4 comments about Flower.

1. Christopher Beane's new book, Flower, is a floral autobiography.
   
   Beginning with traditional, abstract, black & white compositions in the 1990s, Beane's early works make reference to a number of noted photographers but also reveal how he developed his own eye for presenting unusual floral shapes and textures.
   
   In the late 1990s, Beane left the b&w world behind and dove head-first into vibrant colour. In the words of Anthony Janson, who narrates the book: "Fortunately, in 1997 Beane began to experiment with color photography."
   
   "Fortunately" is an understatement: right from the first few photographs in Beane's aptly titled "orgy" series, we see a whole new world of color within his macro subjects, and Beane's explorations quickly depart from whatever preconceptions you may have of floral macro photography. Beane's colour work is truly his own: creative and evocative in a manner not as obvious as one usually finds in the sensual photography of pistils and stamens and pretty petals. In his representations you will find more abstract emotion, perhaps evoking flames and mysterious sea creatures... as well as gasp-worthy ultramacro depictions of familiar subjects.
   
   The cover of the Flower is itself a flamelike depiction of tulips; fortunately, an unadorned version can be found inside (plate 40). The book continues through the evolution of his macro photography, with each subject a new step forward for Beane. After mastering a particular motif, Beane deconstructs and reinvents his approach and summons up entirely new perspectives, new ways to infuse form with colour.
   
   While it is impossible not to marvel at the intricacies of his macro subjects, from the Coral Charm Peony (plate 51) to the sensual Bearded Iris Blue (plate 42), his latter work moves forward ever more progressively and ultimately departs the ultramacro realm in the direction of abstract art. Particularly striking to my eye are the Fritillaria (plates 127 and 128) which play with a reduced colour palette in an entirely new way, departing from the natural colours of the flowers themselves but somehow remaining true to them in abstract impression.
   
   In addition to plate after plate of masterful 4x5 colour photography, the reader will find details of Beane's battle with stage-4 lymphoma, how this affected his mood and vision, and how he returned, triumphantly, to his craft. Beane's adventure is inspiring and not only in the visual sense.
   
   I very highly recommend this book. It is truly inspirational and provocative.



2. Not simply a book of beautiful images, this is a book about the development, growth and courage of an artist.



3. One of nature's most diverse and artistic creations are the flowers. This is amply documented by the spectacular photography of Christopher Beane as compiled in a coffee table photography book that rises to the timeless level of great art. Each full-page, captioned and visually stunning photograph comprising this remarkable volume showcases an particular flower bloom and could well be framed separately and be mounted upon the wall of an elegant home, a prestigious art gallery, or a premier museum. Enhanced with an informative introductory essay by Anthony Janson, "Flower" is a technical masterpiece of the photographer's art and a memorable homage to the architectural diversity and spectacular wonder of the blooming and colored petals of flowers. "Flower" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library world-class photography collections.



4. Christopher Beane's collection of flower photography is a breathtakingly beautiful feast for the eyes. Anthony Janson has written insightful text that accompanies the images and masterfully analyzes and explains Beane's artistic perspective. Janson places Beane firmly into the lineage of the history of art through his discussion of the history of painters and photographers who have focused their artistic talents on flowers. A remarkable comparison is the similarity of one of Beane's images to the Greek Nike statue. Janson discusses how Beane has overcome the historic treatment of flowers as a traditionally static still life subject, and given his flowers a dynamic quality that relates more to figurative art than traditional still life compositions. Beane's use of light, his physical manipulation of flowers, and his placement of them against exciting and unexpected backgrounds all contribute to the vibrancy of his compositions. Janson's analysis of how Beane has broken through the boundaries of his traditional art education is an interesting read for any classically trained artist who, through their maturation, manages to develop his or her own unique, signature style. The history of Beane's relationship with flowers through his work in New York City's incredible flower market, his love for and knowledge of flowers, and his development into one of the most remarkable flowers photographers of our time is compelling. This is a beautiful book which serves as a coffee table decoration, while the text raises the book to a level of compelling reading about the nature of an artist who has transcended the ordinary to create something both radically new and classically inspired. Janson challenges the notion that oil painting is a more effective art form than photography because, as the gorgeous reproductions in this book exhibit, Beane has managed time and time again to create extraordinary images that rival some of history's most revered examples of fine art.

1 comments about Vanishing America: The End of Main Street Diners, Drive-Ins, Donut Shops, and Other Everyday Monuments.

1. The subtitle to this fascinating book is The End of Main Street and Michael Eastman has taken it upon himself to record as much of it as possible before progress or neglect flattens what's left. Flick through the pages and you'll see more than two hundred shots of small town commonplace. The five chapters (Theaters, Churches, Hangouts, Doors, Signs, Stores, Services, Autos, Hotels and Restaurants) pretty much cover what you'll see in any town across the country.
   
   Nearly every photo is an exterior and I thought one of the strengths of Eastman's work is the no-nonsense straight-on compositions. These buildings with their signs, peeling paint or structural modifications are visually intriguing enough not to require odd angles, soft focus or other gimmicks and even though they are photos of record the rich color and choice of subject lifts the contents of the book above similar photography.
   
   
   The book's production is as impressive as the photos, the square format, matt art paper and 175 screen all come together beautifully. Four stars? Though the book was designed by Pentagram it does have, in my view, a rather annoying fault: there are several pages where photos are butted together which makes for initial visual confusion and I think weakens each relevant photo. A thin black or white line, just to give the minimum separation, would have solved the problem. Fortunately most pages don't have butted photos and on the rest the photos are allowed to sparkle by themselves and they do.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

5 comments about Closeup Shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop and Macro Photography.

1. Buen y serio trabajo con algunas fotos realmente magnificas. Profundiza mas que otras obras similares en aspectos técnicos sin olvidar darle también ese leve toque tecnico a aquellos capitulos que tratan temas mas basicos e introductorios. Resulta facil y agradable de leer al no tratarse de de un tratado cientifico-técnico sobre macrofotografia. Interesante y recomendable para aficionados y amateurs.



2. Some guides simply brag of the authors experience, others throw technical terms, shutter speeds and f-stops at the reader. A good guide should be wonderfully assembled to teach and inspire without arrogance. This book does that, providing a wonderful resource that even experienced photographers can learn from. Stunning photos and explanations inspire and teach. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to make their photos the best they can be.



3. Closeup Shooting is filled with excellent advice for beginning photographers wanting to do close-up photography. Harnischmacher clearly explains the various types of close-up photography, ranging from 1:2 to about 6:1 image magnification. Unlike many photography writers, he seems to be aware that most of his readers are amateurs and do not have unlimited equipment budgets, so he takes care to show what can be done with limited or inexpensive equipment.
   
   The text and illustrating photos are consistently on the same page or on facing pages. The graphic layout of the book is quite appealing. Each chapter opens with a full-page 3x3 grid on which there are about 9 close-up photos, typically of camera equipment. Each facing page within the chapter typically has a couple photos to accompany the descriptive text, and a larger photo whose technical aspects are clearly explained.
   
   The section I found most useful was near the end. In it, Harnischmacher describes and diagrams the lighting used on a series of subjects. Each diagram shows the placement of the camera, the subject, each of the lights and their coverage, and any screens or reflectors that were used. Most books, even those whose main topic is lighting, don't use this simple but highly effective way of visualizing the lighting setup.



4. After reading through this book twice I know this will be one of my favorites on the subject. There are many things to like about it. The examples are inspiring and informative. The content is varied but not shallow. And the layout and organization make it easy to follow.
   
   Most of all I like this book because the author exhibits many of the traits I associate with great photographers. I can tell that he has wonderful vision, and that he spends many hours diligently pursuing it. I'm also impressed by the way he applies creativity, and uses low-cost items, rather than just instructing us to buy one of everything from the camera shop to make boring "me too" images. I recommend this book 100% to anyone seriously wanting to grow into macrophotography.



5. 'Closeup Shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop and Macro Photography' is a wonderful book that will help you get the most of out your closeup shots that you want to look better and jump off the page at you! Shooting closeup is one of the hardest things a photographer can do. Just simply setting the camera to macro mode and pressing the 'shoot' button is rarely enough. Subjects like what is being shot, lighting, how fast the subject is moving, etc. etc. need to always be kept in mind and this book will tackle these issues and so much more! With over 100+ pages of material, this book is beautifully designed in a hardcover casing that yells out to the reader: LOOK AT ME!! If you are a serious or hobbyist photographer that is interested in taking closeup pictures or you simply want to get better at this facet of picture taking you owe it to yourself to pick up this book. I absolutely love this design and feel that this will make nearly any photographer become a BETTER photographer. Easy to recommend and a joy to peruse.
   
   ***** RECOMMENDED

4 comments about Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D Guide to Digital SLR Photography.

1. Unless one has tons of experience in photography, this book is a MUST HAVE. We converted from a point-and-shoot to the Rebel XTi just over 4 months ago and have been crippled by not having a source of reference. In my opinion, Canon should consider having this book as their user manual instead of the pocket-sized next to nothing that comes with the camera upon purchase.



2. I am enjoying this book and glad I purchased it. One it's much easier on the old tired eyes to read than the small little thing that came with the camera, and colored pictures and all. Glad I made the purchase and this one seems to be the best one for the money from my checking out the others.



3. This book by BUSCH is better than the one by LOWRIE because it contains pictures of the actual camera and controls, which serve to make it easier to use. It is logical and almost step by step in it's instruction. It covers much of what the camera can do, even the custom functions in detail.
   
   It is very straightforward and extremely helpful for anyone who has this complex camera, which can do a lot.
   
   I recommend it to the novice or amateur photographer.



4. I purchased both Busch's guide and Lowrie's guide to acquaint myself with the XTi.
   
   I appreciated Lowrie's thorough explanations of the "bare facts" presented in the XTi's users manual. Unfortunately, I found Lowrie's guide to have a few errors (e.g.; the diagram of the "9-point AF" actually showed only 7-points). Obviously this was missed when Lowe's material was updated for the XTi.
   
   Busch's information I found to be very accurate. Moreover, Busch goes into a fair amount of photography theory and shows how the XTi can be used to address some of the basic issues of technique. Describing the XTi's use in this context I found to be very engaging and informative.
   
   If you want very good explanations of all the information in Canon's XTi user manual, the Lowrie book may be for you. But if you want to know all the Lowrie information AND and how it relates to the greater context of photographic theory, go for Busch's book.

5 comments about Hubert's Freaks: The Rare-Book Dealer, the Times Square Talker, and the Lost Photos of Diane Arbus.

1. I loved this book. I read it straight through like it was a detective novel. I could not wait to see what would happen next. I loved the story and the strange characters, especially Bob. But most of all, I loved Gibson's wry humor and beautiful writing. This is a compelling and wonderful book.



2. This was a sadly disappointing review of an era and avenue that I knew from my youth. By page 65 or so the Hubert story is over and we spend the rest of the book on a dysfunctional book dealer, a photographer and finally just 2 of the Hubert stars that were friends to the dealer and photographer.
   Now we need a book on Hubert's Freaks.



3. Like dust to a vacuum cleaner, and sucked in faster than I could think to this gripping story of Bob and other protagonists and characters of this marvelous book. Knowing some of them personally added another dimension for me, but the detail of Diane Arbus's intimate perception and insertion into the lives of her subjects brought a deeper dimension to portrait photography. And then of course is Bob, the art dealer in his trader world, with potential marks and hopes of patrons, where the real money is in the art world, to the gatekeepers of that realm posing or installed as museum curators. The book is a tantalizing thriller with insight.
   
   Alen MacWeeney



4. Greg Gibson is a superb writer and has succeeded in combining the multifarious strands of a twisted plot to give us a riveting account of a fascinating episode in the life of an American icon. A must-read -- I finished in one flight from NY to SF. Buy it now and give copies to any friends who can read. They will kiss your feet.



5. Greg Gibson has captured a moment in the slippy-slidey story of Times Square by ressurecting the red-fronted phenomenon of Hubert's Dime Museum, which lived in the time after 42nd St was the center for legitimate theater but before it crashed and forced the City Fathers to scrub the fun out of it. He uses the story of a neurotic antiquarian book dealer who winkled out trunksful of leftover stuff and the Diane Arbus photographs that were in it, to weave a rich ohmigod, New York story that I had thought was no longer available in these low-cholesterol times. If New York in the middle of the 20th century meant anything to you, you need to read this. (Remember Prof. Heckler's flea circus?)

No comments about Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon D300 (Magic Lantern Guides).

3 comments about The Sandy Puc' Guide to Children's Portrait Photography (Sandy Puc Guide).

1. This is one of the best children's books I've seen! This book is really wonderful for any skill level, I wish I had something like this when I first got started! Sandy is truly a Master in everyway..bravo!



2. When I first met Sandy several years ago, I told her she would become the one person other photographers would want to learn from. Based on the amazing success of her recent Bellies and Babies tour, which I have attended, I seem to be a prophet. Sandy is not afraid to tell everything she knows about photographing children in this book - she knows that those with her energy to create children's portraits that touch the heart deserve to receive every bit of information available.



3. Sandy Puc is a master! I have waited and waited for this great book so I could learn a little of her genius. I got the book yesterday and devoured it! Now it will be a well used reference. I love the lighting tips, studio ideas and best of all little trick she uses photographing children.
   
   There are many useful tips from protecting your time, marketing, making moms and kids feel useful etc. This is a truly valuable book.
   
   Sandy's writing style is easy to read with a great balance between entertainment and a great deal of very useful knowledge.
   
   Anyone wanting to get into the art of photographing children, babies and infants or just improve their current skills should buy this book.

3 comments about The Complete Pirelli Calendars: 1964-2007.

1. i'd always heard of the mythos of the Pirelli callender.
   it was a tad overhyped/overrated



2. I had always been fascinated with the mystique that surrounded the Pirelli Calenders. So of course when this book became available I immediately jumped at the opportunity to buy it. If you want to see the evolution of cheesecake photography - and I do mean cheesecake at its absolute best - then this is the tome (its a BIG book) for you.
   
   I would have given it five stars but one of my favourite images was reproduced at half the size of the page. And while I understand that it was part of the artistic layout I was hoping for that one to be bigger.
   
   Aside from that minor issue I am very pleased with this purchase and highly recommend it



3. The Complete Pirelli Calendars: 1964-2007
   This book is large, heavy, and full of great images illustrating the history of the Pirelli Calendar. It not only shows evolution with regards to photographic style through the years, but provides a very diverse showcase of individual (and respected) photographer's work.
   I highly recommend it.
   Greg Gerla

5 comments about The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter).

1. This book offers the novice and advanced user a non-technical approach without diminishing the important aspects. I am new to Photoshop and within 5 minutes of reading the first chapter, I could make a contact sheet and went forward from there, I'd recommend this book to any one who wants to learn Photoshop without all the technical jargon.



2. Absolutamente recomendable...
   Escrito en un ingles fluido, ameno y agradable de leer, Scott Kelby es capaz de trasladar al lector con enorme claridad y sencillez todo una serie de conocimientos, facil e inmediatamente aplicables.
   Libro didactico y practico, muy bien estructurado, con buenas imagenes y explcaciones paso a paso, claras y consisas. Me gusta.
   Estoy encantado de haberlo adquirido.



3. I've used dozens of Photoshop books over the past 15 years and this is the best because it is informative but more importantly it is designed to be easy to read with useful projects dedicated to every page with big color pictures. Tips are good and because of the well-designed layout of the book they are always easy to find. Only bad thing is the intros to each chapter which are moronic and try to be too cool for their own good.



4. This is a good book for any beginning and intermediate digital photography and Photoshop level. The topics and examples are clear and easily to follow.



5. A good book for beginners, and don't forget to read the introduction, gives good info on sample files and images. Great examples and step by step instructions. I am taking photoshop 101 at a local Community College, my instructor uses this book instead of the college book. You have to put up with the writers sarcasm, but overall a great book for beginners to intermediate users of Adobe Photoshop CS 2. Not too much on Type (Text) manipulation, in a rating of 1 to 5, I give this book a 4.

5 comments about Gil Elvgren: All His Glamorous American Pin-Ups (Taschen 25th Anniversary Special Editions).

1. If you love this era of art, this is a beauty. Great coffee table book to spark conversation.



2. He wasn't the first but he was the best. In terms of technique, taste and visual impact Gil Elvgren ranks as the modern day Rembrandt in the world of illustration of beautiful women. He was my principal inspiration as I am a nationally published illustrator and am frequently called upon to paint beautiful girls in ads. As a student at the University of Minnesota, majoring in studio art, my style and artistic goals were the pariah of most of the art faculty except the very best artist they had on the faculty staff. He understood what I wanted to achieve and I never got less than an A in any studio class. In my senior year I visited Brown & Bigelow Company in St. Paul, where I lived, and submitted samples to Clair Fry, the famous art director who commissioned Elvgren and many other top flight artists for their famous calendars. It was then that I learned that none of these men were on staff but located across the country. He loved my work and gave me great early advice as to how to get going in the commercial art business as they knew nothing about that at the U. of M. I followed his advice and started my career which has lasted over thirty years.
   
   Gil Elvgren was the best for the reasons I previously stated but in addition his work was always in good taste. His girls were downright wholesome and "the girl next door type". They often had the look of being unaware that they were being watched and were usually caught in somewhat innocent and private moments. His work could never ever be termed salacious or perverse as so many of his later day copiers are. The art of the pinup, for the most part, has degenerated somehwhat since Gil Elvgrens day. It probably started with the advent of Playboy and Penthouse magazine and their "foldouts". As long as we have these wonderful retrospective books on artists like Elvgren the public will have the chance to see what great pinup art used to be by the absolute master of the genre.
   
   For anyone interested in my contributions to this art genre my official website is www.dickbobnick.com .



3. Wonderful picture book, many "suitable for framing." There is something charming about these pinups from another era, not at all sleazy.



4. What a great Chistmas present this great book made!
   There are countless images of funny, sexy and clever pin up situations.
   This book spans several decades of incredible art.
   Gil Elvgren is indeed a master of his craft.
   
   As someone who enjoys beatiful women, art and illustrations; This is a great book to add to any collection.
   
   Ed Schenng



5. Gil Elvgren is by far the best pinup artist of all the pinup artists. Just compare his art to some other pinup artists. Put them next to each other and you will see that Elvgren is the best. This book is the best collection of Elvgren's art to date. It collects nearly all of his art in categorical order. The only complaint is the size of some of the art reproduced is quite small -- maybe too small to appreciate properly -- but nonetheless, it is the definitive Elvgren pinup collection.