Book Description

Reviews (11)

A Beautiful Book, Highly Recommended
I found this book to be a wonderful experience. Sally Mann has shown so many different 12-year-olds in her hometown of Lexington, Va, and she has captured their stories and what makes each girl so unique. I loved this book and found that some of the photographs, especially "Doll House" reminded me of myself "At Twelve".

Wonderful
I give Sally Mann a thumbs up for capturing her beautiful children when they were young, being what they are: beloved children. How fast we grow and turn into adults!
As I studied each page my memory was jogged several times of my childhood in southern Georgia. Humid sunny days and muggy rainy evenings; I couldn't wait to strip what little bit of cloths I wore and play outside in the rain or in the woods. I never gave it a second thought being nude. And apparently neither did my parents. Needless to say Sally Mann and her beloved childern are dear to my heart. Thanks for bring back so many innocent fond memories.
I recommend this book if you have an open mind and love children for what they are.

At Twelve: Portraits of Young Women
At Twelve is Sally Mann's revealing, collective portrait of twelve-year-old girls on the verge of adulthood. The way many of these reviews are written (i.e. like revealing) you think your getting something for the money but you're not. There is no nudity in this book (except for one picture of a 2 or 3 year old). I strongly recommend you stay away from this trash and stick with the David Hamiltion books.

Solidly beautiful pictures
Maybe I missed something. The pictures are beautiful, and they are supposed to be an attempt to capture the essence of young women on the cusp of becoming adults. What I got was pictures of young women-- missed the whole "becoming" thing. I could just be thick, but this one just passed me by devoid of any emotion.

Exploitative!!
This is not new ground. Mann is better than this. She could be a "contender," by taking a different route than she has - the exploitation of her own children in the nude. Not recommended!!! ... Read more

Book Description

The first new edition in 13 years incorporates recent changes on the subject of streamlining from advances in computers. Their ever increasing speed and storage capabilities have directly led to an entire new approach in photogrammetric mapping known as “Soft-Copy” photogrammetry. Digital Imaging systems, including those used in modern satellite programs, scanners for digitizing photographic images, and digital image processing techniques are new topics to be covered that are fundamental to soft copy photogrammetry. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Resource
This book is an excellent resource and covers all topics in a sufficient and easy to read manner and definitely covers all the "elements". Anyone that is interested in Photogrammetry will find this book quite useful.

Book Review: Elements of Phtogrammetry
This book is substantially revised from the previous edition in 1983, some 17 years ago. Consequently, new topics are added, particularly on GIS and digital photogrammetry. The appendixes on least squares adjustment, co-ordinate transformations, collinearity equations and digital resampling are particularly useful.

This book is clearly one of the best ones around in the area of photogrammetry. The chapters are properly organised and the concepts are explained clearly.

Of course, every book has to focus on its intent and target audience. The authors did this with flying colors. If there is anything missing in the current photogrammetric literature, it surely must be a book that reorganises the chapters into an operational book of case studies on photogrammetric practice.

I strongly recommend the book to you.

Dr Willie Tan bdgtanw@nus.edu.sg ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Why is this book a combination of old books?
This book is a combination of old books with old ideas. The description should say that all the publishers have done is combine old work! What a dissapointment.

A Must Have for Beginners
If you want to see how different lighting arrangements can effect a picture then this book should be part of your phtotgraphy library. I just wish there were(approximate) distance measurements given between the subject ,background and lights.

Outstanding! My favorite portrait & fashion lighting book
I love this book! I am a self taught photographer with over 20 years of experience. Almost everything I know about photography has come from reading books or trial and error. Most of the books I have read stated that they contained "everything I needed to know" or they were "packed with information" etc. etc. blah, blah, blah! Usually thay were OK for beginners containing only basic information and lacked real substance. Well this book is the real deal! Great photography and loads of lighting techniques from very simple to complex. Most of the photographs occupy a page all by themselves with little or no distracting text. An explaination of the complete lighting set up with a detailed diagram is on the adjoining page. The quality of the printing is great, allowing you to reap the full benefits of what a book on photography should be. This book is a wealth of information for photographers who want to take their lighting skills to a higher level.

Excellent Book, BUT...
As the latest from the Rotovision series, this IS an excellent book, BUT it is a compliation from the very popular Pro-Lighting series (which I already own). If you haven't purchased any of the books in this series, I would not hesitate to get this one! If you already have Portraits, Fashion, Glamour or New Glamour, you already have what this is made up of.

Very instructional
This book is like a catalog of photos; real high quality fashion/glamour/style photos with illustrations of how they were made. There are not a lot of text there. Maybe you still need another book that deals with technique, basic and advanced. It will be great in conjuntion with this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Amazon.com

If you're a photographer trying to earn a living from your work, The Photographer's Guide to Marketing and Self-Promotion may be the best investment you make. Maria Piscopo has been a photographer's representative for more than two decades, and she has honed her message at innumerable industry conferences and workshops. In brief but information-packed chapters, Piscopo explains how to define the type of work you do, research different categories of clients, and persuade them to hire you. She deals with the nitty-gritty of portfolio presentation (how much do you show?), writing the selling "script" (what do you say and how do you tailor it to your audience?), and negotiating costs. Other chapters discuss how to work with a rep and a marketing coordinator. Throughout the book, first-person accounts by successful photographers add welcome practical details. While the level of detail on most topics is unusually thorough (where else are you likely to read about how to leave a voice mail message for a potential client?), a few areas could profitably be expanded or tweaked. There is a lot more to be said about styles and pitfalls of Web marketing, and the chapter on press releases could use the cautionary advice of someone on the other side (a newspaper or magazine editor). And maybe the next edition could lose all those distracting exclamation marks. Piscopo's cheerful, down-to-earth style is plenty persuasive without them. --Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A business tool for the professional photographer
If you are new in the photography business or you are looking to overhaul your marketing strategies, Maria Piscope book "the guide to marketing and self promotion" will help. In todays rapid change of the photography business good self promotion is the key. Maria Piscope leads your from the basic to the more advanced marketing strategies of the industry. A must read for the beginner as well as the established photographer. The modern artist has to be a good business person this book will be a good start. ... Read more

Book Description

This easy-to-use, inexpensive book introduces readers to the fundamentals of photography and suggests ways in which they might create photographs that have meaning.Oriented toward traditional black and white photography, thebook also explores digital techniques and web photography resources, equipment, cameras and camera accessories, the exposure and development of film, and the making and finishing of prints. All aspects of the process are explained and illustrated clearly in two-page spreads, each of which addresses a self-contained topic.For those who don't know anything about photography—but want to learn, and anyone who wants to take better pictures than they do now. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Complete tripe.
If you are talking a College level course that utilises this book as the main text, I truly pity you. You will learn more by simple self research via the internet and using your camera over the duration of the course than this book could ever teach you. By the final chapter you are left banging your head into your desk wondering why anyone would ever choose this offal as a required textbook. Don't believe me? Read Chapter 9 and notice that the vast majority of the text is simple poetic musings followed by references back to previous chapters, as the authors were too bloody lazy to expand upon their meager ideas. Pathetic. ... Read more

Book Description

Photography is a revolutionary art medium that has changed the way in which the world is presented. It has become an indispensable mode of communication and a vital means of revealing and explaining the world. This comprehensive encyclopedia traces the amazing journey of photography, from the invention of the daguerreotype in 1829 to the digital photograph of today.

In outlining nearly two centuries of this innovative art form, the book touches on some of the medium's key themes, from portraits, nudes, and still lifes, to sports and fashion photography, photojournalism, news coverage, and NASA images. A team of specialists in the field explain photographic techniques and examine the various approaches to photography around the world. Using pictures that have changed our way of looking at the world, such as Eadweard Muybridge's Galloping Horse, and featuring biographies of 200 of the greatest photographers of all time-from Mathew Brady to Cindy Sherman-the encyclopedia delivers the complex history of photography in a format that will appeal to any reader. AUTHOR BIO: Christian Caujolle created the photo agency l'Agence VU in 1986. He has curated numerous international exhibitions and published monographs on a wide range of photographers. Quentin Bajac was curator of the Musée d'Orsay from 1995 to 2003. Today he is photography curator at the Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou. Brigitte Govignon is an art historian and creator of the "Small Encyclopedia" series, of which this book is the fifth title. She also works for the French publisher Gallimard on its Folio collection. ... Read more

Book Description

Over a 7-year period, Tony and Eva Worobiec, two of the greatest photographers of all time, traveled the dusty paths of rural America, particularly in the Dakotas, Montana, and Wyoming. The fruits of their journey are pictures so poignant and evocative of the American West that they are the photographic equivalent of a Steinbeck novel. Each amazing photo vividly reveals the struggle for survival, of a disappearing way of life, in the forgotten countryside and backroads of the U.S. In the often harsh and unforgiving landscape, the Worobiecs shot affecting and beautiful pictures of abandoned farms, schools, gas stations, grain elevators and tractors, diners, and trucks.
Tony's pictures are large format, shot in black and white, and then hand tinted. The results resemble postcards from the 1950s. Eva shoots directly in color for a more starkly modern aspect. Both achieve magnificent, and ultimately emotionally touching, results.
Along with the photographs are the words of the remaining residents, who speak sadly of better times, the friends and neighbors for whom things didn't work out, and of their own, once-flourishing piece of abandoned America.
This remarkable achievement is both an exquisite photography book and a commentary on the American way of life.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Abandoned but thankfully not forgotten.
Fortunately for a lot of photographers abandoned man-made America seems to be just about everywhere and what a visual treat it produces. This handsome, large (check out the dimensions in the Product Details above) book of photos is a cut above the usual offering though. Rather than shoot the predictable broken and rusty commercialism everywhere the Worobiec's had the great idea of capturing one particular area of the Nation, the northwest. Here the railroads were the catalyst to opening up the landscape with towns created about every ten miles or so to service track and train. Predictably many of these settlements lacked natural resources and decent farmland so it was inevitable that the weather, depression, and technical advances in transport made so many of these towns uneconomic and many folk just left.

What I find amazing is the nature of the leaving. Many photos show inside abandoned houses still with kitchen units, phones, furniture and personal effects. Page sixty-five shows a wall calendar for July 1959 in a house in Wildrose, Nebraska and as the caption explains these were useful indicators to reveal the date of the owner's departure. Sometimes the Worobiec's found small schools abandoned, as the photo on page 117 shows, the floor awash with textbooks. As expected there are many photos of abandoned vehicles (possibly thirty-six was just a bit too many) surrounded by vegetation, rich pickings nowadays for collectors, I bet.

Another reason why I like this book is because 'Ghosts in the Wilderness' is not just a collection of photos but a travelogue as well, six chapters have lively and interesting essays about the social and economic aspects of the area. These words give more meaning to the poignancy of the images.

The printing and design is excellent, the photos are mostly one to a page with generous white, black and light grey backgrounds. I do have a criticism of the production though, the last five pages show all the photos as thumbnails with the relevant technical details, all this information could easily have been accommodated on the page with the photo and so avoid having to keep turning to the back.

I think the Worobiec's have done a wonderful job producing a book of regional photography. Oh yes, thank you Mark and Sarah who gave me this lovely book as a Christmas present. ... Read more

Book Description

Covering the rights photographers need to understand to prevent losing an image or incurring liability, this book details the legal aspects of publishing photographs, public vs. private property, model releases, copyrighted material, pornography, and intrusion of privacy. Also discussed are what to do when film or equipment is seized and handling confrontations. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A useful and entertaining legal handbook? Here it is.
This is a terrific handbook, full of useful information presented concisely and with considerable wit. Is this guy really a lawyer? The photos illustrating the author's points, and the accompanying comments, alone make the book worth buying (for example, a "legitimate expectation of privacy" is humorously and aptly demonstrated by the image on p. 39.) A bonus is the good, common sense advice it contains to help the photographer stay out of trouble, and to allay concerns that otherwise might unnecessarily cause the photographer to pass up good shots. A very good addition to any photographer's library.

Great reference tool!
Great book to have on hand to take notes from and to reference when needed.

It touches on all topics re: liability and includes a great resource section.

A Practical Guide to Dealing With The Public
Everyone who takes photos in public places should have a copy of this book. Krages points out that laws restricting the publication of photographs are different from laws about making those photographs in the first place, and many misconceptions are the result of confusing the two. He also has some good suggestions for staying out of trouble, how to deal with confrontations if they occur, and when to call a lawyer. He writes: "Confidence in knowing one's rights is important when photographing action on the streets but knowing how to avoid upsetting people can be more important." He says that most lawsuits are the result of emotional issues rather than a desire to collect money.

If you want an extended discussion of copyright law, look elsewhere-- this book is about *taking* photographs, not publishing them. Good information and advice on every page.

An Important Book for Photographers
Photography is getting down right confusing as far as legal issues are concerned and not knowing what is legally correct and what isn't can make or break your business. So how do you remedy this? You can hire a lawyer, take a chance and hope what you are doing is legal, or you can read "Legal Handbook for Photographers." The author, Bert P. Rages, Esq., is a practicing attorney, stock photographer and writer so he knows the issues fellow photographers must wrestle within the world of photography. Subjects covered in the 123 page book include how local, state and national laws are made, the enforcement of laws, photographing in public and private places and privacy issues. Understanding copyrighted materials and restrictions on subject matter is covered as is lawful and unlawful seizures of your film and equipment. Chapter seven discusses establishing your personal ethics. This one volume could save you much heartache and money. It is certainly worth the price... ... Read more

Book Description

2005 Photographer's Market provides photographers with the key guidelines they need to sell their work and build a career. This updated edition provides:

*2000 listings covering every possible opportunity, including magazines, stock agencies, ad firms, book publishers, newspapers, businesses, galleries, and--new this year--art fairs

*Fresh business advice, from the latest developments in the stock photography market to new information on how to break into book publishing markets

*Insider advice from a variety of experts, including Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist John Kaplan, acclaimed nature photographer Nancy Rotenberg, and innovative advertising photographer Chip Simons

This is the essential market guide for aspiring and professional photographers everywhere. ... Read more

Book Description

This easy-to-use, inexpensive book introduces beginning picture takers and makers to the fundamentals of photography and suggests ways in which they might create photographs that have meaning. Oriented toward traditional black and white photography, the book also explores digital techniques and web photography resources, equipment, cameras and camera accessories, the exposure and development of film, and the making and finishing of prints. All aspects of the process are explained and illustrated clearly in two-page spreads, each of which addresses a self-contained topic. For people who don't know anything about photography and would like to learn, and for those who want to make better pictures than they already do.
... Read more

Book Description

Photographs of outer space--produced by earthbound and space telescopes and planet-roving satellites--have captivated a vast audience. And nowhere has this audience found more enthralling views than on Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD), a website so popular that it draws well over one million hits every week. The Universe: 365 Days presents in unprecedented clarity 365 spectacular images culled from the thousands that have been featured on the site, which has been hailed as one of the best science sites by both Scientific American and Popular Science magazines.

Following the enormously successful format of Abrams' Earth From Above: 365 Days, The Universe: 365 Days has been crafted by the two astrophysicists who in 1995, in collaboration with NASA, created and continue to maintain the APOD website. Accompanying each stunning image is a short explanatory text that greatly expands the reader's appreciation of the wonders of the cosmos. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

beautiful photography
There is a website called "Astronomy Picture of the Day". The website is exactly what it claims to be. Every day the website posts a new picture related to astronomy with a description of that picture written by a professional astronomer. With the first archived photo on that website from June 16, 1995, the editors of "The Universe: 365 Days" had nearly 8 years of photographs to draw on when this volume was published in May 2003. This book can be used like a calendar because that is how this book is laid out: every day of the year has an astronomy photograph, with a description of each picture.

As someone who knows very little about the universe, or astronomy, even with the descriptions next to the pictures I still wasn't always sure what I was looking at and how one picture was truly different from another. I understand that they look different and that they are pictures of very different parts of the universe, but the details are far beyond my comprehension. What is not beyond my comprehension is the fact that these are stunningly beautiful pictures. Even simple pictures that we may have seen many times before, like a picture of our planet from space, is striking and beautiful. Others are of star clusters and galaxies that are so far away and so alien that it boggles the mind to know that there are places like this out there and we really know nothing about what it would be like to travel there.

This book can be read as a calendar, where you flip the page each day and see what new photograph is waiting. It can be read like that, but I couldn't imagine only looking at one of these pictures a day. After seeing one picture, I just had to turn the page to see what wonder was waiting for me, and almost without exception, there was a wonder on every page. Beautiful space photography (though some are on Earth, and others looking out from Earth). If that sounds interesting, this collection is probably for you.

-Joe Sherry

Illuminating !
Ahhh... The beauty of the universe. Do you think it just formed itself? After looking thru the marvelous photos in this book, do yourself a favor and read up on the continuing war between science and religion.
Here is an excerpt from the latest book by Dan Brown...

"Science may have alleviated the miseries of disease and drudgery and provided an array of gadgetry for our entertainment and convenience, but it has left us in a world without wonder. Our sunsets have been reduced to wavelengths and frequencies. The complexities of the universe have been shredded into mathematical equations. Even our self-worth as human beings has been destroyed. Science proclaims that Planet Earth and its inhabitants are a meaningless speck in the grand scheme. A cosmic 'accident'. Even the technology that promises to unite us, divids us. Each of us is now electronically connected to the globe, and yet we feel utterly alone. We are bombarded with violence, division, fracture, and betrayal. Skepticism has become a virtue. Cynicism and demand for proof has become enlightened thought. Is it any wonder that humans now feel more depressed and defeated than they have at any point in human history? Does science hold ANYTHING sacred? Science looks for answers by probing our unborn fetuses. Science even presumes to rearrange our own DNA. It shatters GOD's world into smaller and smaller pieces in quest of meaning... and all it finds is more questions.
The ancient war between science and religion is over. Science has won. But not fairly. Not by providing answers, but by so radically reorienting our society that the truths we once saw as signposts now seem inapplicable. Religion cannot keep up. Scientific growth is exponential. It feeds on itself like a virus. Every new breakthrough opens doors for new breakthroughs. Mankind took thousands of years to progress from the wheel to the car. Yet only decades from the car into space. Now we measure progress in weeks. We are spinning out of control. The rift between us grows deeper and deeper, and as religion is left behind, people find themselves in a spiritual VOID. We cry out for meaning. There is a growing trend of people who profess to believe in UFO's, engage in chanelling, spirit contact, and out-of-body experiences- all these eccentric ideas have a scientific veneer, but they are unashamedly irrational. They are the desperate cry of the modern soul, lonely and tormented, crippled by its own enlightenment and its inability to accept meaning in anything removed from technology.
Science, the 'illuminati' say, will save us. Science, I say, has destroyed us. Since the days of Galileo, the church has tried to slow the relentless march of science, sometimes with misguided means, but always with benevolent intention. Even so, the temptations are too great for man to resist. I warn you, look around yourselves. The promises of science have not been kept. Promises of efficiency and simplicity have bred nothing but pollution and chaos. We are a fractured and frantic species... moving down a path of desruction.
To science, I say this. The church is tired. We are exhausted from trying to be your signposts. Our resources are drying up from our campain to be the voice of balance as you plow blindly on in your quest for smaller chips and larger profits. You even murder unborn children in the name of research that will save lives. But it is the church that points out the fallacy of this reasoning. And all the while, you proclaim that the church is ignorant. But who is MORE ignorant? The man who cannot define lightning, or the man who does not respect its awesome power?
Show me proof that there is a God, you say. I say use your telescopes to look to the heavens, and tell me how there could not be a God. Do you not see God in your science? Have we become so spiritually bankrupt that we would rather believe in mathematical impossibility than in a power greather than us?
Whether or not you believe in God, you must admit that when people abandon their trust in a greather power, they abandon their sense of accountability. Faith, all Faiths are adomitions that there is something we cannot understand, something to which we are accountable... With faith we are accountable to ourselves, to each other, and to a higher truth. Religion is flawed, but only because MAN is flawed. Simply put, we people with faith belong to a brotherhood of imperfect simple souls wanting only to be a voice of compassion in a world rapidly spinning out of control."

~ From Angels & Demons

a must have for all ages, all walks of life
This book is nothing short of phenomenal. I keep buying it for people because I know they will be enthralled. Each photograph is awe inspiring and the accompanying text just boggles the mind. You can get lost for several minutes just gazing at a single photograph, contemplating the nature of the universe. Petty concerns dissolve as you stretch your mind around the concepts so beautifully depicted. This book is a treasure to enjoy for a lifetime.

Gorgeous
You know about the Astronomy Picture of the Day website, don't you? If not, check it out; I can't post the URL here but a quick search will turn it up.

This book is a collection of some of the very best pictures from that marvellous site. Most of the pictures are images of Very Cool Stuff from around the cosmos: comets whacking into Jupiter, galaxies forming, that sort of thing. And wow, it sure is _big_ out there.

The stuff close to home is fascinating enough in its own right that the book pays for itself with just the images from within our very own solar system. The shots of the other planets and their moons are culled from the various flyby missions and, naturally, they are _way_ better than anything that was available when I was a kid.

There are a few that are _very_ close to home, and these are cool too. Some show either the Earth (from orbit) or a view of its sky (during the Hale-Bopp visitation, for example). A handful are of other things entirely (including one of the most effective Magic Eye pictures I've ever seen).

They are all of them stunning, captivating, and gorgeous. If you aren't pretty much transfixed by this stuff, then you and I probably aren't from the same homeworld.

And the short commentary that accompanies each image was written by a qualified, competent astronomer. Does life _get_ any better than this?

Don't forget to visit the website, too. There are lots more images in its archives than would fit into this book.

Amazing picturer after amazing picture
If you've spent some time on the Internet, you've come across the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APoD) website, run by astrophysicists Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell. Once a day they post up a space-related picture, provide a handy description. I've said to myself on several occasions, that these guys should write a book. Well, now they have.

The Universe: 365 Days is a print version of APoD, and it's one of the most gorgeous astronomy books I've ever seen. Open it up to any page: on your right is a full-page photograph, and on your left is a paragraph description about the picture. That's it, 365 pages of description/picture, rinse, repeat. Not much else to say. If you like pictures of space and astronomy, then you're going love it, page after page.

Because there are so many photographs, the authors were able to draw from a large pool of images. So, it isn't just the same old NASA/Hubble pictures that everyone uses, there are some from more obscure observatories and even amateur astronomers. There's a handy index at the back so you seek out images by topic.

I understand why they decided to go with the whole 365 days concept; it's a connection to their website. But then, it's not like you're going to read the book one day at a time, like some kind of yearlong astronomical advent calendar.

Let me just stick my drooling tongue back in my mouth for a second and let you know my complaints with the book. First, the text is really small. Unreasonably small considering that it's swimming in white space. The layout person should have been thinking about all the people who might be reading this book, and steered well away from 9 point font. My other complaint is that it feels fragile. Imagine you're holding a stack of nearly 400 photographs bound together on the left-hand side. I'm worried that it might come apart with all the use it'll get sitting on a coffee table. I'm afraid to let my kid look through it, as she'll render it into pulp in minutes.

Still, complaints aside The Universe: 365 Days is a fantastic book. Gorgeous photographs put into context by scientists who've had years of experience boiling complex concepts into handy, bite-sized write-ups. ... Read more

Book Description

This book represents the work of every LIFE magazine staff photographer from the 20th century, as well as a handful of others closely affiliated with the magazine, including Alfred Eisenstadt, Margaret Bourke-White, Gordon Parks, Eugene Smith, and Joe McNally. THE GREAT LIFE PHOTOGRAPHERS presents the most iconic images of the past century, as well as little-known gems from the LIFE archives.

Many of these images are markers of the major milestones of history--the first pictures from inside the womb or from outer space, Robert Capas falling soldier, and memorable scenes from Tiananmen Square. Defining celebrity portraits of Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, the Beatles, and Michael Jackson are also featured.

This startingly rich collection of both color and black-and-white photographs is a vivid fulfillment of Henry Luces charge: To see life; to see the world....To be amazed! ... Read more

Book Description

Presenting the thoroughly revised, fully illustrated edition of The Nikon Compendium, updated by the technical editor of Nikon Owner magazine to include all the new Nikon cameras, lenses, and accessories. This is what Nikon enthusiasts have eagerly awaited: the most complete Nikon reference book ever. At almost double the length of the original, the guide describes virtually every Nikon camera ever produced, right up to the wide variety of popular digital models. It aids identification, offers user-friendly tips, explains what system fits with which camera, and discusses what limitations occur when equipment from one generation is married to items from another. Professional and amateur photographers, as well as enthusiasts, collectors, and retailers will want this on their bookshelves.
... Read more

Reviews (7)

The search for Photographic Exposure Holy Grail of Midtone!
Zuckerman, a master photographer, takes an unassuming, non-technical case-study approach to show readers how to achieve the perfect photographic exposure. The brilliant and superb colour photographs used as illustration or case study are captured with his favorite medium-format SLR camera, a Mamiya RZ 67-II (you can check this out in his interview at http://www.mamiya.com/assets/zuckerman/RZ67).

Having explained how and when a built-in TTL (through-the-Lens) reflected light meter (by definition) in an SLR camera may fail, Zuckerman jumps straight to the important concept of a "middle tone" (mid-tone or medium gray or 18% gray) upon which such TTL light meters, and for that matter, all light meters, is based in obtaining a "normal" exposure, as opposed to a "correct" or "perfect" exposure. This is immediately followed by a judicious survey of the classic situations in which one finds difficulty in obtaining a correct exposure. If at all, there is a single rule-of-thumb, Zuckerman makes it clear that if you choose to meter exposure based on a "mid-tone" of a colour, everything else will fall into place. That is the Holy Grail one should seek as far as exposure is concerned! Getting to this even when there is little or no mid-tone is the topic of chapter 3.

In a nutshell, when you get an exposure reading from your camera's built-in light meter, often, depending on the lighting situation, you are only getting a "normal" exposure (based on the idea that the camera is exposing your subject at this middle-gray) instead of getting a correct exposure, which is what you want as a photographer!. Hence, when you try to obtain an automatic exposure for tricky situations like black subject on a dark background (examples are a plenty in Zuckerman's book), the built-in exposure meter will fail as it tries to interpret a normal exposure of this by assuming a middle-gray. Consequently, you get an over-exposure in such situation and get a gray instead of black subject. Those situations that present metering problem are covered as individual topics in their respective chapters in this book (high contrast, backlight, indoor architecture, low light of extreme situations when correct exposure is more an art than a science etc).

While it is intuitive to illustrate the concept of "middle gray" as being a series of gray ranging from black to white, doing this within the context of colour photography presents even a challenge to the author. The author did, however, made a good attempt by illustrating the location of a "mid-tone colour" in many of his colour illustrations (in chapter 3 and others). One is still left with the question of what exactly constitute a mid-tone of a series of colour of a photographic subject. It would have been great if only Zuckerman could show his chosen "mid-tone colour" for each and everyone of his great colour photographs in this book!
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As a Pro, the author relies heavily on off-camera light meters (notably the Sekonic L-508) that incorporate both an incident as well as a reflected light meter (presumably, no TTL-meter is built into the Mamiya RZ67 II) in capturing almost all of the photos used in the book. Beside stating the importance and the use of incident light meter and a high-end reflected light meter (one-degree spot reading), Zuckerman does provide way in which one can perform the same precision light reading using a standard 35mm SLR on a spot-reading mode. As the spot reading angle is a function of the focal length of the lens being used, Zuckerman shows that with a telephoto lens focused on a chosen mid-tone of a subject, one can achieve the reading that rivals a precision reflected meter!

The author does not advocate the practice of bracketing an exposure or over- or under-exposure by a stop or two! Hence, there is no discussion of "zone system" exposure in this book. Interested readers are well advised to check out other titles on this topic, including Les Meehan's "Creative Exposure Control" (Collin and Brown, 2001) and Bahman Farzad's "The Confused Photographer's Guide to Correct Photographic Exposure and the Simplified Zone System" (3rd edition, 2001)

While correct or perfect exposure is important, photographic composition is an equally important skill to acquire on your path to great photography. Readers are advised to check out titles on this topic, one of which, "Photos with IMPACT" (David & Charles, 2003) by Tom Mavik is well worth your effort!

Overall, this book is both informative and accessible to photographers in general and novice in particular. It is filled with pages and pages of the author's enthusiasm for his subject of nature photography. This simple approach of recognize a photo-exposure situation and search for its mid-tone may not be shared by all photography enthusiasts. But the bottom line is: If you can capture great photos with such an approach, why not? You can always learn the technical details of this later!

Simply Perfect
I am still finding out some new stuff there when reading it now even I have read it from cover to cover for a couple of times. The chapter about finding a middle tune area and the appendix about sun f/16 rules( well, I bet you know it very well, but the author does have his own words) are very helpful.

THE BEST -- THE SIMPILEST-PERFECT
People, if you have any doubts about exposure with your camera, please read this book. I always had doubts, have read other books that are excellent for exposure, but you know what this is the FINEST book I have read that really does tell you how to find exposure on those difficult exposure. It is so easy to read and you grasp Zuckerman's teaching so fast. WOW
I use to have doubts on my exposure in photography, I bought the book, have read it 3 times in one week, now it is a reference book to check if required. To date have not checked. It is not a big book, but crammed with what YOU need to get perfect exposures. Good Luck, you will land up with a smile on your face

More Inspirational than Instructive
This is an interesting book with some of the most beautiful photography imaginable. Zuckerman is clearly a master photographer and the books meets its goal of teaching photographers how to achieve "perfect exposure."

For each chapter, there is an introductory text that is brief and concise and most of the teaching is actually done through the caption text of numerous gorgeous photographs. Zuckerman guides one through the obligatory discourse on the weaknesses of automatic metering and then into various situations that a photographer may find him or herself.

Throughout the book, Zuckerman discusses his approach to obtaining exposure. And, there in lies the major weakness of the book - the approach is his. Although and very sound and effective approach, Zuckerman's "secret" is the reliance of a handheld meter. In the end, the book can become little more than a repetition of the idea that if you use a handheld meter, you can obtain good exposure.

This is in sharp contrast to Bryan Peterson's "Understand Exposure" which actually teaches the reader the principles of exposure and how to use those principles to obtain good exposure REGARDLESS of the equipment being used.

This book, however, has two saving graces: 1) the photography is amazing and does give great examples on how to deal with various exposure situations, and 2) the chapter on finding medium grey in various situations. The first provides the inspiration and the second provides information that is rare to find in books on exposure.

Overall a decent book that one would not regret purchasing; however, I would recommend purchasing it along with Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" rather than as a stand alone text on exposure.

best, most simple explanation of the exposure for a beginner
This book, in my opinion, is the fastest and the most simple introduction into understanding of the exposure. Very clearly explained and pictures with author's comments just help so much to understand the author's way of working with exposure. I went to a book store to check highly recommended book of Bryan Peterson "Understanding Exposure". After reading several chapters I understood that the book is good but not as good as a lot of people wer saying. The main drawback of that book is inability to express the basic rules of exposure estimation clearly. That leaves a photographer-beginner with a vague feeling - like - ok, I read it, but what should be my first steps? I am not an experienced photographer and according to Bryan's book there are too many situations and the author leaves too many open doors for a beginner like me (that' good for more advanced amateur photographer, but too confusing for a person like me, who is just starting photography). Opposite - Jim explains it so clearly, giving just a few simple rules, allowing to go and start shooting using those rules and getting results which were not possible before reading the book. Also, I don't agree with one of the reviewers who was complaining about Jim's usage of incident metering. First, Jim almost always explains both situations - metering with the hand meter and metering with camera's meter. Second - it's always a probability that you can buy a hand meter. Having a hand meter will allow you to get much more precise exposure readings. Anyway, great book, I am glad I found it.

I read a lot of good reviews about ... Read more

Book Description

"Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images is now in its third edition and it has become the standard in photo criticism and theory courses throughout the United States. The book contains an elegant pedagogical apparatus founded on the four critical activities that Terry Barrett so ably illuminates -- describing, interpreting, evaluating, and theorizing.

Moreover, Barrett's analytical categorization of photographs into ideal types including the aesthetically evaluative and the interpretive (to cite two examples) has provided readers with a highly original and useful way to think about how photographs are made to function in the world." Louis Kaplan, Southern Illinois University ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Criticisng Criticism
A look at the subtitle to this book, "An Introduction to Understanding Images", might lead one to believe that it is about photographs and what makes them good or bad (or if there are such things as "good" and "bad" photographs). But instead it is about photographic criticism, primarily written. And even then it really doesn't tell you very much about how to write criticism yourself, or how to interpret what you read, or how to develop patterns of thought that would enable you to criticize in a useful fashion. Instead most of the book is concerned with the pigeon holes into which different kinds of photographic criticism can be put.

An unstated thesis of this book seems to be that the criticism of photographs is an art form itself. Certainly anyone who has read something like Walter Benjamin's "the Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" might agree. But if it is an art, then it has both form and content, and any book claiming to teach one about the art (I almost said craft) had better address those points. To know that there are theoretical schools like Postmodernism or Feminist Theory is useful to those trying to organize photographic criticism and may be helpful to the photographic critic who is trying to decide what his own approach is, but knowing that these schools exist does not help a critic as much as a knowledge of how to look at a picture and organize a written commentary.

Fortunately, the book has a number of examples of written criticism, including several examples of different critics addressing the same picture. Unfortunately most of the criticism addresses the content of the photograph without considering how the form relates to the content or how, as Mark Schorer has said, technique leads to discovery. For example, Ansel Adams' photographs rely upon the range of light from the whitest whites to the blackest blacks to make their statements about the grandeur of the American wilderness. Unfortunately, nothing in this book considers photographic technique for the critic, although there are plenty of opportunities. For example, there is an ambiguous picture by Robert Doisneau taken in a Paris Café showing a younger women and an older man. The picture is grainy and the depth of field shows the women more sharply then the man. Both of these techniques should contribute to the possible interpretation of this photograph, and yet they are not mentioned.

I think the photo critic who wants to improve his art would be far better served by learning something about photography, and then reading actual criticism, like John Szarkowski's "Looking at Photographs". "Criticizing Photographs" should only be considered as a supplement to such studies.

useful and excellent book for students of photography
I have read Persian (Farsi) translation of the 2nd. edition of this book. Thanks to Mr. Barrett and the translators of the book. It helped me to understand how to criticize photographs and I found it a unique book in this field. After searching in Internet I found out that Mr. Barrett Has revised the book in ashort periodof time. I suggest, as a student of photography in university, to all studentd in the world to read the book. Again thanks to Mr. Barrett.

"It takes more time to make a picture than to appreciate it"
This is an excellent book.

These are some questions the book deals about: How a photograph is made? What are its purposes? How should its context be considered? Was that photograph made or taken?

In this book several criteria (even opposite ones) about photographs are also analyzed and compared, leaving to the reader the decision about the one(s) to take. The process of understanding a photograph is not simple, but this book is a nice guide to follow.

At the end of the book, examples of reviews are included, as a reference not only for students, but also for the person who simply would want to talk about a photograph. Moreover, advice concerning the redaction is also given.

A treasure trove of definitions, examples, and ideas...
A diversity of critical voices and photographic approaches is explored, giving the reader access to a rich world of creative thoughtŠBarrett defines criticism as "informed discourse about art to increase understanding and appreciation of art." He organizes his treatment of the four major activities of criticism‹describing, interpreting, evaluation, and theorizing‹which in turn address four basic questions: What is here? What is it about? How good is it? Is it art? ŠThe book provides in two short appendixes, practical advice on writing about photographs and on conducting casual and directed discussion of photographsŠ Monterey Peninsula College, Anne Canright

A framework which can be used with any visual medium...
The book is itself an excellent introduction to that process of questioning which constitutes the acquisition of meaning in modern contexts. It discusses issues such as feminism, postmodernism, and the disputes surrounding artistic controversy and censorship. It bristles with penetrating accounts by critical writersŠOne of the brilliant strengths of this book is that the reader actively participates in the critical process by witnessing it in action through the minds of contemporary writers and photographersŠ Canadian Review of Art Education, Donald Berglund ... Read more

Book Description

The only comprehensive, how-to guideto antique and contemporary photo processes, from daguerreotype to digital, Coming Into Focus is the essential reference for the amateur and professional photographer. The mysterious and beautiful processes used by historic and modern art photographers-many of which don't require a formal darkroom-are revealed here in simple, step-by-step instructions and photographic illustrations by internationally recognized experts, with each method carefully reviewed for safety and ease of use.The many "non-traditional" processes detailed here offer photographersexciting alternatives to standard methods-opening up whole new worlds of creative expression. With practical, lay-flat binding, all-inclusive materials lists, a resource guide, and in-depth chapters on chemicals, paper, and equipment, Coming Into Focus is an indispensable, handbook for any photographer in search of answers and inspiration. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An Excellent, Well Written Book
I whole-heartedly recommend this book. I also have "The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes" by Christopher James, another good book, but I always go back to "Coming into Focus". This book is laid out in a very accessible manner, each section is written clearly and concisely, and the processes are described so that you understand and can start experimenting almost immediately (once you acquire the necessary materials for the relevant process). Again, this book is a very useful one, and a handy reference to have around.

A nice addition to any alt-photo library
A compelling blend of traditional processes takes on new life with new, improved chemical formats and digital techniques. Any artist working in alternative processes arrives, sooner or later, at their own individual methods and unique combinations of techniques. This book provides many examples of working formulas that build upon and further develope the traditional standard favorites. The "recipes" are clearly detailed in an easy-to-follow textbook format, with such new processes as the Fredrick Temperaprint (a tricolor system based on gum dichromate) and the Argyrotype (an iron-silver process similar to Van Dyke). It also seamlessly incorporates the digital technology we rely on more and more.

It's given me a wealth of new ideas and projects to try out, and is sure to become an invaluable resource in my own darkroom. ... Read more

Book Description

Displaying the same wit and charm that made her Creative Techniques for Photographing Children a commercial success, Vik Orenstein shoots straight with photographers on what it takes to build a successful photo business. She combines big-picture thinking with a soft touch to deliver sound, practical advice on such core topics as developing a marketing plan, building a clientele, networking and maintaining creative fulfillment.

The guide is a major asset for:- Amateurs seeking a friendly overview of the business - Established photographers delving into a new niche - Freelancers interested in selling stock - Photographers starting their own studio

At 320 pages, the book's simultaneous deep and broad treatment makes it an excellent companion to the business-focused introduction found in Photographer's Market. Vik also covers such important specialties as wedding, commercial and nature photography in individual chapters and frequently complements her own advice with that of industry experts. ... Read more

Book Description

The Print is the third and final book in The Ansel Adams Photography Series--the seminal guides fully revised by Ansel Adams shortly before his death in 1984.

The Print, now available in paperback like the other volumes in the series, belongs on every photographer's shelf. It covers the entire printmaking process, from designing and furnishing a darkroom and experimenting with your first print, to mastering advanced techniques such as developer modifications, toning, and bleaching, and burning and dodging. This thorough guide is filled with indispensable darkroom techniques and tips, and amply illustrated with photographs and technical drawings. It is an indispensable tool for mastering the complex art of photographic printmaking. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

This is great book
In this book, Adams said Expression is more important than reality, idea more important than fact, the print more important than its subject. For it is only in the print that such magnificence can be unfailingly orchestrated. Those words made me think that what is good photograph. The book opens with a thoroughly enjoyable, albeit brief, history of photography before getting down to explain printing techniques.

The majority of the text concentrates it's efforts in educating the reader in the art of B&W photography. This book tells readers that what are good prints making techniques. After reading this book you will feel like that your printing skills are very improved. The reader will see many wonderful pictures as examples, that will surely create a better impression as to what type of pictures Adams takes.

This is great book !!!
In this book, Adams said Expression is more important than reality, idea more important than fact, the print more important than its subject. For it is only in the print that such magnificence can be unfailingly orchestrated. Those words made me think that what is good photograph. The book opens with a thoroughly enjoyable, albeit brief, history of photography before getting down to explain printing techniques.

The majority of the text concentrates it's efforts in educating the reader in the art of B&W photography. This book tells readers that what are good prints making techniques. After reading this book you will feel like that your printing skills are very improved. The reader will see many wonderful pictures as examples, that will surely create a better impression as to what type of pictures Adams takes.

This Book is Great !!
In this book, Adams said Expression is more important than reality, idea more important than fact, the print more important than its subject. For it is only in the print that such magnificence can be unfailingly orchestrated. Those words made me think that what is good photograph. The book opens with a thoroughly enjoyable, albeit brief, history of photography before getting down to explain printing techniques.

The majority of the text concentrates it's efforts in educating the reader in the art of B&W photography. This book tells readers that what are good prints making techniques. After reading this book you will feel like that your printing skills are very improved. The reader will see many wonderful pictures as examples, that will surely create a better impression as to what type of pictures Adams takes.

Excellent Book for any Serious B&W Photographer
This is one of a few books in this Ansel Adams series. He discusses a number of aspects of the print, it's limitations, and many techniques that can be used to exploit print characteristics. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is at all serious about B&W photography whether developing your own prints or not.

A must have in the age of digital
This book though dry and technical has plenty of information that is a must have for any aspirinf photographer who wishes to push their black and white print skills furhter. Given that digital camera sales are now out stripping analog cameras will this book still have relevence? ... Read more

Book Description

World’s first book written to illustrate the on-camera spot metering technique for 35mm, Digital, and Medium Format photographers:

All types of metering systems used in different cameras (with the exception of the on-camera spotmeter operated by a skilled photographer) use a "cookie-cutter" approach to photographic exposure. What this means is the camera meter measures the various tones of your subject, and then averages all of the tones in order to come up with an overall exposure. Sometimes the overall exposure works and sometimes it doesn't. With this approach, the ball is in the camera's court and in many instances the photographer has no hand in the final look of the image. With on-camera spotmetering, the photographer uses a "tailored" approach to find the correct exposure for a very specific subject. With this approach, the skilled photographer interprets the spotmeter readings from the subject and establishes the correct exposure that captures the desired image (what the eye sees) on film. The consistency and flexibility of the narrow-angled spotmeter makes it the most powerful and versatile exposure tool in existance today. The only catch in using a spotmeter is that the photographer must have the skill to use this powerful tool correctly and effectively. The Confused Photographer's Guide to On-Camera Spotmetering does just that! It is simple, easy-to-follow, and uses a common-sense teaching approach to the material. With more than seventy full-page illustrations, it is designed to get the beginner and the intermediate photographer started in a couple of days. I assume that you have a camera with a built-in spotmetering (partial metering) feature. I also assume that you have a ninth grade education and are willing to learn. To facilitate your learning process, I have included a two page cheat sheets for each of the following cameras: Canon EOS 10D Digital Slr, Canon EOS 20D Digital Slr, Canon EOS 3, Canon EOS A2/A2E, Canon EOS Elan 2E, Canon EOS Elan 7E, Canon EOS Rebel 2000, Canon EOS Rebel Ti/300V, Canon PowerShot G3 Digital, Canon PowerShot G5 Digital, Minolta Maxxum 5, Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta Maxxum 9, Minolta Maxxum StSi, Nikon CoolPix 990 Digital, Nikon CoolPix 995 Digital, Nikon CoolPix 4500 Digital, Nikon CoolPix 5700 Digital, Nikon Coolpix 5000 Digital, Nikon Coolpix 8700 Digital, Nikon D70 Digital Slr, Nikon F4, Nikon F5, Nikon F100, Nikon N50, Nikon N55, Nikon N60, Nikon N6006, Nikon N65, Nikon N70, Nikon N75, Nikon N80, Nikon N8008s, Nikon N90/N90s, Pentax *ist, Pentax *ist-D Digital SLR, Pentax 645N Medium Format, Pentax MZ-S, Pentax PZ-1P, Pentax ZX-5N, and Sony DSC-F717 Digital. If your camera is not listed here, you will still be able to learn the technique and apply it successfully. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

An Excellent Primer on Achieving Accurate Exposure
The Problem: How to get your camera to accurately expose for scenes of widely varying colors and contrast when your camera's built in meter can only see the world as 18% Gray?

The Answer: Read this book!!

In one bold stroke (one brief, lucid book) Mr. Farzad has completely de-mystified the technique of achieving proper exposure on color slide (and negative) film. His explanations are quite clear and simply presented without sacrificing the more subtle aspects of the "art" of exposure control. The book clearly explains the