APOGEE PHOTO MAGAZINE: Book Reviews

Note: To check prices or to order any book from Amazon.com, click on the image of the book.

	LIFE: A Journey Through Time by Frans Lanting I would have to say that the best photography book ever published is now in the book stores, and its name is, LIFE: A Journey Through Time. I can tell you that the images in this book are grouped by Elements, Beginnings, Out of the sea, On land, Into the air, Out of the Dark, and Planet of Life, but I am at a loss for words to describe this book. It is a very large (and heavy) book, and with most images covering the full pages from edge to edge, and many others cover the full 2-page spread, it is a book that you truly have to see to believe. The 2-page spreads I actually have to hold at arms length to see the whole image, or else I turn my head back and forth to each one. The images range from vast landscapes down to nose-to-nose shots of some of the animals. This whole book is just as fantastic inside as the image you see on its cover. I am at a loss for words every time I look at it, but I will say that if you never buy another book in your whole life, make this the last one you get. You won’t be sorry. It is worth three times the price! This hardback book is about 12x15 inches, with 304 pages, retails for US$49.99 – and is published by Taschen at www.taschen.com. I Rate it: A++++plus (PF)
	Acting The Part: Photography as Theatre edited by Lori Pauli It took me awhile to get to checking this book out as I was not all that sure how interesting it would be, but once I started reading through it I found out how wrong I was. Acting The Part is the history of “staged” photography, and starts as far back as the mid 1800s with the work of photographers such as Julia Margaret Cameron, and continues on for another 100 years with many other well know artist like Man Ray. What I liked most is the classic, yet simple way in which most subjects were posed back then, which today seems to be a lost art by many photographers. This book will be a wealth of ideas for anyone who does portrait work, and it is really interesting reading as well. This hardback book is about 10x12 inches, with 176 pages, retails for US$49.95 – and is distributed by Merrell Publishers at www.merrellpublishers.com. I Rate it: A (PF)
	PhotoShop CS2 Before & After Makeovers by Taz Tally The easiest way to describe this new book is just to say that if you have images that suffer from the “Blahs,” then here is the book to show you how to turn them into great looking “after” shots, and it does it in very easy to understand, step-by-step instructions. Not only is every step given for each tool used, but also all of the tool settings. This is by far the easiest to use and learn Photoshop book I have seen so far, and the only way the work could get any easier is if someone did it all for you. It is one of those few books that will pay for itself as soon as you work on your first image. It will always be right at my work station so that I never have to go looking for it. This soft cover book is about 8x10 inches, with 374 pages, retails for US$29.99 - and is published by Sybex, an imprint of Wiley at www.sybex.com. I Rate it: A+ (PF)
	Adobe Photoshop Unmasked: The Art and Science of Selections, Layers, and Paths by Nigel French Here is a new book that everyone who uses Adobe Photoshop “must have” if you want to do anything more than just simple image corrections. To really do pro-quality digital correction and manipulation, you will have to make exact and specific selections, and this book will show you how to do just that. Each selection tool is covered in easy to understand steps, and for lessons that may require a file image to work on, there is a companion web site where you can go to and download the needed images for each chapter. It will teach you how to use the tools that will take your images from beginner level to pro-quality. This soft cover book is about 8x9 inches, with 254 pages, retails for US$44.99 – and is distributed by Peach Pit Press at www.peachpit.com. Rate it: A++ (PF)
	Practical Color Management by Eddie Tapp Even before you start to make all of the needed corrections to your image files, you have to make sure that the colors of your result come out the way you intended. That is done by first setting up the color management tools that came with your software and/or operating system. This book covers how color works in the digital world, what it takes to manage it correctly (with all of its options), and how to do it all correctly. It is all covered in easy to understand, step-by-step, and fully illustrated lessons, and it is a subject that digital users cannot afford to ignore if they want to end up with any kind of presentable images. Here is the book that will take care of all of those matters. This soft cover book is about 8x10 inches, with 150 pages, retails for US$29.99 - and is published by O’Reilly Media and can be checked out at www.oreilly.com I Rate it: A+ (PF)
	Nikon Creative Lighting System Digital Field Guide by J. Dennis Thomas Digital Nikon users are in for a treat if they now use, or intend to buy, either the new SB-800 or SB-600 lighting systems. This great new book covers “everything” you need to use these two units and all of the power-packed extras that go with them, like the new R1C1 macro speedlight kit. This great new book covers just about every lighting combination and set up you can think of for any subject you will likely come across. This is one of those few books that I get two copies of so that I can take one along into the field and not care about the wear and tear that it will get. I will also bet that this book will help sell a lot of these new Nikon creative lighting systems, and make a lot of happy photographers. (I’ll be one of them!) This soft cover book is about 6x9 inches, with 201 pages, retails for US$19.99 - and is published by Sybex, an imprint of Wiley at www.sybex.com I Rate it: A++ (PF)
	Colorado – 1870 – 2000 by John Fielder and Arizona – Then & Now by Allen A. Dutton I am covering these two books together in one review because they are so much alike in both subject matter and quality. Both books deal with historical photos taken in the states of Colorado and Arizona. Two of today’s photographers, Allen Dutton in Arizona and John Fielder in Colorado, traveled to those same locations and took new images from as close as possible to the same spots as the old images were shot from. I have always liked the few books that I have seen like this as they not only have some interesting history in them, but they are also fun to try to find where any of the old buildings are still standing in the new images. Then there are those locations that are now as different as day and night from what they used to be. I did not see where any of the old Arizona shots showed who took them, even though one of them included Buffalo Bill Cody, whereas all of the historical images in the Colorado book were taken by William Henry Jackson, which makes that book a nice collector's copy in itself. History lovers will love both of these books. Both hardback book are about 14x10 inches, each with 156 pages, retailing for US$39.95 & US$45.00 respectively, – and are both published by Westcliffe Publishers at www.westcliffepublishers.com I Rate both: A+ (PF)
	Exploring Basic Black & White Photography By Joy McKenzie This book is perfect for use as a textbook in a Beginning Photography class. Only what a beginner needs to know is discussed, explained, and illustrated. The limitation of topics prevents the amateur from getting overwhelmed. The organization of the book is designed for instruction; each chapter beginning with objectives, continuing with clearly labeled sub-topics, and ending with a summary and place for notes. To entice the beginner’s curiosity of advanced and alternative techniques, there are windows or articles inserted throughout the book, describing cyanotypes, for example. This book is part of the Design Exploration Series published by Thomson Delmar Learning. An instructor’s guide on CD-Rom is also available for purchase (ISBN: 140181557X). This softcover book is 256 pages and measures 10 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches . It is published by Thomson Delmar Learning; 1st edition (November 5, 2003) www.delmarlearning.com. It retails for $31.95 I rate this book: A++ (EP)
	Photographing and “Videoing” Horses Explained: Digital and Film By Charles Mann This book is very interesting to browse through even for those who are not enchanted by horses. The advice and troubleshooting that Charles Mann offers is helpful for any subject. Mann has taken the time and effort to produce a quality how-to book with very specific information for horse photographers. The book starts with the production: from the techniques of capturing a correct image on the camera to producing a high quality print. A good part of the book talks about composition. Horse owners want a very specific character to be portrayed in their horse photographs which can change depending on the breed. Mann suggests different compositional techniques to portray a positive light on the horse. This book is good for the amateur who wants to take a successful picture of their own horse, but is also very helpful to the professional who wants horses to be his/her specialty. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in improving their equine photography. This softback book is 212 pages, measuring 9.5 x 9 x 0.9 inches. It is published by Trafalgar Square Books (April 2, 2007) www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com and lists for $27.50 I rate this book: A++ *(EP)*
	Towering Mirrors, Mirroring Towers: Photographs of Urban Reflections by David Weinberg This is one of those coffee table books for people who love new perspectives using photography. In his first book, David Weinberg has documented the images created by the skyscrapers’ distortion of light and color. Weinberg is known for his use of glass and reflections to create abstract images. This book does create a feeling that the artist grabbed every image he took of skyscraper reflections and put it in this book; some images are more successful than others. The best are the ones that are the most abstract and create an unrecognizable design. Weinberg documenting these light-paintings is like a person looking into a kaleidoscope: everyone sees something different because the image is constantly changing. These opportunities lasted only for a brief moment and only the person holding the camera at the right time and angle could capture the unique combination before it drifts away. This is a great addition to anyone’s coffee table. This hardcover book is 96 pages and is published by Glitterati, Inc. www.GlitteratiIncorporated.com (October 25, 2006). It measures 11.3 x 10.7 x 0.8 inches and retails for $50.00 I rate this book: A (EP)
	Langford’s Starting Photography: The Guide to Great Images with Digital or Film, 5th Ed. By Michael Langford and Philip Andrews This is one of those photography books that try to give you ALL of the information at once. Although I would be overwhelmed, this is what some people desire in a how-to book. So many photography books are attempting to cover their topics in both film and digital which in some topics, like composition and exposure, they are the same. When it comes to processing and production, they are two completely different subjects, but this book has them both. The images and diagrams are superior in demonstrating the techniques and results. For someone who wants to dig their well wide, but not deep, and gain an understanding of many things in photography, this could be a useful book. This book is published by Focal Press; 5th edition (February 12, 2007) www.focalpress.com and retails for $24.95. It has 368 pages and measures 9.5 x 7.4 x 1 inches. I rate this book: A- (EP)