http://pspug.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl/Blah.pl? http://www.eblah.com en http://pspug.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl/Blah.pl?m-1362073012/ http://pspug.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl/Blah.pl?m-1362073012/#num1 'Almost Every Black and White Conversion Technique Known to Man'

Book Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Category: Photoshop/Digital Photography
Price: $44.99
ISBN: 978-0-321-79402-4
255 Pages

... review to be continued...]]> Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:36:52 Pete http://pspug.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl/Blah.pl?m-1335226980/ http://pspug.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl/Blah.pl?m-1335226980/#num1 'A Guide for artists and designers'
by Andrea Marks

ISBN: 978-0-321-76745-5
Book Level: Beginning/Intermediate $34.99

We all take pictures. We don't often write. When we do it's more like a blog, email, small web page. There is a CD with resources to articles, books, websites, blogs, wikis, video, and more.

"An upbeat exploration of fun, engaging techniques for using words to unleash the powers of the mind." - Ellen Lupton

Email me if you would like to check out this book: devlinpt @ qconline.com

]]> Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:23:00 9662 http://pspug.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl/Blah.pl?m-1335225695/ http://pspug.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl/Blah.pl?m-1335225695/#num1 'A Self-Training Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Taking World-Class Photographs'

Roberto Valenzuela
ISBN: 978-0-321-80353-5 $44.99 294 pages Book Level: Intermediate/Advance

I paged through the book to have a good look at the photographs and see what Mr. Valenzuela is showing, both in final images and the "no-good" shots. Many of the practice shots have circles around the area of the photo to be looked at and evaluated. I am impressed. Many of the poses and situations are different from anything I've ever seen before.

It is a thought provoking book that photographer's of people will enjoy.

Email me if you would like to check out the book.
devlinpt @ qconline.com]]> Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:01:35 9662 http://pspug.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl/Blah.pl?m-1330392670/ http://pspug.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl/Blah.pl?m-1330392670/#num1 ISNOTDEAD
"A Digital Photographer's Guide To Shooting Film

If you have only known digital and want to acquaint yourself with film, this book will help.
With chapters like

1. The Reasons
2. The Rules
3. The Cameras
4. The Film
5. The Exposing
6. The Backend
7. The Personal Projects
8. The Tutorials
9. The Resources

I think you will find this book informative, engaging, and fun to learn with.

If you would like to check it out email me with you snail mail addy and I'll have it off to you.]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:31:10 86 http://pspug.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl/Blah.pl?m-1324604520/ http://pspug.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl/Blah.pl?m-1324604520/#num1 US $44.99 CAN $46.99
Book Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Category: Digital Photography

This is not the only book in our library by David. We also have Within the Frame if you go back a few pages in this section.

The back cover blurb says "When looking at a photograph, too often a conversation starts - and, unfortunately, ends - with a statement such as, "I like it." The logical next question, "Why?", often goes unasked and unanswered. As photographers, we frequently have difficulty speaking about images because, frankly, we don't know how to think about them. And if we don't know how to think about a photograph and its "visual language" - how an image is constructed, how it works, and why it works - then, when we're behind the camera, are we really making images that best communicate our vision, our original intent? Vision - crucial as it is - is not the ultimate goal of photography; expression is the goal. and to best express ourselves, it is necessary to learn and use the grammar and vocabulary of the visual language.

"PHOTOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING is about learning photography's visual language to better speak to why and how a photograph succeeds, and in turn to consciously use that visual language in the creation of our own photographs, making us stronger photographers who are able to fully express and communicate our vision. By breaking up the visual language into two main components - "elements" make up its vocabulary, and "decisions" are its grammar - David duChemin transforms what has traditionally been esoteric and difficult subject matter into an accessible and practical discussion that photographers can immediately use to improve their craft. Elements are the "words" of the image, what we place within the frame - lines, curves, light, color, contrast. Decisions are the choices we make in assembling those elements to best express and communicate our vision - the use of framing, perspective, point of view, balance, focus, exposure.

"All content within the frame has meaning, and duChemin establishes that photographers must consciously and deliberately choose the elements that go within their frame and make the decisions about how that frame is constructed and presented. In the second half of the book, duChemin applies this methodology to his own craft, as he explores the visual language in 20 of his own images, discussing how the intentional choices of elements and decisions that went into their creation contribute to their success."


Contents
Introduction
Part One - The Photographer's Intent
Chapter One - It Means Something
    "But I Shoot Intuitively"
     All Content Has Meaning
     The Frame
     The Flattening
     A Good Photograph?
     Visual Language
     "I Like It"
     Layers of Impact
     A Word about Rules

Part Two
Visual Language
Chapter Two - Elements
     Lines (Horizontal, Vertical, Diagonal, The S-Curve, Implied Lines, Other Lines)
     Repetition
     Contrast and Juxtaposition
     The Seduction of Color
     Light
     Moment
Chapter Three  - Decisions
     Framing (Crop, Orientation, Aspect Ratio)
     Placement (Gesture, Thirds, The Golden Ratio and Golden Spiral, Relationship, Point of View, Picture Plane, and Perspective, Balance)
     Optics (Filters)
     Focus
     Exposure (Exposure for Aesthetics, Dept of Field, Shutter Speed)
     Moving On

Part Three - 20 Photographs

Conclusion
Index

One of the nice things David does in this book is notate all the camera info we want on a photograph and then, adds commentary about what or how the photograph moved him. Also, these are not an archive of his 'Best of David duChemin" going back many years: in my parousal I see most images dated 2010 and 2011 - this is his current work, the development of his approach.

This is one of those books you settle in to read and learn from, perhaps take notes, and become a better photographer from having been exposed to his teaching.

David's work can be found at DavidDuChemin.com

The book is ready to be checked out - just send me your request
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