5 comments about Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs.

1. I like photos of Ansel Adams. I like nature. That's why I like this book very much. Prints are of excellent quality, comments on selected photos are very interesting and useful. It's a good book for family library.



2. This is a beautiful collection of Ansel Adams photos. A great coffee table book or, as was my purpose, an inspiration for a budding photographer.



3. Ansel Adams might be the most famous art/nature photographer of all time. He inspired many with his images. In 400 photographs you get far more than a small sampling of a few famous images. This book shows Adams' chronologic development as a photographer. With this format we can not only see his growth but also his depth something that is rare in book under $100. This volume is both something inexpensive and something anyone can be proud to display on ones coffee table.



4. the size. This book is about the size of 8x11, so it's not a large coffee table book size. What it lacks in area size, it makes it up in the number of great photos, all 400 of them.
   
   I also own the Yosemite and the Range of Light, one of Ansel Adams most highly acclaimed publication printed back in the 70's. I compared the two books. The 400 uses a whiter paper stock. Many of the photos in the 400 look different from the Range of Light. Some have more contrast, some have less. It is sort of like a slightly different interpretation. I closely compared a couple of the photos, in one case, I found the 400 has more shadow details in the deep shadow area, but the Range of Light counterpart has more emotional impact; the larger size may have to do with the emotional part. In another case,the 400 has less overall contrast, and a lot more shadow information comparing to the Range of Light, and I like the 400 interpretation better.
   
   This book is a must have for Ansel Adams follower.



5. It's no secret that Ansel Adams is an inspiration to any landscape photographer who loves to be outside, and this book is an excellent addition to my collection of photo/art related books.
   
   Ansel Adams - 400 Photographs is the latest book related to Ansel Adams and this collection was compiled by Andrea Stillman, who worked for Adams in the 70s as his personal assistant. She is intimately familiar with his work, and according to the book, have spent much time contemplating what should be included . Her goal was to present a selection of the best images made by Adams during different periods of time (and images are presented chronologically to help us see the development in Ansel's vision), and after finishing reading and looking through the book, I must say that she succeeded.
   
   In this book you will find many of Ansel's famous images, but what I liked particularly that you will also find many images that you have not seen before, especially from his early days and those that were made with his first cameras. For someone like myself who's still a beginning photographer, I was inspired to see how it all started for this legendary photographer. You also will not see these kinds of rare images at usual Ansel's exhibits.
   
   The presentation of those images in terms of their sizes and how they are placed against the white background is eye pleasing. There is not much writing in the book, and Ansel's work speaks for itself, which I found appropriate for a book with such title. In addition, the quality of paper and printing is excellent, which is always important when it comes to photography books.
   
   Due to the amount of images presented in the book I know I'll be looking through it again and again for inspiration, so the book is well worth it. It'll also be a great book to put on a coffee table, when we finally get one for our living room.

5 comments about Mastering HDR Photography: Combining Technology and Artistry to Create High Dynamic Range Images.

1. I'm a fan of Michael Freeman's work, and this book is no exception. Its a good presentation of HDR as it is today and covers enough technical ground to satisfy most Photographers. For a pure novice, some of this info may be intimidating, but ultimately necessary if one wants to excel using HDR. I'm a Photomatix user and I found Michael's presentation of Photomatix to be very helpful. His workflow section is a valuable addition to the book. My only complaint about the book is that many of the comparison photos are just too small to show the effects the author explains in the associated text. Other than this nit, I'm really happy with this book.



2. The insights from your book are exactly what I needed to move my HDR
   photography forward. Really great and I mean that. I'm an IT guy by
   trade and it sure helps me to understand more about under the hood and
   what reactions from my actions I can expect.
   
   Also the areas of human perception is a major plus.
   
   Thanks for publishing this!
   
   
   Dusty Scott



3. Michael Freeman is one of the best writers of books on photography...bar none. I have been a pro shooter for decades, and every time I have picked up one of Michael's books, I have learned something new or gained a better understanding of something I thought I already knew about.
   
   This book is no different. The beauty of this book is that Michael has cut past all the hype and hyperbole and gets to the heart of what HDR technique is all about. He uses a lot of graphs and graphics... so it may take the novice a little longer to get through, but in the end the reader comes out with a thorough understanding of what HDR (and by extension, much of digital photography) is all about.
   
   I keep this book with me all the time. I am also going to give one to my 19 year old son who is just starting out in photography... if he takes the time to understand the enormous amount of information that Freeman has packed into this slim volume, he will have a great foundation for a technical mastery of modern digital photography.



4. This book is just what I was looking for. I'd been struggling with high dynamic range - there was lots of scattered information, but nothing that actually told me sensibly how to work it through from taking the pictures to getting a good-looking result. This book does it, and the great thing is that it's by a professional photographer, not someone who just knows how the software works.
   
   I found it from the Photomatix site, where it's the one book recommended under their Resources, and quite right too. I also noticed that it's not a hype for Photomatix, but very even-handed about all the software. The best part for me is the many workflows and case studies so I could work step by step through real projects. The authors really clear on how to use fiddly controls to make good images.



5. A very useful book. It's recommended on the PHOTOMATIX site and is written from the point of view of a photographer rather than a software geek.

5 comments about Photographing Children Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent (Photo Workshop).

1. Having three daughters, documenting their childhood with photographs is a real priority for me. But I really lacked knowledge on how to take good photographs - I always relied on the auto settings on my camera and the pictures seemed so ordinary. In the attempt to learn more about photography, I purchased this book along with a couple of others. This book, by far, was the most helpful for me. I had been having a hard time wrapping my mind around the concepts of aperture and ISO, but this book really helped me understand! Each picture listed the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, which helped me see what those things were doing to affect how the picture looked. Also, the pictures were so inspiring and gave me tons of ideas on composition. The assignments at the end of each chapter were helpful in developing my skills. The book was very pleasent to read and it's definitely a book for parents aspiring to become better photographers! My only wish was that the pictures also listed what type of lens was used (so that I could buy it and have the lenses that the professionals used!).



2. In addition to Ginny's inspirational photography I found this wonderful book to be informative beyond taking portraits of children. I am new to photography and found lots of ideas and tips for taking better photos of any subject. An additional bonus is the assignments at the end of each chapter to put the techniques into practice. This is a book that I will refer to often. I highly recommend this and look forward to more books by this photographer.



3. Put this wonderful book in your shopping cart and hit "buy now" as soon as you can. I wish that I had had this wonderful tool twenty years ago when I was starting my children's portrait business. Each chapter really guides you through the tools that you will need to succeed in taking impressive images of children. If you take it seriously, and do the assignments, you just might start seeing things in a different light, so to speak. Whether you just want to capture whimsical images of your own child as he passes through the phases of childhood, or if you truly intend to make photography more than a passion, but a business, then this book will take you to your desired level.Every page will delight you with amazing images of children. The various contributing photographers offer individual treatments to their subjects showing you a variety of what is plesaing. Read it, work it, absorb it and find your place in this fascinating field. I can't get enough of the timeless beach portraits found in Chapter 7.



4. Capturing our children, or as a photographer another person's child, is really one of the most important things one can do. In doing so we are providing a legacy and memory for ourselves and future generations. This book does an excellent job of guiding the novice and the professional in how to best capture children as they are. It provides technical information but more importantly provides you with ideas and assignments that will challenge you to use not only the camera but your heart and life experience to take great images of children. I couldn't find a book that was this easy to understand and this encouraging when I was starting out in the children's photography business and so I was very honored to provide images for this book when asked by the author. There are many years of experience and a great heart behind the words in this book so I would highly encourage anyone interested in photographing children to read it.



5. I read this book as it was being written because I worked with Ginny while I was at Wiley. I was lucky enough to have her use me as her test market for the book because I was a beginning photographer with an 8 year old daughter. I wanted to take memorable photos of my girl, not just posed, ordinary pictures. Ginny's photos inspired me and the way she described in her chapters how to take those unique photos really helped me see portraits and candid shots in a different way. With Ginny's instructions on using light on a face, I took a shot last summer that my family framed. It's lovely - I owe it all to Ginny!

5 comments about Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.

1. This book should, in my opinion, be assigned reading for everyone in so-called first world countries. What the author manages to accomplish is nothing short of remarkable- chronicling one week of food consumption in a number of families around the world. The text is well-written and informative, but it's the photographs that speak the loudest. To compare the weekly food consumption of a US or German family with that of a Sudanese or Mongolian family is haunting and recalibrates what we take for granted. Highly recommended.



2. Excellent book... showing how, what, and why we eat what we do.. Interesting the vast differences between countries and peoples. Made me appreaciate what I have...



3. I love, love, love this book. The photos of real families standing in front of a week's worth of food make me feel as if I know these people. For all our differences, humans everywhere need food. This book is the next best thing to sitting down to a meal with people all over the world.



4. This book really opened my eyes as to what the world is eating (and not eating).



5. Well-written book, a sobering look at what the world eats, and a wake-up call for better nutrition for most of the "developed" world.

5 comments about One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey.

1. I read this book cover to cover in less than two days - it's excellent!



2. This is a must have for any handyman, outdoorsman, alaska lover, etc. You will be amazed by what this man does and the age he does it at!



3. This book is a fantastic journal of one man's personal adventure.
   It is a daily log and seems to put you right into the day and time
   of every event. As you read it, you will feel yourself picking the
   blueberries, shaping each log and building a cabin. You will find
   yourself watching bears, listening to sounds of a river flow at night,
   the sounds of ice breaking from the frozen river.
   You will find yourself creating a batch of sourdough biscuits, cooking
   a pot of beans, to making friends with animals that arrive daily for you
   to feed.
   After I finished reading this book, I immediately started it again.
   It is fantastic. I am now picking up little bits of information that
   I somehow missed with first reading. It is definately a book that you
   will find yourself going back to, because it IS an adventure without
   ever leaving home



4. This is a great book about Richard Proenneke that choose to live his dream. He is an honest good man enjoying the wonderful land of Alaska.



5. From 1970-74, I was an associate editor of ALASKA, the Magazine of Life on the Last Frontier, which was then owned by Alaska Northwest Publishing Company. I remember the day a stranger walked into our editorial offices in Anchorage and introduced himself as Dick Proenneke. Executive Editor Ed Fortier and I sat with him for a long time, listening, enthralled, as he told us of his experiences at Twin Lakes. Ed, who had built a log cabin of his own across Cook Inlet, was a sourdough journalist who understood the challenges this soft-spoken man had faced. I was especially touched by his account of the wolf pups he had adopted and raised, and by their farewell to him as they reentered the wild. Soon I was taking a stack of Dick's handwritten journals home with me to read, and to pull out article ideas for the magazine. My husband picked up those pages and was soon absorbed by the narrative -- so eloquent in its simplicity -- and became an instant admirer. Everything about Dick and his story are uniquely Alaskan. So when I happened to see the documentary, "Silence and Solitude" on tv last night, I was delighted to rediscover my old friend. I'm so pleased that Dick has been able to spend so many years at Twin Lakes and to continue sharing his experiences. I view him as something of a modern-day Thoreau -- reminding us all to "simplify" and to respect the lessons we can learn from Nature, while cherishing her incredible beauty.

5 comments about Planet Earth: As You've Never Seen It Before.

1. if you believe in God or not, i dare you to look at this book and not be in awe of nature. my husband and i enjoy looking at this book any seeing God's wonderous creation. anyone who has children should get this book. they probably won't read every word, but they will learn a lot from the pictures.



2. I have not had the chance yet to review this product. I'd thought I'd purchased the dvd set for this same title, so was surprised to receive a book. I decided not to return it, but I know I will enjoy it.



3. BEAUTIFUL BOOK TO HAVE. NOT ONLY IS IT INFORMATIVE, BUT THE PICTURES ARE TRULY A PIECE OF ARTWORK.



4. Breathtaking! What an incredible collection of photographs of our amazing planet. A great addition to the dvd collection.



5. It does have various bits of info that arent included in the videos (probably due to time constraints). The pictures are very nice but a couple do have a tiny bit of graininess to them. All in all a very good purchase and companion to the Planet Earth video.

5 comments about The Creative Digital Darkroom.

1. I enjoyed this book for what it is, and what it isn't. First, the book IS a great read for the philosophy and background of creating wonderful photographic images as art. The first part of the book takes you through a cursory, though better than average history into how film photography was not only developed but enhanced in the darkroom.
   
   This book IS well laid out into themed chapters on ideas and tools you can use to enhance a photo from something average or good into something great. This IS NOT a recipe book with impressive yet funky and unusable Photoshop tricks. No, you will not learn how to make a page peel or ghost in your image. What you will learn are very practical and useful techniques that I find myself using everyday.
   
   There are those that call themselves "purists" and believe any Photoshop work to an image is wrong. Hogwash I say! Difficult techniques that have been a part of the darkroom for years are now much more accessible to the photo enthusiast and should be used to their fullest. That said, I am very pleased with the efforts this book makes to teach enhancement techniques more than outright modification.
   
   I highly recommend "The Creative Digital Darkroom" for any budding or serious photographer that is looking to learn some of the best ways to bring out the best in their photos. The WHY and the HOW are both covered effectively for each technique taught with full color examples and practical screen shots. This title will get an arsenal of arrows in your quiver when approaching the development stage of your photo workflow.



2. I have all Katrins' books as well as her DVD's and am constantly impressed with the level of detail in her books, her presentation skills and her ability to convey the concepts in an easy to understand manner. I can readily follow Katrin's processes and I can apply her ideas to my own photographs. She makes learning Photoshop and workflow enjoyable. I have repeatedly recommended her books to our camera club memebrs and friends. After reading her books I find myself time and again returning to them for reference. Buy it! You will not be dissapointed.



3. I came to photography recently, without the benefit of darkroom experience. I've read several photoshop books, but this was the only one that really helped me with the creative aspects of post processing.



4. I have been through a number of photoshop books in the past few years. Of all of them I can say that the authors were certainly prepared and that they put a lot of effort in their book.
   But if on the one hand the authors knew pretty well what they were saying, the same could not be said about their readers, whom I guess were having a few problems connecting their experience and previous understanding of Photoshop to what they were being taught.
   
   This book is a step forward in this regard, in that it has a very real-life, down-to-earth, experience-based approach with what it talks about. Photoshop books are normally organised around conceptual areas or tools. This book is organised around what you get to do with it and around the experience of dealing with images.
   I appreciate the occasional divagation of the authors who sometimes interrupt the flow of the information to mention something that they believe is important but that does not fit in the paragraph itself.
   
   What I don't like about this book - and about al other photoshop books I've ever encountered - is the tutorial, step-by-step approach to teaching. There are things you can be taught, and things that you can only learn. Other things, you can only be taught to a certain extent, or be pointed at.
   Creative skills belong to this last group. I don't want to be told to "enter mask mode, set the brush to 32 pixels and 20% hardness [...] do this, do that and here is the final image". Creativity doesn't come packaged in procedures, and nor do its tools.



5. I have read more than a dozen books on CS3 and this is by far the best. It is very complete and readable. These two authors are a couple of the most knowledgeable and understandable available today.

5 comments about Monte Zucker's Portrait Photography Handbook.

1. Hey... Monte... what can I say? You wanna get a great start for how to make classic images that stand the test of time and make clients just love you and your work... heres your start. The book is great and goes into a little detail on a lot of areas. Get the book!



2. Having studied with Monte, I looked forward to the release of this book. His philosophy and approach to taking portraits are nicely summarized. Samples of his work are also provided. Monte had the touch and the formula. By incorporating his formula into our work, we can also improve our portraits. Most of his images are not overworked in Photoshop. They are just posed and lit properly. His subjects are always presented in a way that tells something about them, and also pleases the viewer. Monte was solid in fundamentals, and he left them for us in this book.



3. Outstanding how-to-do-it book detailing methods applied that Monte used to create outstanding results. The cover alone is stunning - elegant simplicity. Explanations are clear-cut and admirably brief. Very unlike many books of this sort that too-often fall into the self-adulation authorship.
   Practical. Informative. To-the-point. Superb examples. Readable. What else needs to be said?



4. Among photographers, the late Monte Zucker was ackowledged as one of the world's greatest portrait artists in the world. Written not long before he died, Monte Zucker's Portrait Photography Handbook is a fitting legacy to his career as a photographer and as an instructor.
   
   In the introduction, the author comments that so many photographers don't want to take the time to study or learn any predetermined technique. They want to discover their own style through their own sense of creativity.
   
   He writes (pg 6) "Does that make any sense at all? Do you really believe that anyone can figure it all out by himself? To my thinking, it makes much more sense to get youself a "coach"....If you think about it, what doesn't make sense is someone wanitng to figure it all out by himself."
   
   And with those words one of the great portrait photographers presents a step-by-step tutorial on what he does to create great portrait photos. We're not talking about esoterics like advanced color theory, controlling chromatic aberration in lenses, or philosophical debates on how one should relate to his subject. Monte's philosophical section in the book, called "setting goals", is about half a page long. He says, in part, "If you are emotionallly connected with my subjects when you see their portraits, I feel that I have done my job."
   
   That sets the tone for this book. Monte isn't interested in intimidating you with the brilliance of his photographic knowledge. He wants to show you that if you apply the lessons he's learned from a lifetime of experience, you'll start taking some fantastic photos. You'll learn what works and why, what doesn't work and why. The goal for his readers is for them to practice with good technique until those technical aspects of a shoot become instinctive, second nature, to them.
   
   This is an introductory level meat-and-potatoes instruction guide on understanding what makes a good portrait photo. It deals with the basics from start to finish.
   
   And by "start" Monte isn't talking about setting up the camera. The first chapter is devoted to "Consultation". It is necessary to discuss with your photo subject ahead of time such topics as what clothing is appropriate for a shoot, including necklines, sleeves, colors and patterns in the cloth. How to coordinate clothing for group shots. And what part hairstyle and makeup play.
   
   If your idea of the start of a portrait shoot is waiting for your subject to show up, you're already behind the curve.
   
   Then comes the chapter on background selection for outdoor or studio settings, and some interesting choices one can make, for example, in painted or projected backgrounds.
   
   Next chapter is "The Subject". Monte explains the importance of doing a preliminary facial analysis of your subject if you're going to make your subject look his/her best. He discusses different facial angles, including the classic full face, two-thirds view, and profile. He talks about looking for strengths and defects in hair, eyes and nose and how to utilize, or minimize, their effects.
   
   The chapter on "Posing Fundamentals" shows there is more to posing a subject than telling the model to sit down and look at the camera. There are full instructions on seating the model, positioning the body and the shoulders, and attaining the proper posture. Monte then discusses the two classic poses: the basic (sometimes call masculine) pose and the feminine pose and how to achieve them. (He notes in passing that, given the number of photographers who've told him they understand this concept, it's amazing to him how many never actually utilize this concept in their work.) The chapter concludes with a discussion of back poses, eye position and facial expression, as well as Monte's recommendation for the use of posing stools and tables.
   
   Following a chapter on how to extend these ideas to group portaits, Monte then discusses lighting equipment (including a discription of his studio set up) in chapter 6, followed by "Lighting Techniques" in chapter 7. This discusses in detail how to set up your lights with respect to your subject, how to light the basic pose, the feminine pose, the full face, two-thirds view and profile poses. It also contains Monte's most important "secret" to good portraiture. He goes so far to say that if you can get only one thing right from this book, this is it: working with the "nose loop". Set up this nose shadow correctly with your lights and you're just about guaranteed a good-looking portrait. It's that simple (he says!).
   
   Following chapters deal with window lighting, outdoor portraits, camera and lens considerations (including proper camera position in relation to your subject), photo composition, and exposure control. There's a small section on what, for this book, I'd call "advanced" creative choices like soft focus, black and white conversion, and shooting with a digital infrared camera!
   
   The book ends with Monte's summary checklist of how to set up a shoot along with things to avoid. Counting out "One! Two! Three!" before hitting the shutter? Useless - don't do it!
   
   Oh? Oops? ME? I never do that. (Well, NOT ANYMORE!)
   
   The book is 123 pages in an 8.5" x 11" softcover binding. Inside you'll find about 150 absolutely gorgeous photos Monte uses to exemplify the discussions at hand. Very often the large portrait will be accompanied by a "thumb nail" of an expanded version of the same shot, this one showing the location of lights, reflectors and photographer with camera, so you can see how it all came together.
   
   Again, this book is mostly aimed at the photographer (professional or amateur) who wants to get into portrait photography, but there are gems here that can be gleaned by other long-time portrait photographers as well. When Monte Zucker has something to say, it pays to listen.
   
   One recent review I saw said that this was basically a rehash of the articles Monte wrote for Shutterbug. I don't have those articles so I can't comment on that. If you happen to own that series, then you might need to think a bit about purchasing this book.
   
   For the rest of us aspiring portrait photographers, this is a must have. It's become my studio bible.
   
   
   
   



5. What a fantastic way to be able to continue to study with one of the industry's most important and exceptional photographers. This book is a wealth of information and technique. If you want to se your self apart from the "Advanced Amatures", buy this book, read it cover to cover and study everything..you won't regret it.

5 comments about Tony Duquette.

1. This is a wonderful book and with Amazon's amazingly inexpensive price, you really can't pass this one up. Tony Duquette was a master of style with an incredible eye, and a creative genius. HIGHLY recommended.



2. Tony DuquetteI am an interior designer of some 20 years and while I found this book interesting it had very little to do with interiors and more to do with a very specific, unique and strange lifestyle. I'm sure the man was brilliant just know this book is not about liveable interiors.



3. Having lived in Los Angeles since 1981 and working as an art editor for a regional magazine, the name Tony Duquette came up time and again in my social circles. Without question, he was an amazing talent the likes of which we may never see again in our lifetime. His imagination and passion for his unworldly, surrealist visions are captured in this brilliantly orchestrated book. Bravo and brava to the authors! A must-have for everyone's art library!



4. I met Tony and his wife in Ireland - we were staying at Heney McIlhennys castle - he was terrible charming - I did not know of his career and am so sorry I didn't question him til he was exhausted.
   
   karen marcus



5. This is a visually beautiful book that surveys the creative life of Tony Duquette, an artist best-know for his stage sets (Kismet, etc.)and high fashion jewelry. Less well known are his amazing home interior and garden designs, as well as his free-wheeling sculptures, many of them made from recycled and re-imagined objects. The photography is of the highest quality - most of it, I suspect, archival from fashion magazines over the decades.

5 comments about The Photographer's Eye.

1. Once it's not a deep study about B&W pictures - only an abridge of a few very known photos - it is very smart to have in your photography' shelf(ves), but not A MUST to have it.
   Definely it's a very good work material for professionals/teachers because there is no explanations why the picture became famous, so, beginners just will fall in love about them by intuition, leaving the technical aspects to be explained/understood later.
   Could be 4 stars if it'd more pictures.



2. I like collections of photos by many different artists, and this book has a good number of diverse pre-1970 photos to browse. There is a minimum of text and that is fine with me. The book's main contribution is that it suggests a means of systematizing photography, by frame, subject, time, details and other aspects, and as such provides a compelling jumping off point from which the aspiring photographer can learn the art of photography. Good value for the money as well.



3. this is a fascinating work with imaginative comments and works by some of the world's finest photographers.



4. This is a book of photographs, with almost no text included. All of the text is presented in a six page introduction. The photographs range from the 1860's through the 1940's. Although the photographs are well-done and interesting, after reading the other reviews, I expected more. It was represented as an "indispensable introduction to the visual language of photography". I found it neither "indispensable" nor an adequate introduction. In fact, the review of the book by Mark Hillringhouse is far more interesting and edifying than the text in the actual book.
   
   A much better reference for visual language and composition is Michael Freeman's book of the same title (link below).
   
   The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos



5. I bought this for my adult son who is an amateur photographer and he said it was a beautiful book that he read cover to cover and back again. He really raved about it.