(112 pages)

Digital Infrared Photography by: Cyrill Harnischmacher publisher: Rocky Nook released: 2008-08-15 ISBN: 1933952350 $16.47

To record the "invisible light " has always been an intriguing and fascinating experiment. The infrared part of the light spectrum is outside the range of what the human eye can see, but with a digital camera, we are able to record only this "invisible light " while blocking the "visible " part. The results are often unusual, yet beautiful, renderings of otherwise fairly common scenes.

Since as far back as the 1960 's artists have experimented with analog infrared photography, as seen on the album covers of Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa. But as we enter the digital age, new equipment and technology has opened up the exciting world of infrared photography to all.

This compact guide to infrared photography shows the beauty of infrared imagery, but also teaches how to shoot these images with your digital camera. The book provides the basic theoretical background, some information on cameras, filters and equipment, and lots of guidance on how to do infrared photography. This beautifully designed and illustrated book is the perfect companion for the aspiring photographer wanting to explore new photographic territories.

(190 pages)

What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars by: Jim Paul, Brendan Moynihan publisher: Infrared Press released: 1994-06 ISBN: 0963579495 $28.95

This book is so GREAT. The story was entertaining. The educational part was easy to understand and easy to apply to trading or other business ventures and your life. Trading is stressful sometimes. The book will get you prepared mentally to trade successfully. You don't have to be stressed out while still making big bucks. You have to read it to know how excellent this book is. It is still in print. The author, Brendan Moynihan, is a registered seller @ Amazon.com. Buy from him through Amazon. The book will be signed with a personal message inscribed to you by Brendan. You will love this book. Guaranteed!What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars

This is the best book out there to explain why we do what we do to lose money in the market and what we should change to avoid it. It's an easy and fun read, and the author provided tremendous focus and clarity to get his point cross.

It helps me to see exactly why my own mentor, a successful trader with net worth over $100 million, made his trading rules as they are, which are based on almost exactly the same principle as expressed in the book. The book would have saved me tens of thousands dollars trading loss if I had read it earlier.

I would personally consider this book much more valuable than Elder's and Mark Douglas' books on trading psychology simply because it provided concise, clear, and practical steps to confront and resolve the root cause of our trading losses. I also find it intriguring and invaluable that we can apply the principles discussed in the book to other human endeavors beyond trading the markets. What a great job these two authors did! Thank you both from bottom of my heart!

I'm a self taught investor/trader (arent we all) so I've collected my share of books. But this one by Jim Paul/Brendan Moynihan is the most unique book I have ever read so far. It's the only book which correctly points out that trading and investing are personal journeys; about finding out who are you, and then how to manage what you find out. Until you do, one can never be consistently successful at this game. This is largely why the public can never make a career out of trading. It never dawns on them that it's all about soul searching and then applying your strengths while controlling your weaknesses. Everyone is different; which is why there are infinite ways to make a profit. There are no "secrets" to trading. It never dawns on them that investing seminars are utterly useless. It never dawns on them that you don't have to watch CNBC either.

The book is basically two sections. Jim describes his life stories in the first part, then Brendan writes about the psychology of it all in the second part. Copies of this book are relatively pricey given the rarity. Wait until several sellers show up to take advantage of price competition. Good luck trying to find it in public libraries. This book is worth every dollar I spent to read it. It's one of those that you'd want to reread once a year so you never forget the correct way to approach the markets. The earlier in your career you get a chance to read this book, the better off you'll be.

This book was recommended to me by another trader. I'm glad I picked it up. There are enough books out there that tell us how they make money...but too few tell us how to avoid losing it. This book is a must read! All the mistakes that we as traders make are outlined, explained, and amusingly told in this book that I fear too few traders have read.

The book makes you feel that you could have travelled the same road as the author which brings it home all the more powerfully.

The lessons are not just conceptual or psycho-babble. These are applicable lessons that you can use in your own trading as soon as you put down the book. The approach and an awareness that this book gives you helps you understand you do the things you do.

Again, this is not an outline of how to trade. These are important lessons about how we accept a trading loss, how to analyze losing trades, and finally how each of us can be tempted to rationalize losses.

A great book!

The title of this review is a chapter in Jim's book. I bought this book after Jim passed away on September 11, 2001 in 1 World Trade Center. He told us about this book in 1997, and I was so glad it was still in print. It is an excellent book, and it is written by an extraordinary individual. When I met Jim I could tell he was amazing, and his personality comes through in this work, which is part autobiography and part trading treatise. Jim's rise and fall and subsequent rise again makes for an incredible story, and his insight into the markets are superb. Even if you are not interested in the market, this book is worth purchasing just to learn more about Jim's amazing life story. Jim is candid, funny and dynamic in this work. I wish the world had more people like Jim Paul and more books like "What I learned While Losing a Million Dollars."

(396 pages)

Designing Embedded Hardware by: John Catsoulis publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc. released: 2005-05-16 ISBN: 0596007558 $39.45

Embedded computer systems literally surround us: they're in our cell phones, PDAs, cars, TVs, refrigerators, heating systems, and more. In fact, embedded systems are one of the most rapidly growing segments of the computer industry today. Along with the growing list of devices for which embedded computer systems are appropriate, interest is growing among programmers, hobbyists, and engineers of all types in how to design and build devices of their own. Furthermore, the knowledge offered by this book into the fundamentals of these computer systems can benefit anyone who has to evaluate and apply the systems. The second edition of Designing Embedded Hardware has been updated to include information on the latest generation of processors and microcontrollers, including the new MAXQ processor. If you're new to this and don't know what a MAXQ is, don't worry--the book spells out the basics of embedded design for beginners while providing material useful for advanced systems designers. Designing Embedded Hardware steers a course between those books dedicated to writing code for particular microprocessors, and those that stress the philosophy of embedded system design without providing any practical information. Having designed 40 embedded computer systems of his own, author John Catsoulis brings a wealth of real-world experience to show readers how to design and create entirely new embedded devices and computerized gadgets, as well as how to customize and extend off-the-shelf systems. Loaded with real examples, this book also provides a roadmap to the pitfalls and traps to avoid. Designing Embedded Hardware includes:

• The theory and practice of embedded systems
• Understanding schematics and data sheets
• Powering an embedded system
• Producing and debugging an embedded system
• Processors such as the PIC, Atmel AVR, and Motorola 68000-series
• Digital Signal Processing (DSP) architectures
• Protocols (SPI and I2C) used to add peripherals
• RS-232C, RS-422, infrared communication, and USB
• CAN and Ethernet networking
• Pulse Width Monitoring and motor control

All of the topics could be easily found by a google search in much more details. The only good point after reading this book : a beginner knows how to pick from the smorgasbord of the Net.

Pretty useless for Engineers, even beginner Engineers already in the trade. And the book is not cheap !

I am a Firmware Engineer currently but have a degree in Electrical Engineering so I felt this book would help me relate my Electrical experience to the Firmware world. I was disappointed when I realized how basic this book was. They dedicate a full chapter to basic voltage, resister, capacitor, etc concepts. Even with no on the job experience outside of school I found almost nothing that I did not already know. It is good for people who need to learn the basics but if you have any computer architecture experience or electrical engineering experience then this book is not for you.

This is a practical introduction to embedded hardware, so to write software for the hardware presented in this book, you will need to consult other books. This book is only an introduction and if you want to gain more knowledge and experience in the field of hardware design, further study is required. In the first part of the book the author gives an introduction to computer architecture and describes the components that you find in a PC. The author goes on to explain basic electronics, just enough to understand the explanations about the electronic components. There are the basic equations to calculate voltage and current. The functionality of resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes and crystals is explained. There is advice on how you can build or have built your own integrated circuit board. Some simple microprocessors and micro controllers are described including the currently available and commonly used PIC and AVR micro controllers, the 68000-series microprocessor and a DSP based controller. The functionality of the components is described and it is shown how the component can be used with a few other basic components to exercise a minimum of functionality. The book also covers useful topics like the protocols SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) and I2C, Inter Integrated Circuit, which show how components can communicate with each other or the outside world. Various serial port and network protocols are discussed like RS232C and USB. Chapter 13 was particularly interesting, covering analog to digital conversion and applications. For example, the book explains how to use an amplifier to connect a digital circuit to a temperature or light sensor, or a motor control. The one thing I did not like about the book was the dedication of an entire chapter to the ancient language of Forth. This space might have been better spent on expanding the book's discussion of assembly language or the more timely topic of embedded networks.
This book might be too elementary for practicing engineers, particularly if they are already familiar with the devices commonly used in embedded circuits. However, for those engineers that have been writing software since they graduated, this book is a good fast-paced introduction to the hardware commonly found in embedded systems. A good follow-on to this book is "Programming Embedded Systems with C and C++" by the same publisher.

This is a great beginners book from basic electronics up to developing for specific chips. I've been an application developer for years and I've been looking to make the switch to lower level programming. This book will definitely get you started and even walk you through the design of the beginners microprocessors (PIC & AVR).
As mentioned above, it should have "beginner" in the title.

This book aims at a very wide domain - embedded hardware/software. While most of the books out there on the market are concerned with design patterns, agile techniques and heavy methodologies for big projects, the largest software market is actually the embedded, with most processors manufactured, and most software written.

The author is an experienced embedded engineer and has knowledge both in hardware and software - it's the connecting line between these two that is the main subject of the book. Quite well written, many topics are covered - Electronics 101 (though not really on a beginner level - it runs too fast for that), some software - assembly language of various processors, microcontroller architectures, digital design and even soldering / breadboard creation.
It looks to be possible to build a small embedded computer just from the directions given in this book - which is very nice, and gives practical-headed readers something to play with. The author clearly enjoys what he's doing and it shows through his writing - this is a nice motivational boost, embedded design is indeed very interesting.

The crowd to enjoy the book the most will be people with some experience in either software or hardware (or both), who want to get into the exciting embedded field, or just bright and curious amateurs who want to build that heat-sensing remote control for their bathroom tub.

Some downsides of the book: the chapter on Forth is dubious. (Forth ??? Gimme a break...) The Electronics tutorial is just too fast. I doubt that people without any EE background will really understand it. For a beginner's book, there's too much options given in the processors chapters (about 4) - beginners like few options that are well explained. So a suggestion to the author for the next edition - drop Forth, drop a couple of processors, spend more time on electronics basics instead, and you'll have a truly great book.

(288 pages)

David Buschs Digital Infrared Pro Secrets by: David D. Busch publisher: Course Technology PTR released: 2007-04-12 ISBN: 1598633554 $26.39

Infrared photography can provide unique and flattering portraits, eye-catching close-ups of flowers, travel photographs unlike any you've ever seen before, and, if you know a few tricks, a new perspective on sports photography. You may have seen infrared photos without even being aware that they are infrared images! This full-color, hands-on book includes numerous do-it-yourself tutorials that show you how to convert your existing camera for IR use. You'll learn how to take infrared photos with both snapshot cameras and digital SLRs using a full range of shutter speeds and lens openings. You don't need a costly IR filter - you'll learn how to make your own! You'll be amazed to learn that many cameras, including dSLRs and consumer cameras like Canon PowerShot and Nikon CoolPix models, can be converted to shoot infrared photos full-time. Digital Infrared Pro Secrets will help you blow the lid off of IR photography!

The overwhelming majority of this book is devoted to photography basics. There are no pro secrets. Everything in this book is available on the Internet at a number of IR photography web sites. It's unlikely that a pro photographer would be clueless as to figuring out which filter sizes a specific lens requires (it's printed on the lens) or that a tripod is a must for long exposures. His section on post-processing is limited to telling the reader to purchase expensive Photoshop plug-ins. It gives the impression the author is a shill for the plug-in authors. Don't waste your money on this book.

This book is great. The information provided will help anyone that is thinking about trying infrared photography. Digital cameras make the process so much easier without the hassle of trying to find a pro lab that will develop infrared film. This was a good purchase and I intend to get lots of use out of it.

I picked up this book after already being really interested in IR photography, or as David corrects, is near IR photography.

He shows you how you can convert your camera, but also recommends LifePixel for conversion, which I had done. He does not steer you wrong there with that suggestion. I do have some sample images on my blog at [...]

David gives you several ideas for dIR photography and more than just typical IR subjects as well. This is a definate keeper.

Actually, as the author points out in several places in this book, digital infrared photography is exclusively near infrared (NIR)photography, and should not be confused with heat/thermal photography, which, as Busch says, is something else entirely.

Indeed, the technical accuracy and depth of coverage are one of the strengths of this book. It explains the process of IR photography in enough detail that even those new to this type of shooting will be comfortable with the technical demands, which, after you've read the book, aren't that complicated at all.

There are two other aspects that I particularly enjoyed. First, unlike most other books in IR photography, this one doesn't deal exclusively with landscape photography. Instead, the author invites you to explore architectural photography, close-ups, even sports (!) and other varied subject matter. If you thought of IR photography as a quirky special effect, you'll discover that it's a genre of its own.

Second, the do-it-yourself parts of this book are commendable. The author shows you how to build an auxiliary viewfinder from parts salvaged from a single-use film camera, how to make your own IR filter on the cheap, and how to convert your own camera to full time infrared shooting. There are even step-by-step illustrated instructions for converting a popular camera model.

None of the other IR books I've read touch on all the topics found here. This is highly recommended.

Infrared light is close in the spectrum to heat. As a result, cold things like trees and water dramatically change their appearance. And the warm skin of people put out a more intense image. Again because of the heat effect, skin blemishes such as acne tend to disappear. This may offer some distinct advantages in photographing young people. Likewise the somewhat strange effect produced by infrared photography may have effects that appeal in industrial or commercial shoots.

While there are a lot of books on taking, using, processing infrared pictures, in this book that only takes up about half the content of the book. The most interesting half is on getting yourself an infrared camera. At the minimal end of the game there's building yourself a filter that can be put on the front of a camera. Or, you might consider that some cameras are easy to convert to infrared photography only. He gives a list (many of these are under $100 on eBay that can be professionally or perhaps even converted by you.

(436 pages)

Wireless# Certification Official Study Guide (Exam PW0-050) by: Tom Carpenter, Planet3 Wireless publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media released: 2006-06-20 ISBN: 0072263423 $37.79

Get official exam preparation for the all-new Wireless# Exam PWO-050

Authorized by the exam developers at the CWNP program, this study guide thoroughly covers all the topics on the entry-level Wireless# certification exam. Work at your own pace through a system of lessons, scenarios, and review questions to learn the material quickly and easily.

Wireless# Certification Official Study Guide will help you prepare for the exam as well as learn the basics of many wireless technologies. You'll learn, step-by-step, how to implement, troubleshoot and maintain small and medium-sized wireless networks. Get the only official study guide authorized by the creators of the Wireless# exam and get started in a career in wireless IT.

Maximize your performance on the exam by learning:

• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WiMAX, ZigBee, Infrared, RFID, and VoWLAN
• Wireless hardware, software, and installation
• Wireless security, applications, and support
• Wireless organizations, standards, and protocols
• Radio frequency (RF) technologies

Complete Exam Coverage

• Comprehensive details on all Wireless# exam objectives
• Review questions modeled after the real exam
• Helpful chapter summaries and key term lists
• Vendor-neutral coverage of wireless technologies and equipment

Tom is a great author of technical books. This book - like all the other CWNP official study guides was superb. It has a very clean look to it, plenty of screenshots & diagrams, and a nice flow for reading (as far as technical books go anyway).

Note: This book is geared towards a entry level technical certification, but could serve as a good read for anyone wanting a decent idea on how Wi-Fi, infrared, bluetooth and other wireless technologies work.

This book is an excellent starting point for those new to the wireless community, as well as those technology managers who include wireless products or services in their portfolio.

The book is written in clear, easy to understand language and has no shortage of real-world examples designed to convey critical concepts. The tips given in the book, which focus on specific exam material, are plentiful yet not overwhelming.

My only recommendations for improvement include improvements to diagrams and charts, and more exam practice questions - maybe on a CD or something?

I highly recommend this product, as it's an excellent resource given the price point.

I am currently still reading this book, and I am planning on getting my certification. The book is written in a very concise, clear and easy to understand manner. Everything is explained with clear examples: every concept explained is easily grasped, and the details fall nicely into place. This is by far the best written manual/study guide I have seen on the subject.

This is a good book. The book provides an excellent overview of all of the technologies on the Wireless# exam it also serves as an excellent reference guide. I passed the Wireless# exam using this book and I have frequently returned to this text follow reference material during the course of my work.

This is a well written book, it held my interest though the whole book I never had to force myself to read like some tech books. It not only helped me pass my wireless# exam but I believe that it helped me pass my Network+ exam also.

(160 pages)

Complete Guide to Digital Infrared Photography (A Lark Photography Book) by: Joe Farace publisher: Lark Books released: 2006-10-28 ISBN: 1579907725 $16.47

Most of the example photos in this book are from photographers other than the author. Makes a reader wonder if the author has taken many IR photos of his own. As was mentioned in another review, his post processing section consists of telling you to buy expensive plug-in modules for Photoshop. Apparently he does not know how to create effects such as sepia toning and depends on the expensive plug-ins to solve that problem. Not worth the paper it's printed on. His section on exposure, depth of field, and focusing are pretty thin and contain information available for free on the web. Not recommended.

Infrared photographers are in their own creative league. Read this book, check out Joe's images, read his words, and you'll see why Joe is one of the top IR photographers around - any why he is the technical director of The League of Creative Infrared Photographers. I've been a photographer for about 30 years, and yet I still continue to learn and grow, thanks to books like Joe's. - Rick Sammon, Founder, The League of Creative Infrared Photographers.

This is a good basic introduction to infrared photography, with beautiful photos. However, it concentrates on landscape photography (as you might expect) and a lot of the text in this 160-page book deals with post-processing techniques.

A newer and much more comprehensive book is David Busch's Digital Infrared Pro Secrets,which explores the topic in a more wide-ranging and in-depth manner. For example, Busch's book shows you how to convert your own camera to infrared photography, how to make your own inexpensive IR filter, and how to build a viewfinder that by-passes the IR "blackout." In addition to landscape photography, that book has techniques for shooting architecture, portraits, sports, and other unconventional subjects.

Serious photographers should probably have both books. Farace's is a good guide to infrared fine art landscapes, while Busch's book is perfect for someone who intends to get serious about IR photography.

If you need or want to know anything about digital Infrared Photography
this is the book to get it was exactly what I need to get started.

Most of the information in this book is available for free on the internet. Filter information, how to properly expose and focus a shot, etc. is all basic and common sense. The most disappointing part of the book was the post processing. Almost all of the post-processing instructions describe how to use Photoshop PLUG-INS that the reader may not have. Each of the plug-ins mentioned will cost you between $50 - $200 and even if you already have them the instructions are so basic you never get a feel for what you are doing or why.

If you don't have access to the internet and are a complete newbie to IR Photography this book would be OK, which is why I am giving it 2 stars.

(388 pages)

Molecular Vibrations: The Theory of Infrared and Raman Vibrational Spectra by: Edgar Bright Wilson, J.C. Decius, Paul C. Cross publisher: Dover Publications released: 1980-03-01 ISBN: 048663941X $11.53

This is a classical book on the subject of molecular vibrations. People interested in molecular spectroscopy or Quantum Chemistry should read it. Excellent book!

It is probably the best book about molecular vibrations, cited in many other books.
It treats complex arguments with rigour but at the same time it is able to explain them clearly.

In this one, Wilson writes definitively, math/scientifically, and with sincerity of purpose. Don't get confused by the word 'theory.' There's as much math in here as Born and Wolf's P of O. The only diffenrence is Wilson's is much more algebra-based. The mathematics (i.e. isomorphs) is 'taught', without breaking the flow, and is not assumed that you know the stuff already--- or can find it somewhere else. This book stands out because there is more science in here than names of scientists, and his references are for real. I would also say it was unique because books with titles like 'Molecular Vibrations' are usually skipped over for titles like 'mechanics' or 'quantum theory.' Spectroscopy was a major advancement in science, and it is good to see it skillfully treated with enlightening clarity.

This is the original work by E.B.Wilson where the G and F matrix formalism is presented. The G matrix, related to kinetic vibrational energy is built uppon the elements of the B matrix defined from "internal coordinates". Many quantum chemistry software packages use this exact methodology to build normal coordinates. For those working on Quantum Chem Molecular Orbital calculations, this book is a must.

Reissue of original, which was published in 1955, in the pre-computer age. Solid QM description of vibrating polyatomic molecules, and their interaction with EM radiation. The authors exploit group theory (molecular symmetry) to reduce the calculational work as much as possible. Good introduction to the use of finite groups, e.g. how to exploit the hexagonal symmetry of the benzene molecule.

(529 pages)

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (Chemical Analysis: A Series of Monographs on Analytical Chemistry and Its Applications) by: Peter R. Griffiths, James A. De Haseth publisher: Wiley-Interscience released: 2007-04-25 ISBN: 0471194042 $97.56

A bestselling classic reference, now expanded and updated to cover the latest instrumentation, methods, and applications

The Second Edition of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry brings this core reference up to date on the uses of FT-IR spectrometers today. The book starts with an in-depth description of the theory and current instrumentation of FT-IR spectrometry, with full chapters devoted to signal-to-noise ratio and photometric accuracy. Many diverse types of sampling techniques and data processing routines, most of which can be performed on even the less expensive instruments, are then described. Extensively updated, the Second Edition:
*

Discusses improvements in optical components
*

Features a full chapter on FT Raman Spectrometry
*

Contains new chapters that focus on different ways of measuring spectra by FT-IR spectrometry, including fourteen chapters on such techniques as microspectroscopy, internal and external reflection, and emission and photoacoustic spectrometry
*

Includes a new chapter introducing the theory of vibrational spectrometry
*

Organizes material according to sampling techniques


Designed to help practitioners using FT-IR capitalize on the plethora of techniques for modern FT-IR spectrometry and plan their experimental procedures correctly, this is a practical, hands-on reference for chemists and analysts. It's also a great resource for students who need to understand the theory, instrumentation, and applications of FT-IR.

I work in semiconductor industry and use FTIR for in line metrology. This book was recommended by the vendor of the FTIR which we have and seems to be a good read. Have a good description of the Hardware required for FTIR and is complemented by spectroscopic studies of different materials.

This is a great reference for anyone designing or using FTIR instruments. This book is really intended for the advanced users and is worth the price. The only major drawback is that it is getting a little dated.

The book is really geared to the chemist, however, additional material on alignment techniques and a more complete and jointed discussion on design trade-offs and instrument characterization would make it much more useful to other users.

Bottom line: It is still a great reference

This book is the Bible of FTIR, written by the twin gods of FTIR, Griffiths and DeHaseth. It contains as complete an introduction to the theory and practice of this field as is available. Anyone who wants a detailed understanding of this field, and in particular how FTIRs work, should own this book. However...there are 2 reasons why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5.

1. The book is written at a rather advanced level, and is full of mathematics. For doctorate level scientists and engineers this is fine, but it blows away anyone without the appropriate math and science background. As a result, beginners to the field are often times frustrated with this book. The book is more approriate for instrument designers and lab managers than it is for the average technician running spectra.

2. The book was written in 1986, and parts of it are terribly outdated. Not surprisingly, discussions of specific computers, software, and instruments were outdated years ago. Things that the book predicts will happen, have long ago come to pass. Certain important new developments, such as IR Microscopy, FT-Raman, and new applications of Step Scanning, are totally missing. Come on guys...its time for a new edition.

(160 pages)

Creative Photo Printmaking by: Theresa Airey publisher: Amphoto Books released: 1996-10-01 ISBN: 0817437258 $26.95

In "Creative Photo Printmaking", author Theresa Airey attempts to cover 9 different photo and printmaking techniques that are alternative or supplementary to conventional practices, and which will expand any photographer's means of creative expression. I have found that books that discuss a variety of photographic skills, instead of being an exhaustive study of just one, tend to be cursory, serving as an introduction to their subjects more than in-depth guides. That's fine as long as they are solid, accurate introductions. "Creative Photo Printmaking" isn't one of the better multi-skill books that I've read. Some chapters are reasonably good, while others are, frankly, bad. Organized lists of necessary supplies and equipment are generally absent.

"Manipulating Polaroids" (Chapter 1) is a decent introduction to Polaroid "Time Zero" (SX-70) film. Advice on manipulating the film is adequate, and there are instructions for modifying modern 600 Series Polaroid cameras to accept SX-70 film. There is an interesting section about sandwiching SX-70 prints by removing the emulsion. The recommendation to duplicate and enlarge your prints by copying them to slide is outdated. Now you would simply scan them. Oddly, there is advice about printing slides onto Time Zero film with a conventional enlarger, but not with a DayLab, which is more common practice.

"Infrared Photos" (Chapter 2) is about black-and-white infrared film, which is prized for its ability to record increased tonal separation in the midtones while decreasing tonal separation in light and dark tones, creating a "luminescence" in light skin tones. This is the worst chapter in the book, as it is filled with misinformation. Infrared film does not record heat. Red filters do not allow more IR to pass through them; they block out the rest of the spectrum. Surface veins can be eliminated by increasing exposure. IR negatives should not be dense and difficult to print. The author has drastically overexposed her negatives, something that I would expect of a novice. The book advocates doing a lot of exposure tests to achieve correct exposure. If they didn't help the author, I don't think they'll help you. Set the ISO on your camera to 100. Set the exposure to 1/125 at f/11 on a sunny day. Use any yellow, orange, or light red filter. Pay no attention to filter factors; infrared light passes through the filter. Bracket your exposures by one stop over and under that exposure. Be sure to load and unload film in total darkness. You'll do fine. Ignore everything in this chapter. It's disgraceful.

"Bleaching and Toning" (Chapter 3) introduces several toning techniques. Toning with selenium then bleaching down the skin areas on portraits until a flesh tone is achieved produces a beautiful result on the demonstration print. Another technique is copper split-toning that literally produces a metallic copper effect that is quite striking, but is not explained in detail. There is also brief discussion of color posterization, which produces unreal colors.

"Working with Liquid Emulsions" (Chapter 4) explains the use of both Silverprint and Liquid Light, coating emulsions that are applied to various surfaces in order to make them susceptible to photographic printing. The instructions for coating, developing, bleaching, and troubleshooting Silverprint are quite detailed. Liquid Light requires longer exposures, and its instructions are not as detailed.

"Image Transfers and Emulsion Lifts" (Chapter 5) are two popular Polaroid techniques. Image Transfers are made from peel-apart Polaroid films when the negative is peeled from the substrate and applied to another surface. Instructions are given for paper selection, printing a slide onto the film with a DayLab, Vivitar slide printer, or an enlarger, separating the negative, making the transfer, reducing (bleaching) the print, and troubleshooting. Emulsion lifts remove the gelatin emulsion from the paper backing of a Polaroid print and transfer the emulsion, which is semi-translucent, to another surface. Step-by-step instructions are provided, as well as advice on transferring emulsions to glass, silk, and wood.

"Polaroid Instant Slide Films" (Chapter 6) is dedicated to films that are no longer available, but were when this book was written. Two types of instant slide film, Polapan and Polachrome, are described and examples of photos with various filter combinations are given. Polaroid instant slide films were discontinued because the law enforcement and scientific uses of the film have been usurped by digital, and the fine arts community was not enough to make these films profitable. I admire the films a great deal. If you ever have the opportunity to use them, I recommend the Polachrome for manmade, especially industrial, subjects and the Polapan for architecture or portraits. The author has used them in rural scenes, which show the films off poorly. But the way, Polachrome came in two varieties. The high contrast version was intended to photograph graphics and is less suitable to fine art.

"Solarization" (Chapter 7) discusses the reversal effect (light becomes dark, dark becomes light) that can be achieved by re-exposing a print when it is partially developed. Papers and developers are recommended, and the procedure is described. The author also gives advice on how to copy a solarized negative or slide onto film, but the films she mentions are no longer available.

"Photo Transfers" (Chapter 8) are photocopies of photographs that are transferred to the artists' paper of your choice. This chapter takes you through choosing a suitable print, copying it on a color laser copier, selecting an artists' paper, and making the transfer.

"Handcoloring Photographs" (Chapter 9) provides very little instruction on handcoloring. The author prefers coloring with pencils, which is unusual. Most handcolorists use photo oils in conjunction with pencils for details. This chapter describes a variety of products, but not what to do with them. The author does a lot of handcoloring on artists' papers, not photographic papers, and she discusses methods of dealing with the challenges of applying oils to them. If you are in this situation, her advice might help you. But the instructions for preparing photographic prints for coloring are inadequate and confusing.

Theresa Airey's Creative Photo Printmaking book is filled with her beautiful photographic art and detailed instructions on how to accomplish similar results.

Any photographer and dark room enthusiast/student will benefit from this book which provides more than adequate instructional information on processes such as: infrared, printing on artist papers, wood, or glass, polaroid images, handcoloring, bleaching & toning, and copystand work only to name a few. I particularly enjoyed the bleaching & toning over handcoloring for adding color to my black & whites and her example photographs for this process are inspirational.

We used this particular book in our creative photo class. My fellow classmates became very enthusiastic about their accomplishments, and attributed their successes, in class, to this book. Theresa Airey has an MFA in photography and fine arts and has put together a splendid book that will be an asset to any photographer's library.

The author has done a great job with this book. It is highly readable and useable. I was especially impressed when I saw that included was her workspace setup for doing photo transfers. I was having a problem setting up my workspace with the trays, the electrical things vs. the water things...and was amazed that she thought to include it.

This is an essential book for any photographer who wants to learn to how to create stunning photographic artwork by manipulating photos. A wide variety of unusual and spectacular effects are presented. The beautiful examples have really inspired me.

First it covers manipulating, hand coloring, scanning and even recycling mistakes made with time-zero Polaroid film. Then black and white infrared photography using filters, metering and flash is covered along with film processing and printing. Bleaching and toning are next including great sections on copper split toning, posterization effects and creating pseudo flesh tones. Then emulsion transfers are shown including silverprint and liquid light. These create some great effects on non-traditional surfaces.

Image transfers and emulsion lifts follow. You are shown how to used a slide printer to make a print, make a projection print and transfer images onto non-paper surfaces like glass or silk, even getting two prints from one. Lastly, Polaroid instant slide films, solarization, photo transfers and hand coloring are discussed in detail.

All the instructions are excellent and thorough, covering everything from loading the camera to choosing and developing the film. There are a few demonstrations, lots of examples and great troubleshooting sections for each technique.

The appendixes in the back are very helpful. They include paper selection and characteristics, instructions on working with a copystand and a list of suppliers. This is a wonderful book to help the photographer with some darkroom experience move on to create awesome special effects photos.

This book gives comprehensive step by step instruction for so many different techniques I was amazed that only one photographer wrote it. She certainly knows her stuff! It was easy to understand and to work with. I learned so much from this book that I felt guilty only paying [as muchas I did] for it. Great book and great images. I love it. L.P.

(672 pages)

Infrared System Engineering by: Richard D. Hudson publisher: Wiley-Interscience released: 1969-01-01 ISBN: 0471418501 $194.00

This classic opens with a history of the development of the infrared portion of the spectrum, probes the system engineering process, and then examines the characteristics of the successful system engineer. The next eleven chapters delve deeply into the elements of infrared technology. Chapter 13 explains the functional relationships between the various system elements and the effects of their interactions when assembled into a system. In Chapter 14 the reader is invited to watch the development of an infrared search system for commercial jet transports.
Part II contains an in-depth treatment of the applications of infrared techniques to the solution of military, industrial, medical, and scientific problems. It contains nearly 1400 annotated references to the infrared literature of the world. The annotations summarize the content, describe the hardware, details its performance and examine the significant results. The references are carefully arranged, extensively indexed, and does not contain citations to the classified or report literature, a feature appreciated by most readers. For those readers having the necessary credentials, Appendix 4 is a guide to the unpublished and classified literature of the infrared.

There's really nothing to say about this product. It is, and has been, the best book on the subject for forever.

My main concern is that it does spend a number of pages describing the use of slide rules for computation which are no longer produced. An updated version detailing a computer algorithm would be appreciated. It also seems a little lacking in the mathematical theory, devoting only one chapter to these details.

The fundamental difference between technology when the book was initially published and today is the revolution in computing technology, and the subsequent revolution in computer simulation and modeling. Accordingly, a future update should be revised to include more mathematical theory -- and more examples -- of use to software models.

But even with these weaknesses, IMO this is a "must-have" for anyone interested in this field.

Pretty much the best book you'll find in the area of infrared system engineering. I just started learning about this field, and it gives a very clear and lucid introduction to this area. I was referred to this book by somebody who has been in the field for a long time and who still uses this book for reference. Though the technology is out-dated, the book is dominated by concepts and is relevant to those trying to understand the arcane field of IR.