Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

A Useful Guide
Most serious photographers, after they learn the details of exposure and focus, begin to think about how to make something artful out of their pictures.They start to think about how they can manipulate the mood and ambience (the publisher's preferred spelling) of their images.From its title this book seems like an ideal tool to learn this phase of photography.

The author starts out by discussing lighting, exposure, lens focal length, white balance, ISO, and filters.He moves on to long aspect ratios, weather conditions and infrared photography.The author's thesis is that great photographs require exceptional subjects and/or methods.

I was pleased to see that in his discussion of lens focal length the author emphasized the use of lenses to control perspective (the relative sizes of foreground and background to subjects.)While this discussion avoided the often-heard misstatements about depth of field, Meehan labored long and hard to explain his point.I kept remembering the two pages of photos in "The Art of Outdoor Photography: Techniques for the Advanced Amateur and Professional" by Boyd Norton, with scarcely a written word that explained this same point so simply.10 pictures were worth ten thousand words!

The book is profusely illustrated with beautiful pictures that clearly demonstrate mood and ambience.Unfortunately, although the pictures were clearly tied to and indexed in the text, I wished we could have known more about their technical data and more importantly, the source of the vision to create them.Still the reader will benefit from studying these pictures closely and trying to understand how the author created the moods they convey.

The book reads quickly and has plenty of white space.I wish it had been made a little more crowded by the author discussing composition.

One of the problems is that it may be impossible to teach a person how to develop his or her vision so that the tools Meehan discusses can be applied to create a great picture.On the other hand I keep remembering books from the past that seemed to reach in this direction like Brenda Tharp's "Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography" and Freeman Patterson's "Photography and the Art of Seeing: A Visual Perception Workshop for Film and Digital Photography."

Maybe I just don't have the soul of an artist but I can't always see how these tools will work to create that mood.Occasionally Meehan reached for that point, as in his discussion of white balance where he suggests that color casts can create mood and ambience, but I would have liked for him to explain what ambience was created by adding more red, and when I should use in-camera white balance, or when I should use Camera Raw adjustments or when I should use color balance or hue/saturation.I know that I'm asking a lot, and I'm not certain of the best way to convey this kind of information.I was impressed by Peter Watson's "Capturing the Light: An Inspirational and Instructional Guide to Landscape Photography".There the author took some of the same subjects covered here, like the effect of focal length, and showed us a picture and talked about why he selected a particular focal length and annotated a thumbnail of the picture with his own special considerations.

Learning how to create mood and ambience is a lifelong trip for every photographer.You should not expect to ever arrive, and this book is only one of the travel guides you should read to help you get started, but it will give you some ideas about the journey.




... Read more

Product Description

The CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) has revolutionised optical astronomy during the past 20 years, and specialised astronomical CCD cameras are now even more affordable, colour is standard, and they provide spectacular results.

Customer Reviews (5)

Good reference for particular imaging techniques
IMHO this book is much better than it is described by earlier reviewers. It is a compilation of articles and it must be understood that way. Readers that are looking for an introductory book may look elsewhere but for those who have at least a very basic idea of astrophotography may find this compilation very useful. Now in 2009, the articles may look outdated and a new verion of this book would be a valuable addition but in the meantime, it is worth having a look at. There are very good articles such as out-smarting light pollution, high resoltion ccd imaging, a brief description of Iris sftware by its developer and the wonderful hybird imaging article written by Robert Gendler who has, in my opinion, imaged the best Orion mosaic I have ever seen.
Bottom line, a must for astrophotographers but beginners should probably start with a book that is aimed at beginners.

Intro Astrophotography
I found that this book consists of a group of introduction essays that leave more questions unanswered then it answers. If you are looking for a good guide to astrophotography, look elsewhere. It does have nice pictures, however it is very unlikely that you would be able to produce such images on the just the information within the book.

Jon Bosley

Where's the beef?
I agree with other reviewers. There is a good section on imaging with CCD cameras but the other sections (Web cams, Digital SLRs) are weak. Not enough detail for the beginner that wants to get out and image. Too many photographs that don't provide substantial educational value. This is a multi-authored book and there is too much variability in the quality of the chapters. I own other books in PatrickMoore's series that I enjoyed, but this is not one of them.

Dissapointing
More like a small coffe table book than a comprehensive treatment of the subject.I expected more detail about How To and less glitsey pictures:Book is filled with " Here's a picture of...." and then a nice color photo. I'm returning this one.
Don

Covers a lot of ground
Let me start by saying - Do not make this your primary source for information on digital astrophotography. It has a ton of good info for a total beginner like me, but it also leaves out a lot on info.

It has a unique format in that each chapter has a different author (a claimed expert in each field). Some were much better than others. All chapters did a decent job of explaining the process of each kind of technology, but in almost all cases I was left with more questions than answers.

The book did give me a lot of ideas and areas to further research, but I was hoping when I bought it that it would give recommendations for type of equipment to buy and how to use it to get the best results.

BOTTOM LINE -- This book is a great source for info and ideas, just don't assume it will be your only source as it leaves a lot unexplained. ... Read more

Product Description
Meet some of the finest 2D and 3D artists working in the industry today and discover how they create some of the most innovative digital art in the world. More than a gallery book or a coffee table book- Digital Art Masters Volume 4 includes 50 artists and 900 unique and stunning 2D and 3D digital artworks. Beyond the breaktaking images is a breakdown of the techniques, challenges and tricks the artists employed while creating stunning imagery.

This volume, much like the previous volumes is not your standard coffee table book nor is it our usual how-to-book. This book offers inspiration and insight for the advanced amateur and professional CG artists. The Digital Art Masters series has expanded upon the competition's gallery book concept and has added the insight and experiences of professional CG artists worldwide.

Divided into 5 sections, Sci-Fi, Scene, Fantasy, Character and Cartoon, Each featured artist segement will include the thought processes behind creating unique digital images and an artist portfolio for further inspiration. Find your inspiration and discover the tips, tricks and techniques that really work.

* A Source of inspiration for animators everywhere: more than 50 artists and 900 stunning color images are showcased.
* More than just a gallery or coffee table book, each image is coupled with a description of the artists' techniques and their problem solving solutions. Learn from the best digital artists in the world.
* From the team of 3D Total.com- cutting edge imagery and techniques ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great look at the workflow of 50 top artists
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2BZ05JNSWHE29 Digital Art Masters is a series of art books that feature the workflow of digital artists, both 3D modelers and painters. Having this book in hand is no different from looking over their shoulders while they work. It's a great opportunity to learn from the top artists (full list below) in the art industry.

In the fourth volume, we get to see new artists as well as returning artists with their new projects. If you're a frequent visitor to 3DTotal or CGSociety, you have probably seen their work. This book has 50 artists providing valuable insight into how they work, be it matte painting with Photoshop, 3D modeling with Maya or even digital sculpting with Zbrush.

All the illustrations featured have their workflow explained concisely, from conception, execution to post production. Included are multiple screenshots of their work in progress. Note, however, that this is not a step-by-step tutorial book that tells you which button to click on screen.

Although a lot of software titles are mentioned, the techniques used can be easily replicated in other similar softwares. For example, in the case of 3D workflow, commands like Extrude, Bevel, Chamfer or Cut are pretty much the same in 3D Studio Max, Maya or even the open source Blender. Techniques are also not tied to specific versions of software so the book is pretty timeless.

Plenty of art is featured in the galleries as well, making it a wonderful resource. There are different styles and genres, ranging from fantasy art, interior and exterior architecture, character designs, etc. There is something for everyone. At 288 pages, this book has a very satisfying thickness.

I would highly recommend it to 3D modelers, digital painting artists and art lovers.

Here are the artists featured:

* Alexey Kashperskey
* Andree Wallin
* Andrei Kashkin
* Andrew Hickinbottom
* Andrius Balciunas
* Andrzej Sykut
* Blaz Porenta
* Bradford Rigney
* Bruno Melo De Souza
* Cesar Martinez Alvaro
* Craig Sellars
* Daarken
* Daniel Lieske
* Denis C. Feliz
* Eduardo Pena
* Fabricio Moraes
* Gerhard Mozsi
* Gregory Callahan
* Hao Ai Qiang
* Iker Cortazar
* James Paick
* Jelmer Boskma
* Jonathan Simard
* Kekai Kotaki
* Leonid Kozienko
* Loic E338 Zimmermann
* Marciej Kuciara
* Marc Brunet
* Marek Denko
* Marek Okon
* Martin Carlsson
* Michal Kwolek
* Nicolas Miles
* Nykolai Aleksander
* Piotr Luzinski
* Roberto F. Castro
* Rudolf Herczog
* Ryohei Hase
* Sarel Theron
* Sebastien Haure
* Sonke Maeter
* Stefan Morrell
* Thibaut Milville
* Till Nowak
* Titus Lunter
* Tomas Kral
* Tomas Muller
* Viktor Fretyan
* Viktor Titov
* Weiye Yin

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.) ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Nice variety of techniques and tutorials
This book had a wide variety of samples and several brief tutorials on how to acchieve the same results. Bery good book.

Excellent book of illustration and how to make them.
A great source of inspiration if you are wondering how to make your fashion illustrations contemporary and stylish.

Digital fashion illustration
Nice book with a lot of images, but I had expected an extention on the previous book with more in-depth techniques and how-to's.

It's a bit of a combination between a review of sketches and illustrations, and a how-to, but it stays a bit too much on the surfaces by trying to reach a double target group.

... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (14)

Fantasy Workshop
Very useful hints and tips on enhancing your digital art skills and techniques. I recommend to any artist who is looking to expand his/her knowledge on lighting, structure, composition, and blending.

An OK book, not perfect not for beginners
I am a cartoonist, and trying to learn all I can about digital color. I found the Hi Fi Color for comics to be a great starting point, the Hi Fi Master book is useful but it doesnt teach you quite enough. When I was looking for the next level I got to this book, and thought I would take the chance. Now, this book is not a comprehensive step by step. These are reprinted art magazine articles from fantasy artists that foces on certain design problems, and how to approach them.

Two programs should be used with this book. Either Painter or Photoshop. I think though that painter better suits those artists looking for a more painterly feel. Photoshop I think is better suited to those looking to color like a comic book colorist.

Two projects really got me excited in this book. One is a feature on how to clean up line art after your scan. Its a usefull tool, especially for those that want to go straight from their line work to color. Another is a project coloring a goblin, that wonderfully illustrates working with layers, and how to build up texture and lighting.

Im glad I decided to buy this book, but I cant recommend it for someone with ZERO experience. You should know at least a little going to the book, you will benefit from it more. There are of course more complex projects, but if you're just starting out I dont think this book has enough directional guidance to teach anything.

A great book over all, but if you're just starting to learn digital color. Im not sure this is the place to start.

Great book but not for beginners
This book was helpful for ideas but if you definitely should be an experienced digital painter to truly enjoy this book.

Good book to learn good techniques...
I bought this book to learn different ideas and techniques for common works in digital painting. The references portrayed in this book mainly consist of character design, which fits the material I was looking for. The book consists mostly of short descriptive concepts pertaining to one specific detail, such lips, ears, hands, and specific styles. I constantly find myself looking back at it for reference. This book is very useful in finding out how to develop a certain style, dealing with painting a certain body part, or just to see the artwork done in steps. The way a concept is showed in steps, allows one to decipher how someone else would go about creating a certain feel to a painting. I found it very resourceful and applicable to my needs. If you're looking for a conglomeration of some of the best, and most importantly useful tricks and tips Imagine FX has to offer, I think this is a good bet.

I like it
It has helpful info and tips and I use it more for referencing than 90% of the other books on the same subject I have.

The price is also quite reasonable. ... Read more

Product Description
"Derek's edge is that he won't stand still. He has a knack for finding new corners of the program to exploit and innovative ways of doing so. He's pushed the boundaries not only for his own art but also for thousands of up and coming artists who also want to create onscreen the visions they have in their minds. If you've bought this book, you're about to discover what I mean."
-Garrick Webster, Editor, Computer Arts

Welcome to the world of art and imagination! Derek Lea, one of the world's top 100 digital artists, shows you how to use Photoshop in unorthodox ways to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. His work is a unique combination of original photography, traditional illustration, and digital art.

If you are a digital artist, illustrator, cartoonist, graphic artist or designer who is familiar with Photoshop, but want to push the program to the limit, this book is for you! Learn how to get professional results from the paint features in Photoshop. Create sharp illustrations by combining vectors and pixels. Explore less-than-obvious composition methods, and discover the hidden potential in unlikely artistic resources and materials. Play around with texture using spray paint effects and scanned elements, or age faces and objects. Use stencil tags and comic book coloring techniques. Learn how to bring 3D art to life! Maximize your creativity AND efficiency with invaluable information on working between Photoshop and Illustrator.

This book/CD package provides clear, step-by-step tutorials that make it easy to emulate Lea's techniques in your own work. With all the images from the book to play with, you'll be creating stunning artwork in no time! Be sure to visit the book's website at http://www.creativephotoshopthebook.com/ for more information, and join the reader forum to share your ideas with digital artists from around the world.

* Learn from an award winning digital illustrator how to think outside the box and create stunning art with Photoshop
* Be inspired by a wide range of artistic styles and real world techniques that you can adapt to your own work, including graffiti spray art, comic coloring, and antique effects
* Practice new skills with FREE tutorial files on the CD ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Creative Photoshop
Creative Photoshop: Digital Illustration and Art Techniques (Digital Workflow)by Derek Lea is a valuable book to add to your collection if you are interested in graphics and creative photography. I especially liked the clear instructions on how to layer images, combining different pictures, and make the end result look like a single real object, such as the image on the cover. Thiese clear steps are in an extensive section on Illustrative Photography. In his directions, Mr. Lea incorporates many helpful ways of using Photoshop's vast array of tools. I have not seen these tricks taught in other places. They must come from extensive experience.

I'm not into graphics, so the chapters on painting and stenciling with Photoshop were not of interest to me. But I learned a lot from the processes that Mr. Lea incorporates to produce an end result.

Derek Lea has an excellent way of communicating easy-to-understand instructions. This book is a valuable reference, along with The Adobe Photoshop CS Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby and "Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers: A professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative Use of Photoshop" by Martin Evening (from Focal Press).

ho hum PS techniques
I am an instructor in digital arts courses and a working professional so maybe my expectations are a bit high but I didn't satisfy either of my expectations with this book:
1. Discover some interesting, efficient techniques for working within the boundaries of the traditional/digital interface in Photoshop.

2. Discover some engaging, inspiring new design and art.

Another complaint I have relates to the publishing budget, which must have been a bit stringent, because the font size was tiny and dense paragraphs of instruction are crammed together on each page.

Filled with Creative Techniques
This is a great book for those who are familiar with the basic tools of Photoshop, but who would like more practical advice on how to use them.A lot of the Photoshop books on the market just rehash things that can already be found in the users manual.This book, instead of wasting time telling you what a brush is, jumps straight into showing you how to use the tools at your disposal to achieve the effects that you want.

What I found particularly useful about this book is that nearly half of it covers illustration and art techniques rather than just photo manipulation.Among the skills that you can learn in this book are:

*how to create Painter-like effects in Photoshop
*how to illustrate characters using shape layers
*how to create realistic looking graffiti art and stencils
*how to transform a photo into an illustration
*how to transform a sketch into an illustration
*how to create retro-style art as in 50's advertising posters
*coloring comic art using Photoshop

In addition to these skills, this book teaches a lot of mixed media type of techniques.For example, you can learn how to use the photocopier or fax machine to achieve a certain effect in your art.Also, how to use scanned textures to add a sense of realism to your digital art.

I really recommend this to those who are looking to use Photoshop for graphic design, illustration, or comic work.You'll learn a lot of techniques that will make your art shine.

Just what I needed
I'm finally learning to design with Adobe after completing 'Adobe's Classroom in a Book for Photoshop CS3'. I had a general understanding of how all the parts work, but not a clue where to start in creating something. Derek Lea's book, 'Creative Photoshop' was the perfect next step. I am completing each chapter using my own images instead of the one's he provided and I am actually learning how to do it. What I especially appreciate, is that this author includes all the steps you need to complete each project. I have started other books and gotten stuck because they have either left out steps or assumed I knew more than I do.

A wonderful book
This is a wonderful book. Lea knows Photoshop well enough to produce anything he can imagine, and the man has a great imagination! He wields the Gradient tool like a painter uses a brush, and exercises blend modes to the max. And that's just a tiny part of what he shows how to do in this book. Reading the book is like taking a master class in the studio.

He has a wonderful way of teaching. For instance, in some places he starts right out and leads the reader step-by-step through a process, but then stops and encourages a look back, a mental synthesis of what has been accomplished and how it worked. So you get the pleasure of the accomplishment right away, but you also end up knowing what it was you just did - helpful, of course, if you ever want to go back and use the techniques in your own work.

If you're an expert, you can get a lot out of the book, just by reading and looking at the pictures. If you're intermediate in your Photoshop experience, working through the examples with the files Lea has included should be a great education. If you're a motivated beginner, the book may require a bit of a stretch as you read and work the examples, but I think you'll find it well worth the time invested. ... Read more

Product Description
Described as "the most comprehensive book on digital audio to date", it is widely acclaimed as an industry "bible".Covering the very latest developments in digital audio technology, it provides an thorough introduction to the theory as well as acting as an authoritative and comprehensive professional reference source.Everything you need is here from the fundamental principles to the latest applications, written in an award-winning style with clear explanations from first principles.



New material covered includes internet audio, PC audio technology, DVD, MPEG audio compression, digital audio broadcasting and audio networks.

Whether you are in the field of audio engineering, sound recording, music technology, broadcasting and communications media or audio design and installation, this book has it all. Written by a leading international audio specialist, who conducts professional seminars and workshops around the world, the book has been road tested for many years by professional seminar attendees and students to ensure their needs are taken into account, and all the right information is covered.

This new edition now includes:

Internet audio
PC Audio technology
DVD
MPEG Audio compression
Digital Audio Broadcasting
Audio networks

Digital audio professionals will find everything they need here, from the fundamental principles to the latest applications, written in an award-winning style with clear explanations from first principles.

John Watkinson is an international consultant in audio, video and data recording. He is a Fellow of the AES, a member of the British Computer Society and a chartered information systems practitioner. He presents lectures, seminars, conference papers and training courses worldwide. He is the author of many other Focal Press books, including: the Kraszna-Krausz award winning MPEG-2; The Art of Digital Audio; An Introduction to Digital Video; The Art of Sound Reproduction; An Introduction to Digital Audio; TV Fundamentals and Audio for Television. He is also co-author, with Francis Rumsey, of The Digital Interface Handbook, and contributor to the Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook, 3rd edition.

· The 'Bible' of Digital Audio
· Get everything you need on digital audio in just one book
· Gain a thorough understanding of all the latest technology ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Digital audio demystified
If you are interested in the secrets of digital audio, then this book is a must read. As a music producer and computer musician, I often find myself wondering about what lies beneath the surface of my digital hard- and software, partucularly since there seems to be an abundance of misinformation, heresay, and plain old rubbish floating around in the community.

Understanding the principles of how audio gets digitized, and moreso what happens after this process can greatly improve the sonic results of ones work. However this topic is very complex and hard to grasp, so plowing through technical manuals and college-grade material puts a serious strain on the creative process. Correction - it kills creativity altogether.

Rising to the occasion, John Watkinson has succeded in bringing these difficult to understand matters down to a graspable level, even though it is an impressively comprehensive piece of work. The book truly helps put an end to myths and misunderstandings, as it can be equally read as an encyclopedia for looking up specific topics, or back to back.

At times it can even seem too thorough (most of us don't really need to know exactly how data is handled), but this depends on what you want to learn. You can rest assured it's all in there, whether you're looking to learn how to bulid digital circuits from scratch, or need to understand what dithering and A/D/A conversion is all about.

In short - If you are serious about digital audio as an electronic musician in any form or as an audiophile in general, this book will not dissapoint.

Where's the beef?
Too much outdated irrelevant information.Watkinson IS extremely knowledgable on the subject of digital audio.I guess I expected something different.Too much esoteric (and much outdated) theory and very little if any practical information, unless maybe your job is to service 1980's digital audio systems.

Want to know about revectoring, soft sectoring, and rotary positioners as they pertain to magnetic disk drives?How about DASH-M and DASH-S interleaving in stationary head recorders?If so then BUY THIS BOOK.Interesting reading to be sure, but don't expect your "art" to benefit.This review is based on the second edition.

Well written technical overview, short of the computer age
The Art of Digital Audio is well written and informative technical overview of digital audio, except that being a mid 1990s book, it almost completely omits detailed coverage of some topics (like MPEG audiocompression) that would nowadays have to be considered critical.It isnonetheless an essential component of the well informed digital audioengineer's library.There is a *lot* of stuff in this compendium that youwould otherwise have to find scattered over a dozen other books. One hopesa revision for the twenty-first century is in the works.

copyright 1894^H^H^H994.
This book has all the details of doing digital audio, starting with banging two rocks together to start a fire, and quickly progressing to the development of western civilization. ... ok, it's not *quite* that bad. Butthere is precious little relevant information to any modern project. Whenyour car's mp3 player is running Linux, who cares that Gray codes are theway to go for digital tape positioning? Who needs to be told that you mightwant to think about doing a calculation in RAM instead of with discretedigital components? There's a good chapter on "advanced digital audioprocessing". And it explains basic things about dithering, mixing,gain control, etc. But on the whole this book is very geared towardantiquated hardware, rather than presenting theories or algorithms that arerelevant to all digital systems. I guess that's why it's the"art" and not the principles of digital audio. In the index youwill find "cylinder transducer", but not "pitch" or"tempo".

The Bible of Digital Audio
The most comprehensive book to date on Digital Audio. ... Read more

Product Description
Easy-to-understand, and packed with both technical instructions and creative ideas, celebrated author and photographer John Hedgecoe walks you through the world of digital photography and shares his considerable expertise on this ever-changing medium. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Art of Digital Photography
Great book with beautiful pictures.This book has many helpful ideas and suggestions for photography buffs.I recommend this book to those who are really interested in taking beautiful digital pictures.

A great reference book
I'm consider myself an intermediate photographer and the author's approach to this subject works for me.This is not a how to book, but instead he mixes text and (mostly) photos.At this stage in my kdevelopment I need more visual and practical experience.The photos in the book represent a wide variety of subjects.The book is divided into three sections; the first two are what I consider the "meat".Composition and lighting are discussed in good detail.The last section is applying what the first two sections talked about in such areas as people photography and still lifes.I keep this book next to my bed and read it every evening before I sleep.As I mentioned it's not a how to book, but if you're ready to move beyond the "hand-holding" this is a great book to start with. ... Read more

Product Description
The computer is an art studio in itself, for those who know where to look and how to use it. Inspirational yet highly practical, The Digital Canvas explores contemporary computer-generated art and shows how the computer can be a flexible and surprising tool for visual experimentation. This is not an instruction manual, but the digital equivalent of a survey of techniques and materials in the fine arts, emphasizing creativity and visual thinking over rote learning. It takes the elements common to all visual art and shows how they can be deployed using digital resources.

The Digital Canvas is one of three titles this spring from Abrams Studio, our new imprint dedicated to providing artists and designers with innovative, affordable books to help them improve their skills. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Idea generator
Get a sense of computer illustration history and a boatload of ideas for your next project.

A What Can Be Done, Not a How To Do It
It should come as no surprise to anyone these days that computers are capable of producing pretty powerful graphics images. The majority of the art you see in ads is computer generated. Mr. Raimes is a noted designer that has been using a computer as his took for many years. This book is a study in what can be done using computer techniques.

This is a produsely illustrated guide to what some of the best computer artists have done. It is not a text on how to do it. It does give a brief introduction to the equipment you will need (His comment: 'The ultimate machine for the serious graphic artise, the Power Mac G5.') as well as a brief discussion on software.

Mostly he talks about the concepts of what you can do. He talks of pixels and vectors, of letters and photos. In the final chapters he talks of getting your images in front of people using the Internet and getting your images displayed in galleries.

A great idea book for the artist, either fine or commercial. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (13)

Digital Portrait Photography-Art, Business and Style
I am constantly looking for information to aid my photography skills. This book does a a tremendous job in reaching my goal. I am a Semi-Professional photographer who believes in the values of the experienced and seasoned photographers opening up to share their information. This is one such icon whom I value his knowledge and work to the point that his tips are priceless. Steve Sint is that person so much so that I am ordering another book as a giftDigital Portrait Photography: Art, Business & Style (A Lark Photography Book).

Very good!!
I am a avid hobbyist and wanted to learn more about portrait photography.After looking through numerous book at local bookstores, this one stood out from the rest!Very easy to read and digest.I'm not a pro, but Steve obviously is, so I'd imagine just about any level of photographer could get something from this book.I'd highly recommend it for any skill level.But since no two people are alike, I'd recommend flipping through it a your local bookstore to make sure it's for you.

Love it!
I read nearly every book our library had on digital photography when I first got into taking pictures.This is the first book I loved enough that I had to have my own copy.It covers everything from lighting to posing to equipment, etc.Everything is laid out with simple, easy to understand descriptions and has lots of accompanying pictures.I'm sure it's way to simple for the professional, but any beginner through amateur will find something in here for them.

Good, but not great.
This book is one I purchased with Monte Zucker's book.I like them both.I find this one has a lot more information in it, but some aspects of the book are not done well.For value, this book beats Monte's book because it has so much information.For quality of presentation, editing and imagery, Monte's book makes this one turn red.

The cover photo, as someone else said, is rather obviously back focused... he focused on her ear, apparently, and the highlights are blown out.On top of that, it's not a portrait so much as it's a model portfolio pic.What's the difference?A portrait is showing you the person, and giving you some idea pf who they are.The portfolio pic is giving you an idea of how pretty they can be made up, but not showing you WHO they are.The difference is emotion versus looks, and this image is not a portrait by this (my) definition.It doesn't speak well of a book, in my opinion, when the cover image isn't properly focused, exposed or defined.

But it doesn't end there.Oddly enough, I can't find very many images at all in the book that were done by the author except for illustrative purposes... for instance, showing you what a highlight looks like when you're photographing a reflective surface using diffuser A, B or C.Huh?Why are the images from everyone else?

The text of the book is good.Meaty and informative.The book is definitely worth having for that, but several things about the book leave you wondering if it wasn't just rushed out the door without really paying much attention and doing it right.

So I have given this book 4 stars, because the information is good and well worthwhile, but the book as a whole isn't quite up to the level of polish and professionalism I would expect.

Some tips, terrible style
The book concentrates on the traditional portrait photography business in all senses and seems ill-suited for contemporary business and photography style.

There are some good tips, but you really have to search hard for them - Steve sometimes forgets that the book is meant to be a reference, not a memoir: he spends many pages in each chapter comparing film to digital and telling stories about his early years. But the worst is his tone and style of writing - there's constant irony about "other photographers" who do everything wrong, while he does it right. For example, the book starts with "As I scan the portrait photography titles at Barnes&Nobles store or online, I often laugh to myself". The book could be 1/5th of its size, if only he would skip all the uncalled-for chatter.

Last but not least - photographs featured in the book are horrible - un-inspiring, dated and way over-processed. Although he seems to be the author only to the posing examples featuring one model and pictures of the lightning equipment, how could you select something of this sort to be published (including a back-focused image on the cover!)?!

I did not enjoy the book and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. ... Read more

Product Description
Digital storytelling takes the art of oral storytelling and engages a palette of technical tools to weave personal tales using images, graphics, video, music and sounds mixed together in an author's own story voice. All individuals, families, teachers, students, organizations, societies need resolute storytellers to constantly lift up our hearts,spirits, and possibilities along with celebrating our naturally good and generous natures being human. This book outlines the role of storytelling in our families, communities and culture, the hardware and software tools, the storymaking processes, technical tips and resources for creating your own digital tales from start to finish. Whatever you know or don't know about technology or storytelling, this is the book for you! If you thought slide shows or scrapbooking was fun, the personal magic you make using digital media creates the ultimate dynamic, multi-sensory memories ready-to-share with everyone. Discover your untapped artistic talents while becoming a DigiTales StoryKeeper! Like paintings, the digital stories we all create will exist over time and be enjoyed long past their creation. May your own digital stories be heard far and wide! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Art for Our Times
At every turn, it seems that technology permeates our lives, challenging long-standing social traditions at every turn. Bernajean Porter has created a text and guide to successfully meld technology with the time-honored cultural tradition of story-telling. The text is clearly written and process steps are clearly described for a marriage of technology with this ancient art that both teaches timeless truths and builds competency in technology as a tool to enhance our lives. Digital story-telling is the long-awaited salve for our times - a way to capture truths that are critical to our progress as a culture and to bring generations together with technology's tools. Every family and community should have this book and Ms. Porter's work as their guide. ... Read more

Product Description
* This book is both instructional and inspirational.
* It features 50 full-color reproductions of the award-winning digital art from worldwide competitions, including Macworld, Seybold, and others, featuring some of the best artists in the international digital art community.
* The book's artwork was selected from thousands of entries by contest judges who are highly regarded in the digital art and computer graphics industry
* Each section includes one or more cutting-edge techniques that reveal the secrets behind the winning artwork.
* This book can be used an enjoyed for inspiration as well as for reference to scores of cutting-edge techniques for Photoshop, Painter and other leading graphic applications
* This book is equally useful for artists working on Macintosh and Windows platforms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Awful
Jeremy Sutton as good as he is at this,should have picked some better examples to put in this book.There are a couple of artist in there,you could call digital artist,the rest should not even be in here.I'm glad I bought a used one,so I'm not out the money what the new ones go for.

Eye opener
This book gives you a wide variety of artists, styles & insight.There is information about each person & what they did to created their piece.Artworks range from crazy to beautiful to uncomfortable.Some of these things are amazing.It doesn't document every tiny detail of how it was done, but much of the information is there.
You can spend hours exploring & learning from this one.

Good Book!
This book gave me exactly what I needed, ideas for art and the methods used to create truly artistic pictures.While I am learning the basics of Paint Shop Pro XI, how to put color on paper, so to speak, doesn't help a lot with the creative process without much time consuming experimentation.This bookhelps shortcut the process for me.

Digital Arts
This book shows you the tools different graphic artists used to complete specific works they have done. It shows you key elements they used, but it does not say how they created their entire piece. It is kind of basic stuff, but it is a good reference book to learn or review some techniques. The programs most often discussed are photoshop and painter. This is a good book for graphic design students.

a book of artists' works, not a technique book
This book offers little in the way of actual things to do for your own digital painting or artwork, it is just a review of different digitial artists and some of their work. It is similar to the books such as "Works of 100 colored pencil artists", which is a showcase of colored pencil artists with a short bio and examles of their works, but very little in the way of actual techniques for your own work. This is similar to that, and, while there are some explanations given on some of the techniques used along with a short bio on each artist, it is mainly just a showcase of digital artists and their work. If you like a book for a coffee table and just enjoy looking at artwork, this is the book. However, if you want a more extensive book on actual work for digital work, you need to buy the technical books on the interrelationship between art and computer expertise.
In some ways, the title of the book is wrong, since some people may get the idea that this will be an instruction book on digital work in the arts.
The book is very well done, with good layout and the copies of the digital work is clear and colorwork is appropriate. ... Read more

Product Description
With an increased popularity in the use of digital cameras, computers, and software, crafters can now create intricate artwork and customize digital projects with their home computers. Print Magic! shows how to use the latest technology to create unique, memorable pieces with professional results. The easy-to-follow instructions guide readers through simple, step-by-step projects, from children+s windows and table placemats to memory quilts and advent calendars. With a few clicks of the mouse, readers can turn one-dimensional ideas into vivid, three-dimensional creations that are sure to put a new spin on traditional handcrafts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Digital photos and art
This book is just what every crafter needs, especially the crafter that takes digital photos. The book gives very specific directions for each project and has many good crafting ideas. I have finished my first decal project with great success. It is a fun book to use.

Average book
Very average book with ideas and photos that look like they're from the late 1990s.It was published in 2005 but NOT on top of the latest ideas for using ur printer & photos to create art.Felt that the crafts and the explanations were too basic that even a novice like myself was bored.

Great with details
The details on doing the projects are good and most measurements are stated in imperial and metric which is useful. Both the computer steps and hands on steps are understandable. I really like the humor with the teddy bear shirt and the Andy Warhol style shirt is going to be given alot this Christmas. ... Read more

Product Description
Digital technology has changed everything. Here's your backstage pass.

The Art of Digital Music gathers the wisdom and groundbreaking techniques of 56 visionary artists, producers, programmers, provocateurs, instrument designers, label executives, and industry insiders into one inspiring volume.

Hear firsthand how the masters wield technology to create their amazing music--the included DVD features highlights from all 56 interviews. You'll learn studio setup tips, secrets of sampling, creative quantization, ringtone tricks, production strategies, insights from video game composers, insane distortion recipes, how to squeeze expression from loops, how to overcome software option anxiety, how to exploit happy accidents, and much more.

Derived from a year's worth of in-depth interviews, The Art of Digital Music is a richly detailed journey into the heart of computer-aided creativity. Contributors include Glen Ballard (Alanis Morissette), Jack Blades, BT, LTJ Bukem, Joe Chiccarelli (Beck, Zappa), Ted Cohen, the Crystal Method, Chuck D,Thomas Dolby, Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd), The Fat Man, Dr. Fiorella Terenzi, Albhy Galuten (18 No. 1 hits), Dr. Patrick Gleeson, Peter Gotcher (founder, Digidesign), Jim Griffin, Herbie Hancock, Mark Isham, Jimmy Jam, Leslie Ann Jones (Skywalker Sound), Ikutaro Kakehashi (founder, Roland), Stephen Kay (Korg Karma), Ray Kurzweil, Roger Linn, Alan Parsons, Eric Persing (Spectrasonics), Roger Powell, Phil Ramone, Steve Reich, Bob Rock (Metallica), Nile Rodgers,Todd Rundgren, Dave Smith (Prophet-5, MIDI), David Torn, Don Was (Rolling Stones), David Zicarelli (Cycling '74), and 20 more. Ingeniously organized by both personality and topic, The Art of Digital Music combines entertainment, social commentary, and how-to information with surprising warmth and humor. Crank it up to "1"--the digital revolution is starting.

Bonus DVD (Mac/Win/video) Includes: Sound bites from all 56 interviews; Over 25 complete songs (including live recordings from a private Thomas Dolby concert, unreleased demos, and out-of-print classics); Live-performance videos; Interactive Flash movies; Royalty-free samples and loops by the artists; Behind-the-scenes photos; Web links galore. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Food for Digital Thought
I purchased the 'The Art Of Digital Music' after some email contact with the author and the realization of several shared interests that are addressed on a certain level in the book.

It's not an encyclopedic tome - more a skim of the mindsets of many, many artists, technicians and producers. Two pages per person. It's a great read in the sense of broadening your working methods or notions about things, breaking out of ruts or certain pre-conceived notions about the creative process. Some very simple (but very profound) words of wisdom are contained within.

I recommend it for anyone who feels they've perhaps become too structured and wants some fresh perspective.

The one thing that may bother some is the extensive discussion in the interviews about selling music online and DRM. I mention this because the book was published before the ubiquitous iPod, iTunes Music Store and all that followed had come on the scene. So there's a lot of speculation about what shape things could, should or would take but, for the most part, it's already happened. Just a heads up to those who would strain their patience reading about foregone conclusions. I personally still found it interesting.

Great way to learn from the pros how they're making music
This was a valuable primer for me even long after I started producing my own records with digital technology. It always helps beginning and mid-level musicians and producers to get real-world insights into how the pros are using the tools, and this book is dedicated to providing those "snapshots." A great addition to any home recordists' library.

Creative Insights are the Big Value
I liked this book quite a bit; not because it gave me step-by-step instructions on how to create music using digital technology, but more to the point because it didn't. Any book on music technology can become dated quite quickly, but when one concentrates instead on hearing a very wide variety of artists, producers, technologists and industry executives talk about how they *think*, then you have something that if not timeless is at least fresh and interesting for some time. Knowing how Todd Rundgren approaches producing or songwriting is way more valuable than knowing which button in ProTools does pitch correction.

Feels "dated" an no longer relevant to me....
Honestly I'm surprised by most of the reviews I see here giving this book 5 stars. Most of the people in the book, I personally don't hold in the highest regard. They all seem "past their prime" and many sound like they are remeniscing on how it used to be. In terms of the books title "Insider reveal their creative secrets." .. I find this laughable. I've read through the entire book, and there are very few concrete, CLEAR ideas on how to improve your musical craft. If you're a person that likes to learn through explicit instruction, then this book is definitely not for you. If you simply want to read interviews from some semi-relevant people that were in the music biz at one time, then this book may be for you. I would highly recommend going to your local bookstore and scanning through a few pages before spending your money.

Timely Insights in the bold, brave digital music space.
Kelli Richards and David Battino have done a tremendous job bringing in the masters of this space to reveal where we are and we are going in this revoloutionary time.
On a personal level, and as an artist/producer in this space, I found great take aways from people I have studied, admired and in some cases, worked directly with over the years including Herbie Hancock, Todd Rundgren, Don Was, Thomas Dolby and Brian Eno.
I highly recommend this insightful and inspired writing. 5 stars!! ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Digital Currents explores the growing impact of digital technologies on aesthetic experience and examines the major changes taking place in the role of the artist as social communicator. Just as the rise of photographic techniques in the mid 1800s shattered traditional views about representation, so too have contemporary electronic tools catalyzed new perspectives on art, affecting the way artists see, think, and work, and the ways in which their productions are distributed and communicated.

Margot Lovejoy recounts the early histories of electronic media for art making - video, computer, the internet - in the new edition of this richly illustrated book.She provides a context for the works of major artists in each media, describes their projects, and discusses the issues and theoretical implications of each to create a foundation for understanding this developing field.

Digital Currents fills a major gap in our understanding of the relationship between art and technology, and the exciting new cultural conditions we are experiencing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Digital Currents
An excellent discussion of issues related to technology and its effect on culture. I found myself underlining things and writing in the margins. She is at her best when framing philosophical issues and making generalizations about the future of art and technology, a little weaker when addressing actual artists and their work. She uses Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy to explain two ways artists approach technology and yet the book is refreshingly free of tech or art jargon. A great companion book would be Charles Acland's Residual Media.Residual Media ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Photographers who use digital
technologies as tools for creative
expression are driving the most
exciting and transformative
developments in today s
photography. Digital photographic and imaging technologies are the most
recent development in an art and science whose history is one
of constant technological innovation. Using sophisticated
software and scanners, artists are able to enhance or alter
photographs, and create mesmerizing effects. Focusing
exclusively on digital photography, Sylvia Wolf explores a
medium that challenges our notions of the role of the artist
and of an image s relationship to the real.
Taking readers from the earliest experiments in digital
photography to the latest innovations, Wolf offers a historical
perspective and points to future trends. The work of a global
panoply of artists, including Ida Applebroog, Sheila Pree
Bright, Peter Campus, Xing Danwen, Joan Fontcuberta, Tom
Friedman, Andreas Gursky, Martina Lopez, Loretta Lux, Mary
Mattingly, Wendy McMurdo, Andreas Müller-Pohle, Thomas
Ruff, Lucas Samaras, and Jeff Wall, demonstrates how diverse
and complex the field has become. This expert survey offers a
riveting snapshot of a medium that is changing the way we
look at pictures and the world. ... Read more

Product Description
Digital Art is alluring not only in terms of its subject matter, but also with its numerous large-format illustrations and clear, modern design. Films and animated software pieces can be viewed on the included DVD or in sequences of images in the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Meet some of the finest digital 2D and 3D artists working in the industry today, from Patrick Beaulieu, Philip Straub, Benita Winckler, Alessandro Baldasseroni to Khalid Al Muharraqi, Marcel Baumann and Marek Denko and see how they work. More than just a gallery book - in Digital Arts Masters each artist has written a breakdown overview, with supporting imagery of how they made their piece of work.

With Digital Arts Masters you'll understand the artists' thought process and discover the tips, tricks and techniques which really work.

Key Features:
* 50+ artists and 900 stunning color images show the best in today's digital art
* More than just a gallery - each artist offers insight into how their image was created
* From the team at 3Dtotal.com - cutting edge imagery and techniqes ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Immense wealth of experience from over 50 artists
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3BOLMQIYZRC7S The illustrations in this book shouldn't be unfamiliar if you're a frequent visitor of 3D Total. The artwork can be found in the art galleries over there.

This book has compiled the working processes of more than 50 artists. It is not a step-by-step tutorial book and it doesn't focus on any specific software. But the frequently used software are 3D Max, Maya and Photoshop. The art techniques used by the artists can be easily achieved using similar software.

One illustration from each artist is chosen. The workflow of creating the illustration is then explained in first person by the artists. They talk about the challenges, tips, techniques and inspiration they have. For example, on the subject of creating realism in scenes, different artists will take different approaches. All these are discussed non technically that every reader should have no problem following.

The book focuses heavily on 3D art. However, there's a small section with several artists featured on 2D digital painting as well. For 3D, you'll read about things like how textures are applied, how lighting is handled, the different approaches to modeling etc. For digital painting, it's basically on the process and how they achieve the look they planned out in the concept stage.

This book is highly recommended to 3D and digital painting artists.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

very large selection of artists
This book was purchased for my daughter, an art major. She has looked at it in detail and determined that it doesn't quite serve her purposes. She is interested in game design and felt that there was a limited amount of examples. She did agree that there are many outstanding pieces of digital art in the book, just not what she needs.

I've looked at it as well and noticed many examples of the steps the artists took to construct their images. Also, it's an international group. I'm fairly up on the major digital artists, but I didn't recognise any of the names, which shows the level of talent out there. If you're a digital artist, I'd recommend this for your library

Incredible illustrations, great artists!
Digital Art Masters Series has always been a fascination for me, and now that i've had the chance to actually look through the pages of this awesome book (and Vol.3 as well) i can honestly say it was worth the wait!

More than a how to, these books focus on the overall process for artists to create their pieces. Their inspirations, their work flow, their tips & tricks to come up with unique and original ideas that have never been seen before or how they can transform something old into something completely new.

This is a great buy on its own but if you have the money, buy both Vols, you won't regret it.

Inspiring and insightful
I got this book for Christmas and haven't put it down ever since. It really is an outstanding book, showcasing the talents of an international cross section of CG artists. The book is lavishly illustrated with screen grabs of some key steps in the creation of a piece, which greatly helps to understand the artists process/technique. This book, however, doesn't focus on specific techniques as much as on the thought process behind a piece. This bookdoesn't teach you how to create digital artwork, in fact most of the descriptions assume that you already have a good handle on 3D modeling/texturing/rendering concepts. This is not a tutorial. But the book includes enough information to provide insight into an artist's thinking process. If I may use a movie production analogy, this book is sort of the "behind the scenes" aspect of CG art creation.

The book is beautifully printed in color on good paper stock and the spine is stitched instead of just glued (which is the best way to bind a book).

CONS: There really are no serious downfalls with this book, however from an editorial stand point (I am not a expert at this but...) the book is full of typos and grammatical errors. It doesn't take an English teacher to see that the editors could have done a better job of proofreading and editing the book. I suspect the work was made more difficult given that for a lot of the artists, English was not their first language. However, I think this oversight keeps the book from being a perfect 10 and for a book written in English, this is almost inexcusable.

Great
This is a great book, lots of artwork.Granted, about half of the artwork you could find with a quick google, but its nice to have something real that you can hold.Its also great for the upcoming digital arts apprentice like myself who wants to see how other people's art came to life. ... Read more