Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting by Fil Hunter (Author), Steven Biver (Author), Paul Fuqua (Author)


An amazing (and some would say magical) resource on photographic lighting that has been talked about in the community and recommended for years. This highly respected guide has been thoroughly updated and revised for content and design - it is now produced in full color! It introduces a logical theory of photographic lighting so if you are starting out in photography you will learn how to predict results before setting up lights. This is not primarily a how-to book with only set examples for you to copy. Rather, Light: Science and Magic provides you with a comprehensive theory of the nature and principles of light to allow you to use lighting to express your own creativity.


Numerous photographs and illustrations provide clear examples of the theories, while sidebars highlight special lighting questions. Expanded chapters on available light in portraiture, as well as new information on digital equipment and terminology make this a must have update!

*New four color art package with contemporary lighting examples
*Based on the behaviour of light
*Theory book for serious photographers



Editorial Reviews
Review
'This is the first book I have seen on photographic lighting that is worth using as a text. Light-Science and Magic is about principles, not cheap tricks or the authors' portfolio. Thanks.'---Pete Christman, Savannah College of Art and Design.

'An excellent guide to high-quality studio-style lighting, even on location.'---John Alderson, Booklist. -- Review

Review


"There truly is a lot to like about Light: Science and magic. First, it is the most complete reference to lighting that I have seen. Second, the authors, while assuming that you know little about lighting, present the topic in a nondemeaning manor, and advance the topic very quickly." -BC Books (May 2007)


"'This is the first book I have seen on photographic lighting that is worth using as a text. Light-Science and Magic is about principles, not cheap tricks or the authors' portfolio. Thanks."---Pete Christman, Savannah College of Art and Design.


From the Publisher
Although styles of photographic lighting continue to change, Light: Science and Magic does not go out of fashion because it is not based on style; rather it is based on the behavior of light. These principles will not change unless the fundamentals of physics do.




Read more...

The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography (Amphoto Guide Series) by Jim Miotke (Author)

Product Description

Digital cameras are the hot new tech toy-but many of the millions of people who are buying the cameras aren't getting the most out of their new purchase. Mysterious icons, strange jargon, a dizzying array of imaging software and hardware...stumbling blocks quickly become tools to create great pictures with The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography. This practical, lesson-based workbook gives readers a step-by-step tutorial in getting bright, crisp, beautiful pictures from their digital cameras every time.

Learn about exposure, file formats and quality settings, low-light photography, digital filters and white balance, composition and lens choice, manipulating images, printing, and much more, all in a handy, bring-along format. Everyone who has a digital camera-or who is thinking about getting one-needs The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography



Editorial Reviews
About the Author

Jim Miotke is the founder of BetterPhoto.com, an online photography resource that receives more than three million hits each month. An online instructor for the site's course on digital photography, Jim Miotke is also a professional photographer with more than twenty years' experience. He lives in Redmond, Washington.



Read more...

On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk (Author)

Product Description
With this guidebook, photographers learn how to create stunning, professional images while avoiding the common pitfalls of using an on-camera flash. Techniques for using simple accessories—such as bounce cards and diffusers as well as how to improve a lighting scenario by enhancing it rather than overwhelming it—show photographers how to master this challenging aspect of portraiture. For wedding and environmental portrait photographers who must work in ever-changing lighting scenarios, executing these tips to evade flat, lifeless images with harsh shadows, washed-out skin tones, cavernous black backgrounds, and other unappealing visual characteristics results in not only better images, but happier clients and more sales.



Editorial Reviews
About the Author


Neil van Niekerk is a wedding and portrait photographer. He lives in Wayne, New Jersey.

Read more...

Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC by Martin Evening

Product Description

Martin Evening's Adobe Photoshop for Photographers titles have become classic reference sources for photographers at all skill levels. Whether you are an accomplished user or just starting out, the Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers book contains a wealth of practical advice, hints and tips to help you achieve professional-looking results. Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers begins with an overview of the Photoshop interface and the fundamentals of how to use Photoshop, followed by how to configure and optimize your computer's performance to run the program and then it dives straight into the essentials of Camera Raw image editing.


The Sharpening chapter shows how to use the Camera Raw controls to obtain optimum capture sharpening and noise reduction and the Essentials chapter outlines how to work with all the basic image adjustment tools that are in the program, some of which have been there since the very beginning.

Practical workshops show you how to master the essential techniques, such as color correction, retouching techniques, toning a black and white image, creating composite images and so on. Each technique is described in step-by-step detail, showing exactly which command to use, whether you are working with a Mac or PC computer.
The accompanying DVD contains a Photoshop for Photographers Help Guide. This is supplied in a web browser format that you can either run from the DVD or copy to your computer hard disk for off-line viewing. The Help Guide contains a complete guide to all the tools and panels in Photoshop as well as other items in the program. It is like having an off-line manual with which to learn more about what each Photoshop tool and palette does. The guide also provides 120 minutes of movie tutorials on Photoshop CS4. If you are just beginning to work with digital images or are looking for new ideas, the best techniques and ways to improve the quality of your work, this is the book for you!

* Learn Photoshop the Martin Evening way! Get up to speed fast with the essential information you need to create superb images in Photoshop CS4.
* Accompnying DVD includes the images you need to follow along as you read, with QuickTime movie tutorials for hands-on learning
* Contains over 750 professional, color images



Editorial Reviews
Review


'When it's all said and done, tools-whether hardware or software-are just tools, and it's your ideas and images that matter. You'll find that Martin knows both sides of the equation and never lets the techniques distract from the vision. I think you'll find his perspective and experience invaluable.'



John Nack, Principal Product Manager, Adobe Photoshop



'Evening's Adobe Photoshop for Photographers titles have become classic reference sources, written to deal directly with the needs of photographers and filled with a wealth of practical advice, hints and tips to help you achieve professional results.'



Professional Photographer



'Richly illustrated with photos and screen grabs, this is an invaluable guide for anyone serious about Photoshop at a very reasonable price.'



What Digital Camera



'...the bible for digital photographers. Wonderfully illustrated and incredibly detailed to help you master all aspects of the program.'



ephotozine


About the Author
Martin Evening is a professional photographer and digital imaging consultant, as well as an Alpha tester for Photoshop and key demo artist for Adobe. Based in London, UK, Martin was inducted into the legendary Photoshop Hall of Fame in 2008.


Read more...

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby (Author)

Product Description


Written in concert with Adobe's development of the Photoshop Lightroom 2 Beta, The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers - by #1 bestselling computer and technology author, Scott Kelby - is the most complete and concise Lightroom "how-to" book for digital photographers of all skill levels.In The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers, Scott walks readers through the basics of Lightroom use, leading them to a brilliantly devised and super efficient digital photography workflow that dramatically improves productivity and allows photographers to spend less time processing photos and more time shooting them.


Throughout the book Scott shares his personal camera and Lightroom settings, as well as the studio-tested techniques he's developed for his own photography workflow. The book is written in his trademark step-by-step, plain English style, and because he knows what really works and what doesn't, he isn't shy to tell you flat out which tools to use, which to avoid, and why. This allows digital photographers of any skill level to jump right in using Lightroom like a pro from the very start, sidestepping a lot of the frustrations that typically haunt those unfamiliar with new applications…especially those as powerful as Lightroom.

What really sets The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers apart from other Lightroom books on the market are the last two bonus chapters where Scott answers the questions, "In exactly what order am I supposed to do things in Lightoom," and "Where does Photoshop fit in to the mix?" Both chapters start with an on-location photo shoot, including full details on the equipment, camera settings, and lighting techniques. Readers then witness as he takes the photos from each shoot through the entire workflow process, to the final output of the 16"x20" prints. And, because he incorporates Photoshop seamlessly right into this workflow, you'll learn some of the latest Photoshop techniques for portrait and landscape photography as well.

If you're one of those people who learns best by actually doing the projects yourself; who learns best without all the complicated technical explanations and confusing jargon, and if you really want to start using Lightroom today to unlock the productivity secrets of "The new digital photography workflow,"---there is no faster, more "straight-to-the-point" or more fun way to learn than this groundbreaking new book, and you are absolutely going to love it!





Read more...

The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes by Joe McNally (Author)

Product Description

When it comes to photography, it’s all about the light.After spending more than thirty years behind the lens—working for National Geographic, Time, Life, and Sports Illustrated—Joe McNally knows about light. He knows how to talk about it, shape it, color it, control it, and direct it. Most importantly, he knows how to create it...using small hot shoe flashes.In The Hot Shoe Diaries, Joe brings you behind the scenes to candidly share his lighting solutions for a ton of great images.

Using Nikon Speedlights, Joe lets you in on his uncensored thought process—often funny, sometimes serious, always fascinating—to demonstrate how he makes his pictures with these small flashes. Whether he’s photographing a gymnast on the Great Wall, an alligator in a swamp, or a fire truck careening through Times Square, Joe uses these flashes to create great light that makes his pictures sing.



Editorial Reviews
About the Author

JOE McNALLY is an internationally acclaimed American photographer and longtime photojournalist. His most notable series is “Faces of Ground Zero—Portraits of the Heroes of September 11th,” a collection of giant Polaroid portraits. He also photographed “The Future of Flying,” the first all-digital story for National Geographic. His award-winning work has appeared in numerous magazines and, in 2008, Joe wrote the critically acclaimed and bestselling book The Moment It Clicks.



Read more...

Graphic Design: The New Basics by Ellen Lupton (Author), Jennifer Cole Phillips (Author)

Product Description
How do designers get ideas? Many spend their time searching for clever combinations of forms, fonts, and colors inside the design annuals and monographs of other designers' work. For those looking to challenge the cut-and-paste mentality there are few resources that are both informative and inspirational. In Graphic Design: The New Basics, Ellen Lupton, best-selling author of such books as Thinking with Type and Design It Yourself, and design educator Jennifer Cole Phillips refocus design instruction on the study of the fundamentals of form in a critical, rigorous way informed by contemporary media, theory, and software systems.

Through visual demonstrations and concise commentary, The New Basics shows students and professionals how to build interest and complexity around simple relationships between formal elements of two-dimensional design such as point, line, plane, scale, hierarchy, layers, and transparency. The New Basics explains the key concepts of visual language that inform any work of design—from a logo or letterhead to a complex web site. It takes a fresh approach to design instruction by emphasizing visually intensive, form-based thinking in a manner that is in tune with the latest developments in contemporary media, theory, art, and technology. Colorful, compact, and clearly written, The New Basics is the new indispensable resource for anyone seeking a smart, inspiring introduction to graphic design and destined to become the standard reference work in design education.



Editorial Reviews
Review

"Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips introduces key concepts of visual language in graphic design." --Publishers Weekly, January 21, 2008

Review
"A tome on the basics of form. (Graphic Design:The New Basics) illuminates the gray areas between software and visual thinking, and as the introduction states, shows 'how to build richness and complexity around simple relationships.'"

Review
Design On The Verge; Diva Of D.I.Y.

"With her tousled blond hair, cheery demeanor and casual clothes, the 44-year-old Lupton looks barely older than her students. As she passes one on campus, he fixes on the book she's holding, 'Graphic Design: The New Basics.'

'Is that the only copy?' he asks excitedly.

Indeed it is. Scheduled to come out in May, Lupton says she hopes it will become the definitive textbook for the next ten years.' " -- Lisa Simeone




Read more...

The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams (Author)

Product Description
The definitive book on animation, from the Academy Award-winning animator behind Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Animation is one of the hottest areas of filmmaking today--and the master animator who bridges the old generation and the new is Richard Williams. During his more than forty years in the business, Williams has been one of the true innovators, winning three Academy Awards and serving as the link between Disney's golden age of animation by hand and the new computer animation exemplified by Toy Story.



Editorial Reviews
Amazon Review

"Williams is miles ahead of anyone in the world of animation."--The New York Times
-- Review

Review


"Williams is miles ahead of anyone in the world of animation."--The New York Times


From the Inside Flap
Praise for Richard Williams:

"Arguably the best animator working in the field today." Hollywood Reporter

"Richard is a genius." Robert Zemeckis (director, Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump)

"Probably one of the most respected draftsmen in the world." Los Angeles TV Times

"Williams is miles ahead of anyone in the world of animation." New York Times

"Voted by peers as 'The Animator's Animator'." Observer

Richard Williams is best known as the Director of Animation and designer of the new characters for Who Framed Roger Rabbit, for which he won two Academy Awards including a Special Achievement Award.

Canadian-born Williams has won three US Academy Awards, three British Academy Awards, and an Emmy among 246 international awards-- starting with his first film The Little Island in 1958.

Williams has also animated title sequences for Return of the Pink Panther, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, What's New Pussycat, Casino Royale and linking sequences for The Charge of the Light Brigade, as well as countless prize-winning commercials.

In 1990 he was voted by his peers as "The Animator's Animator," and in 1995 he started giving the Richard Williams Animation Masterclasses for professionals and students worldwide in London, Hollywood, New York, San Francisco, Vancouver, Sydney, Hong Kong, France and Denmark.

He lives with his family in Wales and works as an independent film-maker.





Read more...

Photography (9th Edition) by Barbara London (Author), Jim Stone (Author), John Upton (Author)

Product Description


This best-selling introductory photography text teaches students how to use the medium confidently and effectively by emphasizing both technique and visual awareness. Comprehensive in scope, this book features superb instructional illustrations and examples in its clear presentation of both black and white and color photography. London offers extensive coverage of digital imaging and the latest technological developments, such as Web page design and formatting photos on CD-ROMs.




Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review

A picture tells a thousand stories, but the one it doesn't tell is how the shot was made. Barbara London and John Upton's Photography is an all-inclusive look at the craft of photography. This book will help any amateur move up a few notches, and it serves as a refresher course for professionals as well. The sixth edition of this classic work (the first was published in 1976) includes a companion Web site with interactive activities, Web resources, and a learning archive. Amply illustrated with at least one photograph or diagram on almost every page, Photography is the one reference work every student of photography must have--even those who will never set foot in a classroom. --Brenda Pittsley

From the Back Cover
This best-selling, comprehensive guide to photography—featuring superb instructional illustrations—is the most cutting-edge photography book on the market. It offers extensive coverage of digital imaging—with the latest technological developments, such as Web page design and formatting photos on CD-ROMs. Chapter topics explore the process of getting started, camera, lens, film and light, exposure, processing the negative, mounting and finishing, color, digital camera, digital darkroom, lighting, special techniques, view camera, zone system, seeing photographs, and the history of photography. Step-by-step instructions include a “Lights Out” feature to help learners better identify darkroom techniques. For anyone with a personal or professional interest in photography.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.


More than a million copies of Photography are now in print. Many people who have used this book have become professional photographers or photography instructors, or are continuing to pursue their personal interest in photography. Whatever your interest in photography is, this book is designed to teach the skills that you will need to use the medium confidently and effectively.

The emphasis of this edition continues to be in two major areas—technique and visual awareness. The technical material helps you learn how to control the photographic process, or as Ansel Adams put it, to "understand the way that the lens 'sees' and the film 'sees.'" Equally important, this book can help you see by showing you the choices that other photographers have made and that you can make when you raise a camera to your eye.

Clarity and convenience have always been a focus of this book. In this edition even more effort has been made to organize and format information into an easy guide for beginning photographers and a quick reference for those with experience.

The easy-to-use format has been maintained, with each two facing pages completing a single idea, skill, or technique.
Boldfaced topic sentences outline the text on every page.
"More About . . ." boxes on many pages cross-reference related topics in other parts of the book.
Computer icons call attention to related information about digital imaging or to information in the digital imaging chapters.
The general organization of technical information has been maintained, with the addition of a technical update.

General photographic techniques are covered completely in Chapters 1-8: camera, lens, film, exposure, developing and printing black-and-white film, and mounting.
Chapters 10 and 11 expand and update information on digital imaging.
Chapters 9, 12, 13, 14, and 15 cover color photography, lighting, special techniques (such as cyanotyping ), view camera use, and a specialized method of exposure and development—the Zone System.
A fully illustrated "Troubleshooting Appendix," beginning on page 400, groups together technical problems, their causes, and ways to prevent them.
Improving visual awareness is a major emphasis of the book. Many new demonstration photographs have been added to make topics easy to understand. Throughout the book you will find hundreds of illustrations by the best photographers showing how they have put to use various technical concepts. See for example:

The photographs illustrating lens focal length on pages 45, 47, and 49, or how one photographer uses electronic flash plus available light on page 289.
"Photographer at Work" pages throughout the book feature interviews with photographers who have developed successful careers in everything from dance photography (pages 290 291) to digital illustration (pages 256-257).
Chapter 16, "Seeing Photographs" (pages 340-365), deals with composition, tonality, sharpness, and other visual elements that will help you make better pictures yourself, and see other people's photographs with a more sophisticated eye.
Chapter 17 (pages 366-399) surveys the history of photography so that you can place today's photography—and your own—in an historical context.
We are pleased to announce an expanded and interactive Website. You can visit the site at http://www.prenhall.com/london. It contains many features, including:

Simulations and demonstrations of various photographic processes
A study guide
Chat rooms
Links to other photography e-sites
An instructor's manual and integrated student lab manual/journal are available, which include:

sample assignments
processing and exposure records
numerous tips to complement the text.
Every edition of Photography has been a collaborative effort. Instructors, students, photographers, manufacturers, editors, gallery people, and many others participated in it. They fielded queries, made suggestions, responded to material, and were unfailingly generous with their time, energy, and creative thinking.

Special thanks go to instructors who reviewed the previous edition of Photography as well as parts of this edition, and who volunteered many good ideas. They brought a particularly useful point of view, contributing many ideas on not only what to teach, but how to teach it:

– Ayana Baltrip, University of California, Berkeley
– Rick Bruner, Shepherd College
– Elizabeth Burnham, Barton College
– Susan Ciricialo, California College of Arts and Crafts
– Charles Dmytriw, Northwestern Connecticut Community College
– Steve Dzerigian, Fresno City College
– Harris Fogel, University of the Arts, Philadelphia
– Jack Fulton, San Francisco Art Institute
– Chris Johnson, California College of Arts and Crafts
– Jim Kelly, Southern Illinois University
– John Knowlton, Green River Community College
– Philip Krejcarek, Carroll College
– John Labadie, University of North Carolina, Pembroke
– Libby Rowe, Oregon College of Arts and Crafts
– Ken Smith, University of Wyoming
– Evon Streetman, Florida State University
– Deborah Tharpe, University of Alaska, Anchorage
– Catherine Wagner, Mills College
– Al Wildey, University of Idaho School of Communications
– Susan Zavoina, University of North Texas

Without editorial and production assistance, a book of this size and complexity would be impossible to complete. Barbara London and John Upton would like to thank Peggy Jones, who made many contributions to the digital imaging chapters, both in terms of technical concepts and how to put those concepts to creative use. Joe Ciaglia, as usual, could answer any question about digital imaging. Jim Stone's experience with his own books provided many insights. Blade Gillissen had information on everything from lenses to flash meters. Sean Upton handled a host of editorial tasks—and more.

At Prentice Hall, special thanks to Bud Therien and Kimberly Chastain, and to Barbara DeVries for somehow keeping track of it all.

Ken Kobre and Betsy Brill appreciate the help of Debra Klochko, Director, Friends of Photography, Ansel Adams Gallery; Doug Nickel, Photography Curator at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Arthur Oilman, Director, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego; and collector David Raymond.

Many equipment manufacturers and technical reviewers were helpful, both in lending equipment and in reviewing material. Richard LoPinto and Mike Phillips, Nikon USA; Bernard Denevi, Nikon France; Sally Smith-Clemens, John Knaur, and Ray Acevedo, Olympus America; Wendy Erickson, Ilford; Shlomo Cazary, Sony; Tom Kunhardt, Kodak; Polaroid Corp.; Lexar; Genuine Fractals; Vivid Details; Larry Guyer, Better Light, Inc.; and Dave Christensen, North Light Products, Inc.

Special thanks for many helpful suggestions from industry consultant Fran Herman; Dave Guralnick, Detroit News; Barbara Fredericks, Infoworld magazine; Adobe Evangelist Julianne Kost; Fireside Camera, San Francisco; Unruh Photography Shop and Sonoma Image in Santa Rosa, California.

Warren Hsu, a chemist, photographer, and versatile assistant, conducted many experiments for us. Warren and Scot Tucker spent long hours assisting with the new chemical darkroom step-by-step pictures. Many of the new color demos were photographed and scanned for publication by Sibylla Herbrich, a teacher of photography at San Francisco State. Artist Ben Barbante, Infoworld art director and teacher at City College of San Francisco, contributed his considerable skills in digital illustration and photography.

Ken and Betsy owe special thanks to Nancy, McDermid, Dean of Humanities at San Francisco State University, where Ken is a professor of photojournalism; to Annemarie and Lou Madison; Karen Russell; and, most important of all, Ken's mother, Reva Kobre, Betsy's father, Earl Wright, and our supportive and loving daughter, Daria Brill.

This is a book that students keep. They refer to it long after they have finished the basic photo course for which it was purchased. Some of the people who contributed to this edition used the book themselves when they were studying photography, and still have their original, now dog-eared edition. As you work with the book, you may have suggestions on how to improve it. Please send them to us. They will be sincerely welcomed.

Dedicated to everyone who is part of this new edition.

Read more...

Meggs' History of Graphic Design by Philip B. Meggs (Author), Alston W. Purvis (Author)

Product Description

Now in its Fourth Edition, this unrivaled, seminal work continues its long tradition of providing balanced insight and thorough historical background. Under the new authorial leadership of Alston Purvis, this authoritative book offers more than 450 new images, along with expansive coverage of such topics as Italian, Russian, and Dutch design. It reveals a saga of creative innovators, breakthrough technologies, and important design innovations.



Editorial Reviews

A significant attempt at a comprehensive history of graphic design...it will be an eye-opener not only for general readers, but for designers who have been unaware of their legacy. -- The New York Times

With this book, Meggs made it easier for designers to envision their work in terms of history. The final pages of each edition attempt to put young designers into historical context, perhaps before their influence can be accurately assessed. Although some may argue that it's an effort to control history rather than report it, this book makes for a lively debate. A History of Graphic Design, now in its third edition, stands as a monumental contribution to the field. -- Critique Magazine, Pamela Williams, Spring 1997

From the Inside Flap

Under the new authorial leadership of Alston W. Purvis, Meggs' History of Graphic Design, Fourth Edition offers hundreds of full-color images supported by the latest information, including a new chapter on modern type design. With more than 1,000 illustrations, lucid text, and interpretive captions, this Fourth Edition reveals a saga of creative innovators, breakthrough technologies, and important design innovations.

Graphic design is a vital component of each culture and period in human history, and this Fourth Edition was carefully reviewed and updated to best represent the work of particular time periods and designers. This edition's historic account is an extraordinary panorama of people and events, including:

The Invention of Writing and Alphabets
Medieval Manuscript Books
The Origins of Printing and Typography
Renaissance Graphic Design
The Arts and Crafts Movement
Victorian and Art Nouveau Graphics
Modern Art and Its Impact on Design
Visual Identity and Conceptual Images
Postmodern Design

The Computer Graphics Revolution
A History of Graphic Design, Fourth Edition surpasses in detail and breadth the content, design, and color reproduction of previous editions. Professionals, students, and everyone who works with or loves the world of graphic design will quickly find this reference tool is an invaluable visual survey that they will turn to again and again

From the Back Cover
Critical acclaim for previous editions of A History of Graphic Design

"I expect it to become a foundation and keystone of serious study . . . it is a fortress work." —Communication Arts

"[It] traces the role of the designer as a messenger of culture." —STA Journal

"Now . . . a hefty, yet concise, documentation of the entire field exists." —Print

"It is a noble and formidable undertaking." —The Artist's Magazine

"An excellent and invaluable work." —Library Journal

"This is a reference work that reads like a novel. It's comprehensive, authoritative, graphic, and exciting." —The Journal of Typographics

"[This book] establishes graphic design as a profession. Bravo!" —Design Issues

"A significant attempt at a comprehensive history of graphic design . . . it will be an eye-opener not only for general readers, but for designers who have been unaware of their legacy." —The New York Times

"Mr. Meggs enthusiastically conveys these excitements to us, from the invention of photography and 'popular graphics of the Victorian era' through the Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau, the Secession, the isms . . . to the Modern Movement. . . . More importantly, he shows us the joins as well as the parts."—Printing World

After a decade of research by the author, the first edition of A History of Graphic Design was heralded as a publishing landmark by the Association of American Publishers, who awarded it a coveted award for publishing excellence. Now, after fifteen years of development in graphic design, this expanded and updated Third Edition includes hundreds of full-color images and new material in many areas, including alphabets, Japanese and Dutch graphics, and the computer revolution which has impacted all aspects of contemporary design and communications. With its approximately 1,200 illustrations, lucid text, and interpretive captions, the book reveals a saga of creative innovators, breakthrough technologies, and important design innovations.

Graphic design is a vital component of each culture and period in human history, and in this account, an extraordinary panorama of people and events unfolds, including:

The Invention of Writing and Alphabets
Medieval Manuscript Books
The Origins of Printing and Typography
Renaissance Graphic Design
The Arts and Crafts Movement
Victorian and Art Nouveau Graphics
Modern Art and Its Impact on Design
Visual Identity and Conceptual Images
Postmodern Design
The Computer Graphics Revolution
A History of Graphic Design is recognized as a seminal work; this Third Edition surpasses in detail and breadth the content, design, and color reproduction of previous editions. It is required reading for professionals, students, and everyone who works with or loves the world of graphic design. This comprehensive reference tool is an invaluable visual survey that you will turn to again and again.






Read more...

The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman (Author)

Product Description
Design is the single most important factor in creating a successful photograph. The ability to see the potential for a strong picture and then organize the graphic elements into an effective, compelling composition has always been one of the key skills in making photographs. Digital photography has brought a new, exciting aspect to design - first because the instant feedback from a digital camera allows immediate appraisal and improvement; and second because image-editing tools make it possible to alter and enhance the design after the shutter has been pressed. This has had a profound effect on the way digital photographers take pictures.

The Photographer's Eye shows how anyone can develop the ability to see and shoot great digital photographs. The book explores all the traditional approaches to composition and design, but crucially, it also addresses the new digital technique of shooting in the knowledge that a picture will later be edited, manipulated, or montaged to result in a final image that may be very different from the one seen in the viewfinder.

Features
*Covers both traditional in-camera composition and the new opportunities for picture-making made possible by digital imaging editing
*Shows how to explore situations and locations in order to find the best possible photographic possibilities
*Uses clear examples from real photographic assignments, with schematic illustrations of how and why the pictures work

Editorial Reviews
Review
"Beautifully presented with genrous and helpful color illustrations, this book is a very affordable addition to the library of the serious photographer."
-Candian Camera (Feb. 08)

About the Author
Michael Freeman is a renowned international photographer and writer who specializes in travel, architecture, and Asian art. He is particularly well known for his expertise in special effects. He has been a leading photographer for the Smithsonian magazine for many years, and has worked for Time-Life Books and Reader's Digest. Michael is the author of more than 20 photographic books, including the hugely successful Complete Guide to Digital Photography and The Photographer's Eye.





Read more...

The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby (Author)

Product Description

ARE YOU READY FOR AN AMAZING NEW VERSION OF THE PHOTOSHOP BOOK THAT BREAKS ALL THE RULES?Scott Kelby, the best-selling Photoshop author in the world today, once again takes this book to a whole new level as he uncovers the latest, most important, and most exciting new Adobe Photoshop CS4 techniques for digital photographers. This major update to his award-winning, record-breaking book does something for digital photographers that’s never been done before—it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly “how to do it.” It’s not a bunch of theory; it doesn’t challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure it out on your own.

Instead, Scott shows you step-by-step the exact techniques used by today’s cutting-edge digital photographers, and best of all, he shows you flat-out exactly which settings to use, when to use them, and why. That’s why the previous editions of this book are widely used as the official study guide in photography courses at colleges and universities around the world.

LEARN HOW THE PROS DO IT
Each year Scott trains thousands of professional photographers how to use Photoshop, and almost without exception they have the same questions, the same problems, and the same challenges—and that’s exactly what he covers in this book. You’ll learn:

• The sharpening techniques the pros really use.
• The pros’ tricks for fixing the most common digital photo problems fast!
• The step-by-step setup for getting what comes out of your printer to match exactly what you see onscreen.
• A whole chapter on how to process HDR (High Dynamic Range) images.
• How to master new CS4 interface and workflow features.
• How to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat.
• How to process RAW digital camera images (plus how to take advantage of all the new Camera Raw features in CS4!).
• How to add real automation to your work.
• How to show your work like a pro!
• A host of shortcuts, workarounds, and slick “insider” tricks to send your productivity through the roof!

Plus, Scott included a special bonus chapter with his own CS4 workflow, from start to finish. If you’re a digital photographer, and you’re ready to learn the “tricks of the trade”—the same ones that today’s leading pros use to correct, edit, sharpen, retouch, and present their work—then you’re holding the book that will do just that.

Editorial Reviews
About the Author

Scott Kelby is Editor and Publisher of Photoshop User magazine, President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, Training Director for the Adobe Photoshop Seminar Tour, and one of the leading seminar instructors in the country today. Scott is an award-winning author of more than 50 books on Photoshop, digital imaging, and technology, and for four years straight he has been the world’s #1 best-selling author of all computer and technology books. His other titles include Photoshop Down & Dirty Tricks, The Photoshop Channels Book, Photoshop Classic Effects, and The Digital Photography Book, vols. 1 & 2. His easygoing, plain-English, step-by-step style of teaching makes learning Photoshop easy and fun.




Read more...

The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby (Author)

Product Description

Scott Kelby, the man who changed the "digital darkroom" forever with his groundbreaking, #1 bestselling, award-winning book The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, now tackles the most important side of digital photography--how to take pro-quality shots using the same tricks today's top digital pros use (and it's easier than you'd think).
This entire book is written with a brilliant premise, and here’s how Scott describes it: "If you and I were out on a shoot, and you asked me, 'Hey, how do I get this flower to be in focus, but I want the background out of focus?'
...

I wouldn't stand there and give you a lecture about aperture, exposure, and depth of field. In real life, I'd just say, 'Get out your telephoto lens, set your f/stop to f/2.8, focus on the flower, and fire away.' You d say, 'OK,' and you'd get the shot. That's what this book is all about. A book of you and I shooting, and I answer the questions, give you advice, and share the secrets I've learned just like I would with a friend, without all the technical explanations and without all the techno-photo-speak."

This isn't a book of theory—it isn't full of confusing jargon and detailed concepts: this is a book of which button to push, which setting to use, when to use them, and nearly two hundred of the most closely guarded photographic "tricks of the trade" to get you shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos with your digital camera every time you press the shutter button.

Here's another thing that makes this book different: each page covers just one trick, just one single concept that makes your photography better. Every time you turn the page, you'll learn another pro setting, another pro tool, another pro trick to transform your work from snapshots into gallery prints. There's never been a book like it, and if you're tired of taking shots that look "OK," and if you’re tired of looking in photography magazines and thinking, "Why don't my shots look like that?" then this is the book for you.

Editorial Reviews
About the Author

Scott Kelby is President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and Editor-in-Chief of both Photoshop User and Layers magazines. Scott serves as training director for the Adobe Photoshop Seminar Tour and is the technical chair of the largest Photoshop gathering in the industry, Photoshop World. He has written numerous best-selling creative technology books.




Read more...

PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God by Frank Warren (Author)

Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Frank Warren is a small business owner who started PostSecret.com as a community art project. Since November 2004 Warren has received more than 150,000 anonymous postcards. The website won two Webby Awards in 2006 and this year was named Weblog of the Year at the Seventh Annual Weblog Awards. The PostSecret project also received a...

special award from the National Mental Health Association for raising awareness and funds for suicide prevention. Warren lives in Germantown, Maryland, with his wife and daughter.





Read more...

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition) by Bryan Peterson (Author)

Product Description
For serious amateur photographers who already shoot perfectly focused, accurately exposed images but want to be more creative with a camera, here’s the book to consult. More than seventy techniques, both popular and less-familiar approaches, are covered in detail, including advanced exposure, bounced flash and candlelight, infrared, multiple images, soft-focus effects, unusual vantage points, zooming, and other carefully chosen ways to enhance photographs. The A-Z format make sit easy for readers to find a specific technique, and each one is explained in jargon-free language. Top Tips for each technique help readers achieve superb results, even on the first attempt.


Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Bryan Peterson is the author of the best-selling Learning to See Creatively and writes a photography column "Picture Points," for Popular Photography Magazine. His many photographic awards include the Communication Arts Photography Annual (eight times), Print Magazine's Design Annual (four times), and the New York Art Directors Gold Award. He lives in Seattle and Lyon, France.





Read more...

The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3 by Scott Kelby (Author)

Product Description

Scott Kelby, author of The Digital Photography Book, volume 1 (the world’s best-selling digital photography book of all time), is back with a follow-up to his volume 2 smash best seller, with an entirely new book that picks up right where he left off. It’s even more of that “Ah ha—so that’s how they do it,” straight-to-the-point, skip-the-techno-jargon stuff you can really use today to make your shots even better.
This book truly has a brilliant premise, and here’s how Scott describes it: “If you and I were out on a shoot and you asked me, ‘Hey Scott, I want the light for this portrait to look really soft and flattering. How far back should I put this softbox?’

I wouldn’t give you a lecture about lighting ratios, or flash modifiers. In real life, I’d just turn to you and say, ‘Move it in as close to your subject as you possibly can, without it actually showing up in the shot.’ Well, that’s what this book is all about: you and I out shooting where I answer questions, give you advice, and share the secrets I’ve learned, just like I would with a friend—without all the technical explanations and techie photo speak.”

Each page covers a single concept on how to make your photography better. Every time you turn the page, you’ll learn another pro setting, tool, or trick to transform your work from snapshots into gallery prints. If you’re tired of taking shots that look “okay,” and if you’re tired of looking in photography magazines and thinking, “Why don’t my shots look like that?” then this is the book for you.

This isn’t a book of theory—full of confusing jargon and detailed concepts. This is a book on which button to push, which setting to use, and when to use it. With nearly 200 more of the most closely guarded photographic “tricks of the trade,” this book gets you shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos every time.

Editorial Reviews
About the Author

Scott Kelby is the world’s #1 best-selling author of computer and technology books, as well as Editor and Publisher of Photoshop User magazine, and President of the National Association of Photo–shop Pro–fessionals (NAPP). He’s the co-host of the highly acclaimed Photoshop User TV, and teaches digital photo and imaging workshops around the world. Scott is an award-winning author of more than 50 books, including The Adobe Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers, and Scott Kelby’s 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3.



Read more...