PPA Today

What Should I Look for in a Press Printed Book?

Now that couples are asking for press printed books and  being tempted by low cost books online, here are some of the choices you have  to distinguish your offerings and make sure your photography is professionally  presented and preserved.

Print Quality
To get the color you desire, request and use the printer’s  color profile. And be sure to embed your color profile in all images. You will  need color correction the same as you did for your prints. When you make your  first press printed book, ask for sample pages of your photos so you can see  how your photos look. Both you and the printer can then make adjustments if  necessary.

Paper Weight 
Paper is sold in the US using a crazy system of lb  weights. The “lb” part refers to the weight of 500 standard size sheets - but  the standard sheets vary in size depending on their assumed end use – usually  Text or Cover.

Peachpit Releases "The Digital Photographer's Notebook"

Peachpit announced The Digital Photographer's Notebook: A Pro's Guide to Adobe Photoshop CS3, Lightroom, and Bridge by Kevin Ames, a focused and thorough guide to Adobe's three major photo applications.

Author Kevin Ames, known for his popular Photoshop User column, presents an in-depth digital photography resource with a personal touch. Whether dealing with workflow, organization, or truly creative enhancements, Kevin shares his own image-making process from start to finish while illuminating many key issues relevant to today's professionals. The range of topics covered, such as the profound differences between RAW and JPEG, when to use which application, and how they work together, make this an essential guide for users who have been shooting digital for years as well as those just making the switch from film.

Nikonians Partners With Rocky Nook For Launch Of New Nikonian Press

In a joint statement, Nikonians.org and Rocky Nook announced today they have joined forces. The international community of Nikon enthusiasts partnered with the Santa Barbara-based photography publisher to launch a new program of books for photographers geared toward both professionals and advanced amateurs. The project, under the Nikonians Press banner, will mostly cover Nikon equipment and books in the series will go well beyond the scope of technical manuals. Written by experienced photographers, they will help photographers become better at producing high quality images more efficiently, and to achieve consistent results.

Written in an easy friendly style, the books from Nikonians Press will cut through the technical jargon to help readers understand not only their camera, but also the wealth of photographic advantages it can deliver.

PPmag.com: Book Excerpt "Photoshop Lightroom Adventure"

Mikkel Aaland turned his experiences from a once-in-a-lifetime photography expedition to Iceland into a striking guided tour of Lightroom in "Photoshop Lightroom Adventure" (O'Reilly, $39.99). Along the way he shows readers how they, too, can use Lightroom to create exciting new images. More importantly, Aaland, an award-winning photographer and bestselling author, inspires readers by providing a far deeper experience than most instructional manuals. Part Icelandic road trip, part photo essay, "Lightroom's" photo-rich pages come packed with beautiful, exciting photographs from a dozen talented working photographers.

Read the complete story and download the excerpt here.

Photoshop Lightroom Adventure--New from O'Reilly

Inspiration with Instruction: A Journey to Iceland to Master Adobe's Lightroom 1.1

"Field testing in Iceland turned out to be a stroke of brilliance," enthuses George Jardine, pro photo evangelist for Adobe Systems, about Mikkel Aaland's new book, Photoshop Lightroom Adventure (O'Reilly, $39.99).

Aaland turned his experiences from a once-in-a lifetime photography expedition to Iceland into a striking guided tour of Lightroom. Along the way he shows readers how they, too, can use Lightroom to create exciting new images. More importantly, Aaland, an award-winning photographer and bestselling author, inspires readers--everyone from photography enthusiasts to working professionals--by providing a far deeper experience than most instructional manuals. Part Icelandic road trip, part photo essay, "Lightroom's" photo-rich pages come packed with beautiful, exciting, and emulate-able photographs from a dozen talented working photographers.

"Yes, it's a technical book. Yet it's not only a complete guide to the latest version of the application, but a pleasure to look at, too," explains Aaland. For this is not an update of previous Lightroom versions, but the first book written specifically for Lightroom 1.1. "And my new book honors photography through the beautiful images that fill every chapter," adds Aaland.

Both the title and most of the content of his new book emerged from Aaland's singular passion to road test Lightroom in a wild and light-filled setting. So last year Aaland convinced 11 colleagues, including Jardine, and five Adobe Lightroom team members to travel with him last July to Iceland, long known Nature's Lightroom. In July the picturesque arctic nation is suffused in various shades of dappled light for nearly 24 hours--making it the perfect landscape to test and experiment with Adobe's revolutionary, all-in-one imaging application.

The Artist's Guide to GIMP Effects: GIMP for photography, special effects, and design

The GIMP, an image editor whose power and ease-of-use rivals that of Adobe Photoshop, is one of the world’s most popular free software tools. Artists and designers rely on the GIMP to retouch photographs, composite multiple images, and create artwork from scratch. The Artist’s Guide to GIMP Effects (No Starch Press, August 2007, $44.95, ISBN 978-1-59327-153-4) is a beautiful 4-color book that shows how to harness all of the GIMP's powerful features. Author Michael J. Hammel's extensively illustrated, step-by-step tutorials are perfect for hands-on learning and experimentation.

After a crash course in using the GIMP's interface and core tools (such as brushes, patterns, selections, layers, and masks), readers learn:

• Photographic techniques to create ripped edges or sepia-tones, swap colors, produce motion blurs, even fix rips in an old photograph
• Web and interface design techniques to create patterns, navigation tabs, and fancy buttons and borders
• Type effects to create depth, perspective, and neon- and graffiti-style lettering
• Special effects to simulate clouds, textures, cracks, lighting, and underwater effects
• And much more

The Artist’s Guide to GIMP Effects is sure to teach readers some new tricks, whether they are new to the GIMP or have been playing with it for years.

Additional Resources:
Table of Contents: www.nostarch.com/gimp_toc.htm
Sample Chapter: www.nostarch.com/download/gimp_sample.zip

Low Budget Shooting: Do It Yourself Solutions to Professional Photo Gear

Most photographers will agree that after buying cameras, lenses, computer gear, and software, the spending never seems to end. More gear is needed for studio, tabletop, and flash photography, and for accessories here and there. Often, the right accessories are not even available. That is where this book comes in.

Low Budget Shooting is the one-stop source where you will find instructions and a shopping list on how to build an array of useful and inexpensive photographic tools.

Filled with full-color images and easy-to-follow text, this book shows how to build essential lighting and studio equipment for use inside the studio as well as in the filed.

In this book you will learn:

• How to make the perfect light-table for shooting small objects
• How to build reflectors, soft-boxes, and light-tents that really work
• How to build equipment for use on the road
• Where to get some of the little helpers that make a photographer’s life so much easier.

This clever little book is a creative and valuable resource for most any photographer.

Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-on-One

 

Pioneering computer graphics author Deke McClelland updates his bestselling hands-on tutorial for Adobe Photoshop CS3, the latest version of this industry-standard image editing and production program. As with previous editions, Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-on-One (O'Reilly, $44.99 US) guides readers step by step through the program's features and functionality. A key appeal of the One-on-One series is the two hours of DVD-video material included. Once you read about a particular technique, you can see how it's done first hand in the video. The combination is uniquely effective. And hugely popular.

Wolff Packs Pages With Critical Stock Photo Legal Lingo

PACA and Nancy Wolff Announce Publication of Legal Handbook for Photographers

Nancy Wolff, legal counsel to the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) has written "The Professional Photographer's Legal Handbook". The book provides a comprehensive overview of the many legal issues that bear on creating, publishing and licensing still and motion imagery and illustrations.

"This is a must-read for anyone engaged in any aspect of the stock image industry," said Cathy Aron, Executive Director of PACA. "Her clear writing style makes complex subject matter enjoyable and enlightening to a broad audience."

Wolff has been a frequent speaker throughout the United States and Europe on copyright, new technology, and licensing. "The Professional Photographer's Legal Handbook" represents a compilation of seven years worth of contributions to PACA's bi-weekly newsletter.

Closeup Shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop, and Macro Photography

Closeup photography is one of the most fascinating photographic genres. "Closeup Shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop, and Macro Photography" takes the reader on a journey into this fascinating world of small, smaller, and smallest objects, and shows how to capture their beauty with photographic images. Each step of the way is carefully explained; choosing the right equipment, using ambient or artificial lighting, and conceptualizing and framing the perfect shot.

The "table top photographer" is trying to shoot a small object, a product, or a tiny treasure for display on the web (e.g., eBay) or in print. This book teaches the importance of choosing the appropriate lighting and backdrop, as well as the creative use of the camera's features, which are key to getting a perfect image.

Cyrill Harnischmacher explains all aspects of closeup shooting for inside the studio, as well as outdoors. This book is filled with beautifully illustrated examples and detailed instructions on how to set up a system and workflow for successful close-up photography.