Image Books

Tom Wolsky's Final Cut Pro 2 book is, instead, a precise tool, which gets you cutting in no time. Wolsky's credits list him as an editor and a teacher, and his book make it clear he is outstanding in both regards.

This book quickly became the mainstay of my FCP editing library. The only feature that would improve upon it is a spiral binding enabling it to lie flat while open!

"..if by wearing silk, my value mounts
what happens when I'm bare?"

There are pieces that apply to whatever stage of life a woman is passing through. There are pieces that bring the smiles of remembering past stages. There are pieces that point to possible routes for the journeys to come.

Read and enjoy this passage from "Combustion"
"When I have a hot flash....I watch, astounded, as an invisible hand tosses water on the stones of my body, and I ignite. How can flesh not melt? Then, of necessity, I give up the watch and close my eyes and float on the water, and then the fire expends itself, and I pick up my little fan and create a breeze something like the ones that frequsent northern lakes at night. Then I just sit in the quiet puddle of my flesh. If it is the middle of the night I sleep the good sleep of a person cleansed."

I read this book before and I just finished it again.. so overwhelming with different experience in every page .. the boundless limits of a woman's endurance .. the feeling of satisfaction that gratifies a female giving her pride and strength..

This is a book that you can read over and over.. a poem one day ..a short story on another.. enjoy!

In a roughly 8 year period, the author made several kayak trips along various parts of the Superior shoreline, hauling photographic equipment along and immersing himself in those wild, unspoiled scenes so spectacularly portrayed in the 154 plates that appear in this book. The results are well worth every penny of the 40-odd bucks this book costs, and then some. As a fellow photographer of nature, I can attest to the way one can use ground glass and film to convey his deep appreciation -- yes, even a spiritual bond -- with the outdoors as God made it. Blacklock's collection of 4x5 format images (with one 35 mm slide thrown in) of the Big Lake is not only visually vivid, but spiritually moving in a way few other published photo collections can perform.

Nowhere have I seen water, rock, ice, forest, fog and sun so splendidly blended and starkly contrasted at the same time, across an entire plate set. [Plate 33 is the most stunning portrayal of ice and sky together which I have ever seen -- National Geographic's Arctic photos included -- and easily in my top 5 favorite photographs of all time.] Most admirably, nowhere in any of the photos appears a man-made object that I could see. The author takes his efforts a step further by fully revealing his techniques -- right down to the camera, film and tripod brands, and his CMYK post-processing in Photoshop (not to alter, but instead to clean up, the imagery).

Having been all around Lake Superior, its rugged vastness revealed to my eyes but only feebly captured on film by comparison, I am in awe of the job Blacklock has done. The sky, rocks and waves there have such a rich story to tell; and this book masterfully allows that story to begin. It makes me determined to return someday, camera again in hand and Blacklock's methods in mind, to get far removed from the tracks of people, and to experience Superior at its raw, unrestrained best.

There's a message in these beautiful photos and essays. We must preserve natural balance. As Linda Benedict-Jones says in the Introduction: "...One of the specific wishes of Blacklock... is that the remaining undeveloped lake shoreline be kept for open access. When he silently glides for months on end around the periphery of the lake, he does it with the hope that his pictures will convince others to appreciate the lake as he does. Lake Superior is simply too profound as a spiritual resource to be guarded by a privileged few. Should these last open stretches be developed, they will forever be out of reach by the general public. We have learned precious little from the examples set for us by the Navajo (Dineh), the Dakota and the Anishinabe. We all know that Native Americans lived in harmony with the earth and believed that land could be neither bought nor sold since it belonged to all. Perhaps it is not too late to apply their wisdom to relatively small, yet hugely important, areas of land bordering the Great Lakes. Perhaps these Blacklock photographs will help preserve public access to Lake Superior's shores, as certain photographic efforts of his 19th Century predecessors helped to convince (the U.S.) Congress to establish national parklands of the Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons and others." Pass it on!

While taking a "sneak peak" at the various leadership styles (from the back of the book, of course!), I without a doubt identified myself as an intercessor. As I began to read the book and to study the corresponding scriptures, God began to unfold some things in me that needed to be birthed-the potential of the weaver, choreographer, midwife. I was oblivious to the fact that I had strongholds and preconceived notions about myself and about my leadership potential. But I thank God for removing the scales from my eyes and allowing me an opportunity to acknowledge and confront these archaic ideologies and release them to His teaching and healing power. As an intercessor, I am encouraged to go forward freely and confidently and to allow God to birth all He's placed in me (weaver, choreographer, midwife, etc.).

This book is not gender-specific and is a must-read for all that are ready to move forward. I believe that your very heart and mind will be transformed if you avail yourself to the message given in this book. It is, among other things, revolutionary and will challenge and entreat you to see your God-given potential to become man or woman that God has created you to be.

Thank you, Dr. Porter!

Offering this reading as a group study will, in my opinion, enhance the relationship and identify the strengths of individuals, as well the strengths of the group.

Satellite imagery itself is still relatively new, and so the imediate impact of these pictures on a viewer is overwhelming. To look at these images and realize that this one of the many views from space is mystifying. But thats not the only reason to look at these pictures.

National Geographic selected an excellent assortment of images for this atlas. From natural phenomenon (such as a three part image of Mt. St. Helens before, during, and after eruption or the beautiful image of Hurricane Fran) to social phenomenon (the Mexico-California border, and the three part image of the construction and land reclamation of Singapores Changi Airport)this atlas adds to the value of a traditional atlas because the relationships it does show expand on the story that is geography.

Also, it is far worth the cost, in that the paper stock is very high quality, the image resolution is amazing, and the color printing is excellent.

There has to be something wrong with it you say? Well, merely the same problem with every hard cover book that has a paper dust jacket. The jacket is fragile.

This atlas is too short. We can use far more detailed photographs. For instance, California alone requires a whole chapter unto itself. Also, it's been five years since publication, and far more powerful satellites are now being used for cartography.

Still, this book is a good start, and the quality is excellent. For those of us who aren't planning wars, we don't need photos of the Predator or the Global Hawk quality. This will do.

Really excellent.

The organisation of the book is basic, as any other atlas; the major sections include the World, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia/New Zealand, and Antarctica. In addition to these major sections, there are shorter pieces on satellites (both history of satellites and how satellites work), the future, and credits/index sections.

This is no simple book of maps. There are typical geopolitical maps, to be sure, as apart from the basic outlines, it is sometimes hard to tell what is being shown in the photographs. However, pride of place certainly belongs to the photographs, from both the visible light spectrum and non-visible (ultra-high and -low) spectrums. These show geological topography, physical features, vegetation, climate, oceans, population, constructed/built-up features, and more.

With regard to the oceans, there are different types of satellite images which show temperature variations, depth, underwater vegetation, geological fault lines, and even pollution. There is a fascinating section showing the seasonal variations of ocean temperature and motion due to El Nino effects.

Similarly, with population and developed areas, it is mesmerising to see the differences and similarities across the various continents. Cities look very much the same in many respects from space in the distant view; the dominant characteristics at ranges that cover tens of miles is often the contours and geological/natural formations that surround a city. However, when close-up ranges are shown, the human constructions become apparent, and the cities show their unique characters based on the population in connection with their environments. One particularly fun photograph is a composition photograph showing the lights at night around the world. This particular map shows dense population around cities, particularly coastal cities; however, this can be deceptive, as the more highly populated country of India puts out less light at night than the lesser populated but more technologically advanced North America and Europe.

This is a wonderful way to look at the world, to see the kinds of things that a traditional map with boundaries and countries would not show. Done with the quality photography and explanation that is the hallmark of National Geographic, this large-format book would look at home equally on the shelf of a student of any age as well as the coffee table of a well-appointed home.