American Cinematographer Manual, Ninth Edition
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Absolutely Invaluable!
  • Hey, it's the "Cinematographer's Bible", you can't do without
  • The Cinematographer's Bible
American Cinematographer Manual, Ninth Edition
Stephen H. Burum
Manufacturer: American Society Of Cinematographers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0935578242

Book Description

For the first time since Charles Clarke's 1980 edition, the AC Manual has been edited by a professional cinematographer. The completely revised 9th edition offers contributions from experts with more than 100 years of motion-picture experience. Its features include:

• More than 30 new charts, including lighting intensities for more than 90 fixtures.

• A completely revised camera section, rewritten by Jon Fauer, ASC

• A new article on digital intermediates by Bill Feightner and Robert L. Eicholz of EFilm

• Warner Bros. executive Rob Hummel's update of his classic "pros and cons" chapter, which now includes the latest digital postproduction techniques

• A new chapter on hanging miniatures by visual-effects wizard Dan Curry

• "Tak's tips" from Panavision lens expert Tak Miyagishima

• The most extensive section yet on motion-picture formulas, written by Evans Wetmore, vice president of advanced engineering at 20th Century Fox

• A revised chapter on motion-control by visual-effects legend Richard Edlund, ASC, who has included the latest updates on digital technology

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Absolutely Invaluable!.......2006-03-22

As a graduating film student who is working on a thesis film, I have come to rely solely on this manual. It has absolutely every bit of information that any aspiring filmmaker could need. I've come to call it my "Bible" of filmmaking. Check it out! You won't regret it!

5 out of 5 stars Hey, it's the "Cinematographer's Bible", you can't do without.......2006-01-27

Anybody who plans on working with REAL film should own this, learn it, know portions of it backwards and forwards and use it to their advantage.

It basically answers ANY questions you may have concerning principal filmmaking, and some very help hints when trying to accomplish various optical and special effects in camera.

Get it, or suffer the consequences.

5 out of 5 stars The Cinematographer's Bible.......2005-03-04

Also known as "The Cinematographers Bible", this thick hand-sized pocket book is an absolute must for anybody who owns or uses a 16mm, Super 16mm, 35mm, Super 35mm or 70mm motion picture camera (movie cameras). IT WILL NOT TEACH YOU CINEMATOGRAPHY! It is a technical manual to be used when shooting on film and has since become the industry standard book that most amateur and professional cinematographers own and use. Motion pictures cameras are also built around the specifications laid down in this book.

Essentially the first 100 pages deal with all the different types of motion picture cameras, their internal mechanisms, technical details and threading paths. Then the book goes on to dealing with motion picture film itself, the various brands that are available, differences between black and white, color and a bit about the development process of each one. Again, technically detailed. There is also very valuable charts on film lengths and running times according to fps. The lens section is very technical covering the different types of lenses and the most important focal length, distance to subject, measuring charts that is really the most widely used part of this book. There is a massive section on filters, exposure and emulsion testing.

The book then deals with lighting and covers the various aspects of lighting types, bulbs, filters and exposure techniques, all highly technical in nature with references to charts and illustrations. The book ends with a coverage of visual special effects that can be done with the motion picture camera and other special techniques that the cinematographer will need to know about.

You will need this book if you are shooting on film, end of story. If you are looking for a manual that teaches cinematography then choose CINEMATOGRAPHY by Kris Malkiewicz instead. As a note, there is a lot of new digital cinematography cameras on the up and coming that work on digital video tape and not film and many new filmmakers may be advised to check out this route as a cheaper and less costly way of shooting their first film.
Aftermath: World Trade Center Archive
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Amazing collection of photographs by a very gifted photographer
  • A True Memorial
  • Excellent Documentary
  • Incredible 9-11 Photos!!
  • Laraine
Aftermath: World Trade Center Archive
Joel Meyerowitz
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0714846554

Book Description

After September 11th, 2001, the Ground Zero site in New York City was classified as a crime scene and only those directly involved in the recovery efforts were allowed inside. The press was also prohibited from the site, but with the help of the Museum of the City of New York and sympathetic city officials, award-winning photographer Joel Meyerowitz managed to obtain unlimited access. By ingenuity and sheer determination, he was the only photographer granted unimpeded right of entry into Ground Zero.

For 9 months, during the day and night, Meyerowitz photographed "the pile," as the World Trade Center came to be known, and the over 800 people a day that were working in it. Influenced by Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange's work for the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression, he knew that if he didn't make a photographic record of the unprecedented recovery efforts, "there would be no history."


Sept. 23. Assembled panorama of the site from the World Financial Center, looking east. (All images copyright Joel Meyerowitz from Aftermath: World Trade Center Archive (Phaidon).


Sept. 25. The south wall of the South Tower.

Oct. 11. An FDNY rescue team resting on Liberty Street.


Nov. 8. Spotters in the South Tower.

May 1. Ralph and Paul Geidel waiting for a fresh raking field.

Marking the 5th anniversary of September 11th, Phaidon Press has published this extraordinary new book AFTERMATH: THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ARCHIVE with photographs and text by Joel Meyerowitz, which will feature, for the first time, the vast collection of Meyerowitz's previously unpublished photos from Ground Zero along with the engaging account of his experience in his own words. This historic publication is the only existing photographic record of the monumental recovery efforts post-9/11.

From portraits of the people he met to the accidental beauty of the ruins at dusk, AFTERMATH features 400 breathtaking color photographs, many taken with a large format camera. Bronx-born Meyerowitz brings his trademark sensitivity, intelligence and eye for beauty to these poignant images that will hold an important place in American history.

AFTERMATH brings to life the tireless determination of the scores of individuals who assisted in the clean-up process, including construction workers, police officers, firefighters, welders or "burners," engineers, crane operators and volunteers. Presented on a monumental scale, and interspersed with fascinating stories, the book documents the transformation of the site chronologically from piles of devastation to an empty pit six stories below ground. This landmark book offers current and future generations the opportunity to finally travel inside a forbidden city where thousands were brought together by a common cause.

"I was taking pictures for everyone who didn't have access to the site," says Meyerowitz in AFTERMATH, "so I decided to work with a large-format wooden view camera. This camera was impossible to hide, but it enabled me to make images of the fullest description, with a sense of deep space. I wanted to communicate what it felt like to be in there as well as what it looked like: to show the pile's incredible intricacy and visceral power.... I could provide a window for everyone else who wanted to be there, too--to help, or to grieve, or simply to try to understand what had happened to our city."

The World Trade Center Archive, consisting of thousands of Meyerowitz's images, is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of the City of New York where it is available for research, exhibition and publication. For the past few years, a small selection of these photographs was featured in an exhibition, "After September 11: Images from Ground Zero," which traveled to more than 200 cities in 60 countries, reaching over 3.5 million people.

Book Description

After September 11th, 2001, the Ground Zero site in New York City was classified as a crime scene and only those directly involved in the recovery efforts were allowed inside. The press was also prohibited from the site, but with the help of the Museum of the City of New York and sympathetic city officials, award-winning photographer Joel Meyerowitz managed to obtain unlimited access. By ingenuity and sheer determination, he was the only photographer granted unimpeded right of entry into Ground Zero.For 9 months, during the day and night, Meyerowitz photographed "the pile," as the World Trade Center came to be known, and the over 800 people a day that were working in it. Influenced by Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange's work for the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression, he knew that if he didn't make a photographic record of the unprecedented recovery efforts, "there would be no history."Sept. 23. Assembled panorama of the site from the World Financial Center, looking east. (All images copyright Joel Meyerowitz from Aftermath: World Trade Center Archive (Phaidon).Sept. 25. The south wall of the South Tower. Oct. 11. An FDNY rescue team resting on Liberty Street.Nov. 8. Spotters in the South Tower. May 1. Ralph and Paul Geidel waiting for a fresh raking field. Marking the 5th anniversary of September 11th, Phaidon Press has published this extraordinary new book AFTERMATH: THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ARCHIVE with photographs and text by Joel Meyerowitz, which will feature, for the first time, the vast collection of Meyerowitz's previously unpublished photos from Ground Zero along with the engaging account of his experience in his own words. This historic publication is the only existing photographic record of the monumental recovery efforts post-9/11.From portraits of the people he met to the accidental beauty of the ruins at dusk, AFTERMATH features 400 breathtaking color photographs, many taken with a large format camera. Bronx-born Meyerowitz brings his trademark sensitivity, intelligence and eye for beauty to these poignant images that will hold an important place in American history.AFTERMATH brings to life the tireless determination of the scores of individuals who assisted in the clean-up process, including construction workers, police officers, firefighters, welders or "burners," engineers, crane operators and volunteers. Presented on a monumental scale, and interspersed with fascinating stories, the book documents the transformation of the site chronologically from piles of devastation to an empty pit six stories below ground. This landmark book offers current and future generations the opportunity to finally travel inside a forbidden city where thousands were brought together by a common cause."I was taking pictures for everyone who didn't have access to the site," says Meyerowitz in AFTERMATH, "so I decided to work with a large-format wooden view camera. This camera was impossible to hide, but it enabled me to make images of the fullest description, with a sense of deep space. I wanted to communicate what it felt like to be in there as well as what it looked like: to show the pile's incredible intricacy and visceral power.... I could provide a window for everyone else who wanted to be there, too--to help, or to grieve, or simply to try to understand what had happened to our city."The World Trade Center Archive, consisting of thousands of Meyerowitz's images, is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of the City of New York where it is available for research, exhibition and publication. For the past few years, a small selection of these photographs was featured in an exhibition, "After September 11: Images from Ground Zero," which traveled to more than 200 cities in 60 countries, reaching over 3.5 million people.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Amazing collection of photographs by a very gifted photographer.......2007-07-14

I first saw photographs from this collection at the Museum of Modern Art in Salzburg, Austria. Anyone who entered the gallery was immediately struck by a panorama of ground zero on one wall, each emitting an audible gasp, then standing before it for several minutes in silence. Meyerowitz is an extremely gifted photgrapher, and I recommend other of his collections for viewing. Cape Light: Color Photographs by Joel Meyerowitz, Tuscany: Inside the Light: Inside the Light (Photography). The "Aftermath" collection is the only archive of the activities following 9/11 at ground zero, and it is quite moving. Meyerowitz had access to many vantage points to capture for posterity the many facets of ground zero and this tragic event in our history. Viewing these photos takes time and thought, as Meyerowitz has also included brief descriptions and stories about each photograph. You will be struck by many emotions, sadness, anger, shock, and awe. But, there is an eeriness and a beauty, as well as hope in these photographs, inspired by the photographer's exquisite eye for detail, composition, lines, faces, and light. Photographers, professional and amateur alike, will deeply appreciate and learn from these aspects. Anyone to whom I have shown this book has been as immensely moved as I, from the UPS driver who delivered the package, to my father, a refugee of WWII, who still cannot speak easily of the events of 9/11. This book is highly recommended as an addition for one's library.

5 out of 5 stars A True Memorial.......2007-04-13

Aftermath represents the efforts of Joel Meyerowitz to document the destruction and cleanup of the World Trade Center following 9/11. This is a beefy coffee table book that is large enough to give his photos some real impact. Unlike most photo essays, however, you won't find hundreds of beautiful images. After a couple of pages show what New York's skyline once looked like, you are confronted by image after image of the horrific destruction of these huge landmarks. There are also many instances where we see the people who worked the cleanup site. Many of these are the most moving images as you can imagine the emotions that sometimes overcame these men and women who were there every day for months on end.

In addition to the photos, Mr. Meyerowitz also shares some anecdotes about what he went through to get these photos. He also talks about some of the people he met. I found these stories at least as powerful as his words. Most Americans were obviously distraught by the events of that day, but most of us were also able to start moving on with our lives and slowly put it behind us. But these people were there on the ground confronting the effects for months. Recovering bodies and personal objects, as well as being asked by survivors to put mementos on the pile of rubble as little memorials to their lost loved ones.

This is not the happiest book you can buy. It doesn't have the prettiest photos or the most elegant prose. But it may be the most worthwhile book I've ever purchased. I would urge everyone to buy a copy and read it cover to cover.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Documentary.......2007-03-28

I have other books on the 9/11 disaster but this is by far the most comprehensive. The photographs are excellent. The price was reasonable for the quality.

5 out of 5 stars Incredible 9-11 Photos!!.......2007-03-04

Of all the books on the aftermath of 9-11, this is absolutely the best ever!! These photographs are stunning and capture all of the remaining structures at Ground Zero. This is the most comprehensive book I have seen to date. I highly recommend it.

5 out of 5 stars Laraine.......2007-01-18

I purchased this book as a Christmas present and the gentleman I gave it to was extremely excited about receiving it. Your service in getting the book to me was terrific.
Annie Leibovitz: American Music
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Good for fans of Photography and Music
  • An intimate collection
  • Spectacular Photos!
  • Beautiful Photographs from a master, however unfinished
  • Classical?
Annie Leibovitz: American Music

Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375505075
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Amazon.com

It looks like a gorgeous nostalgia trip to judge by the cover image alone. The photo is of an old school record player that lies unplugged, a white label test-pressing waiting on the turntable, while a band of paper wrapped around the cover announces the title in ye olde woodblock-looking type, American Music. A reading of the small type on the back cover reveals the image to be the very record and turntable left in Elvis Presley's bedroom the day he died, and the mind reels, thinking about whether the King listened to this record on that day or not, and who are the Stamps, anyway? An excellent selection of musician portraits interspersed with crumbly wooden jook joints and wide open fields in the South, American Music covers a wide gamut of jazz, blues, punk, country, hip-hop, rock and roll, folk and gospel musicians. And while most of the pictures were shot between 1999 and 2002, some go back to the early 1970s, when Leibovitz first became Rolling Stone magazine's chief photographer. Some of the artists are very well-known (Michael Stipe, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan) and some of them are not (Jessie Mae Hemphill, Other Turner, Carlos Coy). Leibovitz really has a way of relaxing her performers, and this is a great part of her gift. Even when the pictures are so posed as to be ridiculous (like, what's Michael Stipe doing on that bedbug-ridden mattress—-the guy's a billionaire?), she catches her subjects at their most "real." They are lost in their music, or just doing some "real person" thing (look, there is Beck in his car—does Beck really drive his own car?). The presentation may be a little hokey, but this book is sure to please most any music fan. --Mike McGonigal

Book Description

The impulse to do AMERICAN MUSIC, writes famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, “came from a desire to return to my original subject and look at it with a mature eye. Bring my experience to it…make it a real American tapestry.” Her ambitious idea became AMERICAN MUSIC, a stunning collection of photographs of the musicians, places and people that enrich the landscape of American music.

As Rolling Stone’s chief photographer for over thirteen years, Leibovitz created a legendary body of work. Her portraits of some of the world’s most talented musicians capture more than the performer, they convey the art of making music. For AMERICAN MUSIC, Leibovitz traveled across the country to juke joints in the Mississippi Delta, honkytonks in Texas, and jazz clubs in New Orleans “to take pictures in places that mean something.” In her signature style, she shares stunning portraits of American greats -- B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Beck, Bob Dylan, Mary J. Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, S teve Earle, Ryan Adams, Miles Davis, Etta James, Pete Seeger, Emmylou Harris, Tom Waits, The Dixie Chicks, Dr. Dre, The Roots and many more.

AMERICAN MUSIC includes a commentary about the American Music project by Leibovitz, short essays by musicians Patti Smith, Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle, Mos Def, Ryan Adams, and Beck as well as biographical sketches of all the musicians.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Good for fans of Photography and Music.......2007-01-28

If you love the blues, or love photography this is a great book. While not specific to just Blues musicians this book just makes me think of good old delta blues. The prints in this book shine like they were hand printed by Annie herself. Theres a heart and soul driving this book from begining to end.
This is a more personal project for Annie Leibovitz and so doenst allway have her studio style inside.
That does not mean that each photograph is not amazing for they are, but some are a smaller more
candid world that Annie Leibotiz is capturing.

5 out of 5 stars An intimate collection.......2005-08-08

I just saw this exhibit at our MoMA, and the work is outstanding. Some of the images are color, some black and white. There are a number of styles and artists, ranging from the very famous to those unknown outside of their small communities. The point is that these are images of musicians--it's that simple.

Sometimes, Liebovitz's work is witty, sometimes it is unflinching in its honest portrayal. There is vulnerability in the subjects of her black and whites because they are so close, often just the face of the subject. To term them "ugly" is simply wrong. It is rare to see behind the artifice of celebrity images and see performers without makeup and with their skin texture and pores visible. Some of the photos are taken in people's homes, or backstage rather than on a set. This lends considerably to the intimacy and honesty that she is trying to convey.

If you want shots of your favorite singer looking oh so pretty, go to their PR person. This is a serious body of work from a renowned photographer. It blends both her celebrity work with her own private interests in portrait photography for non-commercial audiences.

4 out of 5 stars Spectacular Photos!.......2005-08-02

The catalog is gorgeous, the photographs are indeed spectacular. While the written entries were wonderful, they were too few and left me wanting more. I guess that's a good thing!

4 out of 5 stars Beautiful Photographs from a master, however unfinished.......2004-11-17

In response to another review on this site, clearly if you think the book has "poor aesthetic quality" You know nothing of photography or art for that matter.
The people in this book are beautifully portrayed in silver and in color. Clearly the photographs were taken over a number of years, which shows the scope of the project.
The only thing that I find wrong with this project is that it may be unfinished. The book is called American Music. Cleary that is why there are mainly blues, rock and roll and hip, country/folk and hip hop artists. Obviosly everyone would like to see their favorite artists in the book and have the ones they dislike removed. I however feel that this is the artists choice, and we have to live with it. If Leibovits decides to put out a 'Part II' it would do all of us a favor.
The only reason why I don't give this a 5 out of 5 stars is that most of the photographs don't grab you by the face and demand your attention. The ones that grab me the most are the artists I folllow, so perhaps there is something in that. Some measure of knowlegde that must accompany the photographs. Buy the book anyways...and listen to more blues albums. I didn't check this review for spelling, HA!

4 out of 5 stars Classical?.......2004-04-07

OK, think for a minute what it means deep down to chronical AMERICAN music.
That would be music that comes from the Delta and from Chicago and spread from there as essential Blues, Jazz, Rock and Roll and later forms of Pop. Classical came to us from Europe, what these artists represent are the outcome of truly American born music. I'm staggered that anyone would not make that connection..
And yes, we know that some may find Iggy Pop "ugly", but American Music isn't all about chicks that look like Britney Spears..
Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A Must Have...
  • Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church hats
  • Ladies and Their Hats
  • Crowns truly deserves a Crown
  • An excellent choice!
Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats
Michael Cunningham , and Craig Marberry
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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  1. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

ASIN: 0385500866
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Book Description

Countless black women would rather attend church naked than hatless. For these women, a church hat, flamboyant as it may be, is no mere fashion accessory;  it's a cherished African American custom, one observed with boundless passion by black women of various religious denominations. A woman's hat speaks long before its wearer utters a word.  It's what Deirdre Guion calls "hattitude...there's a little more strut in your carriage when you wear a nice hat. There's something special about you." If a hat says a lot about a person, it says even more about a people-the customs they observe, the symbols they prize, and the fashions they fancy.

Photographer Michael Cunningham beautifully captures the self-expressions of women of all ages-from young glamorous women to serene but stylish grandmothers. Award-winning journalist Craig Marberry provides an intimate look at the women and their lives. Together they've captured a captivating custom, this wearing of church hats, a peculiar convergence of faith and fashion that keeps the Sabbath both holy and glamorous.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A Must Have..........2007-06-12

Orginally, I purchased this book as a gift and after browsing through it, I decided I had to have a copy of my very own. The photography in this book is excellent. The photographs are shot in black and white in order to focus on the church hats. The stories behind the hats are amazingly beautiful. I will never look at a black woman in a church hat the same ever again. I learned that each hat has a story that must be told.

5 out of 5 stars Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church hats.......2006-11-07

I wear lots of hats and this book really helped me understand at lot about hats. Being raised in a household where my mom always wore a hat to church> I grew up and I do the same. This book lets me know that there is some more history to it.

Joyce Marshall-Hamblet

5 out of 5 stars Ladies and Their Hats.......2006-08-01

Coming from a hat wearing tradition, I fully appreciated "Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats". My hat was a pill box a la Jacqueline Kennedy which shows how old I am. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the photographs and the women's stories. Hat wearing is a fine tradition and very much a part of Black culture that Michael Cunningham has captured in all its glory.

5 out of 5 stars Crowns truly deserves a Crown.......2006-04-01

We are performing the play Crowns here at the Unicorn Theatre here in Kansas City, MO as I write my review. It has been sold out every night and we had to add another week and it is sold out as well. I play the part of Mother Shaw. I have to say that before the play I was not one who wore hats but NOW!!!!!. The lines we say come directly from the book. This book is the best read I have come across in a long time. I had to order it here on Amazon because all the book stores in KC are sold out!! They love the play and they love the book. A book that all black women ( especially those of us who grew up in the church) can identify. We have all seen a Mother Shaw, Wanda, Jeanette and Mabel in the church wearing their hats. Regina Taylor really hit the nail on the head. This is one role that I can truly say I have enjoyed playing. God bless you Regina and keep them coming!

5 out of 5 stars An excellent choice!.......2005-08-02

This book brings back memories of being a young girl and seeing the church ladies entering the church wearing those extraordinary hats. Being blond and fair didn't stop me from mingling among the congregation just to see the hats and hear the singing. The hats in this book are so familiar. The stories are new and give life to those hats. This book would make an excellent gift.
Through Deaf Eyes: A Photographic History of an American Community
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A superb and appreciated contribution to personal, academic, and community American History reference collections
  • Through Deaf Eyes:
  • Photographic Narrative of American Deaf History
Through Deaf Eyes: A Photographic History of an American Community
Douglas Baynton , Jack R. Gannon , and Jean Lindquist Bergey
Manufacturer: Gallaudet University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1563683474

Book Description

In 2001, the Smithsonian Institution presented the landmark photographic exhibition History Through Deaf Eyes, representing nearly 200 years of United States deaf history. Drawing heavily on the extensive archives at Gallaudet University, the curators created an exhibition that drew more than 400,000 people viewed at the Smithsonian and in 12 cities during a five-year national tour. Its popularity prompted the production of a documentary film for national broadcast on the Public Broadcasting System. Now, the photographs, quotes, and stories from this remarkable exhibit and documentary have been assembled in a book of stunning beauty and poignant images, Through Deaf Eyes: A Photographic History of an American Community.

Featuring more than 200 full-color photographs, Through Deaf Eyes depicts the story of Deaf America and also affords readers the opportunity to learn about the nation’s broader history. The values and judgments of society have had an impact on the education, employment, and family life of deaf people, while historical eras often can be illuminated by examination through a Deaf lens. Photographs reveal the character of Deaf people in school settings, the workplace, during wartime, and using their cultural signature, American Sign Language. For both deaf and hearing readers, the Deaf community portrayed in Through Deaf Eyes offers a unique and fascinating perspective on the value of human difference.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A superb and appreciated contribution to personal, academic, and community American History reference collections.......2007-09-03

The combined effort of Douglas C. Baynton (Associate Professor of History, University of Iowa), Jack R. Gannon (Curator of the History Through Deaf Eyes exhibition), and Jean Lindquist Borgey (Director of the History Through Deaf Eyes Project, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC), "Through Deaf Eyes: A Photographic History Of An American Community" is the companion volume to an acclaimed PBS television documentary based on a landmark photographic exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution in 2001 celebrating almost 200 years of United States Deaf History. The deaf have been a cultural and linguistic minority in America almost from its inception. The more than 200 photographs, the many quotes, and compelling stories compiled in "Through Deaf Eyes" provides the reader with informed and informative insights into a fascinating and specialized aspect of American history with respect to deaf people in school settings, the workplace, during wartime, the development and impact of American Sign Language, and more. "Through Deaf Eyes" is a superb and appreciated contribution to personal, academic, and community American History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

5 out of 5 stars Through Deaf Eyes: .......2007-06-28

What a wonderful, well put together book about Deaf History. I am a hearing person, who is taking American sign language. I have been reading many books on Deaf culture to get a better understanding about the deaf people over time,and the opsticals that they have had/ and still have to overcome. I found this book very well put together and I enjoyed reading it very much. If you are intrested in American sign language, I would recommend others to include this book into your library collection. The photos were wonderful to look as as well.

5 out of 5 stars Photographic Narrative of American Deaf History.......2007-05-18

What began as photographic exhibit at the Smithsonian from the archives of Gallaudet University evolved into the DVD by the same name as this companion book.

This is well done photo collection with written narrative of the 200 year story of deaf among us, with their accomplishments, frustrations and striving to be a part of the American mosaic.

They do pull it off, even against the obstacles of the oralism, and treatment as handicapped rather than language/cultural minority.

Worth having as companion with the DVD.
Only Skin Deep: Changing Visions of the American Self
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • GRAND VISION/HARD VIEWING
Only Skin Deep: Changing Visions of the American Self
Coco Fusco , and Brian Wallis
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810946351

Book Description

What role has photography played in shaping our ideas about race, nation, and selfhood? How has the camera been used to construct and contrast images of racial difference? To create or debunk stereotypes and romantic myths about specific ethnic groups? This groundbreaking book is the first to thoroughly investigate the impact that photography has had on race and racial identity in America-among the most profound and explosive issues in our nation's history and everyday life.

From Dorothea Lange's portrait of Mexican braceros brought to the United States as farm workers, to Anthony Aziz & Sammy Cucher's digitally manipulated, idealized nudes, Only Skin Deep presents historical and contemporary images and embraces a wide range of genres and movements, including portraiture, social documentary, ethnographic photography, fine-art photography, and photojournalism. Complementing the images are four original essays on race and photography, eight reprint essays that have served as foundational documents in the discussion of race, and five case studies that focus more narrowly on representations of specific cultural groups. The book will accompany a national touring exhibition prepared by the International Center of Photography in New York.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars GRAND VISION/HARD VIEWING.......2004-02-28

An enormous and fasinating series of discussions surrounding "raced looking" in America's history of photography is central to this group of essays by many of the cultural critics working today. A massive tome with outstanding visuals, some not seen in the exhibition, provide extensive background and analysis to the area of how race has intervened in American culture today. For museums who felt the race subject had been addressed in the 90s post-Quincentennary exhibition, it is obvious that much more in depth examination is necessary and relevant. An outstanding effort for a museum catalogue and exhibition. All should be commended. Required reading for anyone working and teaching in cultural studies, ethnic studies, humanities, and the arts.
Bible Road: Signs of Faith in the American Landscape
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Received from Pendant Publishing
  • Great
  • Interest Piece
  • Perfect for either spiritual collections or art libraries strong in modern photography.
  • Bible Road
Bible Road: Signs of Faith in the American Landscape
Sam Fentress
Manufacturer: David & Charles Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:
  1. House of Worship: Sacred Spaces in America House of Worship: Sacred Spaces in America
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ASIN: 0715326856

Book Description

Over the last 25 years while driving through 49 states, Sam Fentress encountered thousands of religious signs along America's highways, city streets and country roads. With over 150 images from every region of the country, Bible Road: Signs of Faith in the American Landscape is his photographic chronicle of what he discovered on beauty salon windows, highway pylons, silos and burger joint marquees. Aware that photographers Walker Evans, Berenice Abbott, Robert Frank, and others had only partially documented the subject, Fentress embarked on this remarkable and singular typology of roadside evangelism in America.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Received from Pendant Publishing.......2007-09-20

The pictures are amazing. My Mother-In-Law loved it! I bought this book as -new- from Pendant Publishing and was very pleased on how fast this item arrived in perfect condition.

5 out of 5 stars Great.......2007-08-14

I love it and everyone that has viewed it loved it as well. It shows faith exist. It's neat to see the word of God in places you wouldn't think.

4 out of 5 stars Interest Piece.......2007-06-09

This book appeals to many people. The book has been picked up by many people at our house. They only put it down if they finish it or need to leave before they can finish it. I think people just want to see what signs are posted out there that we might stumble across one day. The photography is very good and it is an easy read.

5 out of 5 stars Perfect for either spiritual collections or art libraries strong in modern photography........2007-05-19

BIBLE ROAD: SIGNS OF FAITH IN THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE features photos by Sam Fentress in full color and represents the photographer's last few decades of travel, crossing over forty states photographing thousands of religious signs along America's highways and city streets. His photography embraces works from churches, bikes, walls, and even stocks and looks for religious messages in even unlikely places, both urban and rural, making for a striking survey of religious messages in modern culture. Perfect for either spiritual collections or art libraries strong in modern photography.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

5 out of 5 stars Bible Road.......2007-05-12

This book is well done and it clearly indicates that our politicians can remove God from our schools, our court buildings, our state buildings and even our money, but not from our hearts and minds.
Taryn Simon: An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • fantastic
  • Taryn Simon Is Artistically All Over The Map, But This Book Confirms Her Status As One Of Our Most Important Photographers
Taryn Simon: An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar

Manufacturer: Steidl
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3865213804
Release Date: 2007-06-01

Book Description

In An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, Taryn Simon documents spaces that are integral to America's foundation, mythology and daily functioning, but remain inaccessible or unknown to a public audience. She has photographed rarely seen sites from domains including: science, government, medicine, entertainment, nature security and religion. This index examines subjects that, while provocative or controversial, are currently legal. The work responds to a desire to discover unknown territories, to see everything. Simon makes use of the annotated-photograph's capacity to engage and inform the public. Transforming that which is off-limits or under-the-radar into a visible and intelligible form, she confronts the divide between the privileged access of the few and the limited access of the public. Photographed with a large format view camera (except when prohibited), Simon's 70 color plates form a seductive collection that reflects and reveals a national identity. In addition to this monograph, there is also an exhibition of Simon's work opening at the Whitney Museum of American Art in March 2007.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars fantastic.......2007-07-30

It's really amazing all the work and effort that was put into creating these images. I saw her show at The Whitney like the other reviewer, and i really enjoyed her work so i bought the book on amazon (I'm not trying to plug amazon, but it was a lot cheaper here than other places i looked) The photographs absolutely stand on their own, but the captions are extremely important to the images. The book is simple, as are the images, but it is definately unique and unfamiliar.

5 out of 5 stars Taryn Simon Is Artistically All Over The Map, But This Book Confirms Her Status As One Of Our Most Important Photographers.......2007-05-05

Having seen the small exhibition at the Whitney Museum devoted to this body of work (It's currently on view there until early June.), I strongly believe that this book confirms what many people - myself included - have thought of fellow Brunonian Taryn Simon's work ever since she made her spectacular debut with "The Innocents" a few years ago. "An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar" demonstrates that she has become one of our most important documentary photographers, stretching her artistic terrain to encompass much more than the fine environmental portraiture that she demonstrated so well in "The Innocents". Stylistically, Simon is indeed all over the map, but she still has made memorable color images which pay homage to work from the likes of Lewis Baltz, Richard Mishrach, Walker Evans and Richard Avedon to name but a few (I might add too that like most of these photographers, Simon works primarily with a large format camera, using availiable light only to photograph her subjects.). If there is a serious artistic criticism to be made of her latest body of work, then it's probably one related to her sequencing of images (It's a point that I've remembered vividly well from an intermediate photography course I had taken years before, which was taught by distinguished photographer Harold Jones, the founding director of both New York City's Light Gallery and the University of Arizona's Center for Creative Photography.) - though this may be more the fault of her editors than of Ms. Simon herself. If you're unfamiliar with Simon's memorable imagery, then "An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar" is a superb place to begin your artistic journey.
Life: The Platinum Anniversary Collection: 70 Years of Extraordinary Photography
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent Photo's and Stories of Our History
  • Too much of America.
  • the image of a century
  • A reminder of how great the original Life Magazine was and what photojournalism should be
  • Life: The Platinum Anniversary Collection
Life: The Platinum Anniversary Collection: 70 Years of Extraordinary Photography
Editors of Life Magazine
Manufacturer: Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1933405171

Book Description

For seven decades, Life has been thrilling the world with its unrivaled presentation of the very best photography to be found. Here, the editors have assembled the crme de la crme from the magazines vast collection of images.Because Life has always dealt with matters of every sort, the entire spectrum of society is represented in these pages. One after another, there are unforgettable photos from Hollywoods greatest stars, from the wonders of small-town America, from the terrible wars, as well as from the zestful years of childhood. Life has always represented the apex in photojournalism and its roster of great photographers is unequaled.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Photo's and Stories of Our History.......2007-07-18

This booked turned out to be a prized gift for a history buff friend of ours. Absolutely LOVED IT and wants to share it with his grandkids. Interesting reading, in a beautiful format.

4 out of 5 stars Too much of America........2007-04-15

I picked up this book and "The Great LIFE Photographers" off the shelf of an art bookstore last night. Great books, a lot of emotion, great photography. Although, I wouldn't recommend buying these two books together. A lot of the photos are repeated, so one should be enough.

When I was going through this book, I was slightly annoyed by how "American" it is. I'm sure the Americans did a lot of great things. But about half a dozen of photos of baseball games/players?

Between those two books, I recommend "The Great LIFE Photographers" as it is smaller, more compact, and puts less emphasis on the US.

5 out of 5 stars the image of a century.......2007-04-11

the life of each day all over the world.
The life of men and woman , in peace and at war.
To have, absolutely.

5 out of 5 stars A reminder of how great the original Life Magazine was and what photojournalism should be.......2007-04-01

Before television - an era that well over half the population never experienced - there was Life Magazine, which brought the world into people's homes. The magazine's editors hired the world's best photographers who in turn became some of the world's greatest photojournalists. Life also never said no to great photography from any source. Life was, indeed, a window into life for many millions.

Alas, society moved on and rising costs and television ultimately killed off Life, Saturday Evening Post, Look and many other wonderful magazines.

This book is actually a little bit disappointing in that it is only 304 pages, 251 of them being given to pictures from Life Magazine. The book could have - and, in my opinion, should have - been two, three or even four times the size. Life Magazine represented the epitome of photojournalism for much of its history and I think people would pay handsomely to have the "complete" Life photo collection. Perhaps someday, like the New Yorker did with its cartoons and articles, all of Life's photos will be available for browsing on DVD.

In the meantime, for any student of popular culture, 20th Century History, photojournalism or photography, this book is essential. It does contain a wonderful treasure of Life photography, which in turn gives a mirror into the world as it was.

Perhaps the best part of the book are the tiny reproductions of every Life cover. These provide a true summary of the fleeting nature of fame (many Life cover subjects are entirely forgotten today), the restless world with its wars, famines and other upheavals - and reaffirmation that nothing ever changes.

For the money, this is a wonderful value - a great browsing and viewing experience.

Jerry

5 out of 5 stars Life: The Platinum Anniversary Collection.......2007-01-27


If you want a coffeetable book that has decades of images which have enthralled all of us, this is the perfect choice. Also, photographers can learn what makes a compelling image.
Born Free and Equal: The Story of Loyal Japanese Americans
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • informative and elegant
  • A powerful, highly recommended, historically factual book
  • A fascinating look at this historical tragedy
  • A magnificent work!
Born Free and Equal: The Story of Loyal Japanese Americans
Ansel Adams
Manufacturer: Spotted Dog Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1893343057

Book Description

It was 1943. In Yosemite National Park, the magnificent Ahwahnee Hotel closed its doors to tourists, transformed into a temporary Naval convalescent hospital. Wartime shortages forced the rationing of gasoline, sugar, and film. Living with his wife, Virginia Best Adams and their children in Yosemite Valley, Ansel Adams, sought ways to help with the war effort. Too old to enlist, he volunteered for for a number of assignments in which his photographic skills were put to the countryÕs use. Among his contributions, he both escorted and photographed Army troops at Yosemite training for mountain warfare in Europe; he taught photography to the Signal Corps at Fort Ord, and traveled to the Presidio in San Francisco to print classified photographs of Japanese military installations on the Aleutian Islands. Despite his volunteer efforts, he was frustrated that he could not do more to help the war effort.

That summer, friend Ralph Merritt asked Adams if he would be interested in creating a photographic record of a little-known government facility in the Owens Valley, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. ÒI cannot pay you a cent,Ó Merritt told Adams, Òbut I can put you up and feed you.Ó Merritt was director of the Manzanar War Relocation Center, a collection of hundreds of tar-paper barracks hastily built to house more than 10,000 people, behind barbed wire and gun towers. All were of Japanese Ancestry, but most were American citizens, forcibly removed from their homes to ten relocation centers across the country by presidential order. The resulting effort was the book Born Free and Equal: The Story of Loyal Japanese Americans published by U.S. Camera in 1944 under the direction of the War Relocation Authority.

While at Manzanar, Adams met Toyo Miyatake, the official camp photographer, interned with his wife and children. A student of the great photographer, Edward Weston, Miyatake had established his own respected professional photography studio in Los Angeles before the war. In the introduction to this book, MiyatakeÕs son, Archie, who was then 16-years old, recalls the visit made so long ago.

In 1965, Adams wrote in a letter to Dr. Edgar Brietenbach at the Library of Congress: Ò . . . I think this Manzanar Collection is an important historical document and I trust it can be put to good use. . . Ó With the goal of realizing that Ògood use,Ó Spotted Dog Press presents Born Free and Equal to new generations of Americans who may come to a better understanding of a distant incident in our recent history that should not be forgotten.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars informative and elegant.......2007-05-20

I have read quite a few books and articles about the unfortuante/sad/?criminal Japanese-American experience during WW II. This book, although it does not add to the historical record per se, includes rich, wonderful pictures from Ansel Adams that bring more visual support to ones' images of how terrible the situation was, but also how strong and resourceful the Japanese-American people were and hopefully still are (just look up the Japanese word "gaman")

5 out of 5 stars A powerful, highly recommended, historically factual book.......2002-05-06

Born Free And Equal: The Story Of Loyal Japanese Americans is an impressive combination of historic photographs and writings about the Japanese-Americans who were imprisoned in Manzanar, one of ten such relocation camps, as a result of wartime fears regarding possible sabotage by members of the Japanese and Nisei (American-born men and women of Japanese ancestry) living along the American west coast. During the era of World War II, virtually all the American people of Japanese descent in the states of California, Oregon and Washington (most of them citizens), were interned in relocation camps scattered through the Midwest. Born Free And Equal captures memories of this prison community and how the families in it lived in broad, sweeping, black-and-white photographs. Born Free And Equal is a powerful, highly recommended, historically factual book, accurately capturing with poetic realism a dark and controversial aspect of America's WW II effort, which, along with such horrors as the European Holocaust and the Japanese atrocities in the Far East, must never be forgotten.

5 out of 5 stars A fascinating look at this historical tragedy.......2002-03-07

In the autumn of 1943, the eminently talented photographer Ansel Adams traveled to the Relocation Center at Manzanar, California. This was one of the camps where the United States government relocated (some would say "imprisoned") the many people of Japanese descent who lived in the western, Military Zone 1, so that they could not assist Imperial Japan in its war against the United States. Among the many people sent to this camp were men, women, children and the elderly; immigrants from Japan, the children (born in the U.S.) of Japanese immigrants, and the those even farther removed from Japan; not to mention a decorated veteran of the Spanish-American War (Seaman 1st Class Harry Sumida of the U.S.S. Indiana).

It was here that Ansel Adams set up his camera, and put a human face on this tragedy. This is his book; the pictures he took, and the text he wrote. Originally published in 1944, this newer edition (published in 2001) contains all of the original photos, several additional photos that Mr. Adams took but didn't include in the original, and several fascinating introductions written by Japanese-Americans.

Considering the topic of this book is something of a cause celebre, one might imagine that this book was something of an anti-American screed. Well, if you thought that, you would be wrong. This book is a very balanced look at what happened, and the people who were caught up in it. Mr. Adams wanted the book to be factual, so both the good aspects and bad aspects are covered. That said, though, the book was something of an expose of what happened, and is not a whitewash. Therefore, if you are looking for a book that will tell you about this historical tragedy, then I highly recommend this book.

5 out of 5 stars A magnificent work!.......2002-01-17

Finally, I was able to pick up a copy of this long-awaited book. The original is extremely expensive to pick up, and with the additional introductory information, this is an improvement. A fascinating read, fantastic print quality... A must have!

Books:

  1. American Cinematographer Manual, Ninth Edition
  2. And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since: From the Streets of Harlem to the Halls of Congress
  3. Atlas Major
  4. Believing Is Seeing: Creating the Culture of Art
  5. Birth of the Cool (Studio)
  6. Bodies and Souls: The Century Project
  7. Boston: A Pictorial Souvenir
  8. Complete Digital Photography, Third Edition (Digital Photography Series)
  9. Danse Macabre (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 14)
  10. Eclipse (Twilight, Book 3)

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