I took a portfolio class in college that did a good job of teaching me how to choose what work to include and how to use my portfolio, but this book does a great job of showing me what good looks like. I would go out on a limb and say that I could have used my elective selection for something else so many years ago had this book been available to me at the time.

How to Create a Portfolio and Get Hired is designed to walk any designer through the entire process of portfolio creation through six well organized chapters:

• What is a Portfolio?
• Making Sense of the Marketplace
• Research and Cold-calling
• Creating a Good Portfolio
• Choosing the Right Portfolio
• Making Yourself Know in the Marketplace

As you can see, you won't read about simply how to create a portfolio but also how to properly use it once you've poured your heart and soul into it.

Print and virtual portfolios are covered and the book is filled with great insight from Fig Taylor, a Portfolio Consultant at the Association of Illustrators, London. Whether you're a freshman in university, a recent graduate or a seasoned designer just looking for a new portfolio, this book is perfect for you. Help yourself stand out in a crowd of ever-growing designers and get that job!

Fig Taylor is Portfolio Consultant at the Association of Illustrators, London. She graduated from Chelsea School of Art with a degree in graphic design, then ran her own London-based illustration agency. She lectures extensively on professional practice to students throughout the UK.

Buy How to Create a Portfolio and Get Hired on Amazon.com!

Princeton Architectural Press lists Thinking With Type as their all time best seller and it's easy to see why after spending an afternoon with this book. I had the opportunity to review the second, revised edition which includes eight new sections not previously included in the first edition. Thinking With Type is a real eye opener for anyone who uses typefaces in their day to day job.

The second edition of Thinking With Type includes eight new sections including:

• Lining and non-lining numerals
• Small caps and large capitals
• Optical sizes
• Captions
• Punctuations and ornaments
• Font formats and font licensing
• Mixing typefaces
• Hand lettering

Typography has always been of high interest to me because it combines two very important aspects of visual communication… design and message. Just past the cover of Thinking With Type there a single quote centered on the first page:

Typography is what language looks like.

I couldn't agree more and this book, with all of it's examples, exercises and it's easy to follow structure, you could easily increase your ability to deliver a message through typography ten fold in a single day.

Once you manage to make it through Letter, Text & Grid there is an appendix that is just as valuable as the main content with examples of proofing and an interesting section titled Free Advise full of some of exactly that! If you still want more you can find even more great content at thinkingwithtype.com.

Ellen Lupton is one of America's prominent design educators. Learn more about her and her books at elupton.com.

Buy Thinking With Type on Amazon!

Kevin Thom from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Mindy & Phil Thornton from Nashville, TN

Thomas Petillo from Nashville, TN

Josh Reeder from Nashville, TN

Each of these images is the property of their respective photographers. If you like their work, please visit their site and see more of it! If you have great examples of working with the golden hour, post a comment below.

I would never say that a single book could replace the hands on experience you receive from a paid photography course. In fact, I would highly recommend every photographer drop the cash to support your local community college and take a photography class or two. For those of you who are really self starters however, this is the first book I've seen that could be used as an outline for a college level course in studio lighting.

Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers is divided into two parts. Christopher Grey does a great job of building a solid foundation of understanding before moving into practical application. The best part is, there isn't an overload of technical information and there are plenty of images to help illustrate nearly every topic covered. Part One covers the principles of portrait lighting by covering topics like;

• The Nature of Light
  • The Physics & Properties of Light
• Professional Lighting Equipment
  • Light Positions
  • Light Types
  • Light Modifiers
• Light Ratios
• Classic Lighting Styles

The most successful photographs have always been lit as if from a single source.

Part Two is when the book really started to generate inspiration. This is when we start to discuss portrait lighting in practice and get a guided tour through nearly every imaginable portrait lighting scenario. We learn about all the basics from low-key to high-key and even some great examples of stylish over-exposure.

I would recommend this book for any photographer just starting out in a controlled lighting environment. For experienced studio photographers, a lot of the content in Part One may seem like a refresher course, but Part Two would serve as a great reference guide for shoots. You can learn more about Christopher Grey and see some of his work at www.christophergrey.com.

Technical: Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers by Christopher Grey is published by Amherst Media, publishers of fine photography books.

Before my daughter was born I thought it would be fun to start a little screen printing operation from my home. That idea lasted all of about three days, but the ideas for hilarious baby t-shirts stayed with me for quite a while. Some make a political statement, some are cute and some are just plain rude but all of them would look awesome on your baby! If you like these, let me know and I'll post more old designs and put together a few new ones!

Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.From the pedestrian bridge in downtown Nashville.

Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it. Say hello to the random studio girl…

Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it. Some cool images created with an awesome new app for the iPad!

Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it. From the basement…