Here is a whole new type of digital book, one that deals with do-it-yourself modifications of your digital camera, and equipment. Build and/or modify triggers, lens adapters and extenders, monopods, camera mounts, and even a stabilizer, and many more items you can make at home and save a lot of bucks. Each hacking tip is fully illustrated so you can see exactly what is done, and all of the directions to do them. This book also shows how to modify your camera and its features, such as its power supply and other areas, but one thing anyone who uses it needs to remember is the fact that ANY modifications done to cameras and equipment will immediately VOID your manufacturers warranty. Any problems you have after that, YOU pay for, so it is best to try these tricks on old equipment.

This soft cover book is about 7x9 inches, with 520 pages, retails for US$24.99 - and is published by Sybex, an imprint of Wiley, at   www.sybex.com       
I Rate it:  B++ 
(Reviewed Jan. 2006)

 

Here is another great crafts book that will make a perfect match to the “PhotoCrafts” book above. This one will show you how to make unique ink prints from just about anything you can think of, including a potato or onion. How will this help you create new works with your photos? By adding a second dimension and art form to your work, even if all you do is add a personal form of your signature to an image, such as Japanese artists do using a hanko (判子) to create a square red seal. You will also learn how you can create whole new images to use for a background area of a photo. There are new areas of printmaking that many photographers can use.

This soft cover book is about 7x10 inches, with 144 pages, and retails for just US$24.95. Published by Davis Publications and distributed by www.sterlingpub.com      
I Rate it: A 
(Reviewed Dec. 2005)

 

Hands-On digital photography
By George Schaub    

If you are new to digital photography, this is one new book that you might want to check out.  It is written by the editor of Shutterbug Magazine and is geared towards the newcomer to digital photography.  It cover all of the bells and whistles that are unique to digital cameras and does it with sets of exercises that covers each topic.  There is no guessing, as you will observe what is happening with before-&-after illustrations.  They are sizable and easy to see, unlike many books for which you need a magnifying glass.  The illustrations in this book are actually above average in size and example quality.  A great tool for digital beginners.

This soft cover book is about 9x10 inches, with 176 pages, retails for US-$24.95 – and is published by AMPHOTO BOOKS at:   www.watsonguptill.com        
I Rate it:  A
(Reviewed Nov. 2007)
 
 

Heavenly Beauties is a collection of 235 of Baetens's  black & white images shot in the studio and on location. They include both nude shots and fine art figure work, and there is a difference. Besides being a great addition to a fine art photo library, this book is also a great source for ideas for your own figure work. This is a book that fine art photographers will find well worth checking into.

This hardback book is about 9x10 inch, with 192 pages, retails for US$40.00 – and is published by AMPHOTO BOOKS and can be checked out at   www.watsonguptill.com  
I Rate it:  A 
(Reviewed Feb. 2006)

Here is a new documentary book on the notorious Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. This book is very well done and put together with great character portraits and shots of its member’s lives. However, when I first saw and requested it for review I was under the impression that it was about the California area members. After looking at a few images, I found that the whole book is about the English club members, not that I needed any captions to figure that out. Having lived in Calif. half my life and having known many “outlaw” club members, including the Hells Angels, I knew there was a big difference when I saw guys drinking their beer out of glasses and wearing leathers that looked like they just came off the store shelves. This book may well represent the English club life, and the English reader may like it, but it does not really show the “true” Hells Angels.  (It does show the first time I have ever seen a Hells Angel wearing sweat pants riding their bikes though.  An English thing, I guess.) An interesting book none the less.

This hardback book is about 10x11 inch, with 160 pages and retails for US$49.95.  Distributed by Merrell Publishers at: www.merrellpublishers.com      
I Rate it:  A 
(Reviewed Oct. 2005)

For those photographers who will be spending some wintertime in the darkroom, Historic Photographic Processes, by Richard Farber may be of interest. This book covers eight of the most popular historic processes from the past including Albumen, Cyanotype, Kallitype, Platinum, and several others. This is an in-depth how-to book with formulae, tips, and everything you need to know in order to reproduce these old-time processes. Color, black & white, or toned, you can do them all. With this information you can make your images look like all of those Albumen prints from your old family album.  This is an 8.5x11 inch, soft cover book with over 240 pages and retails for US$29.95. 
Published by Allworth Press at www.allworth.com     
I Rate it: A++ 
(Reviewed Jan. 2005)