unique photo processing that highlight architectural details of iconic features of the city. Manhattan for lovers!



3. Amazing book for anyone into photography. New York is captured beautifully in breath taking photos.



4. This is a collection of moody black and white photographs taken at dawn with a large-format pinhole camera. There are no people or moving cars but lots of rays of light from the rising sun and brooding clouds. The effect is fantastic. Sometimes the photos look like they were executed in charcoal. The details are mostly very crisp even though the palette is dark.
   
   The major landmarks are all present. Two of Mlle Liberty, 3 or 4 of the Empire State Building, a wonderful shot of the Flatiron Building, etc. (Only 1 of the Chrysler Building, however, and not one of Berts's best.) There are some nice shots of Central Park. He likes the Brooklyn Bridge--and he's good at making large objects like bridges and the Empire State Building look massive. The use of black and white and dawn's early light defamiliarizes the postcard icons and restores them to their original majesty. There are also some nice shots of Little Italy and lesser known buildings, too. This is a great book. If you like it you should check out Light of Paris by the same photographer.
   
   I can't resist offering up one more recommendation, this time for a book that's almost the opposite of The Light of New York in its approach but which is still a wonderful and fun look at the Big Apple: Manhattan Lightscape. Its colors are magnificent.



5. Absoluely beautiful. I went through it three times and each time I find something more wonderful. I highly recommend this book, especially this time of year. It makes a great table top book.

4 comments about Sports Photography: How to Capture Action and Emotion.

1. I am a teacher with a side business in photography. I am my school's official photographer. For my situation, as a semi-professional photographer who is frequently faced with shooting a sport with which I am not intimately familiar, this was an excellent reference. It would also be great for a parent who is into photography and wants to get great shots of their kids' games.
   
   The best part of this book was its detailed discussion of "peak action" - the moment when the One Great Shot happens. It goes sport-by-sport to talk about how to predict and capture peak action - technical camera details, mental aspects, where to stand to get the best shot, and how to get coaches and officials to let you stand there.
   
   The book also included a brief discussion of when to get a release and how to market your photos. Although neither was dealt with in detail, it provided a framework for further research into these two topics.



2. I have a lifelong interest in photography, read and collect in a broad area of subject matter. Although I was always intrigued with sports photography, reading about it escaped me. So out of curiosity, I happened to browse, Sports Photography, How to Capture Action and Emotion, by Peter Skinner. Seldom do I read "how to" books chapter by chapter, page by page. Usually, I jump to the sections that interest me most, or skim to find specific solutions. Skinner's new book was a pleasant surprise, as I found myself unable to put it down until summoned to the dinner table.
   
   Skinner's book is well thought out, comprehensive, and packed with practical advice. The content is aesthetic as well as philosophical. There is a nice balance in each chapter between technical aspects and the broader issues behind demanding sports photography moments. Credit the editors with finding great examples among top-flight professionals, and then discussing the major points of capturing great shots in this far-ranging subject. You will learn what it takes in preparation, planning, precision and passion to create the great sports photos so easily taken for granted.
   
   I highly recommend Peter Skinner's, Sports Photography, How to Capture Action and Emotion to anyone hoping to improve and expand their knowledge and skill.
   
   L. Watters



3. Being an instructor of Photography, I am constantly on the lookout for a book which can help teach my students the "softer art" of picture making. Whether you're a novice nature photographer or a seasoned professional photojournalist, capturing emotion, drama, and a sense of spirit in a photograph, is something every serious photographer strives to achieve in their work. It is this ability that is at the core of a photographer's success, and yet, it is the most difficult aspect to teach. When a master of this craft creates an easy to understand, comprehensive guide, on how to accomplish this, it is worth taking notice! This book, Sports Photography - How to Capture Action and Emotion, by Peter Skinner, is a shining example of a master photographer realizing and sharing this gift with others.
   
   Starting out with a general overview of the concepts behind Sports Photography, Mr. Skinner takes the reader on a quick narrative journey through many past successful images that he and other great photographers have shared with us over the years. The photography in this book, contributed by Mr. Skinner himself, as well as many other top professionals, is absolutely stunning! Although this book concentrates more on composition and capturing "peak" moments, and less on the fundamentals, like exposure, Mr. Skinner did include the advanced "tricks of the trade" all of us should know, like sunny 16 rule, use of a grey card for proper exposure, and other helpful bits of knowledge usually reserved for the more advanced photographer.
   
   It's knowing and applying these subtle tricks that help us all create better images.
   
   I also appreciated the author's emphasis on the use of film cameras and digital point and shoot technology. Not everyone can afford to purchase a new digital SLR system. If all you have is a point and shoot camera, that's great! This book will show you how to get the most out of your equipment, whatever you use - understand the limitations of your equipment and make your weakness your strength. Whatever system you have will work fine, as long as you are out there creating images! Yes, "going digital" does offer a huge leap forward in taking an idea from the mind to the wall, but film cameras (especially used SLRs) do offer a great, and an initially less expensive, way to explore photography and learn about proper exposure, composition, and all the other aspects you'll need to know to be a success.
   
   After a broad look at what it takes to be a successful sports photographer, Mr. Skinner then begins to break down many of the sports we, as aspiring photographers, will likely be covering like football, basketball, and baseball, as well as cycling, hockey, golf, etc.... With each discipline, the author not only explains specific techniques for capturing great shots, but also the individuals you'll need to know and contact in your sport of choice. Knowing the right people and what to say can be essential in creating great images, and setting yourself apart in a competitive field. Mr. Skinner obviously understands this and has done a wonderful job in pointing out the important people to contact in many of our favorite sporting events.
   
   It is this type of experiential knowledge that puts this book on top against other similar photography books.
   
   To most of my students, photography is just a fun hobby. Most of them come to me to learn the fundamentals of exposure and the ideals of "proper" composition. However, to some, the idea of making a living as a photographer is a goal they wish to both explore and achieve. Through this book, Mr. Skinner offers the reader many ideas to help make that a reality. He presents several money making concepts that most motivated individuals can accomplish. You can tell right away, he has the reader's best interests at heart. This book reads less like a "how to" collection, and more like a conversation with someone who has "been there, done that, done it successfully, and genuinely hopes to show you how to be a success as well."
   
   If you are looking to get into photography as a hobby or a career, or are seeking a fresh new way of looking at capturing images, or just desire to create more powerful photographs, this book is definitely for you. Filled with fresh ideas, top notch photography, and a clear easy to follow format, this book should help take your images to the next level. So, go make room for this book on your self now, no photographer should be without it!



4. At one time or another, a serious photographer will be asked to take pictures of a young relative at a sports event, or of some local team. There will also be times when a photographer will attend a major sports event and have the urge to capture the event on film or digital media. The photographer may realize that sports photography may be just different enough from his regular fare to warrant some additional study. This fast-reading book is aimed at filling that gap.
   
   After a general introduction, the book starts out with a consideration of necessary equipment, including a comparison of digital media and film, and then goes on to a brief discussion of light and exposure. Thereafter the book is mostly concerned about the content of sports photographs. The author points out such considerations as selecting the best position, capturing the peak action, and the importance of the direction and speed of the action. There are discussions of the most important aspects of photographing specific sports, like cycling, ice skating and surfing. These discussions are necessarily brief but usually provide good tips for the inexperienced sports photographer. The book also has sections that deal with the emotions of sport, the aesthetics and moods of sport, getting access and working with sports groups, and self assignments. After discussing the possibility of making money photographing sports, there is an examination of the careers of several sports photographers.
   
   All of the pictures in the book, taken by top-flight sports photographers, are excellent, and the writing is simple and clear. Indeed, I suspect it may be too simple for anyone but the neophyte sports photographer. Experienced photographers are more likely to benefit from studying the pictures in the book, but that can be done as easily with a subscription to a magazine like Sports Illustrated.
   
   I thought that there were technical issues relating to sports photography that the book scanted. For example, many sports photographers shoot JPEG's not just because they can quickly be sent to an editor, but because it means that they can shoot a larger number of pictures without pausing. Similarly, while the author advises using fast lenses for reduced depth of field, there is less mention of the fact that sports photographers usually need to shoot at the faster shutter speeds that the larger apertures allow.
   
   Although it's certainly not required, there is no mention of post processing in the book. I was also startled that the author spent substantial space telling readers that it was okay to shoot with film. While I would never discourage a person with a film camera from shooting sports, I would find it very difficult to encourage any one to buy a film camera. I recognize that probably represents my own predisposition, but certainly, no arguments were made for the advantages of film.
   
   For the individual who knows nothing about sports photography, but does understand how to use a camera, this book may prove useful. For those who have already started to take sports pictures this book will be less useful.

5 comments about Adobe Photoshop CS Down & Dirty Tricks.

1. I have used many of Scott Kelby's books and every one gets better and better.
   Everything is so well explained that even a relative beginner to Photoshop would be able to achieve these effects. Although some of these effects can prove to be more difficult with a bit of care and careful reading they can eventually be done.
   All the effects , both with pictures and various text projects are really brilliant.
   The only warning is these effects become a bit addictive and you rarely feel happy with un-altered images any more.



2. This is not an in depth instruction manual for Photoshop CS. This does give the inexperienced user of Photoshop quick and easy tips for creating a variety of useful projects. Many of these projects will expose the new user to some of the powerful tools of Photoshop. If you want to learn all of the features of Photoshop then buy a more technical book or take a Photoshop course. So to get a start into the world of Photoshop this may be the book for you.



3. This book is great for Photoshop CS beginners. It's packed with many tricks and techniques. You'll be saying, "So that's how they do that!" quite often. I have been able to take several techniques and use them and create variations for my own advertising.
   
   Example photos are available on Kelby's website for download. Unfortunately, they have a BRAND X stamp on them and their quality seems lower, but useful none-the-less.



4. I buy all of the "Tricks" books for Photoshop. They all have great 'secrets' for achieving some really cool effects in a very short time. This book was no exception. Once you get one of the "Down and Dirty" books, you'll want them all. No Photoshop artist should be without them. If you want to hang with the pros out there, you need to know every one of these tips in this book. I recommend the "Down and Dirty" series for everyone who owns Photoshop.



5. The Photoshop CS Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
   
   Both books are by Scott Kelby. He does a great job of telling you exactly what you need to do with the photos.

4 comments about Marley Legend: An Illustrated Life of Bob Marley.

1. Excellent book on the life and times of the great legend Bob Marley. Absolutely a must have for all Bob Marley fans. I couldn't put the book down until I had finished it. I highly recommend this book, it definitely deserves a five star rating.



2. The book came very fast and was in brand new conditions. I would recommend purchasing from this seller and would buy from them again.



3. When this was opened at X-mas, brought the recipient to tears. All the goodies packed into the book are amazing & worth every penny!



4. This is a nicely packaged (and slipcased) celebration of a reggae icon with beautiful pictures and interesting tidbits...the gatefolds and pockets with little surprises might become tiresome after a few browsings but Bob Marley is one those performers whose legend only grows with time and he is entirely deserving of this elaborate book. It's not too deep but then there are plenty of good books to choose from...in the end, it's all about the music.

5 comments about Americana the Beautiful: Mid-century Culture in Kodachrome.

1. There is nothing like great images and insight to bring back a long ago era. This book does a great job at setting the stage! Buy it and enjoy!



2. l have always been fascinated by the 1950s, it was like no other era in history,The American dream, good old fashion values, and families.It was portrayed as an era of blissful harmony and peacful existence for all. When l came across this book by charles phoenix, l was delighted, you cannot be amazed by this book of ordinary people, capturing their lives, on film in excellent quality. The fact that these pictures still remain, in wonderful quality taken by amateur photographers is truefully historical. If you never lived through the 1950s, and l didnt, because lm 35 years old, and your only glimpse of this era is in the movies, then this book is a real gem. His other book, californialand, is equally great book, which he showes more of these great photos of ordinary people living in the 50s. Great historical books.



3. Americana the Beautiful is a trip down memory lane; especially for us Baby Boomers.
   
   These old shapshots are great! What a wonderful trip we took every summer when we visited my mother's family in South Carolina. Remember those luggage racks on station wagons? I remember being on the New Jersey Turnpike one time and luggage thtat was tied to the roof blew off. Dad had to pull our station wagon to the side of the road and pick up a suitcase full of diapers for my younest brother!
   
   I have fond memories of the Dairy Queen and the Good Humor mah. The smell was sweet mixed with raw exhaust fumes! What great times those were!



4. Another selection of snaps rescued by Charles Phoenix just before they might have ended up in the local landfill. In the same format as his excellent 'Southern Californialand' (ISBN 1883318424) and so much better than the earlier 'God Bless Americana' book. The two hundred amateur slides feature a rich seam of everyday life full of white middle class detail (which of course does raise the question: didn't colored folk take photos back then or perhaps they never junk them).
   
   Overall I thought the photo selection was fascinating and grouping them in themes worked well. The last few pages have some intriguing architectural and transport slides like the 1964 flying saucer style State Capitol Bank in Oklahoma City or the late fifties General Motors Aerotrain pulling into a station. On page thirty-six onward there are several pages of people at home showing all kinds of domestic activity, food on tables, kitchens, watching home movies or just enjoying company. It's interesting looking at these photos because they are so unlike anything taken by professionals though sometimes the composition, lighting and color does lift them out of the mundane.
   
   Like 'Southern Californialand' the editorial format works well with photos one to a page, allowing for a deep caption or several slides butted together. My only criticism is that sometimes out of focus images are too large, for example the soft-focus Jefferson Drive-in on page ninety-seven would have worked better much smaller or even rejected. Also captions frequently describe in words what the reader can obviously see in the picture but fortunately many of them also have plenty of historical background detail about things in the photos.
   
   Charles Phoenix has hit on a successful publishing genre and there surely will be more titles to come but until the next one you can follow the latest finds on his website.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.



5. Charles Phoenix has done it again! We've loved each of his books, and the last few we've bought almost as soon as he released them. This one has even more of Charles' trademark old, but crisp, bright and clear, color Kodakchrome slides, all taken by amateur photographers like you and me (or our parents and grandparents!), from all across America, and all with brief, nondistracting, colorful, very witty and informative commentary. It's a perfect gift for a "Fourth of July" Party. You'll laugh as well as be a little saddened by this colorful, visual reminder of our treasured, more innocent and playful past. Cheers and thanks once again to Charles Phoenix. And if you get a chance, check out his website and go see one of his hilarious live shows or tours.

1 comments about Final Cut Pro HD for Dummies.

1. Note: For Mac users only. But then again, most of the people wanting to do things like edit movies are using a Mac already.
   
   Final Cut Pro HD, is the latest version of the Final Cut program. HD stands for High Definition, and this version is indeed capable of editing HD video. But like with a lot of other software packages, the basic tools that you will use every day form the basics of the package, and they can be learned in a short time. Then as you reach points where you want to do more you can go back to the book to catch up on each point as you need it.
   
   Final Cut is suitable for editing the movies showing you new baby, or if you really want to you can use it to get just about as sophisticated as you need for that feature length film you are making with your A-List actor friends. As with all the For Dummies books, this book isn't really for dumb people, it is for people that are just un trained on this particular package. It's a good book.

No comments about Cat Gallery Calendar 2009 (Page a Day Gallery Calendar).

5 comments about Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know.

1. For those of you who read and/or follow these reviews - you know that I am in the process of making my own "no-budget" independent film. A book like this is like manna from heaven.
   
   Jeremy Vineyard (with illustrations by Jose Cruz) does an amazing job of figuring out and printing up nearly every single camera shot you could think of. And, trust me, I've thought of a lot of them. Especially as I prep my film.
   
   But wait, Matt, aren't you a screenwriter? Would this book be good for a screenwriter? Frankly, yes. Or should I say: YES!
   
   One of the hardest things to teach a screenwriter is to look at their film visually. If you've even thought of thinking about possibly thinking of being a screenwriter - you should watch films and dissect those films. From camera angles, to actor's positioning, to scene structure to "how the heck did they do that?!" special effects. Sadly most first time screenwriters don't think visually when they writer - they don't comprehend how the shot should look - how the final film should look.
   
   I know what you're thinking: "I've been told to not put in camera moves or certain camera angles - that's up to the director to decide." It may very well be up to the director to decide - but you STILL have to look at your film visually. You have to "shoot" the film in your head when you are writing it. Having an understanding of the various shots will help you do just that. This book is an excellent resource.
   
   My only issues with the book, and they are minor, is that I would have liked the author to include whole scenes from movies to show how the scenes link together into a cohesive whole. Take, say, one of the boxing matches in "Raging Bull" and break it down. Low angle, high angle, close-up, focus pull, back to a two shot, etc. It's one thing to say that a certain shot (such as a whip pan) is used in the film "Stagecoach" but then what of the shots following it and preceding it?
   
   The only other issue I would bring up (and this might very well be insane) is to put the time-code on certain shots (not EVERY shot but a select few). Something along the lines of: "There is an extreme close-up in the film "Silence of the Lambs" at 1:47:32 into the film." Or: "Note the whip-pan in "Stagecoach" at 1:18:49. Followed by tracking shot at 1:22:16." A little more detail like that, I think, would have raised the book to a whole new level of film geekdom (and I mean that in a good way).
   
   Jeremy Vineyard, with wonderful illustrations by Jose Cruz, simplifies complicated shots and takes you beyond amateur filmmaking into the real of professional filmmaking. Before you shoot anything, heck, before you WRITE anything - read this book.



2. June 12, 2008
   By R. Otterman (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
   
   
   This book feels more like film analysis than a field guide given its breakdown on a number of well-known pictures. It does, though, have merits as an instructional book for considering the frame and motion that define cinematography and the shot. In that way it's a help and was a help to me in planning shots for a film. If nothing else, this book gets a filmmaker thinking in terms of planning shots that go beyond closeup-medium-wide.
   
   Illustrations give a sense that the author spent a good amount of time considering what to add and what to draw upon as better examples of good filmmaking, and creative shooting at that. The one criticsm of the book is that there is not a little more in the way of description, though that might be said to be a strength for visually-oriented material. Some of the reviews that called it rubbish, etc. seem to miss the point that this book is intended for filmmakers to get ideas by way of considering the who's who of shots, not a descriptive understanding of the metaphoric value of cinema. On a simple and basic level the book accomplishes what it sets out to do- generate possibilities by gathering the best of the best in shots and organizing them into a collection for the planning artist to consider.
   
   For me, anyway, this worked and I've taken much from the book the last few years and I'm looking forward to the new edition that's coming out.



3. I have been using this book in my Video class and it is passable, but should include useable films as examples rather than R-rated films I cannot use in the classroom. While most teens have seen most of these movies, I cannot show them as examples in a classroom setting, due to rating problems. If this is to remain a viable product in the future, the examples will have to be toned down.



4. While Setting Up Your Shots covered all the common camera moves needed for DV filmmakers, the explanations on the moves were a little too brief for my liking. For a few dollars more, Film Directing, Cinematic Motion: A Workshop for Staging Scenes (paperback) by Steven D. Katz is a much better resource, one that the reader will use time-and-again. Best!



5. Excellent layout of "1 page, 1 concept" and tells enough for you to get the point without 5 extra paragraphs of useless repetition. Leave this book on your desk and open to any page once a day and read it in 15 seconds...this will keep a wide array of shooting techniques in your head for the next time you are on set or planning a shoot.
   
   Good stuff, easy to understand, and not an ounce of "fluffy-look at me i'm a filmmaker" pretentious crap.