2 New Photography Books

This is a total PSA for 2 new photography books from Watson-Guptill. They publish great books on knitting & crafting that I adore reviewing, and they also send me review copies of photography books that my husband says are really awesome. I am not equipped to comment so this is just a shameless plug in the hopes that you’ll click through to buy the from Amazon.

Mastering HDR Photography by Michael Freeman

Use HDR technology to create dramatic images that meld photography and art

High dynamic range imaging, or HDR, is the latest challenge for those who are serious about digital photography. But with that challenge comes an opportunity to expand skills and repertoire into exciting new areas. HDR, originally developed for use with computer-generated images, captures the full range of tones in a scene, reproducing human perception down to the finest detail without lens flare, burnout, or underexposure. Mastering HDR Photography explains exactly how to shoot specifically for HDR, and how to use the new software that lets the photographer combine several images into one glowingly accurate final photo. Step-by-step instructions and sample photographs reveal how to apply these techniques to many different genres, producing results that are part photograph, part work of art.

Understanding Shutter Speed by Bryan Peterson

The first book in the Understanding Photography series, Understanding Exposure, was a runaway best-seller, with more than 250,000 copies sold. Now author Bryan Peterson brings his signature style to another important photography topic: shutter speed. With clear, jargon-free explanations of terms and techniques, plus compelling “before-and-after” photos that pair a mediocre image (created using the wrong shutter speed) with a great image (created using the right shutter speed), this is the definitive practical guide to mastering an often-confusing subject. Topics include freezing and implying motion, panning, zooming, exposure, Bogen Super Clamps, and rendering motion effects with Photoshop, all with helpful guidance for both digital and film formats. Great for beginners and serious amateurs, Understanding Shutter Speed is the definitive handy guide to mastering shutter speed for superb results.

Christmas Meme

Christmas Meme, from Book-a-rama

1. What is your favorite Christmas romance to re-read each year?
I don’t have one, unless you count the account in Luke.

2. What is your favorite Christmas movie/show?
A Christmas Story–absolutey. It reminds me of growing up with my little brother, now a not-so-little 31.

3. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?
Gingerbread–the warm, cakey kind.

4. When do you start Christmas shopping?
Early December. I like to get it out of the way.

5. Do you re-gift?
Um… no?

6. What is your favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night

7. When do you get your Christmas tree?
Whenever my husband makes it to storage.

8. Wrapping presents: Love it or hate it?
Hate, hate, hate.

9. Who is the hardest person to buy for?
My husband, because he always knows what he wants. He is hard to surprise.

10. Christmas tree:
Silver with a spinning light aimed at it.

Come Along With Me by Shirley Jackson

Synopsis:
Short stories, essays, and an unfinished novel by Shirley Jackson, queen of American Gothic and author of “The Lottery.”

Review:
My love for Shirley Jackson has been well documented in this blog, so I was delighted when my husband got me Come Along With Me for my birthday.

The collection opens with “Come Along With Me,” the novel that Jackson was working on when she died at the untimely age of 44. At about 33 pages, there isn’t much of a narrative, just a character study of an eccentric woman, drawn with Jackson’s signature idiosyncratic touch. It’s disappointing that she never completed the novel, because this fragment shows signs of being as complex and rich a work as the puzzling Hangsaman, my favorite of Jackson’s novels.

The stories that follow aren’t, in my opinion, as masterful as those found in The Lottery and Other Stories, but they’re still worth reading. My favorite was “The Bus,” where an elderly woman takes a bus ride into “Twilight Zone” territory. It’s terse and terrifying without being overstated.

Closing the collection are two lectures on writing and an essay on “The Lottery,” Jackson’s most famous short story, in which she discusses the spectrum of reactions to the story. The essays on writing are inspirational in a folksy sort of way, and offer great practical advice on story construction and harnessing the creative process. I will absolutely be rereading these.

Superfast Birthday = Best Husband Ever

My birthday was on Sunday, but it extended through today with a box of books that Superfast Husband bought for me! Check out this tantalizing list of books–I don’t know what to read first (after I finish The Fionavar Tapestry)!

  • The Axe, Volume 1 of The Master of Hestviken and Gunnar’s Daughter by Sigrid Undset
  • Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik
  • Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
  • Dreamsongs by George RR Martin
  • Come Along with Me and Just An Ordinary Day by Shirley Jackson

And Superfast Younger Brother added to the fun with Ray Bradbury’s Now & Forever.

Considering I’ve entered my “period of confinement,” as my friend Catherine puts it, I am very glad to have all these great books to read. Superfast Baby could show up any day between now and the end of the month (official due date is 11/18, but that’s really just an estimate). I am very motivated now to learn how to read while breastfeeding.

Marrying a Reader

…means you get dirty looks if you go to bed first, because your bookworm wife likes to read in bed to relax even after she’s read three books in a row for work (the third one being a silly high school trifle that took 60 minutes for 300 pages). She’s just blogging to kill time while you drop into alpha sleep or whichever kind of sleep it is so she can turn the bedroom light on and climb between the sheets with your snoring ass and Shirley Jackson’s The Bird’s Nest.

I love you, babe. Sleep tight and please don’t wake up.

Hating My Books

My reading job started up again today. I vet to-be-published manuscripts, and my employers must like me because they generally give me stuff I’m excited to read. So, in keeping with my post-per-book formula, here is a blog post to go with the book I finished tonight. I’m not reviewing these books on this blog because I don’t want to speak out of turn and get in trouble, so the posts when I read for work will cover reading-related topics.

We recently moved. It was a relatively easy move, and we had a lot of help. But any move, no matter how painless, will make you hate your books for one simple reason. Continue reading