Images In Stone is a collection of North American petroglyphs by David Muench, who many recognize as one of the best landscape photographers in the world.  This 12x12 inch hard back book holds a collection of images that most will never get the fortune to see. Everyone has seen pictures of these wall paintings, but few have seen such a collection of them in one group, and VERY FEW people have been able to locate and photograph this many. This is not only a beautiful picture book that anyone who respects our land would love to have, but you can be sure that it will be used for centuries in major libraries worldwide as a reference source. This book has 198 color images on 192 pages, and incredibly it retails for only US$49.95. Do you know a photographer who you’d like to make your best friend? Give them a copy of this book!  It is published by BrownTrout Publishers, and can be ordered at: www.browntrout.com  
I Rate it: A+++  (Reviewed May 2005)

Here is a nice collection of black & white landscape panoramic images of gardens, terraces, parks and lawns all across the US from San Francisco to New York, and with a few from England and Italy. This is a very nice book of fine art landscapes that all panoramic shooters will find a great addition to their photo library.

This hardback book is about 8x11 inches, with 82 pages, retails for US$49.95 – and is published by University of Virginia Press at   www.upress.virginia.edu           
I Rate it:  A  (Reviewed Feb. 2006)

 

If and when you are past the beginning stage with Adobe PhotoShop CS, then all of the advanced information you will ever need is in Inside PhotoShop CS. This is what you call a “major” reference book. At 7x9 inches and almost 2 inches thick, it has over 1,000 pages plus a bonus CD disk with all file information for both Mac and Window users. With 26 chapters on every PhotoShop tool, you will be on your way to becoming a pro in no time. Every tool also has the settings you need to get the illustrated results the book shows.  Retail price is US$49.99.      
You can order them from   www.samspublishing.com
I Rate it:   A+  (Reviewed March 2005)

Interior Photography, 
by Eric Roth

This new book on interior lighting and other professional techniques is a great collection of information on how one of its best photographers became successful in his craft. Roth shares all of his experience on interior photography including clear illustrations on lighting set up, and how to find the best camera position. Easy to understand even for amateur photographers who want to learn professional techniques. The title says “interior” but there is also a section on photographing yards and gardens as well. This 9x11 inch soft cover book has 160 pages,  200 illustrations, and 30 lighting diagrams. It retails for US$29.95.   
I rate it:  A  (Reviewed April 2005)

A lot of people not familiar with the Southwest have never heard of Moab, Utah, but the area is one of the most beautiful desert areas of the US.  In The Land of Moab is a great book that will show you exactly why that is. Having photographed the desert Southwest myself for many years, I am very familiar with what they call, “The Magic Light of the Desert,” and Till captures that light throughout this book. Its 80 color photographs are printed with the same top quality that the images themselves were taken at, and even at 9x12 inches this book shows them off very well. I especially like books where the text is placed separately and does not interfere with the enjoyment of the images, even though it would take a lot to interfere with Till’s great photography. This book retails for US$29.95 and can be ordered from him at  www.tomtill.com      
I Rate it:  A++  (Reviewed March 2005)

   

Intimate Nudes is a collection of fine art figure work, as well as beautiful and erotic nudes. Most are full-page images with many two-page spreads throughout, and all are thought provoking and inspiring. Every figure and portrait photographer will get tons of ideas for their own work, and although this is not a how-to book, you can learn a lot from the way every image is posed and lit, as well as the fact that great nude images can be created in almost any location.

This hardback book is about 9x12 inch, with 160 pages and retails for US$45.00.  Distributed by Rizzoli at:  www.rizzoliusa.com     
I Rate it:  A  (Reviewed Oct. 2005)

Into Your Digital Darkroom – Step by Step is a very nice, new book for anyone wanting to learn how to use their computer as a photo darkroom. Its nine chapters cover over 100 digital darkroom subjects and many include screen captures of the tools and settings used to do the work. (One of my favorite features in better books) Learn the general image improvement methods plus many special effects to add even more impact and create an artistic look. The many side-by-side illustrations will show you what can be done with images that would normally go in the “poor” box. This 8.5x11 inch, 126 page soft cover book retails for US$29.95 and is published by Amherst Media. You can order it from  www.amherstmedia.com     
I Rate it:  A+  (Reviewed March 2005)

 

Jack Dykinga’s ARIZONA

Jack Dykinga’s ARIZONA will remind you of the best pictures you saw in the Arizona Highways magazine, many of which as I remember were also his. Only the images in this book are larger, and printed about as good as it gets. Pulitzer Prize winner Jack Dykinga created this portfolio for his first book devoted entirely to the state of Arizona. Magnificent images of the state's natural wonders, presented by the eye of a master nature photographer. Many of its images are also full two-page spreads that double the viewing pleasure. This is a must-have book if you want to include the best-of-the-best in your photography library. At 12x13 inches, with 144 pages, this hardback book retails for only US$50. Published by Westcliff Publishers, it can be checked out at:  www.westcliffpublishers.com      
I rate it:  A+++  (Reviewed April 2005)

 

TINTYPES  is a very unique new book that will interest many artistic photographers. It is a monograph collection of two studies: one of rare and exotic insects, and the other of Victorian type nude poses, plus a few portrait shots. These are done with the Ferrotype process, better known as “Tintypes.” Jayne Hinds Bidaut is the only woman that is now successfully working with this process. This is one impressively done book: a 224 page, 8x10 hard back with fabric cover, the kind that looks like it should come in a case. It retails for US$60.00 and is published by GRAPHIS Books. Order at:   www.graphis.com      
I Rate it:  A  (Reviewed March 2005)