5 comments about Studio Lighting Solutions: Expert Professional Techniques for Artistic and Commercial Success (Pdnpros).

1. Good book with lots of information, if your into specialty photography. I was hoping for more info on portrait, ommitting the special effects.



2. I like that book. I'm learing a lot of professional lighting solutions ... And I think it's a good book for pro photographer.



3. I'm an intermediate photographer and I bought this book looking to gain insight into studio lighting. I found that this book will appeal to commercial shooters and those looking to get their foot in the door. The work is amazing and I enjoyed the commentary provided by the professionals that took the shots. I never imagined the amount of thought and planning that goes into what appears to be a straight forward shot. Though it provides a few lighting diagrams, this is not a "how to" manual. Nor is it a people photography book. That said I believe the information useful for working with a wide range of subjects. It also provides insight into the equipment, challenges and (especially) the standards required to be successful.



4. Sort of a quandary here...if you're advanced enough in photography to be working with studio lighting, do you really need detailed, step-by-step instructions in lighting setups? It almost seems as if readers are expecting a beginners book that at the same time provides professional techniques.
   
   That said, I will admit that the specifics are a bit lacking here, so if you do need a lot of hand-holding, you're better off with a different book. However, the illustrations are excellent, and you can learn a great deal just from Neubart's photos. If you're open to exposure to interesting lighting techniques, this book will surely add some valuable ideas to your repertoire.



5. There's not much to learn from this book. Maybe my expectations were different from what the book was trying to accomplish, but I was hoping for some different lighting setups for product photography, and those types of shots.
   
   A much better book would be:
   Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

5 comments about Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial Landscape.

1. For me, this book brought a new level of fun to driving around. Another take on the many things that 'make civilized life possible.'



2. This engrossing book leads the reader on a tour of industrial features that one would encounter on both a cross-country or cross-town trip. After reading this book, you will find yourself---as I did---pointing out industrial installations and explaining their use to friends and family.
   
   The glossy, full-color pictures are the most striking feature of this large book. They superbly complement the already excellent, clear, and well-organized text. I was also particularly impressed by the further reading listed at the back of the book. It is organized by chapter and ranked from "Kids" to "Geeks". It filled my stack of reading for several weeks after I finished Infrastructure.
   
   My only criticism of the book echoes the author's apology in the preface: there are many technologies and industries necessarily absent from the book. I can only hope that the author will produce further books of similar quality in the future.



3. If you go for a walk and start actually looking around, you'll see a lot of things that most of us don't really understand -- power lines, sewer systems, the mysterious blue telephone junction boxes. This book explains why and what these things are -- think of it as a Nature Guide for the human-made environment. Do you have Sibley's Guide? Well, you should have one of these, too. My only quibble -- the pages are below standard quality for a hardback book. But never you mind -- don't be picky, like me! Get this book!



4. A proviso that must be made is that this is a very-USA-centric book. No disrespect intended as it is a beautifully photographed and relatively detailed (plus references for a lot more information) tome. Just something to keep in mind as the world is not (yet?) flat in infrastructure.
   
   I like to think of myself as pretty knowledgeable, but I learned quite a bit in each chapter. I can imagine a similar book for Infrastructure 1925 (or so). Would be fun to see what has been lost (trains/streetcars/twice-daily-mail delivery) and gained (more obvious).



5. I've been looking for a book like this for quite a while. I've always been interested about how technology is part of the infrastructure of our everyday lives. Particularly as it relates to electricity and telecommunications. While all of the novels and technical books I read eventually make their way to either my bookshelves or a box, I can easily see this book as something that will permanently become part of my coffee table. I look forward to reading (and re-reading) the various sections. I've found the book to be sufficiently technical, yet simultaneously casual in tone. Considering the subject matter, a very easy, informative and entertaining read. Highly recommended.

1 comments about Michael Kenna: A 20 Year Retrospective.

1. This book is a wonderful introduction and overview of the career of Micheal Kenna. Kenna's long-lived exposures and unusual eye for his subject material are unmistakably unique It is no wonder he is considered one of the world's most collectible photographers and apppeals to collectors just beginning to develop an interest in photography.

1 comments about Elephants: A Book for Children.

1. I bought this book for my elephant-obsessed son. It is a stunningly beautiful book. Steve Bloom is a wildlife and nature photographer and the quality of the photographs is outstanding. Both African and Indian elephants are featured throughout, photographed in the wild, at work, at play and even swimming in deep water - who knew elephants can swim?
   
   The text manages to be both highly informative and perfectly pitched to a younger audience. Facts are put in terms that children can relate to. In reading this book I learned so many interesting things about elephants (not something I would previously have thought likely). Some examples: Elephants are either left or right tusked just as humans are left or right handed. Elephants can swim underwater using their trunks as snorkels. Elephants educate their boys and girls separately. Elephants remember, even years later, the exact spot where one of their herd died. An easy way to tell Indian and African elephants apart is by the shape of their ears, which resemble the continents which give them their names.
   
   The text and photographs also complement each other extremely well. A lot of thought has been put into this book. It is an absolute joy to read.
   
   This truly beautiful book would make a wonderful gift for any child who enjoys animals.

2 comments about Ireland: A Photographic Tour.

1. I purchased this book as a gift and was so impressed I had to buy one for myself! Photography which captures the distinct and rare beauty of Ireland and well-written text that describes and explains the many points of interest found in Ireland. If you've never been to Ireland this book will make you plan a holiday. If Ireland is already a favourite place to visit reading this book will make you want to return. High quality binding.



2. Masterfully photographed, and printed on high quality paper, this book is a must have for any armchair traveller.
   The book provides a map of the region on the inside cover, and then follows a brief and informative historical overview, which introduces the region to the reader. From that point onwards the book consists of one splendid photograph after the other, very often on a full page, or even spread over double pages, all with short descriptions to accompany them. The book depicts rural country scenes as well as historical landmarks, grand vistas to great architectural photos and even prominent statues. In short, everything the region has to offer.
   I am also the proud owner of New England (Photographic Tour) by the same author and photographer and as such, I can highly recommend any one of the books in this series.

5 comments about Room Service.

1. Move over Bruce Weber, there's a new shooter in town! Adam Raphael's work is in what I would call the Bruce Weber school, but the student surpases the master in many pictures. This beautifully bound book (that will actually stay open when you lay it flat) is equally suitable for the living room or the bedroom. Adam's work has a quality and depth that will take your breath away, he has included a variety of body types with a concentration on fitness. Included are some of today's most sought after male models including Joseph Sayers, Paul Tornabene, and Evan Wade. If you pine for the Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterlys of yesterday, you'll be more than satisfied with Room Service.



2. Boring. I was expecting stories, but it's a very expensive book with just photos of very feminine looking boys.



3. I've seen lots of photographic art books of the male body, but this one is truly amazing. The lighting is perfect. The color and clarity of the images are crisp and natural. Special praise must be given to the publisher/printer for recreating them in book form.
   
   To say the men are beautiful is an understatement. They make the guys from the old A&F catalog look frumpy in comparison. Two particular models come to mind. One has green eyes that I could lose myself in and never find my way out. Another has the squarest jaw I've ever seen on a human being. The epitome of Scandinavian perfection.
   
   They were all photographed in hotel rooms. The captions for each photo has the model's name along with what room number they were in at the time. I've done only a little traveling in my time, but these hotel rooms represent an order of magnitude of elegance I've never experienced myself.



4. Yes, the pictures in this book are beautiful... beautiful men, beautiful lighting. But unfortunately there's no frontal nudity in the book -- it's all artfully concealed. So I'd say it's definitely high-quality photography, but unfortunately it leaves me disappointed.



5. The absolute stunning beauty of Adam Raphael's latest work reduces one to such primitive exclaimations as the above.
   
   The photographer has corralled his usual cadre of boys next door and photographed them in various locales of an upscale hotel. Aside from the luxuriousness of the setting, another difference emerges in this collection, the use of nudity. As an artist of unerring taste, though, Raphael presents nothing gratuitous or grotesque. The naked glimpses are of several shapely backsides and nothing more (and nothing more is needed). Raphael trusts the imaginations of his viewers to fill in any erotic gaps.
   
   The book's design is magisterial, the paper luscious, the lighting ethereal.
   
   Adam Raphael has entered the ranks of the masters. And in ROOM SERVICE he has produced not merely a masterpiece but the finest male picture book ever published.
   
   One would be wise to purchase a copy now, as it will no doubt someday be a collector's treasure on the order of Bruce Weber's early books (and of Raphael's own FRIENDS from several years back).

5 comments about Diana: Princess of Wales.

1. As a fan of Diana's, I enjoyed seeing a more casual side of Diana. The picutres show a side of the princess that reaffirm how beautiful she was in all settings, not just formal. The pictures however are a little soft in the focus arena.



2. Five months before Princess Diana's death in August, 1997 she sat for what was to be her last photo session with the Peruvian photographer Mario Testino. The results for the most part are quite wonderful. Often shot in natural light, sometimes smiling naturally-- a difficult task for any photographer to capture-- Diana, relaxed and unadorned (she wears no jewelry and is barefoot and seated sometimes on an all-white sofa), seems to be having a very good time and could almost be the exquisitely beautiful woman next door. Having said that, I noticed that in a shot or two she has an unflattering nose. Unlike too many Brits, however, she was blessed with beautiful teeth-- and a smile that would melt concrete.
   
   In an interview with the photographer that accompanies these photos that were shot for a spread in "Vanity Fair" that sold out on the newsstands he reminisces about the day he shot these photographs and the good time that both he and his subject had doing them, commenting on what he calls real laughter, laughter from the inside, that he was able to elicit-- it is obvious in the photographs-- from Diana. In a touching note, he mentions that these photographs became the favorites of Diana's boys.
   
   My two favorites-- at least today as they might change the next time I look at this beautifully printed book by Taschen-- are numbers 33 (Diana is clutching her hands at her ankles) and 54 with 45 (the pensive Diana) as a close third. Other favorites are 42, 43, 9, 10, 36, 10 and 23, where she is most beautiful.
   
   Diana is wearing some of the 79 dresses she auctioned off at Christie's for charity. If you are interested, information about the clothes is included at the back of the book. But this isn't about the clothes. It is about Diana; she is certainly no mannequin here.
   
   Sixty or so photographs, both in black and white and in color, are included in this book; they are reproduced and numbered in the back. Fraydon Carter wrote a foreword; Meredith Etherington-Smith, an introduction.
   
   While these photographs take on a special significance because they are the last formal ones of Princess Diana before her tragic death, had she lived, she would of course have been photographed dozens and dozens of times. I cannot imagine, however, that these by Testino would not have been seen as some of the most beautiful, most compelling and would have held their own with whatever photographs came after them.



3. Stunning pictures, just a beautiful piece of art that will leave you speechless. Princess Diana was beautiful inside and out, there's nothing left to say.



4. AWFUL! Only a few photos, repeated several times, most were out of focus. Would never have purchased if I could have looked inside. I guess that's why it was wrapped in plastic in a local bookstore.



5. Although you can buy plenty of other books with photos of Diana, Testino photographed her like no one else. She looks casual, relaxed and happy in these photos. Diana does not look at all "glammed" up with excessive makeup and hair styling. The way you would see her at home, inspite of the gowns she wears in these photos. Testino captured a Diana that was probably only seen by family and friends, and in these shots he shared that Diana with the rest of the world.

5 comments about The Film Developing Cookbook (Darkroom Cookbook).

1. A lot of formulas, critical advice, honest opinions. But also, a lot of missing practical advice, a lot of missing result comparisons. You have to buy it though since there is nothing else out there...it is really a two-star, but the fact that you cannot buy anything else at its level makes it a four star book.



2. Bill Troop has been very well connected to a lot of people in photography over the years and was heavily engaged with developers at Kodak in Rochester. He accumulated a significant amount of subjective information and has pretty much pushed it all right into this book. It's prefect for the darkroom enthusiast who is intrigued with historic processes and how they might effect ones creative options. Note that this is not an instructional book for beginners but something more targeted at the advanced enthusiast whose interest has grown beyond the use of commonly available processes.



3. Things you never knew about the developing process are in this. I was quite impressed, and am enthusiastic about re-reading it.



4. very useful, it goes deep in the film developing as expected. It's a good starting point to make the own recipe and to learn *how works this kind of developer*. And many many more useful storic and pratic informations. Simply I love it. Dedicated to everyone feels to be an hero in this digital war against the true, pure, black and white...



5. I bought this book as the other books I have are now a bit dated. As the understanding of film development is always evolving, I thought this book would give me the latest ideas and knowledge.
   It does to some extent, but I could not help feeling the authors did not take the time to fully research and comprehend the details. Where they have quoted chemists / researchers the details are clear. However where they have tried to interpret or discuss aspects in some places it appears they do not clearly understand what they are trying to explain. The result is that they contradict themselves, fail to make things clear, or just plain get things wrong. They also only seem to address research by Kodak and a few independent researchers. The book thus misses out on research done by Fuji, Agfa, Ilford, etc. which is a significant omission in my opinion.

   So is the book worth it ? I think that I would still buy it as there are very few sources of up to date information available. And to be fair, they seem to have taken care in reproducing the formula. However, I would be sure to read some of the older books on developers, and cross check the information before relying on it.

1 comments about Tibet: An Inner Journey.

1. This is a welcome addition to other books published in recent years by Ricard. While it reproduces some photographs that can be found in The Spirit of Tibet and Monk Dancers of Tibet (in themselves, wonderful books), Tibet, An Inner Journey is Ricard's fullest photographic offering to date, closely covering a number of events and aspects of Buddhist life in Tibet, with an extensive focus on the Tibetan people themselves. I can't imagine another book that brings this people so close to the reader. It makes a persuasive plea for humanitarian assistance to preserve them and their unique Buddhist heritage.

5 comments about Roy Stuart, Vol. 4: The Fourth Body (Book & DVD).

1. ...Roy stewarts work in this 4th volume called the 4th body is truly amongst the best work, yes it is graphically explicit at times, but it is just as tame, with panty shots, to full penetration, from fully clothed men and women to erect penises and vaginas...as you can tell from the other comments his work is not for every one particularly those who are not into blatant, in your face nudity, mostly female, and full on vaginal penetration...but if it is genuine erotic art you're looking for this is truly one of the best...



2. Beautifully shot, unusual subject material! Shows that erotic can also be stylish. DVD with it very dull though.



3. Roy Stuart is probably one of the best photographers ever.
   This book is huge and loaded with many of Roy Stuarts' beautiful women.
   The women and the shots are amazing.
   This also comes with a full length dvd, also loaded with some incredible video footage.



4. Fantastic Book... Roy Stuart continues to be a master. Many do not get Roy Stuart. But his one of the finest photographers today. His subject matter is at times raw and hard hitting, what so many do not understand. But Roy always photgraphs life - real life, not the pretentious, plastic hollywod version of life. Buy this or any of Roy's books, You will not be disaapointed.
   
   Garey Grover



5. This album is more of the same, recycled shots from his previous two volumes. I could not avoid the impression that I was seeing what was left out during the edition of Volumes II and III.