5 comments about Magic Lantern Guides: Olympus EVOLT E-510 (Magic Lantern Guides).

1. After purchasing my camera I read the manual cover to cover. I thought by buying this book I might learn more about the workings of my E-510. I did not. This is partly due to the fact that the Olympus manual is surprisingly good. I just wish the print quality was better. Save yourself the money and read the manual. Then I recommend purchasing a book on digital photography in general.



2. The book is a nice complement to the user's manual.
   Unfortunately the amount of errors forces you to double check every information.



3. It is not what I expected it to be but it is great information, I have an EVolt 500 and that is what I thought I was buying. My mistake not the sellers. The sellers review is great service.
   
   Thank you



4. Pros:
   - The guide has a more logical layout than the manual
   - Bigger text size is easier to read than the manual.
   - Some bits of information they have weren't in the manual. (Fn button use when reviewing images on the LCD, for example)
   Cons:
   - It doesn't provide a lot of extra detail that isn't in the manual.
   - Some information is wrong, or really lightly covered. How about information on in-camera editing? Not to be found here, though it's a feature of the camera. Same for some of the flash modes that can be set & adjusted.
   
   Conclusion:
   I was disappointed because I expected more info on how and why to use features of the camera, not just that the camera has certain features. "What does the 'vivid' picture mode really do? Is it worth using? Should I make those adjustments in Photoshop/Lightroom instead?" Questions like that were unanswered.
   If you can't read the manual because of its size, grab the PDF version of the manual (online at Olympus' site) and read it on your pc. Makes flipping between sections a lot easier too.
   For information about how to get the best out of your camera, there are a lot of great webistes where Oly enthusiasts (Wrotniak, dpreveiw forums, etc) have posted a TON of information on E-system cameras. Spend more time shooting, less reading. That's probably the best way to get to know your camera and all the features it offers.



5. I never used a Magic Latern Guide before. Having never owned a DSLR before, I expected it to clearly illustrate shooting tips based on the specifics of the E-510. The guide was actually more of an advanced owner's manual. Do not expect color pictures or anything that will really explain the nuances of picture composition. I learned from this experience that it is more effective to purchase a book of this type at a book store where you can actually open it up and see if the contents meet your requirements. There are non-camera specific digital camera books that do a much better job of explaining how to utilize advanced features like lighting, white balance, DOF, raw vs. jpeg, flash photography, etc.

4 comments about Robert Capa: The Definitive Collection.

1. An excellent book, well printed, with a lot of photographs. The whole book gives a very good vieuw of the work of Capa. A must for everybody!



2. As a student of photography in the 1970's, I was familiar with a few dozen of
   these images. However I'm thrilled to be able to experience and share this
   collection of hundreds of Robert Capa's images, in roughly chronological order, including a few glimpses shot by others which help give a sense of the
   times and places in which he blazed fearlessly through his inevitably short life. This is a great gift for anyone interested in the life and work of the
   photojournalist covering the frontlines of world conflict.



3. Some of the best war photography. Includes all of Capa's most famous photos, and gives some biographical info. I found it inspiring -- it's more important to be close than to have fancy equipment. Courage and preparation win out.



4. I have not seen another book on Robert Capa that provides such a complete and insightful coverage of his career and voluminous production. For those who appreciate the importance of Capa's contribution to the history of photography and the rendition of key events spanning a momentous era of human history, this book is a "must-have". At the same time, it is unfortunate that the publishers chose to economize on the quality of the printing and the binding.

5 comments about The Most Beautiful Villages and Towns of California (Most Beautiful Villages).

1. This book is filled with colorful lush photographs of California towns and villages. It is for memories and admiration, not information. The photos are carefully posed for the most romantic interpretation and atmosphere. Some of them present an illusion.
   
   I live in one of the towns and had to laugh. In one group of photos, if the photographer had simply turned 180 degrees you would have seen a 4 lane boulevard heavy with semis, trucks and cars on weekdays and tourists on weekends. In another series of pictures just up the road, the 101 freeway was less than 50 feet behind the photographer. It is choked with cars at all times of the day and night and comes to a standstill if there is an accident.
   
   Still, the book presents a lovely picture of a California that exists as a Shangri-la. It is enjoyable with the above caveat for those of us who live here.



2. Was a gift for my husband and he was thrilled. We both loved the photography and reminisced as we had visited alot of the places in it. Can't wait to return. This is a great book for those who think that California is just freeways and clogged cities without charm and visible beauty.



3. A book worthy a beautiful state! Images of glitzy LA or cosmopolitan SF frequently overshadow the many other destinations featured in this book. Of course being an overview, the towns listed here are given as cursory highlights without much depth. Nonetheless, the book tantalizes like a plate of appetizers. The diner will have to follow up with his own entree should he want to savor a particular site.



4. Nice book with good color photographs of CA villages and towns. This is a neat series of books for a trip souvenir or a gift, etc.



5. Great coffee table book. Very unique and beautiful images, a great showcase of pictures throughout California. It also has a great index to all the finest hotels and restaurants..

5 comments about Mario Testino: Portraits.

1. I like very much this book. I like format, photos, colours. Mario Testino is one of the best contemporary fashion / celebrities protographer and I must agree with this opinion after seeing this book. It's worth to buy!



2. Mario Testino has an "eye" for taking aewsome photos, you will love the collection in this book. I fully reccomend it for anyone who enjoys good photography.



3. This collection is superb and the size of the book is well chosen to display the images. It's a well rounded selection, including fashion, editorial, advertising, personal and celebrity. Reproduction of the images is high quality with good resolution and colour. Highly recommended to Testino fans.



4. I think Mario Testino used to be a waiter. Be fearless, you can do it. All you need is a point of view. Use the shotgun approach to photography - shoot shoot shoot and you'll get at least one good one.
   
   Here's some good inspiration for you...



5. This book shows the portraits of the exibitions that took place in 2002 in London (England) and in 2003 Edinburgh (Scotland). I went to the one in Edinburgh and it was amazing. If you have the oportunity to go and see it your country don't miss it.

4 comments about The Photography Reader.

1. This book includes seminal essays that all photography students should read such as those from Rosler, Sontag and Barthes to name a few. It also includes others that discuss the role of the photographer in the Post Modernist, digital artworld. Together the essays create a discussion about why we photograph the things around us and what happens to the meaning of the image when seen by others.
   
   I reccomend this anthology with 4 rather than 5 stars only because some of the essays are not complete and the book began to fall apart before I finished it. Many of the full version of the essays are available in the Context of Meaning, another highly reccomended photo-theory anthology. If available buy this in hard cover. It is a great introduction for college-aged students to the various writings on photogaphy.



2. As the editor Liz Wells remarks in her introduction, this book is concerned with histories of ideas about photography. Even though Wells herself falls into the trap of referring to the materials in this book as photography criticism, this is a book of readings in critical theory of photography, and as such is concerned more with history, sociology, semiotics, aesthetics, and epistemology. All of the works in the book were created after 1930 and include the writings of many of the great public intellectuals, like Roland Barthes, Susan Sontag and Umberto Eco.
   
   After a general introduction by Wells, the book is divided into several parts, each of which deals with a particular aspect of photographic critical theory. Again Wells sets the scene and then a number of voices are heard from, either offering original theory, or analyzing a theory, or finding fault with a theory. For example, the general section offers selections from Barthes, Sontag and Walter Benjamin as well as articles by authors who clarify the thoughts of these writers. Thus W.J.T. Mitchell's article on Benjamin's "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" made explicit for me the basic conflict between Benjamin's respect for the aura of the original work of art and his optimism about the ability of mechanical reproduction to make art available to the public.
   
   The book covers a number of subjects in critical theory, such as photography and postmodernism, where several authors explain what the postmodern is in photography (I hasten to add "in photography" since the nature of postmodern seems to vary amongst the arts), and for me at least, explained what elements distinguished postmodernism from what I perceive to be the main stream of art photography. There is even a section on digital photography, which spent a great deal of print on an old question, how real is photography?
   
   There is nothing about photographic technique here. In fact one question that is regularly on my mind when I read photographic critical theory is "how much use can this work be to the photographer?" Some photographers will find the discussion of the nature of images interesting, but I was hard pressed to understand how all of the broad theory will help in making a single image that better expresses the photographer's vision of his work. (Interestingly, photographic critical theory may have diverged in this respect from literary critical theory where knowledge of some of the theory might help an author write a more effective work.) Moreover, except to the extent that photographic critical theory has identified certain broad philosophical trends in images, I'm not certain that all of this theory will help a single viewer to come to grips with a single photograph.
   
   Many of the concepts in this book are hard to grasp and I expect that many of the selections will require several readings to understand. However, as I've said elsewhere, reading the originals of the articles that Wells has assembled is probably the best way to come to terms with the deep roots that photography has sunk into modern culture.



3. I bought this book for a class. It is a collection of essays by photography critics and theorists examining photography throughout history. It served its purpose for the class and I did find some of our required reading interesting but it wouldn't be my choice for everyday reading.



4. This is the only required book I have ever made my college photography students buy.

5 comments about Photos That Sell: The Art of Successful Freelance Photography.

1. It is almost a month today, I have not yet received the book.



2. When I get discouraged and feel I don't have what it takes as a photographer, I turn to this book. The information is simple and shows you that any quality shot can find the right buyer. I have reread this book over and over and its the most valuable tool in my arsenal of books.



3. I noticed in reading the reviews that the only person that seems to have a negative view of this book was talking about the lack of modern digital information. Digital changes by the day so I don't expect anyone to keep up with it in a book, but that is not the point here anyway. Stock photography is pictures that photographers have taken and sell to buyers. Buyers generally care less whether it is digital or film. What I liked about this book was some of the simple things he talks about that you can shoot for stock that you might pass over, thinking you need to get 3 people together doing something. For example, he had a shot of a hand with a credit card (I think) which can be used for illustrating people using too much credit or the ease of use of a credit card. You could shoot a sizzors cutting up a credit card showing how to kick the habit. Pills on a table could be used for taking too many pills or the cost of medicine now days. If you can get one idea from this book that makes you a sale, than the book has paid for itself. I was impressed. Ric.



4. There's nothing new in this book that haven't already been said. I was fairly disappointed, as I was hoping for a book that explained to the point what people want to spend money on, and how to technically go about to get those images. Instead, I get "advice" that is nothing more than common sense.
   
   In my opinion, you can skip this book entirely.



5. This is an amazing book full of good tips and beautiful photos. The text is very clear and concise. The author is an amazing photographer.

No comments about Stuart, Vol. 5.

1 comments about The Complete Guide to Digital Photography 4th ed. (A Lark Photography Book).

1. Well illustrated explanations of digital darkroom techniques. I checked this book out from the library and didn't get everything out of it even after renewing it several times.

5 comments about Inferno.

1. uN GRAN TRABAJO DE JAMES NATCHWEY, IMAGENES UN POCO DURAS Y QUE DAN QUE PENSAR.



2. It's a good book, very large and with very good quality paper. But my book has damaged in the us mail with water and broken corners.



3. Its ironic that I came across this beautiful book the day before Thanksgiving. I will always be grateful and never complain again. Not many will be able to stomach the contents of this groundbreaking work.
   
   God help us all.



4. This book is not made to be placed in every hands. But everyone old enough to face the sad reality and the ugly side of the human kind should have a look at it.



5. I have owned this book for roughly four years now and somehow manage to revisit it at least twice a year. The images are hauntingly beautiful. Nachtwey has a real gift for photography, for capturing that perfect image, with the perfect contrast, stark, naked and vivid. I feel as if I have been not merely an onlooker of these devastatingly breathtaking images, but as though I have been there.
   
   Inferno was the first exposure to Nachtwey I had had, and it certainly has not been the last. His work is amazing.

2 comments about Peace: The Biography of a Symbol.

1. This is a great book that shows the history of the peace symbol. Nice photos and is well written. I bought a few copies to hand out to teachers for their classtrooms. A good history lesson.



2. A readable history of the peace sign, well-illustrated. Baby Boomers will enjoy this look at the origin and uses of that thing they used to draw on their notebook covers during health class.