Images In Stone by David Muench

Images In Stone is a collection of North American petroglyphs by David Muench, who many recognize as one of the best landscape photographers in the world. This 12x12 inch hard back book holds a collection of image that most will never get the fortune to see, and because of the ignorance of many who do find and deface them, hopefully they will never find. Everyone has seen pictures of these wall paintings, but few have seen such a collection of them in one group, and VERY FEW people have been able to locate and photograph this many. This is not only a beautiful picture book that anyone who respects our land would love to have, but you can be sure that it will be used for centuries in major libraries worldwide as a reference source. Do you know a photographer who you’d like to make your best friend? Give them a copy of this book!

This hard back book is about 12x12 inches, with 198 color images on 191 pages, and incredibly it retails for only US-$49.95 - and is published by BrownTrout Publishers, and can be ordered at www.browntrout.com.        I Rate it:       A+++

Photoshop Filter Effects Encyclopedia by Roger Pring

Photoshop Filter Effects Encyclopedia is a super new Photoshop how-to book that will show you everything you ever need to know about Photoshop plug-in filters, and how to use them. The book is richly illustrated with many samples of every filter, plus screen captures showing the settings used for each image. I don’t know how the author could have made it any easier to learn from. You can’t take full advantage of your filters unless you know how to use them, and if you can’t learn how from this book, you won’t learn how from any.

This soft cover book is about 9x10 inches, with 192 pages, retails for US-$29.95 - and is published by O’Reilly Media and can be checked out at www.oreilly.com        I Rate it:       A++

WOLF – Legend, Enemy, Icon by by Rebecca Grambo and photography by Daniel Cox

The word Wolf usually stirs two emotions, fear or admiration, and almost always total misunderstanding. For those who admire this beautiful animal this book will be a library treasure. It fully explores the relationship between man and wolf and how it evolved throughout history, from being seen as creator by native tribes, to devil by pioneers. It is filled with images of the personal lives of wolf packs, which have social orders and family bonding as strong a mans. It is both beautiful and inspiring.

This hardback book is about 9x11 inches, with 176 pages, retails for just US-$34.95 - and is published by Firefly Books at www.fireflybooks.com.        I Rate it:       A++

In My Mind’s Eye, Seeing in Black and White by Charlie Waite

In My Mind’s Eye is a very refreshing change in a photo book. It is cover-to-cover excellent black and white images, mostly from Europe and Africa, and printed like good B&W should be done. Charlie may not be as well known in America, but that is not a reflection on his images. The image on the cover will give you a good idea of quality of his work. Some images, like the desert ones, I like a lot more than others, but that is only a personal preference. They all make for a very good picture book that would be a great addition to any photo library.

This hardback book is 11x11, 131 pages, and retails for US-$40.00 - and is published in England by The Guild of Master Craftsman Publications and distributed in the US by Sterling Publishing. You can check it out at www.sterlingpub.com.        I Rate it:       A++

Last Places on Earth by Eric Meola

For those photographers who love to have great picture books to show on their coffee table, Last Places on Earth is a new one you shouldn’t miss. Meola is a world-renowned photographer, and this large hardback book is nothing but great images from cover to cover. This is a collection of the images from his assignment for Kodak to capture what remains of the world’s ancient civilizations before they are totally destroyed by “progress.” The book covers his work from all over the world, and if you know his work, then you will know the quality of what is in this book. If you do not know it, then you will be in for one great experience. I wish I could show a whole selection of images here so you could see how their colors literally explode from the pages, but you will have to buy the book and see it for yourself. You won’t be sorry!

This hardback book is about 9x12 inches, with 106 images on 224 pages, retails for just US-$60.00 - and is published by GRAPHIS at www.graphis.com.        I Rate it:       A++++

Searchings, Secret Landscapes of Flowers, vol. II by Barbara Bordnick

Fall is over and a lot of us are already planning our spring photo trips to shoot that first wildflower that sticks its head up. You don’t really have to wait that long though. Use these cold winter days to set up flower shots that can look just as good as any taken on a mountain top. Searchings is a great place to start with new ideas for just such work. This is not a how-to book that will show you how to actually do it, and most images in the book were taken in the wild, but you can create images at home like those shown in it. Searchings is a coffee table picture book of beautiful flower portraits, and printed so well that you will want to tare them out and frame them for on your walls. But don’t, at least not unless you buy a second copy just for that. That is how good the images are. I now wish I had a copy of the Searchings, volume I, which is sold out.

This hardback book is about 9.5x14 inches, with 80 full color photos, one of which even folds out to a 3-page spread. How they can do this quality of a book for a retail price of only US-$40.00 is impressive. It’s too late to give for Christmas, so get one for yourself. Published by Welcome Books at www.welcomebooks.com.

WAVES by Steve Hawk

WAVES is a new book entirely about nothing but ocean waves. I have always loved photos of the beauty of waves breaking with all of their shapes and curves, and colors like you can’t believe, and this book is filled with exactly that. If you have ever lived at the beach in the past, as I did for half of my life, this book will make you want to go back real fast. If not, it will make you want to pack up and move there. If it weren’t such a nice book I would probably tare a lot of pages out of it just to frame and hang around the house.

This hard back book has 100 images on 132, 9x10 pages, retails for US-$29.95 - and is published by Chronicle Books at www.chroniclebooks.com.        I Rate it:       A+

Hacking Digital Cameras by Chieh Cheng & Auri Rahimzadeh

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

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

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