National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Birds Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As if teaching children with challenging behaviors isn't enough, I spend much of my time off birding with my camera. Some might argue the two activities are one and the same, and anyone who has tried to capture a great blue heron lifting off the wetlands, only to turn tail and fly behind rushes would agree...speaking from experience. Whenever I set off to capture the feathered members of our planet, I get a few shots, but always think I could do better. If only I'd not moved so fast, if only I could afford a 600mm lens, if only...
Mr. Simmons's book has helped me to look at bird photography a bit differently, and given me permission to be happy with the good shots I do get. Although he covers many of the basic tenets of bird photography, such as knowing your subject, having the right equipment, and shooting techniques, the true gift of this guide is his concept of showing the birds in their environmental setting. Most of his photos are those wonderful bird portraits in larger than life detail we would all love to take, but he makes a good case for showing birds in their habitat, providing enough detail to identify the bird. Most of my photos are of this type, because although I am fairly good at stalking and being patient, my longest lens is still only 420mm with a tele-extender.
He gives information on how to shoot various aspects of bird behavior, such as courtship, nesting and flight, and this information is all helpful. He also gives ideas for various categories of birds, such as shorebirds. The book is guidebook sized, so it can travel into the field with you. If you wish to become more serious in your efforts to take photos of birds, whether in the field or at your backyard feeder, this is a great resource.

Click Here to see more reviews about: National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Birds

This guidebook combines two markets clamouring for books and information -photographers and birders - especially information coming from an expert in both fields National Geographic. This book will appeal to buyers of two of National Geographic's strongest selling backlist titles: National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America and National Geographic Photography Field Guide. This sturdy, easy to carry, and information-packed guidebook brings the birder and photographer - from novice to advanced - the specifics on finding and photographing birds whether in the back garden or in a stunning natural setting. Author Rulon Simmons, 30-year birder and photographer gives you the best film to use, the best lens, the best time of day to shoot. While the photography guidance is for all birds, special tips will be given for favorite songbirds, raptors, and others. Find out how to stalk, lure, and pose a bird while staying out of sight. Full-colour images, excellent range maps, contact information, and superb index are included. 1. National Geographic, renowned experts in the field of photography, brings you the latest in their best-selling photography field guide series. 2.Excellent companion to the Field Guide to Birds of North America 3. Avid and growing market.

Click here for more information about National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Birds

Read More...

Bernie Boston: American Photojournalist Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a slim volume with only a brief text. Fortunately, the photographs are excellent. Bernie Boston uses composition and light to emphasize his subjects, and symbolism is used effectively in some of the images. His subjects shown here included key American people and events of the final decades of the 20th century. His best-known pictures, Flower Power and Corretta Scott King at the Unveiling of her Husband's Bust in the Rotunda, are included, as are photos of Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton. There's a section on his images of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's, plus a variety of other news photographs from the 1970's and 80's.
Many readers will appreciate the walk through recent history provided in this book. Photographers will admire Boston's skill with a camera. Highly recommended for photography students.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Bernie Boston: American Photojournalist

As staff photographer and later White House news photographer, Bernie Boston chronicled the civil dissension and strife of the 1960s, prompted by the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam war movements; the hermetic, inner sanctum of the White House and its Presidential residents; and history-making newsmakers, scandals, conflicts, and triumphs. He possesses a trained instinct for arresting a heightened moment drawn from unfolding human experience; an instinct that bores into the very essence of a specific time and place, as seen in the signature and iconic work of this exhibition Flower Power, a second-place Pulitzer Prize award-winner in 1967. A witness to our times, Boston is recognized as one of the United Statesmost consummate photojournalists. This book is the first to document his career.

Get 5% OFF

Click here for more information about Bernie Boston: American Photojournalist

Read More...

The Concise Focal Encyclopedia of Photography: From the First Photo on Paper to the Digital Revolution Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)From the history of photography to the digital images of today, this book describes how photos were first made and how they'll last. It melds photography with sociology to make this a unique reading experience. It's also an ideal textbook in that it introduces the reader to the inventors and artisans of photography. With over 100 images from some of the most famous photographers ever known, this book is worth well over 100,000 words.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Concise Focal Encyclopedia of Photography: From the First Photo on Paper to the Digital Revolution

Defining photography is impossible. Revealing it is another matter, and that's what The Concise Focal Encyclopedia of Photography does,with each turn of the page.History: The technical origins and evolution of photography are half of the story. The other half consists of the ways that cultural forces have transformed photography into a constellation of practices more diverse than any other mode of representation. Photographers can tell a more in-depth story through a photo like Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother" than a journalist ever could with the written word alone.Major themes and practitioners: Over 25 entries, many with supporting illustrations,examine the figures, trends, and ideas that have contributed most heavily to the history and current state of photography.Contemporary issues: The issues influencing photography today are more complex than at any other time in its history. Questions of ethics, desire, perception, digitization, and commercialization all vie for attention. Hear what the experts have to say about crucialissues such as whether or not the images we take today will last the test of time, and if so, how?When material is covered this skillfully, "concise" is no compromise. The Concise Focal Encyclopedia of Photography is packed with useful information, compellingideas, and - best of all - pure pleasure. * Over 100 color images * Images from Ansel Adams, Howard Schatz, and Jerry Uelsmann to name just a few * International contributors from the top of their fields

Click here for more information about The Concise Focal Encyclopedia of Photography: From the First Photo on Paper to the Digital Revolution

Read More...

The Photography of Alfred Stieglitz: Georgia O'Keeffe's Enduring Legacy Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this book based on the previous customer's review. While I think it is an excellent book I want to correct what is, I feel, some incorrect information. The book does have over a hundered of Stieglitz's prints but most of them are thumbnails. There are only 42 full size photograghic plates in the books, not over a hundred.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Photography of Alfred Stieglitz: Georgia O'Keeffe's Enduring Legacy

Soon after George Eastman House opened, curator Beaumont Newhall sought to acquire the work of Alfred Stieglitz, arguably the most important photographer of the twentieth century. He worked closely with Georgia O'Keeffe and gathered a group of 152 photographs that represent the full range of Stieglitz's ideology and career. He also collected objects largely unique to the Eastman House, including lantern slides, autochromes, and cameras. The publication of this book coincides with a traveling exhibition that opened in the summer of 2000 not only to document the Stieglitz collection at George Eastman House but also to explore O'Keeffe's role in the shaping and preservation of Stieglitz's legacy. The artistic collaboration between Stieglitz and O'Keeffe is well documented—she was the subject of many of his most important photographs. What is less well understood is their collaboration on the preservation of photography and their concern for the role of the institution in educating the public. This book presents Stieglitz's work in a new light and offers a new analysis of one of the greatest partnerships in the history of art.

Click here for more information about The Photography of Alfred Stieglitz: Georgia O'Keeffe's Enduring Legacy

Read More...

Jane Eyre Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It's hard to imagine a better gothic romance than "Jane Eyre" -- gloomy vast houses, mysterious secrets, and a brooding haunted man with a dark past.
In fact, Charlotte Bronte's classic novel has pretty much everything going for it -- beautiful settings, a passionate romance tempered by iron-clad morals, and a heroine whose poverty and lack of beauty only let her brains and courage shine brighter. And it's all wrapped in the misty, haunting atmosphere of a true gothic story -- madwoman in the attic and all.
Jane Eyre was an orphan, abused and neglected first by relatives, then by a boarding school run by a tyrannical, hypocritical minister. But Jane refuses to let anyone shove her down -- even when her saintly best friend dies from the wretched conditions.
But many years later, Jane moves on by applying to Thornfield Hall for a governess position, and gets the job. She soon becomes the teacher and friend to the sprightly French girl Adele, but is struck by the dark, almost haunted feeling of her new home.
Then she runs into a rather surly horseman -- who turns out to be her employer, Mr. Rochester, a cynical, embittered man who spends little time at Thornfield. They are slowly drawn together into a powerful love, despite their different social stations -- and Rochester's apparent attentions to a shallow, snotty aristocrat who wants his wealth and status.
But strange things are happening at Thornfield -- stabbings, fires, and mysterious laughter. Jane and Rochester finally confess their feelings to each other, but their wedding is interrupted when Rochester's dark past comes to light. Jane flees into the arms of long-lost family members, and is offered a new life -- but her love for Rochester is not so easily forgotten...
"Jane Eyre" is one of those books that transcends the labels of genre. Charlotte Bronte spun a haunting gothic romance around her semi-autobiographical heroine and Byronic anti-hero, filling it with brilliant writing and solid plot. It has everything all the other gothic romances of the time had... but Bronte gave it depth and intensity without resorting to melodrama.
Bronte wrote in the usual stately prose of the time, but it has a sensual, lush quality, even in the dank early chapters at Lowood. At Thornfield, the book acquires an overhanging atmosphere of foreboding, until the clouds clear near the end. And she wove some tough questions into Jane's perspective -- that of a woman's independence and strength in a man's world, of extreme religion, and of the clash between morals and passion.
And Bronte also avoided any tinges of drippy sentimentality (Mrs. Reed dies still spewing venom) while injecting some hauntingly nightmarish moments ("She sucked the blood: she said she'd drain my heart"). She even manages to include some funny stuff, such as Rochester disguising himself as an old gypsy woman.
The story does slow down after the abortive wedding, when Jane flees Thornfield and briefly considers marrying a repressed clergyman who wants to go die preaching in India. It's rather boring to hear the self-consciously saintly St. John prattling about himself, instead of Rochester's barbed wit. But when Jane departs again, the plot speeds up into a nice, mellow little finale.
Bronte did a brilliant job of bringing her heroine to life -- as a defiant little girl who is condemned for being "passionate," as an independent young lady, and as a woman torn between love and principle. Jane's strong personality and wits overwhelm the basic fact that she's not unusually pretty. And Rochester is a brilliantly sexy Byronic anti-hero with a prickly, mercurial wit.
Of Charlotte Bronte's few novels, "Jane Eyre" is undoubtedly the most brilliant -- passionate, dark and hauntingly eerie. Definitely a must-read.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Jane Eyre


"Come to me–come to me entirely now," said he. "Make my happiness–I will make yours."

Born into a poor family and raised by an oppressive aunt, young Jane Eyre becomes the governess at Thornfield Manor to escape the confines of her life. There her fiery independence clashes with the brooding and mysterious nature of her employer, Mr. Rochester. But what begins as outright loathing slowly evolves into a passionate romance. When a terrible secret from Rochester's past threatens to tear the two apart, Jane must make an impossible choice: Should she follow her heart or walk away and lose her love forever?

Unabashedly romantic and utterly enthralling, Jane Eyre endures as one of the greatest love stories of all time. This must-have edition of a timeless classic is beautifully presented for a modern teen audience.

Click here for more information about Jane Eyre

Read More...

Photographs: George Eastman House, Rochester, NY (Klotz) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I loved the huge scope of this small, very chunky book!
So many, many old visual favorites are here.
I use this and books like it for reference when creating art work, and this is one of my favorites!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Photographs: George Eastman House, Rochester, NY (Klotz)

This volume shows in chronological order the most impressive images and the most important developments in the art of light that is photography. Display at the George Eastman House through March 12, 2000. 743 illustrations.

Click here for more information about Photographs: George Eastman House, Rochester, NY (Klotz)

Read More...

Photo-Editing and Presentation: A Guide to Image Editing and Presentation for Photographers and Visual Artists (Photo-Developing) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was a bit surprised at how little depth this book had. There is really not much to it beyond what you can read in the preview on Amazon. It gave me no new information, and was centered around digital output with many gimmicky layout ideas. For $30, there should definitely be more meat.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Photo-Editing and Presentation: A Guide to Image Editing and Presentation for Photographers and Visual Artists (Photo-Developing)

Finally, a textbook for mid-level to senior college students and for graduate students of Photography that addresses the demands of senior study. At this level students must take more responsibility for the content and appearance of their work. Until now, there has been no text to assist this process. This book will enable such students to edit and present their work in a professional and thoughtful manner. Additionally, the book will help students develop a helpful critical vocabulary for discussing and interpreting images.This book introduces photographers, print-makers and other graphic artists to the creative possibilities of image editing and presentation. The focus is on how meaning can be created and shaped if the emphasis is placed on the totality of the visual experience rather than by looking at each image in isolation.In the first instance there is a discussion of a variety of ways images can be grouped together. This act has implications for how the work should subsequently be presented. To this end there is a discussion of various presentation techniques, and how each different forum can further amplify the desired effect. Finally there is a hands-on look at a variety of presentation techniques such as artist book publishing, exhibition design and portfolio construction that will help the reader to present his or her work in a professional manner. By employing the principles outlined in this book readers can expect that the content of their work will be more coherent and accessible, not only to an audience, but also more importantly, to themselves.

Click here for more information about Photo-Editing and Presentation: A Guide to Image Editing and Presentation for Photographers and Visual Artists (Photo-Developing)

Read More...

The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, Fourth Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Focal Press (i.e., the Media Technology component of Elsevier Publishing) has just published a "book" (a pristine copy of which I have been happily browsing through after it had - literally - landed on my doorstep with a loud THUD!) that has all the tell-tale signs of being a classic scholarly reference for photographers and students of photography for years to come: The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, Fourth Edition, edited by Michael R. Peres (also available from Amazon).
The encyclopedia is a significant update of its predecessor volumes (the first edition, a classic in its time when it was published in 1956, has been long out of print and is obviously extremely dated given all of the advances in photographic science, engineering and art that have occurred since then; the third edition (edited by Richard D. Zakia and Leslie Stroebel), which I own and love, is only a decade old but has very little on the burgeoning field of digital photography; still, it contains a wealth of useful information and, though it is also out of print, is still available in some used book stores).
The new fourth edition has 880 pages in all, over 400 images, covers all major (and minor) areas of photography (ranging from photography and art / society / commerce, museums, the science of photography, galleries, workshops, education, publishing, history, theory, practice, criticism, and short biographies of selected photographers in the 20th Century), and comes with a CD-ROM that contains the entire (and fully searchable) text + images in the book (this one surprising, and most welcome, addition is worth the "price of admission" on its own).
The book is very handsomely produced, with strong, thick covers and thick, semi-glossy pages that give the volume a "classy feel" and give the overall impression that the editors designed it to be well thumbed and used, and to last a long, long while (which I pray it does since most of my photo books, particularly reference works, tend to become tattered and grow nested dog-ears in no time, as I repeatedly dive in for the shear pleasure of discovering some morsel of photographic delight).
The encyclopedia does have one unfortunate, but arguably unavoidable, drawback: it is so big and heavy that it is impossible to just "whip it out" on your lap and sink into (a flimsy chair) for some leisurely reading; you have to plan on when and where you will be reading this monster! ... and, God forbid, don't even think of taking it to an upstairs room to read in bed: if the staircase doesn't collapse from the weight before you get there, your bed surely will! ;-)
Kudos to Focal Press' editorial board for producing such a fine masterwork. It will likely become the "standard" such reference for all current and future generations of students of photography (and, I suspect, quite a few working professionals as well).

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, Fourth Edition

*Searchable CD ROM containing the entire book (including images) *Over 450 color images, plus never before published images provided by the George Eastman House collection, as well as images from Ansel Adams, Howard Schatz, and Jerry Uelsmann to name just a few The role and value of the picture cannot be matched for accuracy or impact. This comprehensive treatise, featuring the history and historical processes of photography, contemporary applications, and the new and evolving digital technologies, will provide the most accurate technical synopsis of the current, as well as early worlds of photography ever compiled. This Encyclopedia, produced by a team of world renown practicing experts, shares in highly detailed descriptions, the core concepts and facts relative to anything photographic. This Fourth edition of the Focal Encyclopedia serves as the definitive reference for students and practitioners of photography worldwide, expanding on the award winning 3rd edition. In addition to Michael Peres (Editor in Chief), the editors are: Franziska Frey (Digital Photography), J. Tomas Lopez (Contemporary Issues), David Malin (Photography in Science), Mark Osterman (Process Historian), Grant Romer (History and the Evolution of Photography), Nancy M. Stuart (Major Themes and Photographers of the 20th Century), and Scott Williams (Photographic Materials and Process Essentials) * Searchable CD-ROM containing full contents of the book* Full color throughout and highly illustrated* World wide industry leaders contributing

Get 22% OFF

Click here for more information about The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, Fourth Edition

Read More...