Book Review - Six Months Off: How to Plan, Negotiate, and Take the Break You Need Without Burning Bridges or Going Broke by Hope Dlugozima, et al

Prepare For Travel Fever!
Six Months Off is an extremely inspiring and informative book. Once you start reading this book, plan on having travel fever! The authors do a great job explaining why you should take a break from your boring, dull, repetitive job and expand your mind and grow as a person by taking time to traveling the world, write a novel, go to cooking school, or attend some other educational program. Not only do the authors convince you to do these things, and list great programs to look into, but they also describe HOW to do it, in realistic terms. The book is full of case study examples of people from various backgrounds and income levels (including very low income levels) who found the ways and means to accomplish a sabbatical and return back to their former lives afterwards (for those who wanted to return anyway). Don't doubt that you can this. The authors show you how step-by-step. The sample programs and opportunities listed in the book can't be overlooked either. Not only am I looking into some of them now, but I also plan to use this book in the future for other great adventure ideas. Live is very short, and this book will help you make the most it.

Buy it on Amazon

Book Review - Still Life and Special Effects Photography: A Guide to Professional Lighting Techniques by Roger Hicks, Frances Schultz

Useful, Educational, Long-term Resource
I found this book to be a great resource for inspirational ideas. It's a beautiful, hard-copy volume with excellent color reproductions. Each image is accompanied by a 2-D plan view of the lighting and studio setup, a 3-D illustration of the studio setup, exposure information, and two or three short paragraphs describing the set and shooting process. This books is USEFUL, even for advanced photographers, and that alone makes it a rare find.

All of the photography represented is done in-camera without digital manipulation. It's unfortunate that this method is almost destined to become a lost artform; however, at the same time my largest disappointment with the book is that it's void of digital capture examples. Some of Jody Dole's digital work would have been an excellent addition. Many of the book's images are obviously dated and produced in the early 80s. Even still, they serve as excellent learning examples.

Buy it on Amazon

Book Review - Photo Nomad by David Douglas Duncan

Epic and Awe-inspiring
David Douglas Duncan LIVED the twentieth century. The wars, the celebrations and celebrities, the places and times--HE WAS THERE, and he captured it on film. As page twenty-four introduces, "My 20th Century". Photo Nomad is a photographic autobiography of his life, a life of such far-reaching adventures, experiences, and travels that is almost impossible to fully comprehend. In a time when most photo books have the lifespan of the latest pop song, this book is an epic. Beautifully printed in Italy, it is a quality volume that will last many lifetimes and provide endless inspiration.

Buy it on Amazon