Cities and towns are among humanitys greatest achievements; yet no single individual or organization creates them. The buildings; streets; and gardens of even a small town embody substantial investments of money; natural resources; and political capital. Much more than the sum of its parts; a settlements vitality comes from its collective composition. Sometimes the cities and towns that emerge are glorious places; but too frequently they have only fragments of greatness or are soulless and environmentally unhealthy. Our new Architecture Brief Urban Composition shows architects; planners; artists; and engineers of individual projects how they can best fulfill their public trust to help make meaningful urban places. Each chapter contains a set of design queries followed by a discussion; illustrations; and references for further research. This accessible primer on urban design provides guidelines for designing buildings or plans for large cities or small towns. Urban Composition showcases projects across the United States and internationally; in metropolitan areas such as Chicago; Seattle; and London; and small communities such as Marfa; Texas.
#1343526 in eBooks 2013-07-02 2013-07-02File Name: B00DLIU7HO
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This was a "game-changer" for me. A must own.By Jeanette Beth MeansSome books tell you a few things; others are game changers. For me this book is a game changer. I do know a bit about light. But this book made me realize that I have only been speaking ldquo;pigeon-light.rdquo; A tourist; not a native. Now; I am looking for difference in catchlights; and edges; and shadows in everything now. I see the world differently. And I love books that do that.And it is not a giant tome. Olson is so clear and easy to understand; itrsquo;s a pleasure to read. The first chapter does an amazing job of getting a diverse audience on the same page; using the same terminology. I loved her inclusion of a system of naming; saving and archiving photos to you donrsquo;t get lost in a ldquo;wilderness of filesrdquo; later on. Been there.I also like the simple explanations she gives of technical choices; so you really understand; for example; why you want photograph RAW rather than jpeg files if possible. She says a RAW file is like an raw egg with the possibility of being made into a thousand different things from frittatas to soups; whereas a .jpeg is like a hard-boiled egg. The possibilities are much more limited. She did not mention the word pixel once; but I totally got it.Chapter Two to has a wonderful; concise collection of composition tips. Good lighting can improve at badly composed photo; but it wonrsquo;t fix a boring composition.After setting the table; she starts the light banquet in Chapter 3; The Language of Light.Once she helps you see the world differently; she goes into practical ways to create the lighting you want; using different light sources; angles; and modifiers. She always helps you see how light tells stories. But; once again; she makes it very easy to grasp. On one page; she compared lighting modifiers like grid; softbox and beauty dish on a billiard ball. So you can easily exactly how the modifier changes the shape of the catchlights and the softness of the shadows on a simple form. Then; she shows the same thing on a human with closeups of the eye.She ends with practical ideas on managing photoshoots in the studio and outdoors. This includes solving some common lighting issues using multiple shots with different light settings for use inside Photoshop.Itrsquo;s a great little book. Not a long read; but one worth doing several times over. I am getting a second copy to hide out in the car as a quick reference until I can learn to speak ldquo;lightrdquo; more fluently. I would recommend the paperback over the Kindle. I dont think you can see some of the details in the photos on a Kindle like you can in print.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. What a wonderful; thoroughBy SuzanneWhat a wonderful; thorough; book on lighting. Whether youre new to photography or an experienced photographer; this book will be one you will want to have on hand. Rosanne clearly explains the many ways in which to see and use light. This book answers your lighting question impeccably.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Expected More I GuessBy Kristi CBased upon the other reviews; I expected more diagrams and lighting layouts. This book is more for the beginner who is going to go through the steps of testing all the lighting situations. For the photographer whose been lighting subjects for awhile; you might want to skip it.Since its gotten so many 5star reviews; Im guessing those are beginning photographers - or friends/students. For me - someone whose been photographing for over 30 years - it was just okay. Didnt learn anything new. But it is a well put together book.