The Last Beautiful Girl


Book Description

Fans of Black Mirror and There's Someone Inside Your House will devour this disturbing story about a dark descent into social media fame. Izzy is determined to use her family's new mansion, and the treasures inside, to outshine everyone in her new town, even when it's clear that something—or someone—in the house has deadly intentions... When Isabella Brixton is forced to move from New York City to a tiny town, she's not thrilled. The silver lining is the gorgeous old mansion she now calls home. As the former residence of a glamorous patron of the arts and muse who died many decades ago, the house has its quirks: whole floors are boarded up, old paintings are covered, and cell reception is nonexistent. Isa is ready to hate her new life, but things turn around when her classmate Alexa, a skilled photographer, suggests they start an Instagram account featuring portraits of Isa inside the mansion. Wearing gowns and jewelry hidden away in the house, Isa looks perfect in the unfiltered photos—almost unnaturally so—and they quickly go viral. Soon she's got a new best friend, a potential boyfriend, and is surrounded by a group of girls who want the photoshoots and fame for themselves. But there's a darkness in the house, and a darkness growing in Isa, too. When girls start getting hurt, it's clear that something—or someone—in the house is growing in power, with deadly intentions.




A Broken Kind of Beautiful


Book Description

Sometimes everything you ever learned about yourself is wrong Fashion is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for twenty-four year old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she’s learned a sacred truth—appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows—so when it starts to unravel, she’ll do anything to hold on. Even if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be the new face of her stepmother’s bridal wear line—an irony too rich for words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white. If only her tenuous future didn’t rest in the hands of Davis Knight, her mysterious new photographer. Not only did he walk away from the kind of success Ivy longs for to work maintenance at a local church, he treats her differently than any man ever has. Somehow, Davis sees through the façade she works so hard to maintain. He, along with a cast of other characters, challenges everything Ivy has come to believe about beauty and worth. Is it possible that God sees her—a woman stained and broken by the world—yet wants her still?




The Successful Professional Photographer


Book Description

Learn how to confidently build a thriving and profitable career as a professional wedding or portrait photographer!

For nearly a decade, renowned wedding and portrait photographer Roberto Valenzuela has been sharing his vast knowledge and unique, systematic approach to making photographs as he has taught workshops around the world and written five critically acclaimed and bestselling books that cover composition, posing, lighting, and wedding photography (his Picture Perfect and Wedding Storyteller series of books). He has helped countless photographers improve their craft.

But the truth is that you can create the most amazing photos…yet still have a failing business. And what’s the point of being a great photographer if you can’t build a career, pay your bills, and feed your family? In order to create a thriving business, you need a different kind of knowledge and a new set of tools to succeed. In The Successful Professional Photographer, for the first time Roberto turns his focus on the business and marketing of your photography so that you can build and sustain a highly profitable business as a wedding and portrait photographer. Roberto shares all his hard-earned knowledge regarding finding clients, marketing and presenting your work, and getting paid what you deserve. Topics include:

    • Best practices and strategies for Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook
    • Being found through SEO
    • Promoting yourself and your work
    • The role that testimonials and reviews play in your success
    • Creating long-term client relationships
    • Forming personal connections with clients with promo videos
    • Why you should feature your work in publications
    • Pricing your work and the gentle art of the up-sell
    • Understanding and conveying the crucial importance of selling prints

While the photographs you create are the core of your work as a photographer—being exceptional at your craft is a must—that’s only half of the formula you need for building and sustaining success. The other half of the formula is here, in The Successful Professional Photographer. Implement the strategies and techniques outlined here, and you’ll have everything you need to succeed and build a long, prosperous, fulfilling career as a wedding or portrait photographer.

Foreword by Luke Edmonson




Quake Cats


Book Description

Heartwarming cat stories from the Christchurch earthquakes, with beautiful photographs illustrating each story. A collection of stories about Christchurch cats and the earthquakes - true tales of heroism, odd and quirky stories, funny stories, sad stories - stories that will surprise you, make you chuckle or make you go awwww. There's Chippy who was found living in an abandoned fish and chip shop in the heart of the Red Zone, eating the old oil, and covered in it. There are the lions and cheetahs of Orana Wildlife Park, who were clearly very disturbed when the huge earthquake struck and the fences banged together, making a fearful sound. The staff were relieved that the power stayed on, keeping the electric fences working so the animals didn't escape. There's Max, who wandered about the suburb and found himself a new, loving family; Meisha, who was giving birth when the earthquake struck, and whose owners had to coax her to carry on; inspiring stories of cats who were lost but then reunited with their owners; and stories of the many narrow escapes of miraculous cats with nine lives. There's a lot of love in this book - cat lovers are a dedicated and passionate breed. And Craig Bullock's excellent photographs depict this love beautifully; the images are stunning. Part of the proceeds from this book help support Christchurch cat charities which work tirelessly to rehome cats that have become separated from their owners.




Popular Photography


Book Description




The President's Photographer


Book Description

Peter Souza is never far behind President Obama. In fact, sometimes he's ahead of him. As the President's chief White House photographer, Souza is the President's shadow.







Creative Calling


Book Description

Life isn’t about “finding” fulfillment and success – it’s about creating it. Why then has creativity been given a back seat in our culture? No longer. ** A Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Publishers Weekly Bestseller ** Creativity is a force inside every person that, when unleashed, transforms our lives and delivers vitality to everything we do. Establishing a creative practice is therefore our most valuable and urgent task - as important to our well-being as exercise or nutrition. The good news? Renowned artist, author, and CreativeLive founder, Chase Jarvis, reminds us that creativity isn't a skill—it's a habit available to everyone: beginners and lifelong creators, entrepreneurs to executives, astronauts to zookeepers, and everyone in between. Through small, daily actions we can supercharge our innate creativity and rediscover our personal power in life. Whether your ambition is a creative career, completing a creative project, or simply cultivating a creative mindset, Creative Calling will unlock your potential via Jarvis’s memorable “IDEA” system: · Imagine your big dream, whatever you want to create—or become—in this world. · Design a daily practice that supports that dream—and a life of expression and transformation. · Execute on your ambitious plans and make your vision real. · Amplify your impact through a supportive community you’ll learn to grow and nurture.







Hers


Book Description