5 comments about Woman in the Mirror: 1945-2004.

1. Anybody who relates to beauty should enter this world.It is as important as food .....to survive life.



2. The quality of this publication is very impressive indeed and the fashion photography is excellent.
   
   However, as one reviewer said, some images are cut instead of being represented on a full page. At the same time, despite this flaw, this is a collection worth having in your library.
   
   Also, if this pleases you, I would take a look at Steve McCurry's "Portraits." You know an image is powerful when you start pouring tears because it represents humanaity in the most profound way. I have provided the link below.
   
   Steve McCurry: Looking East: Portraits by Steve McCurry



3. This latest by our recently departed R.A. ( I cried like a little girl when he died) is one of his best. With images in his beloved black and white but also rare color that I've never seen before the book is a classic portryal of Avedon's images of women. Dovima with elephants, Suzy Parker, Rose Kennedy, the most erotic image of Stephanie Seymour ever. The color images of Nadja with a skeleton in fashion images that will stay with you for ages, this book is a fantastic portfolio of Americas greatest photographer,( ok Irving Penn & Avedon share that title). If you were not in on Made In France,(which is now a $1500.00 book )get this one it has more substance aside from the beautiful design of MIF. I miss Avedon and this book brought some memory of his brilliant approach to photography once again.



4. Avedon's last book. He died in October 2004. This is a beautiful collection, all are full-page and a few double-page spreads. Many are fashion pieces, but a number are of the famous, including a wonderful Janis Joplin!
   
   The essay by Ms. Hollander starts a bit slow, but once up to speed
   provides some interesting insights. A fyne, hefty tome worth the bucks.



5. Richard Avedon selected a portfolio of women he has photographed over the last 60 years for "Woman in the Mirror.". Here are 125 images ranging from 1946 (Zazi, a street performer in Rome) to 2004, the year Avedon died. Some of the images have been published but many have not. The majority of photos are from Avedon's career as a fashion photographer - familiar faces like Dorian Leigh, Dovina, Jean Shrimpton, Penelope Tree and Suzy Parker (who is featured on the cover). Women from other walks of life are featured as well - actresses (Katharine Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Tilda Swinton, Marilyn Monroe), writers (Isak Dinesen, Marguerite Duras, Renata Adler), singers (Tina, Turner, Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, Maria Callas) and many more. And there's also Elton John in drag! Fifteen pages are reproductions from a "photographic fable" titled "In Memory of the Late Mr. and Mrs. Comfort" (1995) which features models in bizarre poses with skeletons. An essay by Anne Hollander covers the career of this fascinating photographer.

5 comments about The Photoshop Elements 5 Restoration and Retouching Book.

1. I echo the comments from everyone else. This is the best choise book to buy to learn how to use this product.



2. I have uesed this book more than any book I have on photoshop. This is my seconed copy. My first I gave to a friend. Everyone who sees this book wants it. Mat makes everything so easy, you will wonder how you ever did with out it. I give this book five stars. I would love to give it 20 stars,but they only give me five. You will be working in elements and photoshop like a pro in one day. Debbie



3. I have another Photoshop book which is good but this one has additional info and different ways of doing things that helps. Only downside is the version it's based on is earlier than mine. But most of the suggestions that had changed, I could figure out.



4. I've used Photoshop Elements for several years. I started with Elements 2 & upgraded to PE3 a couple of years ago. I found it too complicated so I went back to PE2. The problem is, I never learned to use layers & fudged on restorations & enhancements. Some looked pretty good, some looked "fake". Without layers there was lots I couldn't do. I got the PE5 program a few months ago & thought I might be able to figure it out. I gave up until 3 weeks ago. That's when I got Matt's book. I have worked thru most of the book & love the detailed visual guide for each lesson. I don't want theory, I just want a simple explanation on how to do things. I can't say enough about this wonderful book. I was able to go to Matt's website & download all of the "before" photos that are in the book. I followed the instructions for each lesson using his photos. After finishing each lesson I worked with photos of my own. I can't imagine a better PSE how-to book than this!



5. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a new user to Elements or even those who have been using it for a while. You can always learn some new, or improved techniques that you had not thought about. The examples are very easy to follow and they work. They are grouped logically and it is well written with very few errors. You can not go wrong with this book.

5 comments about Elvis Presley: The Family Album.

1. I am wondering what inspired a book as boring as this. I guess the Estate needed someone else in the spotlight other than Jerry Schilling. Folks if you want an Elvis book that has all these guys in one spot being interviewed read Remember Elvis. It is probably the most intensive interview book ever released. George Klein and every member of the Memphis Mafia is in there. I just hope George's real book is going to be better than this.



2. Good quality book with so many beutiful pictures of Elvis and his friends. A great tribute to Elvis



3. This is a great book written by a Gentleman that was there with Elvis from his High School Days. Great photos and some new ones that I had not seen before. The best part is that he captions and explains the photos which so many people do not do. Loved the Book GK- You are a great Gentleman. See you again Soon.



4. I think this may have been a rush job but it is well done and has some very nice pictures. It is made to look like a real family album and it does the job well. Nothing very new, but if you collect Elvis books like me you will not be disappointed.



5. I bought this book and I really love it. I think GK did a wonderful job. Its a beautiful book to have sitting in any room of the house for everyone to enjoy.

No comments about Pull My Daisy.

1 comments about People in Vogue: A Century of Portraits.

1. Muy buena selección fotográfica en una secuencia bien escogida de las principales figuras del siglo XX. Muy recomendable.

5 comments about Lighting for Portrait Photography.

1. I loved this book it is great, I haven't tried every illustration but I love the layout, and the ones that I did try are excellent I own numerous amouts of portrait books but I find myself reaching for this one the most.



2. This book leans towards the "artistic" elements to portrait photography (which I love). If honey dripping and being licked from fingers (non sexual way) or a portrait of a model with egg suspended over her face are not yours (these are the extremes of the book, most others are more realistic)and you are looking for improving your family photos or posing seniors, you may want to look elsewhere, although you will still likely benefit from this book. If you want to see how some very "non ordinary" ie exceptional photographers achieve their results, this is it. I enjoyed it very much and it is basically a diagram book. An image is shown, then little keys show where (and what type) lights, gobos, flags, etc were placed and the cameras settings for the shot are diagrammed -excellent. this makes the book a quick read and a great reference, I've read it once but as soon as I finish a few others I have left to read I've got this on the "return to read" stack.
   
   Also, worth noting for anyone who noticed and may be sensitive to nudity and get the wrong idea. If you click on Amazon's "look inside" feature, in the table of contents section it shows a topless photo (as of this writing).In the revision of the book I have, 2007, purchased from amazon, that photo has been replaced. There aren't any nudes in the book, that I remember. Just in case something like that is offputting to you I thought I'd mention it. In fact I think that photo has no place in the book, not because it's a nude, which is also why, but because it's not up to the caliber of the rest of the book either. There are some flat out great portraits in this one.



3. 
   
   At the middle of last year I opened a photo studio. So, I can say, I'm still beginner int this topic. So, this book was very helpful for me to gt advance knowledge about art of making great photos.



4. This book is great if you are just starting out in portrait photography. There are detailed light diagrams and a lot of awesome portraits to choose from.



5. I am a portrait photographer and I pull this book out all the time to review lighting set ups and get inspiration. A definate must have for any photographer. I especially love that the book extensively covers one and two light set up and using foamcore bookends. You don't need a bazillion lights to create amazing images.

5 comments about 100 Photographs That Changed the World.

1. Everyone should have this book,,,I bought it for my grandfather for
   Christmas..The large print was a plus. He could not stop thanking me.



2. I found this book really interesting and the fact that it has the full photos but also has a blurb about each of them makes it more interesting than some of the National Geographic books which only have the photos.
   
   Some of the images will be well known to all generations who pick up the book, and some I found myself learning about for the first time. One particular photo which stood out for me was one in Jackson, Mississippi where a crowd of white citizens are abusing and taunting a black girl who is sitting at the counter of a cafe. The pain in her face is amazing and it is interesting to think how far we have come from 1963 when that photo was taken.
   
   There is of course the Tiananmen Square and the fall of Iraq, but there are also photos of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the first ever moving picture.
   
   Overall the book is a great keepsake if nothing else, but I'd recommend it as a coffee table book because a lot of the photos will definitely get people talking.



3. A good general book of famous photography. The pictures are, of course, famous, but not of the highest quality. A nice book to sit and browse through.



4. 100 Photographs that changed the world can only be described as an intimate and emotional view of our world over the last century. The book was created by Time magazine, many of the photos coming straight from their covers. Many of the pictures are published elsewhere and have no doubt been seen by many people, but having them put together in this fashion is amazing. Complete with date and description, you find yourself having a little history lesson without even knowing it. Every page is readable and interesting, it will definitely keep your attention.
   
   There are pictures from "The Arts", "Science and Nature", "Society", and "War and Peace". Beginning with the first photo ever taken and moving on to amazing things like the ex-ray that allowed to discovery of the double helix in our DNA. There are also many controversial issues such as lynching in the south, and young black students being sprayed by a fire hose; showing just how horrible slavery and racism really has been in America. There are pictures of the many starving children from other countries with their tiny arms and legs and huge bellies created from the horrible conditions that they live in every day. There is no question that many of these photos are hard to look at, but they force you to face the reality of our unjust world. They document some of the many mistakes we have made in the last 100 years and all that we have learned from them. It also includes groundbreaking photos such as the first picture taken of a baby inside of a mothers womb, the very first photo of the earth from the surface of the moon, and JFK's assassination. They are undeniably breath taking, heart breaking, and thought provoking. Even if all of these pictures did not actually change the world. They definitely changed the way we view the world. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, there are simply not enough words to describe the power and emotion contained in these photographs.
   
   This book is simply a must have for any library. Young or old, it is a book that you will undoubtedly pull from the shelf many times. Definitely the kind of book that parents should look at with their children to help them learn about history. I'm sure the pictures will provoke questions and curiosity from both sides, and it is a great way to learn together. It is the kind of book that you can pass on through generations of your family and it will be just as valuable to them as it is to us. We are so lucky to have to opportunity to be able to document our lives with pictures, which has only been possible for about the last hundred years. We need to take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity. Don't pass up the chance to own a book that is this powerful.



5. As a keen buyer of photo books I could not miss the opportunity of possessing this collection of immortal shots. I already had many of them in other books, but at such a budget price I simply could not resist the temptation! It was also the occasion to get to know the names of some professionals that made the type of photos that you look at and say "Wow! I saw this 100000 times and it is a pleasure again... but... any clue about the author?". Good starting book for people naive of photo history, avoid buying it if you already have a good collection of photo books and are not afraid of navigating them to find out that immortal shot.

1 comments about Conformation (Threshold Picture Guides, No 19).

1. Lots of pictures and drawings to explain even to the youngest child or the most confused adult. The entire series is well done. Recommended.

5 comments about California the Beautiful.

1. I purchased a number of these books as "thank you" gifts for various friends we are going to visit in Europe. I was so excited about finding a picture book on California, I didn't read the description thoroughly -- note that the books are only about 7"x7". Even so, their small size makes them perfect to carry in a suitcase. The pictures are quite nice and, even though the coloring is enhanced a bit, they truly show how beautiful California can be. My ONLY complaint with these books is that the price is printed on the back of the dust jacket! This means that if you're giving them as a gift, there's no way to cover up how much you paid (or could have paid) for the book. (I guess I can come up with a cute stick-on label ... )



2. Unfortunately, the text in this photographic essay is more inspiring than the images. The problem is not with the photography, but with the quality of the printing. The inks are too dark, and the colors are ludicrous.



3. This book is well worth buying, but not for Galen Rowell's photographs (as they are "printed" here)...the text is actually more indicative of the power of California's beauty and meaning.
   
   Rowell's use of super-saturated colors, whether accomplished with filters or digital editing, only serves to show just how MORE beautiful these scenes, at these times of day, are in reality!
   
   Subtle was not in Galen's vocabulary, apparently, yet the beauty of nature is often extraordinary AND subtle. I guess my thought really is that Galen Rowell and his 35 mm cameras, found amazing sights (and sites), and took their picture(s), but the essence of many of those sights, he lost because he wanted them to be even more "perfect" than they "really are".
   
   Trust us, Galen, they're even more perfect without all the color saturation effects....



4. The photography is beautiful.
   The book catalogues the best of California through pictures. We take this book with us on our trips through out the state as part of our guide and potential itinerary. It makes every trip, a trip to a beautiful location.
   A great coffee table book.



5. This compact size coffee table book with outstanding photography by Galen Rowell makes a great souvenir for visitors to beautiful California. The diversity of this great state is depicted in all its spectacular beauty from the desert to the majestic mountain peaks; from minute wildflowers to the towering redwoods. Prose and verse from famous & not-so-famous Californians & visitors add pleasant reading which accompany the lovely images.

2 comments about Animals in Motion.

1. The images of the dray horses pulling heavy loads is worth the price of admission for me. This is a great reference for artists who want to create realistic images of animals in motion. It's a fabulous settler of bar room bets. It's a source of animated gifs for web designers (I have the running cat image that's been going around.)

   For people who want to understand animals in general, this is a good reference. I never thought that all the ways an animal can go from point A to point B each had a name to it and that a quadruped can have so many ways to move.

   Its an interesting historical piece, too. People do not see horses doing useful work any more and it's a reminder that we all had a life before internal combustion. Its an interesting chapter in the history of photography and the history of art, too. (Painting was never the same after people figured out how animals really moved.)




2. Muybridges momumental work photographing animals in all different gates and poses and tests of ability. Using sometimes up to 100 cameras for a single set up to gain what is now the definitive guide for animators in understanding the motion of animals. It all started with a $25,000 bet: Eadweard Muybridge and a friend argued whether all four of the horses hooves leave the ground completely at any point during a gallop. Being funded for the project, Muybridge proved to be the winner in saying that horses do in fact leave the ground for a momentary second in their strides. The book begins with an anlaysis of locomotion, going over the walk, the amble, the trot, the rack (or pace), the canter, the transverse-gallop, the rotary-gallop, and the richochet, along with the leap and buck and kick. There are roughly 4,000 photos in this collection which claims to be the largest collection of animals in motion. It features not only horses but lions, deers, oxen, elephants, birds and kangaroos. From this development, Muybridge not only discovered that horses gallop with no feet touching the ground, but his discovery led to motion pictures, in which his photos is a very crude version of cinema today. Later he designed a viewer called a Zoogyroscope (or Zoopraxiscope) which, similar to a Zoetrope, was a carousel with slits which you look through while it is spinning to give the illusion of motion (or persistence of vision). Today these pictures are looked at for a couple of reasons, mostly as nastolgia for one to have wonder and excitement of this simple cinema, but it also is a great reference for modern animators. In fact, for those looking at animation, I can tell you that if you ask for an application to Walt Disney Animation Studios, they will give you their requirements and texts, this will be on the list. Highly reccomended for the artist, graphic, fine arts or animation or anything else you can dream of.