Welcome to Oz 2.0: A Cinematic Approach to Digital Still Photography with Photoshop (2nd... at Dominant Systems Book Store

“Vincent is one of the most electrifying and flat-out fascinating Photoshop instructors out there today, and amazingly, that excitement and his brand of Photoshop magic have been captured in this book. I was blown away!”
— Scott Kelby, Editor and Publisher, Photoshop User Magazine

Customer Reviews & Comments
Sometimes it is easier to define a thing by what it is not than what it is. Vincent Versace's book, Welcome to Oz 2, is not merely a "How-To" book or a "100 Photo Tips and Tricks" book. It does not tell you what lens or filter to use in a given situation. It is not a book you browse through. This is an adult book with a mature approach to photography from a different perspective than photographic help books. Whereas most books will teach you the craft of photography, this book will teach you the art of photography. Whereas other books teach you the "how" of photography, this book will also teach you the "why" of photography: why we are asked to do things in a certain way, why these ways are superior and how they will lead to a better appreciation of the print. It was Vincent's prints that I stood in front of several years ago at a photographic seminar he was conducting in Oakland, California. I was stunned when I saw those images, and I didn't know exactly why they had the power to transfix me. I had been in photography as an amateur for a long time, and I could recognize contrast and saturation and other attributes, but it wasn't until I read his first Welcome to Oz book that I came to understand why I was so impressed and how he did it. Anyone looking for a quick fix or a pat formula for photographic success will not find it in this book. This book asks you to work and think and stretch your imagination. It leads you along the way through clear, concise explanations and numerous helpful illustrations. You don't read this book. You work through this book. Yes, as one reviewer at this site mentioned, there is an emphasis on the use of Photoshop, but don't be fooled that this is a book about how to use Photoshop. This is a book about how to make great photographs into successful prints. It captures the thought process one should use from the conception of the print before the shutter button is ever pressed to how the nature of that capture can be enhanced in Photoshop to guide the viewers' eyes and thoughts to enhance his appreciation. This book is not about taking pictures. It is about making pictures. Professionals have no monopoly on learning photography. Amateurs serious about their art will also benefit greatly from the Oz series of books and DVDs. It was not until I read the first book that I was able to raise my photography to another level. It proved to be a revelation to me. I have worked part way through this Welcome to Oz 2 book since receiving it recently. It is not a warmed makeover of the first book. It contains new insights, new approaches and new techniques. This book and I have many hours to go. Of all the photographic books I have ever read, I feel the first Oz book has taken me the farthest, and this book has the potential to take me even farther. I consider this work a gold standard in the education of photographic art. If you are serious about your work, I think you might, also.

Back To Top