3 comments about Magnum Stories.

1. This is a brilliant anthology of the "decisive moments" of the collective individuals who made up the legendary photo agency, Magnum.
   
   Magnum Stories allows one to peer into the mind's eye of the most influential photojournalists of the 20th Century; part history book (as Rodger would have intended), part art book (as HCB would have intended), part photographic teaching book (as Capa would have intended), part autobiography(ies) book, and all at a price that Chim would have appreciated.
   
   One is encouraged to read (simultaneously, if possible) Russell Miller's "Magnum - Fifty Years At The Front Line Of History" to complete the "Big Picture" of the individual Decisive Moments to fully understand the impact of the brilliant artifice constructed by Capa, Chim, HCB and Rodger in that noteworthy spring of 1947.
   
   That said, one would have wished that the other significant actors in the House of Magnum, such as Ernest Haas, Sebastiao Salgado and Mary-Ellen Mark, would have been included in Magnum Stories. Otherwise - Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!



2. This book is not your usual photo book -- it's real value and what makes it different is the stories inside. Inside, 61 Magnum photographers have written 2-page story about themselves, about why they take pictures, how they work etc. As the book also features photos and/or photo story from each photographer, they also share "inside" information about presented pictures and their background.
   
   I truly recommend this book to all people who have serious interest in documentary photography and like reading/seeing interviews with photographers. If you just want to see pictures and not interested in personalities, then perhaps you should take a look at Magnum Degrees or other similar books.



3. A very mixed bag of outstanding photographers, and hundreds of great pictures, many of which I have not seen anywhere else.

5 comments about Adobe Photoshop CS3 A-Z: Tools and features illustrated ready reference.

1. when you forget how to use a tool or how to do something in photoshop this is great to have around better than going to the manual to figure something out



2. Even a casual reader can get tips from this book because a single topic is covered just on that page. If you have a question about a technique or are unfamiliar with some of the terminology, this is a great reference book.



3. Excellent Photoshop guide .All Photoshop users should have this reference
   sitting alongside their Computer as an instant companion when delving into Photoshop
   Highly recommended



4. This is a concise, well-written quick reference for Photoshop CS3. I would say, as someone who takes the ACE exams when they are newly released for each version, that this book would be helpful in studying for the ACE exam but not sufficient on its own.
   
   All of the major features and dialogs are covered but some of the important functions associated with a given feature or dialog, are not. For example, there is a column about the Channels panel, but no columns or descriptions relating to some of the important functions held within the Channels panel, such as the ability to create a Spot Channel. There are of course many other examples, many of which are specialized but nonetheless important features that anyone serious about Photoshop will want to know, ACE exam or not.
   
   I've also noticed a few layout and typographical errors (for example sometimes section headers for two different functions, will mistakenly show the same menu tree / shortcut. IOW, the layout person cut and pasted, but never updated the text).
   
   Overall however, this is an affordable and worthwhile reference to have, especially if you're not as concerned about the specialized functions or hidden commands within a given panel or dialog. The quality of the binding and paper are very good and the image reproduction is decent. I would recommend the Photoshop CS3 On Demand book because of its added depth, but it is riddled with errors.



5. Photoshop is not known for it's easy user interface or help files. There are many tutorial books that take you step-by-step through common tasks, but this is finally the book to let you quickly look up all those little things you can't remember. The book starts with about 20 pages of step-by-step summaries of common tasks (importing photos, selection techniques, retouching, etc) then the remainder of the book is an alpha listing of every Photoshop feature. Each feature has a consistent format showing a small before and after photo, the menu path for the command, the shortcut key for the command, what versions apply, "see also" and where needed a screen shot of a dialog box. There is no index - it's not needed. this is a handy size and it stays out now when I am using Photoshop.

5 comments about Postcards from the Boys.

1. This book is a wonderful addition to the collections of fans of the Beatles! The postcards and notes/comments are mostly hilarious and very nostalgic in reminding us of the times in which they were written. What a great bit of insight into the lives, loves and travels of the Fab Four. I highly recommend "Postcards From The Boys".



2. Postcards From The Boys by Ringo Starr, What a wonderful personal look into Ringo's personal friendships with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon. Included in this colorful book are reprints of actual postcards sent to Ringo by the other Beatles from exotic locations around the world. Lennon and McCartney even illustrate them with drawings.
   This is a rare inside look at the "Fab Four" outside of the media. A must for every Beatle fan or collector. Thank You Ringo for sharing this with us!



3. A nice collection of real postcards sent to Ringo from "the boys" John, Paul, and George, that range in date from the late 60s to the late 80s, when they went on vacation. The postcards are a testament to the friendship that continued even after the Beatles broke up in the 70s(at least with Ringo).
   
   Each side of the postcard is photographed and displayed on two pages so you can read the personal notes left by the sender along with little drawings etc. Ringo writes a brief description for each postcard and what was going on at that time (when he can remember) so you won't be left in the dark.
   
   I found the book touching even though it was hard to read John's handwriting. :)



4. Attractively presented catalog of postcards to Ringo from the Boys with enlightening annotation. Great conversation piece for the coffee table.



5. this book is a plesent suprise each page contains an postcard sent to ringo by one or more of the beatles.along with each card comes a comentary on the card such as time,place,background.this is a whole different way to see the beatles back in the past.a history lesson if you will.

5 comments about Digital Photography Workshops: Nudes: Unique Course in a Book Taking You from Beginner to Expert (Digital Photography Workshops).

1. This book is a sort of guide to nudes, being very concise with lots of "tips" and images, not the best images you will ever see, but more to the point, perhaps the best images for explaining the problems and solutions of the nude photography being explained.
   
   Furthermore, it is not a beginners book teaching you how to shoot your camera and what f stop to use, etc. It sticks to the point, which is Nudes and how to shoot them. That being the case, it's not an "everything" book, but a good primer and reference that is easy to read and makes a good, fast and easy to use reference for shooting nudes.
   
   My only complaint is that it shows how to adjust some of the images--maybe all of them?-- in Photoshop. This immediately dates a book, but it's a minor infraction, and since PS does stay similar even over years, it could be helpful to those not too up on post processing.
   
   I would suggest getting this book and keeping it in your bag for reference. Clear, crisp, and concise.



2. This book is full of practical tips, plus some useful examples. I'm not a professional or seasoned photographer, so I can only speak for myself. Not only helped me on the setting up of the photos, but also with the "editing" part, when you manipulate the image in Photoshop. I definitely recommend it.



3. This book is full of examples and techniques for the nude photographer. Really a great book.



4. I have not studied it in detail but it is clearly writtern and provides good workshop type demonstrations which a photographer could apply just as well to clothed subjects.
   I wish you would expand this format to all other types of photography. I like the nude but am mostly interested in other types of clearly written material.
   It is an excellent book and is erotic withoug being suggestive.
   First caliber.



5. This book is full of great tips for beginners. I highly recommend it.

No comments about Archive Fever: Uses of the Document in Contemporary Art.

5 comments about Bad Dog: 278 Outspoken, Indecent, and Overdressed Dogs.

1. Funny and cute doggy pictures. Text is amusing, and some of it would shock your grandma, (if she got it).



2. i bought this for a dog lover as a fun birthday present, and its a very funny book. she leaves it on the coffee table and everyone always has to flip through it and get a laugh



3. I have bought several of these and several of the ones with cats(my favorite). These are great stocking stuffers or just for someone who needs a laugh!! I only wish I had been there when they were doing the verbiage!!!!



4. The cover shows a cute, silly picture of a dog. I was expecting greeting card type goofy pictures and captions. The pictures were okay, the captions were tasteless, sick and far from funny. What a waste.



5. 
   I also have the Bad Cat book, which I think is hysterical. I wasn't disappointed with this one either!! I don't know if it's my sense of humor, because others I have shown it to don't seem to get it (LOL) but most of them think it's really funny. I have bought copies for a few friends and they love it!

5 comments about The Lighting Cookbook for Fashion and Beauty Photography: Foolproof Recipes for Taking Perfect Portraits.

1. If at all possible, I always like to preview the Table of Contents of a book before purchasing it. That gives me a much better idea of whether or not the book addresses information I'm specifically interested in reading and learning about. So, I really appreciate it when I can look inside a book to see the TOC as well as read an excerpt from the book I want to possibly buy.
   This book is very instructive and arrived ahead of schedule and in the condition as promised by the seller. I would recommend buying this book as well as buying books from this seller.



2. The biggest pluses for me in this book are:
   
   1) The diagrams of how the lighting is setup and accompanying sample images.
   2) Inclusion of men's lighting.
   
   There are so many books out there about lighting and a lot of them do not explain lighting in terms of gender.



3. In the first chapter it mentions that you can substitute hot lights for many of the setups, yet it never shows the varriations. I am nearly half way through this book and I have yet to see a setup that doesn't involve a softbox or flash unit set. Maybe it's in the second half, but it would be nice to have the possible changes for different lighting.
   
   The other drawback is that many of the images have been touched up and changed in Photo Shop. On some of the images they tell you directly, but on others (and there is a small blurb about this in the book), they claim the touch up was too minor to warrent a mention. This makes it difficult to know if the resulting picture is due to the lighting, or do to a computer photo editing program.
   
   I worked for a photography company a while back and haven't really worked in studio since. I had hoped to gain some new techniques and ideas from this book, but I have yet to find anything very useful for my lighting setup. I find myself with many of the examples wondering, "will this really work with my setup and if so, how?" Even the lighting ratios are geared toward flash units. Not once have I seen any direction on how to create the same look with continuous lighting (hot lights). That's not the kind of direction I want from a book.
   
   If you have invested in strobes, studio flash units or softboxes, then this book might just work for you.



4. This book is awesome. Easy to follow, well set out and very professional. Great examples and photography, not the cheap, boring and outdated photography you find in a lot of the books out there. This book is filled with exiting ideas and in-depth explanations. Highly creative lighting tricks and loads more. I would highly recommend this book to any serious photographer.



5. This is a good starter book. It begins with basics of lighting and begins to introduce more and more complicated setups.
   
   It helped me understand the basics of lighting equipment and how to use them and this is particularly true for some of the initial lighting arrangements in both the womens and the mens sections.
   
   My biggest criticism of the book is that it great to learn the craft, but not the art. Do not expect that this is your last lighting book if you're going to be serious about fashion and beauty photography.
   
   My key takeaways were basic lighting arrangements for women and men, reliance on makeup artists, and basics of equipment. It's a good way to learn by copying---"If you want a shot like this, do this". The "cookbook" phrase in the title is a very correct claim. It will not teach you how to create a new recipe, but if you know what you need, it will tell you how to make it.
   
   There's a show-offy feel to some sections which I could do without.
   
   Someone who reads this book will be able to then move on to more sophisticated portraiture books like Grecco's Lighting and the Art of the Dramatic Portrait. I found it far easier to understand subtleties in Grecco's book after I had thoroughly read the cookbook a few times.

5 comments about Stephen Johnson on Digital Photography.

1. 'Stephen Johnson on Digital Photography' is an excellent book on the tools, techniques, science, history, and art of digital photography that will appeal to digital photographers of any skill level. Johnson is a genuine pioneer and evangelist in the field of digital photography. Drawing on over three decades of experience as an accomplished photographer, educator, and product consultant to the "Who's Whos" of the digital imaging industry, Johnson succinctly and eloquently imparts to the reader/student practical and interesting information on a variety of subjects. I found the coverage of digital camera techniques, color correction and editing, color management, and fine-art printing particularly useful. This information has truly helped me to make better photographs.
   
   'On Digital Photography' is a timeless and inspiring book that is thoughtfully organized, richly furnished with numerous beautiful and educational 5-color photographs, and superbly bound with quality paper and a resilient binding. It's manufactured to last, which is great, as I refer to it often.



2. This book starts with the basics of working with digital photography and a basic guide to digital cameras. The author does a particularly good job of discussing both the similarities and the differences in film and digital camera techniques including dealing with sensor artifact repair and sensor noise. As the leading professional digital photography software most of the examples are detailed using Photoshop. Using this product Stephen Johnson discusses how and why to adjust tone and contrast, color correction and editing, changing hue and saturation, and photographic reproduction.
   
   Throughout the book are beautiful examples of the techniques being presented including realistic photography, sensor matched techniques, scanning camera photography, and photography as art. Mr. Johnson does not have his head in the clouds when it concerns digital photography. He realizes that there are still advances that need to be made in the area of digital photography and discusses them candidly.
   
   Stephen Johnson on Digital Photography is a well written, easy to follow, easy to understand, and very approachable introduction to digital photography as both a science and an art form. While most books on digital photography work only with the digital darkroom options this book provides a detailed understanding of each step of creating a digital photograph including how the camera works and why it is important for you to understand how it works. He discusses how various camera features affect the end result. And because of this more complete approach to the subject as well as the quality of the information Stephen Johnson on Digital Photography is a highly recommended purchase.



3. Steve Johnson has been at the forefront of the digital photography movement since it became possible to shoot photos digitally, completely abandoning film as early as 1994. He also helped push the envelope of technology by collaborating with manufacturers and software companies, to help refine many of the technologies that today make digital photography not only possible but far superior than its film-based counterpart.
   
   In this book, Johnson takes a trip on which he takes us by the hand. This is no trip for the casual or amateur digital photographer, though there are introductory pages to the many topics he covers. He quickly dives into the depths of each chapter, covering everything from history and techniques of digital photography to a philosophical discussion about the medium as art, imaging ethics and the role of photographers in the digital age.
   
   The result of Johnson's work in "Stephen Johnson on Digital Photography" is a 300-page volume that will surely become a standard in the desks of those passionate about digital photography.



4. I rate this 5 stars based on its comprehensive content. However this book is not for casual photographers.
   It is very detailed and rather technical. Much of it gets too involved in lengthy explanations and I am a
   firm believer in K.I.S.S.
   If you are a techie,you will love it !!



5. The font for this book is so tiny and gray that I could not even read the book. If you have less than perfect reading eyesight, forget this one.

5 comments about The Adobe Photoshop Layers Book: Harnessing Photoshop's Most Powerful Tool, covers Photoshop CS3.

1. This book is more complete than the average Photoshop book. (I currently have 6 books in my personal library on various Photoshop and Photoshop Lightroom topics.) The approach that is taken with this book provides more funadmentals than usual - the "why's" of what is presented rather than the usual cookbook, "follow along" style that is typically used in these type books. While the book does provide some of the underlying fundamentals, I took off one star from my rating because more improvements in describing the "whys" could be made to make it even more useful. But overall, this is better than most, and I would recommend it for both beginning and intermediate users of Photoshop programs (from Elements to CS3 versions).



2. I added this volume to my rapidly growing photoshop library in order to learn more about layers, which is indeed a very powerful and most useful weapon in the photoshop arsenal.
   
   And there is a lot of very useful information in here, which I reckon is both the blessing and the curse of this book. After reading this book, you will definitely understand layers. However, there is a lot of text and, as a reviewer before me pointed out, not that many pictures, which to my mind, is not a very good combination. The text can be a bit hard to follow without any prior understanding of photoshop I should imagine. I was certainly glad, that I had already purchased and read other books before this one.
   
   I'm not a big fan of the Scott Kelby approach to photography or photo editing. I think he oversimplifies the learning process in a way that makes you learn some of the hows but none of the whys. This book takes the exact opposite of Kelby's approach and loads everything you could possibly want to know about photoshop layers in your lap. This does make the book a bit heavy. You need to concentrate while using this book and you probably need to go over some of the things a couple of times.
   
   So in conclusion I'll say, that this book is very good and very thorough, but does need an effort to go through. I wouldn't recommend it to a complete novice either, but once you get into photoshop I think it is defintely worth acquiring.



3. I purchased this book and another newer layers book at the same time, hoping to really dig in and get a good grasp on a great feature of Photoshop I want to know in and out to improve my workflow. If you're new enough to Adobe Photoshop that layers confuse you, this book might be too in-depth. I personally find it a bit boring. Also, not enough images. Designers and photographers looking to learn Photoshop are (presumably) visual people. Help us out with big gorgeous color images. I'm well educated, but I am BUSY! I don't need quite so much detail. Just SHOW me how to do it. Just my opinion, but that's what these reviews are for, right?! Maybe for the next edition. Cute cover design, though!



4. I am please how easy this book is to follow. Layering is essentially the power behind non-destructive photo editing and this book covers the concept of layering in an easy to understand manner.
   
   I've had maybe 2 months of tinkering around with photoshop and by doing the excercises in this book, i was able to venture off on my own and create fantastic composites quickly.



5. I got through the first couple of chapters. I understand layers a little bit better, but there should be more of the basics. It should start off with the simple actions rfequired to use layers

5 comments about Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels.

1. I've just dipped into this and find it both informative and easy to read last thing at night. As a research source, it will be valuable.



2. 2002's "Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels" is author Diedre Le Faye's highly enjoyable survey of the world of romance writer Jane Austen's beloved stories. Austen's novels continue to be popular because her characters are so true to life. However, as Le Faye tellingly notes, the modern reader misses at least aspects of the novels because we lack understanding of the Georgian and Regency England context in which they occur.
   
   Jane Austen left behind only a limited footprint for future biographers: her six completed novels, a few incomplete or juvenile manuscripts, and some surviving letters to family and friends. A few relatives captured further details in memoirs or comments. To expand this limited quantity of information, Le Faye investigates Austen's immediate and extended family, the places she lived or may reasonably have traveled to, the customs and fashions of the day, the class system, and such mundane details as food, clothing, and sanitation.
   
   The effect of this, the first half of the book, is to help us better appreciate the novels. In "Pride and Prejudice", the reader can understand why Mr. Darcy's refusal to dance with Elizabeth Bennet at their first meeting was so exceptionally rude, and why Elizabeth could not respond directly to Darcy's letter. In "Emma", the reader learns why her attempts to interest Mr. Elton in Harriet Smith were likely to be understood as Emma's interest in him, thus adding a comical sense of impending disaster to Mr. Elton's eventual marriage proposal to a shocked Emma. In "Sense and Sensibility", we learn why a man could not break an engagement to a woman (although the woman could). Thus, when Edward Feres stood by his prior engagement to Lucy Steele in the face of the opposition of his family, Jane Austen's contemporaries understood this as a noble action, an interpretation not obvious to the modern reader.
   
   The second half of the book is an extended review of Jane Austen's novels in the order in which they are believed to have been written. Readers already familiar with Jane Austen's work can skim her gentle literary criticism for some interesting details about the writing of each novel. An example is the startling recollection by one of Jane's nieces that Jane's sister Cassandra advocated for an alternate ending to "Mansfield Park" in which Fanny agreed to marry Henry Crawford. Another example is the suggestion that Jane's brother and literary agent Henry actually selected the titles of her two posthumously published novels, "Persuasion" and "Northanger Abbey".
   
   A few small cautions are in order. Le Faye's discussion of Jane's life mixes mentions of Jane Austen's fictional characters and the members of her real life family in a way that may be confusing to readers new to her work. Le Faye may be overconfident in her speculations about some real life locations as the basis for their fictional counterparts in the novels. The offerings of period portraits in the second half of the book as representative of characters in the novels may be helpful to new readers; Jane Austen fans likley already have a mental picture of those characters.
   
   This delightful book is highly recommended to fans of the Jane Austen novels and those looking for some social insight into the world of Georgian and Regency England.



3. For anyone who wants to know more about the period Jane Austin lived and wrote her novels about, this is the book for you; very informative of that period.



4. As a longtime student of Jane, this book absolutely riveted me. you learn so much about her life, her times, her works, and her influences, and the style of this beautiful book is enchanting. LeFaye skillfully weaves together pieces of biography, history, and plot to create a fascinating Austen portrait. It is also lavishly illustrated and printed on lovely paper, which helps make it one of my favorite books, period. A must have for any Jane lover.



5. Jane Austen's novels are endlessly layered and this book does a fascinating job of peeling the onion so we have full understanding of her world.