Photo Book Reviews

All artists must learn to harness the power of light in order to create successful images. Author, and noted photography educator, Rosanne Olson’s new book ABCs of Beautiful Light: A Complete Course in Lighting for Photographers offers readers an in-depth study on the use of proper lighting techniques for photography, videography—and art in general.

Capture the Magic uses a structured approach to teach the art of creating interesting, well-composed images. It provides solutions to problems that often get in the way of producing great photographs and emphasizes the importance of training the eye to exclude the extraneous. Examples of strong images are juxtaposed against flawed images, illustrating how to create a successful composition. Topics covered include light and shadow, lens choice, framing, negative space, and many more.

From the 50s into the 80s, nearly everyone had a Polaroid instant camera at home and most of our family pictures were captured with one. We all had a great time with this ingenious device because it was easy to use, economic and provided fast results. Polaroid cameras were also an indispensible tool of pro photographers before the invention of LCD screens and the ability to “chimp” the shot. 

The mid-1970s was a time of musical transformation in New York City’s hot underground club scene. Glam was fading away and being replaced with the raw, bold sounds of Punk. New bands were being formed and drawing the attention of legions of eager fans. It was an explosion of creativity and (musician and photographer) Paul Zone was there to witness it all. Zone spent his teen years exploring the sights and sounds of famous clubs like CBGB and Max’s Kansas City while other kids his age only dreamed of being there.

It’s a sad fact of life that nothing lasts forever and in every city, town and neighborhood various abandoned structures can be found. Once they were filled with life and bursting with activity but these factories, homes, apartment buildings, schools, hospitals theaters and churches have all fallen to ruin, silently waiting to be torn down and replaced with newer (more modern) structures designed to fit the needs of the ever changing community.

In 1964 Look magazine recognized the then-23 year-old Bob Dylan as a very promising new star of the American music industry. Shortly before Dylan’s career rocketed him to the heights of fame, the magazine hired photographer Gilbert Douglas to photograph him.

Photographer Bunny Yeager first attained fame as a beautiful and popular pin-up model in her own right—one of the most photographed in Miami. Upon retiring from her successful first career in front of the lens, Yeager soon embarked upon a new endeavor by expertly transitioning from subject to artist.