AAUG Reviews

by Chuck Maas ,AAUG Member

oe Farace is a prolific photo writer with top credentials. At present he authors two monthly columns in the widely-read Shutterbug magazine and has over 30 books and 1,700 magazine stories to his credit, so there’s little doubt he has the knowledge and experience to put a book like this together. And that’s precisely the reason I expected more.

The title “Getting Started…” leads one to expect this to be a primer for someone just beginning to learn about digital imaging, providing a good grounding in the basics so he or she could then comfortably move on to more advanced topics. But that’s not what I found.

We’re no longer at the beginning of the digital photography tidal wave when everyone was trying to figure out pixels and workflow, and Photoshop was at version 5.0 or thereabouts. It’s a mature subject now and very sophisticated, with a whole range of information well sorted out and available to learn. The trick is finding it packaged appropriately for a given audience and not just a truckload of stuff including the kitchen sink just to make up volume. Beginners especially need a carefully scripted and reasonably limited set of information presented in simple language that lays the groundwork for better understanding of more advanced topics in the future. That’s one of the areas in which I think this book comes up short. Instead, it seems more like a compilation of short pieces (more…)

by Peter Porco, AAUG Member

“Writing for Visual Media” is a textbook for beginners who want to learn how to produce professional-quality scripts that will allow production crews to painlessly and clearly bring the writer’s visual ideas to life as film, video, digital video or interactive media. In 361 well-organized pages and a DVD-ROM, the author, Anthony Friedmann, lays out the thinking, the principles, the vocabulary and the formats behind a very particular kind of conversion: from imaginative thinking to the technical-writing product called a script.

Visual writing, says Friedmann, is the imaging the lies behind the script and the script that becomes a tool in the hands of director and camera crew.
Friedmann’s domain is vast, covering just about all contemporary visual media (the book’s 2nd edition beefs up materials related to interactive design and the use of Websites for corporate communications). And the book and accompanying disc offer a rich array of ancillary materials - chapter-based exercises, appendix, glossary, sample scripts, a companion Website, and the like.
But despite the book’s size, throughout his work Friedmann has a simple, well-focused message: The problem of “describing visual media via print media,” as he says, takes a very specific kind of thinking, language and formatting, all of which, however, are readily available. The beginning visual writer enters a field in which so much of the hard work - going back about 100 years - already has been done. The writing conventions quickly adopted by the new scriptwriter (if she’s smart) eliminate anxious questions about how to talk to a director and production crew; they free the writer instead to concentrate on the visual ideas in his head. To many readers, this message will seem obvious, and it does appear at times that Friedmann belabors it almost to the point of nagging, an impression reinforced by his serious tone and slow-moving textbook prose. But the reader also comes away feeling that Friedmann, who has “taught video production, interactive media and scriptwriting at various colleges” (according to the jacket bio), must have encountered too many students in his life who densely resisted the notion that the script - the document containing each day’s marching orders for people working the cameras, dollies, lights and other machinery of film and video production - is not an example of the writer’s creative use of language but a mere blueprint. You can’t blame Friedmann for repeating the essential idea. (more…)

by Steve Nigl, AAUG Member

As the title implies, Langford’s Starting Photography is a text for the beginning photographer. Dating back to the mid 1970’s, this 5th edition has been updated to reflect the changing landscape of digital photo technology.

The problem with modern digital cameras is that they make too many decisions for you. They are ready to shoot, fresh out of the box! This means that you don’t need to learn the principals of photography before venturing out shooting. Unfortunately, this also means that the artistic skills of making a good photograph - things like composition, patterns, leading lines, use of light and color - are also bypassed. The result? A hard-drive collecting many snaps, but very few photos.

For those who don’t have the time or money for a photography class, I would recommend this book! Langford’s Starting Photography is geared and organized for the complete novice, but is of great benefit for those who have been snapping digitally for years! The first two thirds of the book are dedicated to work behind the lens, while the last of the book teaches the basics of the darkroom (one chapter on film developing, and the remainder on the digital darkroom). This book even comes complete with ‘homework’ in the form of a projects list every few chapters.

I’ve never picked up an older copy of Langford’s Starting Photography, so I can’t compare to previous editions, but I found this book to be easy to use and thorough. Michael Langford is British, and it shows in his writing. I found myself reading it in an English voice. The book is heavily illustrated in full-color. (more…)

by Linda Ewers, AAUG Member

If you have old and damaged photographs, and who doesn’t, this is a great book to add to your library. The author has years of experience in restoring photos. He has been doing this longer than I have even owned a computer. The book is based on work that was accomplished using Adobe Photoshop. He emphasizes that having this program is not the only way to get the results that he discusses, but he believes that Adobe Photoshop offers features and capabilities that other programs do not.

The tools and techniques in the book work equally well with a PC or on a Mac OS. With only some keystroke variations the descriptions are appropriate for both systems.

Speaking as a novice in both Photoshop and photo restoration this book attacks the problem in an understandable fashion. The examples and the level of descriptions for activities are very appropriate. I found the site that containing sample image files very helpful in practicing the techniques described in the book. It is a very good way to see if you can replicate the process he describes in the book.

In addition to the Table of Contents (TOC) listing of what is in each chapter, the beginning of each chapter has a listing of what you will learn. The TOC is an abbreviated list, with the chapter listing being more complete and a quick check for what’s included in the chapter. I found this to be helpful, and more of a reference than the TOC. In addition each item in this expanded listing can be easily located in the right-hand column alongside the text. (more…)

by Margaret Ibbotson, AAUG Member

This book is aimed at photographers who want to use Photoshop CS to enhance the quality of digital videos. The authors do not assume that the photographer is already familiar with Photoshop. The first section of the book covers the basics of setting up Photoshop on your computer and steps you through using main features, such as color, pixels, files, layers, layer styles and patterns, vector shapes and brushes. The section is completed with a number of tips on how to speed up Photoshop. The authors then move on to more advanced topics in the remaining sections, covering the following topics: Typography and Titles, Masking and Transformations, Better Images, Creative Projects, and Final Tips.

The DVD included with the book contains interactive tutorials for each chapter, and you are encouraged to follow along interactively with the instructions in the book.

The instructions are aimed at both Mac and PC users, and where commands vary between the two, they show both.

The book is well illustrated and together with the practice files on the DVD, the reader will learn how to use photoshop. The authors step through various tasks in great detail, which is very helpful for a novice at Photoshop.

The book is easy to navigate, using either the table of contents or the comprehensive index in the back. If you are new to using Photoshop you will find this book very useful.

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by Krista Galyen, AAUG Member

Documentary Storytelling. That’s what this book is about. It’s about the story, how to convey that story eloquently, effectively, and ethically. If you’ve ever wanted to explore the field, or are currently exploring it but want to learn more, Documentary Storytelling for Video and Filmmakers is where to go. This book is absolutely brilliant.

Generous Content in a Small Package

Okay, it’s “brilliant”. But why? First, the breadth of information in this book is superb. Written to take you through the process of making a documentary from initial concepts, to development, to production and post-production, Ms. Bernard covers all these elements with her thorough documentary (and award-winning, no less) background. Take a look at the table of contents below; you’ll see what I mean.

Now, thorough is great–but to be able to combine that with brevity can be a beautiful thing. And that’s just what this author does. Ms. Bernard, I must say, has a knack for being consice and to the point. Each concept she breaks down very clearly. Most don’t go on for but a few pages, yet all provide excellent, illustrative examples for what you’ll need to know. Yet concepts such as the three-act-structure, she entertains briefly and then returns in analysis of future examples; excellent for those who are learning to recognize or develop good structure in documentary video or film.

In addition, the book is also packed full of interviews with award-winning documentary filmmakers offering up information, advice, and wisdom you’ll find interesting and useful. (more…)

by Jeff Menter, AAUG Member

I’ve never read a more aptly titled book than “Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video.” As a fan of (and sometime amateur-league contributor to) the world of cinema, I’ve been investigating the process of visual storytelling for some time now. There are many books on this and related subjects but none I have come across presents such an all encompassing, comprehensive, nuts-and-bolts guide as “Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video.”

The first thing we notice (aside from the sticker shock) is the way the book is presented. Every aspect of filmmaking, from financing to distribution, is described from the perspective of both the producer and the director. This unique approach not only allows us to examine the art of filmmaking from two very different perspectives, but helps us to appreciate how these two collaborators must work together to achieve success in their venture. In addition to this technique, the writers help illustrate the filmmaking craft by employing real-world examples from four award winning short films. These films cover a wide range in terms of content (from Documentary to Narrative), production (from live action to stop-motion animation), and aesthetic (color and black & white.) Another useful aspect is notes peppered throughout the book aimed at students and independent filmmakers, little guides that either explain how something can be done with a lower budget, or traps to avoid for aspiring filmmakers.

Comprehensive is the word for this book and seriously with a capital C. This book covers everything from start to finish: financing, the script, preproduction breakdowns, scheduling, budgeting, finding a crew, scouting (more…)

by Ronald Schoedel, AAUG Member

Over the past few years that I’ve been playing around with Photoshop Elements, I’ve read a few books about it but none that had really impressed me. Most claimed to hold great secrets, but I found that I must have already been in on those secrets, and I tended to get little out of those books. Reading “Advanced Photoshop Elements 4 for Digital Photographers” by Philip Andrews changed that.

Andrews sets out to write a book for digital photographers, and he does just that, showing you how Photoshop Elements (hereafter “PSE”) can become a vital and helpful part of your digital imaging workflow, from shooting to printing and publishing your shots.

Chapters such as “Scanner and Camera Techniques” and “Photo Organization and Management” waste no time in leading you straight into how to ensure you get the best quality photo your camera and scanner can produce, and once you’ve captured them, what to do with them when you get them onto your computer. The book is very much Windows-centric, so there is no mention that I could find of Mac-specific tools (such as integration with iPhoto, for example). But if you can get past the fact that there is no Mac-specific content, and that all the screenshots are of PSE running on Windows, you will still get a great deal out of the book.

Advanced editing and image changes such as making selections, using masks, quick-fixes, layers, and all the other buzzwords that make PSE somewhat daunting for new users are all well-explained by Andrews. Whether you have never used PSE or have used it casually and are now ready to kick up your use of the program to new levels, you will find something for you in here. (more…)