Book Description
An updated and revised version of a classic text in the field of environmental design.
Inquiry by Design lays out fundamental theoretical approaches to design and research as well as practical research methods applicable to planning, programming, and evaluating physical environments. It systematically describes basic methods of research and how to apply them and shows how collaboration between designers and researchers leads to greater design creativity. 50 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
The design of our environment changes our brain, and life.......2007-09-17
I read the book about a year ago but forgot to review it promptly. For this review I've looked back at my highlights to refresh my memory and my review may not be as good as it could have been. Sorry.
The book used actual research results from a variety of studies to support the hypothesis that architecture and interior design can dramatically improve occupant's well-being. We respond neurologically, psychologically, and physiologically to our environments, and that designers can craft interiors that improve our well-being, including health and longevity.
The book includes a section on observing environmental behavior that gives designers a jump start on the practical application of ethnographic research for interior activities.
I didn't get as much information from this book as I had hoped. That isn't necessarily the author's fault though. The main problem is that the depth of research we need for understanding how to design architecture and interiors for human well-being is limited by both funding and researcher's imaginations. This is probably about the best the book could be written at this time in history.
I would love to recommend this book to all architects and interior designers but I know many and they would never have the patience or interest to get through it. However, there is a small tribe of designers who realize that both professions are sadly lacking in understanding humans in interior environments. If you are in that tribe then this book is a must read. You will help change the world.
- jim
Book Description
Learning to model with polymer clay can be a source of endless pleasure and satisfaction. This fine book teaches you how to get started and how to achieve excellent results. Suzann Thompson, an acknowledged polymer clay expert, has created a collection of more than 30 unique projects, grouped together in five of the books chapters, Miniature World, Jewelry, Gifts, Home Accessories, and Special Occasions.
A wide variety of designs and ideas are included, ranging from drapery finials, and customized cutlery for the home, to a grandfather clock and Victorian fireplace for a dollhouse. The step-by-step instructions are accompanied by full color photographs illustrating important techniques and details of the work, together with beautiful pictures of finished items. Templates are provided where appropriate.
Customer Reviews:
Good basic introduction to working with PC.......2002-06-09
Wide range and variety of projects for those wanting to begin working with PC. Something for just about any area of interest. Instructions are adequately detailed for easy duplication of the projects. Projects tend to be "homemade crafty" and simplistic in nature and lack any real creativity (probably a plus for those just starting out.)Good background information on manufacturing differences and available tools. For me the best part of the book was the technique for different canes although they too are pretty basic. Not a bad addition to your PC reference library.
Not for the serious crafter.......2001-05-22
I do not appreciate the craftmanship exhibited in this book. The projects are fine, but I did not find them particularly creative. Irene Semanchuck-Dean(sp?)'s book had better projects and more finesse.
Wonderful Projects, Lots of Varitey, Great instruction.......2001-03-18
This book is full of a wide variety of fresh projects for beginning to more advanced polymer clay artists. Each project includes step-by-step instructions accompanied by illustrations and finished project photos.
The book starts out by thoroughly covering the basics, including a discussion of several tools that will make working with polymer clay easier. Over 25 projects follow in 5 sections including miniatures, jewelry, gifts, home accents, and special occasions.
Miniature world is my favorite section. You learn to make impressive projects such as a grandfather clock, Victorian fireplace and Christmas tree. The jewelry section is also a treat. Along with a necklace, bracelet and earrings, it shows you how to make a bunch of different of beads and buttons.
My favorite project was the sun & sea clock. Though it is time consuming it is surprisingly easy to create. I have seen similar items in craft stores sell for over $50. The special occasion projects are little less sophisticated, but great for doing with kids during the holidays. I personally loved making the simple, but beautiful decorated eggs.
Conveniently, a list of suppliers is included in the back and templates are provided with instructions when needed. This makes a great gift for anyone wanting to learn all about polymer clay and try a medley of great projects.
Make beautiful things with Polymer clay.......2001-03-17
Polymer Clay for Everyone, 112 pages, over-size ppb.: If you enjoy the handmade beads and jewelry that surely only the most creative of people can make, take heart - Polymer Clay for Everyone will bring out the creativity in you. There are over 30 delightful, colorful projects to make including jewelry, buttons, beads, quirky magnets and miniatures, holiday decor and cards, gifts, household accouterments and more. This book is careful in detail, instruction, and provides dozens of photographs of completed works, works in progress, even photos of tools needed.
Standard equipment needed is easy to come by, some you'll have on hand, some you'll need to visit a hobby shop for. The cost of equipment is up to you. For instance, a pasta roller is suggested for achieving desired thicknesses quickly, however the author explains, the same results can be had by laying sheets of wood (available at hobby or model shops) of the thickness desired on your rolling surface and rolling the clay out to the thickness of the wood. There are options listed for many items called for, so whatever your budget, the book will help you stay within its bounds.
I've seen a couple other books with sections on using polymer clays. What they lack is here. For the first time I read that when you use anything with uncured polymer clay, you must never use it again for food prep. or serving. This book covers the bases.
Creating wonderful things with polymer clayl.......2001-03-17
Polymer Clay for Everyone, 112 pages, over-size ppb.: If you enjoy the handmade beads and jewelry that surely only the most creative of people can make, take heart - Polymer Clay for Everyone will bring out the creativity in you. There are over 30 delightful, colorful projects to make including jewelry, buttons, beads, quirky magnets and miniatures, holiday decor and cards, gifts, household accouterments and more. This book is careful in detail, instruction, and provides dozens of photographs of completed works, works in progress, even photos of tools needed.
Standard equipment needed is easy to come by, some you'll have on hand, some you'll need to visit a hobby shop for. The cost of equipment is up to you. For instance, a pasta roller is suggested for achieving desired thicknesses quickly, however the author explains, the same results can be had by laying sheets of wood (available at hobby or model shops) of the thickness desired on your rolling surface and rolling the clay out to the thickness of the wood. There are options listed for many items called for, so whatever your budget, the book will help you stay within its bounds.
I've seen a couple other books with sections on using polymer clays. What they lack is here. For the first time I read that when you use anything with uncured polymer clay, you must never use it again for food prep. or serving. This book covers the bases.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect example of what a fine photography book should be........1998-07-18
This book represents all the finest points of an excellent photography book. It is well written and imformative for the novice to the professional. You will find only the highest quality work throughout the book. It covers everything from black and white to color picture taking to final print development. The hundreds of photographs that illustrate each aspect of photography are beautiful. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
Book Description
The continuation volume to the highly successful Basic Techniques of Photography: Book One, this profusely illustrated manual offers a contemporary guide to Ansel Adams' brilliant approach to creative photography.Expanding on the fundamental principles of photography presented in Book One, this volume enables the committed amateur or student photographer to advance to higher levels of creative expression. Book Two offers essential chapters on exposure and development, including what is perhaps the clearest, most effective explanation of Ansel Adams' remarkable Zone System ever written.Dr. Schaefer goes on to explain and demonstrate the most important approaches to printmaking for those interested in darkroom and digital work, including such alternative printing processes as cyanotypes, salt printing, platinum/palladium printing, and gum printing. The theory and practice of color photography and printing are explained, and a thorough introduction to digital imaging is featured--all illustrated by numerous examples of work by Ansel Adams and many other photographers. Basic Techniques of Photography:Book Two is a "must-have" for anyone who wants to improve their skills as an image-maker.
Customer Reviews:
Learning Basic Techniques.......2007-04-11
Well, it's a great book for basic techniques. I bought the 'Book 1' and was able to understand the second one, unless you know about photography, you don't need to read the first book.
The 'Book 2' is really the continuation of the first one, and so it continues on subjects like exposure, development and printing. I am disapointed by the chapter on exposure though. I was searching for a deeper understanding on the exposure notion. Still! Great book.
Riddled with errors but still worth the price........2007-02-16
I posted an in-depth review of this book previously but, for some reason, it did not show up here so I will try again. However, this time I will be more brief. This book is excellent but, like the other two books I have by Schaefer, it is riddled with technical errors. There's no excuse for that. The experienced photographer may catch most of the errors but the student probably won't and that could cause some real problems. The section on film testing, for example, has many serious errors.
I find it a bit irritating that Schaefer literally plagiarizes Ansels photography series of books. By that I mean, Schaeffer lifts whole pages, text, illustrations, etc. Some pages even have the same font styles as Ansel's books. If you took away what has been taken from Ansel's books, this book would be a lot slimmer. I have no idea why Schaefer doesn't simply speak for himself. It's fine to make references to Ansel's writings and photography but to copy it is another thing. But the one good thing about that is that the parts that are copied from Adams are at least correct.
This book has large sections on alternative processes. For someone really interested in those processes, the information doesn't have enough depth. However, it is a good overview of those techniques.
The sections on digital imaging are downright funny. They are so out-of-date that the reader should get a good laugh from them. This book should have stuck with traditional photography because digital photography is changing so fast that it is more suited for periodicals.
If you use this book as a reference for film testing, etc., be very careful. There are so many errors that they can lead you seriously off the path. I have made so many corrections in my book that I might as well have written it myself. I cannot understand why Schaefer didn't have someone proof-read it. And some of the errors are glaring!
All that said, I still think this book is a good addition to my photographic library.
Nice book.......2004-12-02
I like this book very much because it explains different concepts and terminology in simple terms -- good for people who are trying to learn photography but not knowing much yet (like me). There are a lot of pictures in the book, so it isn't boring at all.
It also explains traditional photography very well, including cameras, darkroom etc. However, don't expect much from the technology section of the book since it is quite outdated, however it does give you a brief background with the technology though. (It's only a minor problem... anyway)
Recommended to those who are interested in photography.... also get Book 1 as well.
A Curiosity - Buy It Used.......2004-09-03
This is a beautifully printed curiosity / collector's item.
Contrary to the book's title you won't find much useful information about photography in this book. Most of its pages are devoted to arcane and obscure film print development techniques. While many of these techniques are interesting and can produce fascinating results, let's face it; do you really want a book that teaches you how to print a black and white film photo with pasta sauce and Epsom salts?! If so, this is the book for you!
The rearmost 1/4 of the book is cursorily devoted to digital image processing. Note that this book dates back to 1998, absolutely ancient by digital standards. So although the basic concepts presented are good the changes to the digital scene have rendered the digital material basically useless. Which is probably fine with the author (note that that's NOT Ansel Adams), as I could almost hear him hissing as he wrote that section of the book.
I bought this book at a bookstore (what's that?) and it was shrink-wrapped in plastic. So all that i could learn about it was in the blurbs on the cover...which are very misleading.
GREAT CHOOSE.......2000-05-31
Schaefer has taken on a major task in reworking the material to reflect changes in equipment and materials while maintaining the thoroughness, attention to detail, and spirit of the Adams' series. I feel that he has succeeded nicely.
While a lot has been borrowed directly from the previous work there is also much new material and the format itself has been changed substantially. The book now opens with a thoroughly enjoyable, albeit brief, history of photography before getting down to business...Although targeted at a bit different readership than its predecessor, An Ansel Adams Guide: Basic Techniques of Photography, Book I is a good read and destined to become as much a classic as the original.
Book Description
Arguably the best book yet written for those wishing to pursue photography seriously, Basic Techniques of Photography, Book 1 has been completely revised and updated in order to keep pace with fast-moving technological advances in the field. The revised edition includes more than fifty new illustrations, offering still greater clarity in presenting Ansel Adams legendary approach to photography.
Since its publication in 1992, The Ansel Adams Guide: Basic Techniques of Photography, Book 1 has sold more than 100,000 copies and is used in many introductory photography courses. This revised edition offers new information on: -variable-contrast papers -digital cameras and view cameras -the Advance Photo System
Book 1 is organized to present the principles of black-and-white and color photography to a broad range of photographersfrom the serious beginner to the advanced amateur. It draws extensively on the philosophy and techniques of Ansel Adams, the best-known writer/teacher of photography of all time, and is profusely illustrated with Adams own work as well as that of other photographers. Adams technical writings were famously difficult to understand. However, in Book 1, John Schaefer skillfully interprets Adams words, theories, and art as a foundation for a more clearly written, understandable, and actively up-to-date guide to creative photography.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book on general photography........2006-11-14
I found the Ansel Adams books on "The Print" and "The Negative" a bit on the heavy side, but John Schaefer's book is a superb addition to any aspiring photographer's library. It covers the photographic field very comprehensively and in easily understood English, and without the frills of technical jargon so loved by some authors.
Although the book deals with colour photography as well, I would thoroughly recommend this book to any aficionado of black and white photography-- it is, without doubt one of the best books on photography I have in my library!
*whew*.......2003-09-02
This book has everything, and then some. It will take you from not knowing anything to being a quasi-expert in a fairly short amount of time.
That said, it is pretty dry. Very textbookish in form, the book is difficult to read straight through. This is made more palatable by the extreme depth that the book goes into for each topic that it discusses.
Starting with the differences in photo gear, the author leads the reader through selecting a first camera to selecting a lens to selecting a film and finally the development of the negative and print. The book is exhausting in its depth and breadth.
Much time was spent on Adams' Zone system and its usefulness in taking beautiful photographs. This focus throughout the book really drove home the importance of exposure.
The pictures used in the book are fantastic and the personal accounts of some photos by Adams himself are very interesting.
The only thing that I felt was skimped on was the process of selecting a shot. Adams was a large-format photographer so he wasn't able to make the hundreds of shots of a scene that a 35mm photographer could make, so it was important for him to select his shots carefully. More text space devoted to Adams' method or instinct for finding shots would have been the final piece of information that would have made this a complete guide to photography.
It wasn't easy reading, but I learned a lot and was able to immediately use the information in the book to improve my own photography.
Good book - too text bookish!.......2002-04-19
This is indeed a great book. It talks a lot about the basic photographic techniques and is a good read for a beginner. However, most of the book is limited to black and white photography. The book is also a bit out dated.
Overall a good book for a serious beginner. It will help a person get accostomed to both the scientific and the creative aspects of photography.
Practical Introduction to Black and White Photography.......2001-12-14
The majority of the text concentrates it's efforts in educating the reader in the art of B&W photography. Color photography is briefly touched on at the book's end. The first half of the book deals with various camera systems, accessories, film choices, photograph visualization and film exposure. All of these topics are covered exceptionally well. The second half deals with the developing and printing process. If the prospective reader will not be involved in the developing and printing process then the Ansel Adams Book 1, "The Camera", and Book 2, "The Negative", may be better choices. However to receive the maximum benefit from the art of B&W photography one must eventually delve into the darkroom. The book details those processes equally well.
Great book ON Adams, not BY Adams........2001-08-30
Although I loved this book, and knew what I was buying, Amazon's attribution of this book to Ansel Adams is misleading. This is a book about Ansel Adams' technique, and his zone system in particular. It's not a book by Adams. If you want Adams' own take on the basic techniques of photography, check out his three books: The Camera, The Negative, The Print, as well as his book of case studies, The Making of 40 Photographs. It takes a lot of nerve to write a book like this when Adams has already done a bang up job of it himself. Surprisingly, Schaefer's effort doesn't pale in comparison to the master's own. Plus you have the advantage of a single book rather than Adams' three. Schaefer provides an excellent guide to Ansel Adams' zone technique, with great illustrations. And despite a bit more attention paid to color photography than in Adams' own books, it still seems like an afterthought.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent book on photography.
- This is an outstanding book on photographic technique.
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An Ansel Adams Guide : Basic Techniques of Photography (Book One)
John P. Schaefer , and
Ansel Adams
Manufacturer: Bulfinch Pr
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Binding: Hardcover
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Customer Reviews:
Excellent book on photography........2006-10-21
I found the Ansel Adams books on "The Print" and "The Negative" a bit on the heavy side, but John Schaefer's book is a superb addition to any aspiring photographer's library. It covers the photographic field very comprehensively and in easily understood English, and without the frills of technical jargon so loved by some authors.
Although the book deals with colour photography as well, I would thoroughly recommend this book to any aficionado of black and white photography-- it is, without doubt one of the best books on photography I have in my library!
This is an outstanding book on photographic technique........1996-05-30
John Schaefer is a fine photographer who works in black and
white and color. In "Basic Techniques of Photography"
John Schaefer has created a wonderful "how to" on the
basic and intermediate aspects of photography. The book is
filled with helpful information, and beautifully illustrated
with the work of notable photographers, with many images due to
Ansel Adams. Here are summarized and illustrated many of
the ideas from the famous Ansel Adams series of books which
include "The Negative" and "The Print". A strength of the
book is a clear exposition on the value and use of the
zone system. Other strengths include sidebars which
provide detailed comments about individual images, and
sequential images which show the result of some of the
darkroom techniques, or exposure information discussed in
the book. This is a fine book, one which any active
photographer will benefit from.
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