Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Cameras And Cats



Schiffer Publishing recently released two books that indirectly relate to my teaching Drawing and Commercial Art.

Last year I added a Commercial Art course to my class offering.  Being that it was an introductory class I touched upon the various aspects of Commercial Art-one of which is photography.

This upcoming school year I have added Commercial art 2 and as a more advanced class I will be looking into and incorporating more photography as a requirement to my students.
That's why I got all excited by John Wade's new book 'From Daguerre To Digital-150 Years Of Classic Cameras.  What a great resource for my students!

Contained in the book are hundreds of color photographs of the various types of cameras offered to the public over the past 150 years.  

Short and concise information is given for each including manufacturer, special features, film capacity and uses. I can't think of a better resource book to explain the history behind photography.

Types of cameras are broken down by chapters and a glossary explains photographic terms.
Cats.  I admit I never was a big fan of cats but now baby-sitting two that my daughter left with my wife and I after she moved out, I've grown to appreciate them and enjoy their company.
We have two outdoor cats, Muffin and Maquira.  They are as different as night and day.

Dolls.  Although I don't collect dolls in the strictest sense I do have a large collection of 'action figures' and 12-inch collectible figures.  (Translation: dolls for guys.)

I am fascinated by the skill and imagination it takes to outfit said figures and consider them valuable additions to my collection.

Cats and dolls? What could they possibly have to do with each other?

Helen Cohen's new book showcasing her costumed cat dolls is wonderful, whimsical treat for the eyes.
Whimsical Elegance: The Costumed Cat Dolls Of Helen Cohen, published by Schiffer Publishing, contains some of the most imaginative uses of fabric and feline I've ever seen.
These are no ordinary cats.  No, they are decked out the some of the fanciest and most exotic finery ever sewn together.  

Silks, stains, skirts, shawls, feathers, finery, hats, hoods, jewelry and more serve to show off some of the fashionable felines.  Besides the figures and fashions photos include packaging, accessories and text tells readers all about the individual cats and their history.

It's a regular feline fashion show!