Download Description

Here is a virtual treasury of advice, insight, and guidance for every freelance photographer! From creating a portfolio and promoting your work to winning the first client and running a healthy, profitable business, this book provides crucial marketing, business, and legal know-how for every step of the process. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A basic guide to beginning a freelance photography career
Talented with a camera? Check out Starting Your Career As A Freelance Photographer, a basic guide to beginning a freelance photography career, which covers everything from skills needed to equipment, locating clients, and building portfolios of successful projects. The meat of Starting Your Career As A Freelance Photographer lies in its photography-specific business savvy, from negotiating contacts and pricing to studio management. ... Read more

Book Description

New, revised paperback edition of the industry classic! Portrait photography is one of the largest-and most lucrative-specialties in photography. The Business of Portrait Photography provides all the tools, techniques, and tactics needed to open a successful portrait studio or make a current studio even more profitable. In this comprehensive career guide, professional portrait photographer Tom McDonald reveals the business strategies and photographic secrets for surviving and thriving in this competitive field. Covering dozens of topics, The Business of Portrait Photography offers no-fail advice for selecting equipment; constructing a camera room; planning a promotion campaign; taking bridal and children's portraits; designing a price list; serving clients; creating vignettes; and much, much more.As well as being completely revised and updated throughout, this new edition also features the latest information on digital photography and its impact on the portrait business. What's more, this classic reference is also packed with scores of stunning photos and real-life case histories of 30 well-known portrait photographers. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Best Book on the Subject
I completely agree with the other positive 5* reviews, and completely disagree with Fribio99's review. This is the best single book I've ever seen on this subject.

This book covers the practical and artistic issues of portrait photography such as equipment, lighting, posing, exposure, diffusion. It then deals with how to handle special subjects like children, pets, couples, groups, and other portrait specialities. It also includes practical chapters on how to manage and improve the business side of the operations.

Finally, the book concludes with "guest appearances" in the form of two- or four-page spreads by 15 other photographers (they largely seem to be couples), so that you get a sense of different styles of portrait photography and different perspectives on how to build a portrait business. Many of these "guests" are truly spectacular artists in their own right, and it is very intersting to read and learn from what they have to say.

A bonus to all this really good information is the stunning variety of really great pictures (mainly in color). Different people have different ideas how a portrait should look, but most mainstream styles are here, and they are beautifully illustrated by a wide and extremely gifted variety of photographers.

If you buy this book and Kodak's "The Portrait," you'll probably never need anything else.

abstain from buying
This book is poor and you shouldn't buy it. I'm sure Mr McDonald has had a successful career and photographic business and that transpires from his writings. But his cheesiness in words (only matched by his insufferable cheesiness in portraiture) makes the mere sifting through (let alone the reading) intolerable. If you like Avedon and Irving Penn, don't buy this book. Granted, it was never meant to be a monograph but a book that gave the clues on how to set up a business in photographic portraiture. But it would help, wouldn't it, and it would give some minor credibility if the pictures were at least interesting. and what about the lyrics? take a look at this suggestion for an advertisement of a studio: "BECAUSE YOU LOVE THEM. Life is a panorama filled with many entrances and exits... separations and reunions. So there are Tom McDonald portraits to remember yesterday and the many faces of love." You decide. I just wanted you to avoid my mistake.

The Best Book on Portrait Photography
All of the above reviews state exactly what my feelings are on this book...It is indispensible, a must have for a portrait photographer and the photos are stunning! I had to write a review on this book because it is simply the best book on the topic and I cannot state that enough. As an emerging professional photographer, this book has been the one to truly piece the puzzle together. A wonderful read!

A truly indespensible book
This book is a wealth of information on running a photography studio. After reading this book you won't have many questions left. The pictures in this book are inspiring.

Excellent Insight...
The Business of Portrait Photography offers excellent insight for people considering entry into this exciting line of work. I am in the beginning stages of opening my own portrait photograhy business, and found the information in Mr.McDonald's book quite helpful and well-written. It is not easy to find photographers willing to share their experience with newcomers, and this book does exactly that. If you are curious about this field, I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Commercial photography is one of the most competitive yet lucrative and exciting specialties in the industry. Successful commercial photographers have to constantly navigate a delicate balance between the art of photography (lighting, styling,conceptualizing, etc.) and the day-to-day business of running a successful studio (satisfying the client, billing, promotion, sales, and more). According to Souders, the business demands not just cutting-edge photography technique but vision, tenacity, attitude, and perseverance. The Art and Attitude of Commercial Photography is an A to Z guide to becoming a successful working photographer, written by one of the leading professional photographers in the business. Covering virtually every business and artistic issue, topics include dozens of no-fail strategies and tested techniques for getting started; using a variety of digital applications; perfecting the art of selling to clients; creating people and product illustrations; using sources like stock and travel photography; and combining all these artistic and business elements together to run a successful, cost-effective commercial photography business. The Art and Attitude of Commercial Photography is the only book on the market that instructs the reader in the necessary photographic techniques needed for success as well the business savvy needed to run and grow a dynamic business. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Art and Attitude Photo Book
This book is an amazing blend of great visuals, information and lighting techniques to create great visuals; how to run the business aspect of a successful commercial photography studio and how to remain positive. This is a must have book for anyone starting out in the field or anyone that needs a jump start to get remotivated. The author has a great attitude about seeing, image creation, business and his art. The print quality of the book is excellent! ... Read more

Book Description

Science and engineering research must be communicated within the research community and to the general public, and a crucial element of that communication is visual. In Envisioning Science, science photographer Felice Frankel provides a guide to creating dynamic and compelling photographs for journal submissions and scientific presentations to funding agencies, investors, and the general public. The book is organized from the large to small--from photographing laboratory equipment to capturing new material and biological structures at the microscopic level. Full-color illustrations including many side-by-side comparisons provide an extensive gallery of fine science photography.

The book begins with a brief historical overview in a foreword by science educator Phylis Morrison. Frankel discusses technical issues and, just as important, her personal approach to creating images that are both scientifically informational and accessible. This is a handbook that should become a standard tool in all research laboratories. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Very useful book for scientists
I had the opportunity to hear Ms. Frankel at the Materials Research Society meeting and bought the book as a consequence of her talk. Certainly, having heard some of the stories about some of the pictures helps make the book more alive, but I am convinced the book would still be a 5 star one without that advantage.

Ms. Frankel does a good job covering the basics of photography (mostly film, but some digital). She spends a lot of time talking about how to use the image and construct the image to tell the story. My observation is that scientists often don't do a good job getting the image and the story out in a terribly effective way. From the perspective of using images to tell a story (particularly a technical story), this book is by far the best resource I've seen on that subject. I strongly recommend the book to scientists working with images and to those interested in journalism about science.

Simply wonderful
This is at least two different books. The first is simply in the pictures themselves. Frankel's photography complements, even improves the quality of the science with which she works. The scientist's goal is to make new knowledge available, and Frankel has unique talent in doing this visually.

The second book lies in the text around these beautiful pictures. This is an introductory guide to scientific photography. The text will work for a novice as well as a photographer experienced in other kinds of images.

Above all, this is a book about communication - about visual presentation of knowledge. In a chapter of his own, the book's designer makes it clear that the book itself is an example of visual communication.

Perhaps some people think that art and science are somehow opposed to each other. I think such people just don't understand either. This book shows that art and science are complements, perhaps just different ways of finding and sharing new truths.

100 years from now, we'll be talking about this book
I first read about this book in the New York Times, and I agree with Mandelbrot's observation that it's a "masterpiece." Frankel's work will have a tremendous impact, not just on science, but on art, design, architecture, aesthetics, and the way we view the world.

Science will never be the same
Frankel is the Muybridge and Edgerton of the new century. Anyone who reads this arresting book will never see science--or life--quite the same. Life is more exquisite and magical than we know, and thanks to her, we are able to see just how. She gives us privileged views of worlds that we could never see without her help. This book, and her previous volume "On the Surface of Things," are must-haves for any thinking person. ... Read more

Book Description

You have images to sell and 2003 Photographer's Market has the buyers who want them!

Inside you'll find 2000 completely updated market listings with contact information for magazines, stock agencies, advertising firms, book publishers, greeting card and poster markets, newspapers, businesses, galleries and more, including 450 listings new to this edition.

Each entry provides contact names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mails and websites, plus detailed information on what each market pays, preferred submission formats, what they're looking for, how much they buy, and more. Easy-to-reference symbols and indexes get you to the most promising markets for your work FAST.

Inside you'll also find an invaluable selection of helpful articles, Insider Reports, and information on contests, workshops, professional organizations, portfolio review events, websites and more! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

What would we do without it?
A must for editorial and/or stock photographers. A bible of contact information. A few photo buyers, like those who only buy one or two photos from freelancers a year, could be left out of the book.

Read it Cover to Cover
Okay, this is not the type of book one should read cover to cover but I did it anyway. As a young photographer taking baby steps to a new career this book has been invaluable.

Not only does it instill me with the confidence that there is a market for the type of photography I produce, but it gives the contact information I need an the instructions on how to make contact with each photobuyer. The scattered articles also help in pointing the direction for further research into the business aspect of photography.

I will most defiantly make this a yearly purchase! So I will always have the most up to date information on who buys what, when, how, and for how much.

-Christopher Bergeron

2003 Photographer's Market
Having read the other reviews I was probably expecting a bit too much. I admit there is a whole heap of information here, but wading through it is headache inducing. One thing I really hate is the way the subject index just throws everything together: magazines, stock agencies, greetings card companies etc. After a few minutes your brain starts to spin. Surely subdividing the subject index would be more helpful.

Another complaint is that there are no big national newspapers listed. The 'Newspapers and Newsletters' section is truly pathetic, covering every obscure backwater newsletter, but nothing substantial apart from one entry: New York Times Magazine. The British BFP Market Handbook lists all the national newspapers, so why are there none here?

Finally, it seems if publications or organisations do not reply to a listing request, they are deleted. Wouldn't it be better to still include their info with a symbol indicating that it might be out of date material? For instance, you do not list the National Enquirer, but this has earnt freelances a lot of money over the years. It may not be serious journalism but it is a good market.

More info than you'll ever use
This book is very exhaustive on places to sell photos. It is almost overwhelming trying to find places to send photos too. If you can't find a place to sell photos in here than you'll never be able to sell or post photos.

Excellent
If you want to sell or exhibit photos, this book will give you all the information on places to go that you will need. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Totally Impressed
I have bought many photography books over the years and alot of them have been associated with marketing and finding new avenues to sell my work. This book is probably one of the best, if not THE best, I have found. This book is full of inspiring photography, sensible approaches and useful information. I would recommend this book as one of your first on your quest for better photography.

Very Comprehensive
Covers many different markets and not only features the author's work and advice, but includes other published photographers as well. Answers a lot of basic questions and puts stock photography in a realistic light. You probably won't get rich and it will take several years for your photos to generate some money but Frost views stock photography more like an investment than a get-rich-quick scheme.

Overall, worth the money if you are thinking of getting into stock photography.

Pretty good
The book is fairly good, but it doesn't really give you too much fresh information that isn't already out there, other than some specific web sites to go and look at. But, if you don't already have access to that kind of information it is probably a great purchase to make.

The straight scoop
As other reviewers before this one have already stated, this is the bible for free lance photography. It tells you what to shoot and how to market your work. It also becomes apparent as one reads this book that there is a lot of extra work, and a lot of expense, involved in this business. It's maybe 25% taking pictures with the other 75% taken up with preparation, sales and marketing, bookkeeping, etc.It involves taking thousands of pictures and keeping them on file with a picture library. There are pointers from professionals on what sells and how they work. Several, believe it or not, manage to do it while holding down a full time job elsewhere.As for expense, many shots you will have to taken with a medium format system if you hope to find a market; lots and lots of film; computer programs; labels, etc.If you're planning a career in this business, read this book first. Lee Frost will tell you exactly what you are up against.

Focused on Selling Photos, for Real!
This book was packed full of ideas for shooting marketable photos. Unlike other books I've read on this topic, this one discussed what really sells, how to sell, and didn't rpesent you with a few photos to emulate. The ideas discussed were presented in a way to help a photographer come up with their own ideas for shots, and in a manner that makes the book and it's suggestions unlikely to become outdated any time soon. ... Read more

Book Description

This honest, tell-all guide is written by one of the best-known players of the media photography business. Drawing from decades of experience as a working photographer and industry leader, the author defies popular business myths and trend-driven behavior by providing a fresh, common-sense approach to running a photography business. The essentials of running a photography business are covered-from setting a strategic vision to managing finances. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Provides a Good Start
Overall this book gives a good overview and lots of useful information. It could use some updating to accommodate for the current market.

The samples are helpful and can be modified to meet one's needs.

Good basic stuff although a bit dated
Good overview of what you'll need to do to get started but short on details and the computer-related stuff is outdated in 2002. Legal advice is good and sample form letters are useful.

Get launched into profitable photography
For the photographer who wants to find a way to market his or her photography, this great little book will save a tremendous amount of time and energy that one might spend in trying to figure out how to get started. This is not a book that tells you specific companies to go to in order to sell your work, for that you'll need to obtain photography marketing catalogs. Fortunately this book supplies you with names of some of those resources so you can begin your search for clients.

"Photo Submission" guides you in many important legal aspects of starting your business, things I either wouldn't have thought of, or that I might have learned through trial and error. For example, you learn how to obtain releases from people who serve as subjects in photos, and what to look for in a contract with a client. The author includes how to submit photos in various forms, including loose photos, bound, and on CD, plus gives suggestions for artistic, appealing presentation of these portfolios. There are also important guidelines on how to charge a fair price for your work. One of the most helpful parts of this book is that it is full of templates of letters, contracts, and other forms that you can copy.

You may have more questions to ask after going through this book, and you'll have to do your own research on finding clients, but this book has the potential to build your knowledge of legalities as well as a sense of confidence and professionalism.

Lacks Details
The subjects covered were helpful, but lacking in detail for one who is looking for expert guidance. I look for an author to get right to the point and explain things as an expert insider would guide the protege'. The author doesn't go much deeper than explaining the obvious, like advising the reader to find out if buyers prefer to review portfolois on CD's, prints, or transparencies. Many points the author makes raise questions rather than providing answers.

This review comes from Library Journal
This fairly comprehensive book covers basically everything one needs to know about marketing one's photographs. The first half of the book features useful sections on storage of one's work, setting up a business plan, communicating with clients, promotion, copyright, and many other critically important considerations in establishing a successful commercial enterprise. The remainder of the book deals with photo submission, including developing and presenting a portfolio, selling work, and understanding the numerous markets for photography. A substantial part of commercial photography has to do with managing and presenting one's collections of photographs to potential clients, and this book succeeds admirably in advising on both counts. The book also includes sample business forms. Written in a clear, straightforward manner, this work will be welcomed by both advanced amateur and professional photographers. Highly recommended for all libraries, especially those supporting photography and business collections.Raymond Bial, Parkland Coll. Lib., Champaign, Ill. ... Read more

Book Description

Boring Postcards goes Stateside – 160 exquisitely dull postcards from America. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Wish you were here - greetings from the car park
What qualifies a postcard as boring? A quick flick through this book, and its predecessor, "Boring Postcards," suggests that a boring postcard exhibits a lack of visual appeal - drab colors, tedious subjects, uninspired composition, a cliche taken to extremes. But if this is all such postcards offer, why publish a collection of them? Because these misfits of good design have a much more interesting story to tell. Each example prompts one to ask why such a card was produced, who hired such bad photographers, who ok'd the final product, and most importantly, who in their right mind would actually send one? The reward for readers of this book is both serious - in the accidental cultural history one finds in the decrepid architecture of public buildings, say - and humorous - the postcard's subject entirely eclipsed by a parking lot, for example. Although this is a must for any serious postcard collector, it also makes a great book to share with friends for a laugh. My only reservation is that this American version reveals a more limited array of boring postcards than the British edition, including instead a number of product display cards of gears, etc., produced primarily for salespeople to show potential customers and as such, are not as funny or interesting as postcards produced for tourists. Still, this book is a classic - it will keep you smiling long after the plain brown cover fades.

Fascinating Collection of the Mundane
Boring Postcards is a conundrum. Then name perfectly describes the contents of the book yet they become fascinating, baffling, and sometimes hilarious. What goes through one's mind is why would anyone take a photo of this then try to sell it or use it to attract tourists. Why would anyone make a postcard of an interstate, a bend in the road, a truck stop, an aerial view of a hotel, a hospital room? Individually, no one would pay attention to them. But put together they become mesmerizing. It has the same effect as looking through a bunch of photos that have no meaning to you. You know no one, the photography is bad, you don't know why the photographer chose to take a picture of what they did yet they remain interesting. And Boring Postcards, perhaps because they were ostensibly done by professional photographers, remains intriguing.

a really rather special little book
Boring Postcards, collected and edited by Magnum photographer Martin Parr, composed 160 of the dullest British postcards from the fifties, sixties and seventies, touched a national nerve at the same time as it confirmed many foreigners' preconceptions of the British. As the Sunday Times critic discussed at the time: individually they were a kitsch hoot, but collectively they referred to the spirit and soul of a Britain vanished for ever.

For this collection Martin Parr has turned his eye to the USA. The format remains exactly the same: the only text included being the names of the various different postcard publishers whose products are included. The images, again 160 of them, are left to speak for themselves and strict criteria have been applied to the definition of "boring". Either its composition, content, or the characters featured must be arguably boring or it must be devoid of any subject matter which might conventionally be described as interesting.

Rather than comparing Boring Postcards USA to its only slightly older English cousin however, it is perhaps more appropriate to regard it within the established photographic genre which attempts to define and deal with notions of Americanness. To name but a few this long established genre includes the work of: Alexander Gardner, Lewis Hine, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Walker Evans, Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Robert Frank and, perhaps more relevant to Parr's oeuvre, Bill Owens. Looked at in this light, as Martin Parr is certainly aware, Boring Postcards USA has some way to climb; but for all that there is an appropriateness in using images made for mass consumption as a window on the ultimate consumer society. Certainly the humour shines through: taconite for anyone curious turns out to be a type of hard rock used as iron ore and the book, perhaps in spite of itself, seems bigger than itself. "Moving on", "My Four Wheels" and the notion of "Mom and Apple Pie" all feature. On a personal note I lament the exclusion of the famous Airstream caravan but echoes of previous work do indeed sneak through. Could for example the large veneered television on which Ronald Regan appears in Bill Owens' Suburbia have in fact been a Spartan Way Imperial? Did Matthew Brady make pictures near to what would later become the Gettysburg Interchange? And most crucial of all is the American sense of humour, sometimes self conscious and reportedly devoid of irony, ready for the attentions of Martin Parr? Let's hope so, for like last year's this is a really rather special little book. I await with bated breath the advent of Boring Postcards Belgium.

Boring Postcards
In a "nut shell", I felt that this was not "money well spent".I enjoyed looking at the postcards, but was disappointed at how many were offered (only one per 6"x8" page, total, about 175). I would have liked it a lot more if someone else had paid for it. Maybe I can sell it at a yard sale for a buck.

just bought some
Saw this book in L.A. and had to buy it. Then went away for a vacation and was motivated to buy the "boring" postcards at a thrift store. Thank you boring postcards! My friends will now be like "What the hell?" ... Read more

Amazon.com

James Abbe, a 1920s fashion photographer, and Zoran, the designer whose simple, monochromatic clothes were extremely popular in the 1970s, anchor the 500 entries in this massive encyclopedia of fashion. Each designer, photographer, model, or icon gets a page with a large photo and informative but short caption. This has the wonderful effect of weighting each entry equally, thereby devoting the same amount of space to Charles Revson, creator of the Revlon cosmetics empire and relative makeup newcomer François Nars, pioneering clothing designer Mariano Fortuny and contemporary favorite Tom Ford.

Clearly, a good set of eyes edited this book. It's a tall order to choose just one image to define the many facets of a designer, model, or photographer. The choices made here are excellent and often surprising. The indomitable Coco Chanel demonstrates the ease of movement her designs afforded women by briskly swinging her arm out to one side, while Kate Moss is shown at the height of her waifdom, likely the mode in which she will best be remembered. Model Linda Evangelista is pictured with curly locks of hair. It's obvious, too, that the editors employed the haphazard juxtaposition created by the alphabetical organization. Facing entries, no matter how seemingly incongruous, are united by a visual theme, to spectacular effect.The ovals made by the either screaming or yawning mouths of Kurt Cobain and his infant daughter are mirrored in a 1937 Jean Cocteau illustration of an Elsa Schiaparelli design. A model in a 1930s outfit by John-Frederics faces a portrait of post-punk design queen Betsey Johnson, whose floral outfit echoes the flowery silhouette behind the model. A troika of Robert Lee Morris bracelets matches the arcs of a bombed-out London building in a 1941 Beaton photo of a Digby Morton design. The vibrant prints of Emilio Pucci and Lilly Pulitzer fall together naturally.

The reams of fabulous images and the inventive design alone make The Fashion Book a treat at any cost, but the low price-to-size ratio (like its cousins The Art Book and The Photography Book) makes it a real steal. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Great fashion book for the coffee table
512 thick, glossy pages of fashion. Each page highlights a different person... Designers, models, icons, photographers, illustrators, milliners, cosmetic creators, tailors, etc. Each page has a brief paragraph or two describing the artists contributions, and below is a single large picture or illustration depicting the work of the artist. One of the more stunning fashion books I've seen. Quite impressive.

The Best Fashion Book
This is without a doubt the best fashion book ever written. Not only are designers in this book, but also fashion illustrators, editors, and icons. The work and time put into this book must have been unbelievable, and to charge such a low price. The book is definately worth the price, and much much more. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in fashion, at any level.

Terrific!
I have the small paperback version, sitting on my bedside table. The type gets pretty tiny in this version but get yourself a magnifying glass and read on. Pick it up and let it flip open to any page to find interesting info on designers, photographers, models, illustrators, any major player in the fashion world past or present. It's the closest thing to a fashion 'bible' that I've ever seen. Priceless!

love it
i love this book espesially the designs on page 133 and 183. very informative.

The Fashion Book
A great reference for those interested in people who have made major contributions in fashion. This is a beautiful A-Z guide with over 400 entries that includes fashion designers, photographers, models, retailers, illustrators and icons. Even though there is not a lot of text it provides you with just enough written information that you want to find out more if it does not already quench your curiosity. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Covering All the Bases...
Although my interest is mainly focused on wedding and portrait photoghraphy, the other chapters were informative. They explained how to deal with editorial, advertising and corporate clients, to name a few. Throughout the book the author gives helpful sources to follow up on, including questions and anwsers with experts at the end of every chapter. ... Read more

Book Description

Combining the aesthetic and the technical, this sourcebook provides the fastest methods of reaching thousands of people with your portfolio of digital images. Photographers and designers who have published their works on CDs and websites offer invaluable creative tips, while art directors and art buyers suggest ways to show, organize, and promote your images for maximum effect.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Style Over Substance
The book has no cohesive message. It doesn't provide any guiding principles or other ideas that help photographers or web designers to build digital porfolios. Too much of the text is spent defining basic terms like JPEG and Photoshop and too little teaching relevant principles of design or any other topic that can further various artists understanding of the subject. Furthermore, nearly 1/3 of the book is spent asking the same five interview questions (how many hits do you get a week, how effective is your website at generating clients,) to a series of photographers, web designers, etc. This would be fine except the questions do not help advance any overarching messages in the book either. They seem to just hang there as an interesting side note. It appears that the author was far more interested in designing a interesting looking book than a interesting learning book. Additionally, the page layout varies so significantly from page to page that readers will find it difficult to maintain focus and follow the point.

It is as if the author wrote the book freehand and never sat down to create a outline of the message that he wanted to convey. This shines through from the first page and doesn't stop until the last page. Unfortunately, this means that readers will learn very little on how to build "the perfect digital portfolio." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Beautiful Book
This is a beautiful book full of beautiful shots of food in all its glory. Each shot is accompanied by a diagram showing you how to position your lights, camera, and subject. You also get info on which film was used, which camera was used, what the exposure was, plus a host of other insider info on this specialty trade. You'll need a basic background in lighting to be able to replicate the techniques. And I suspect you'll want to learn some basic food styling skills, if you ever want to master this field. Still, the book is a must for someone who wants to practice shooting food shots. By mastering each technique illustrated, you can then let your imagnation soar and move on to creating your own fabulous food shots. ... Read more

Amazon.com

How does a professional photographer find his or her niche and rise above the competition? By presenting a dynamic portfolio. But how do you clarify your direction--the crucial first step? "Look inward," advises Brackman. Ask yourself not "What will sell?" but "What do I really want to do?" The author, a top consultant in the field, explains precisely how to put together the essential marketing tool; she combines lucid nuts-and-bolts prose with dazzling examples of advertising, corporate and editorial illustration by clients like W. Eugene Smith, Pete Turner and Nancy Brown. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not Quite the "Perfect" Guide
It was good, but spent more time discussing specialization and career direction rather than actually how to make your portfolio. I was expecting more of a guide on presentation and content, not a guide on what to shoot and why you should or should not specialize with a glossing over of the physical building of a portfolio for the purposes of presentation.

There aren't many definites presented. Most things are treated several ways, leaving the reader to decide often without a clear idea of what is "recomended". (Example: tray of slides, yes or no? Answer in the bood: well, some people expect to see that. Others don't. You should have it. But a lot of places don't have the equipment to project it, etc., etc.)

In short, it was good information, but the author simply refused to take a stance on what works and what doesn't. Instead, the popular options were presented.

The Perfect Portfolio
"Perfect" This book was incredibly helpful. I am just beginning to put my portfolio together and this book helped immensely. I found out what type of photos I should have, how they should be displayed, etc. Great Book! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The title of fashion designer Gianni Versace's new book references his diverse clientele, who not only wear his clothing but also impact his designs: rock & roll queens Tina Turner and Madonna, fashion princesses Kate and Naomi, design lords Lagerfeld and Armani, and even the real deal, Diana, Princess of Wales. Photos of these and other fashion mavens, both in and out of Versace clothing, are interspersed with images of royalty throughout history, such as Queen Victoria, Empress Catherine of Russia, and a young Queen Elizabeth. The aesthetic juxtaposition of history and modernity, depicted in black-and-white photographs and colorful artwork, echoes the energy of the fashion world and captures the influential style of its inhabitants. The royalties from the sale of Rock and Royalty will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Gianni Versace, a Fashion Genuis
Gianni Versace was a designer who loved to push the envelope. His clothes were a mixture of extremes: sexy, sleazy, colorful, tacky, and elegant. One adjective you'd never find in a sentence with the word Versace is "boring." His clothes commanded--and often got--attention, which is why he was such a favorite among celebrities such as Madonna, Elton John, Liz Hurley, Courtney Love, Prince, Jon Bon Jovi and even Princess Diana. This book is a fabulous, eye-opening collection of vivid photographs of models and rock stars in Versace: from Prince to the members of British boy band Take That. Some outfits are more releaving than others, but they're all unmistakably Versace. Diana herself is also included in the book, along with a few words of praise for the designer. Tragically, Versace was murdered in the summer of 1997, but his spirit and influence live on. This book comes highly recommended. Drop it on your coffeetable, and your guests won't want to put it down.

excellent!
A must have book for all Versace fans.

A note from Maureen Farquhar
Fantastic photography in another large book from Versace. This book captures the 'rock chic' glamourama which the late Versace excelled at creating. The association between 'Rock and Roll', and art is full indulged here creating a empirical illusion to the Versace dynasty. The glossy presentation of the images also adds to an overall feeling of luxury. The only reason I have not given this book the top rating is for its inclusion of Elton John - who makes me sick. So what if its expensive, luxuries like this don't come cheap. ciao,

Maureen Farquhar (maureenfarquhar@yahoo.com)

Rock and Royality - Versace
This book gives a look into the classic, Calabrian influenced, luxury of Versace. This volume serves as a record of the pure decadant genius of this mega Italian talent.

Great, glamourous book!
For all of you who loves Gianni Versace clothes and really admire what he had done to the world of fashion I recommend you to have this incredible book. ... Read more

Book Description

This one-of-a-kind resource introduces aspiring photographers to the art and skill of assisting top-notch pros—an incomparable way to learn the field and launch one's own promising career in photography.Revised and expanded to include the latest information on multimedia, Internet, and CD-ROM developments, this reliable guide offers technical tips on camera equipment, lighting, surface preparation, studio and location shoots--all from the perspective of what the assistant must know. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

BEST INFO ON ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHY
This book tells the real truth about working and running a studio,good for photographers and their assistants! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

It's Chuck Delaney...
I really liked the book. I'm a a NYIP student and it reads real close to the course. It's not 100% photography information as he also talks about some of his views on life. I subscribe to the same views so it didn't bother me. Overall, a great book. Lots of information for someone wanting a career in photography.

Excellent advice on your way to become a pro.
One of the most interesting books on becoming a professional photographer I ever read. No matter if you are interested in becoming a part time freelancer or full time pro. Chuck DeLaney, dean of the oldest and biggest photography school in the U.S. did a tremendous job writing a book that not only covers the standard aspects of the trade, but also includes many topics that are of more peripheral nature, but still of vital importance to become successful in the business.

Showing how he managed to become a pro, covering more or less common traps and pitfalls, psychological and health wise aspects of work and how to solve possible problems, relationship between other fields of fine art and photography, talking about his experience with other professionals and how those people solved problems, makes this a must read book for any aspiring photographer.

When reading I felt like listening to a good old photographer friend telling me about his experience during decades of practical work. The book is crammed full of information, that it might take a bit longer than usual to read it. Definitely a five star book and a must have.

A complete and authoritative guide to taking good photos.
Decades of professional experience provide the foundation for Photography Your Way, an authoritative guide to taking photos, from selecting subjects and equipment to creating a portfolio and setting up a business. Especially recommended for any who want to become professionally involved. ... Read more