In this volume of the Shawn M. Tomlinson Guide to Photography Series, Tomlinson takes an in-depth look at the Sony A100 and continues his series devoted to helping budding photographers get started without breaking the bank. In this case, Tomlinson considers the first Sony DSLR to be great start. "After waiting the proper mourning time for Minolta - about a year - Sony took the black armband off and unveiled its first DSLR, the A100. And why is this important now? It's vitally important if you are a beginning photographer and want to get a great DSLR and great lenses that won't mortgage your house."

In 'Getting Started in Photography," Photographer and writer Shawn M. Tomlinson creates a quick guide to help budding photographers. The book includes equipment advice, exercises for becoming better, photo processing basics and more. From the book: "What anyone starting out needs is, well, a starting point. Some basic information about equipment and technique to get everything moving. And, hey, I'm here to help." In part two, 'Great Starter DSLR: Revisiting the Sony A100, ' he takes an in-depth look at the camera and continues his series devoted to helping budding photographers get started without breaking the bank. In this case, Tomlinson considers the first Sony DSLR, the A100. From the book: "After waiting the proper mourning time for Minolta - about a year - Sony took the black armband off and unveiled its first DSLR, the A100. And why is this important now? It's vitally important if you are a beginning photographer and want to get a great DSLR and great lenses that won't mortgage your house."

I have been somewhat reluctant to write about the absolute best digital single-lens reflex camera I have ever used, the Nikon D800E. The reason is that I like to write about older cameras that have become cheaper to buy and use for the frugal photographer. Although some of the cameras I have written about were terribly expensive when first released, by now they are reasonably cheap. For example, IÍve written books about the Canon EOS 1DS/1DS Mark II, the Nikon D1 and the Nikon D2X. These all are pro DSLRs and as such were released at prices ranging from $6,000 to $8,000. By now, however, the most you will pay is around $400 for any of them. In a few years, the Nikon D800E, too, will be much cheaper and an obvious choice for the frugal photographer. No matter the price, the D800 and D800E are two of the best DSLRs ever made. Either will change you as a photographer in fantastic ways.

A lot has changed since I wrote and published this first volume of what became this guide series. One thing hasnÕt. I still have the same enthusiasm and joy in photography I had way back at the beginning of the series. I have a lot more knowledge and experience now and, occasionally even get close to taking good photographs. ThatÕs the thing, see. I didnÕt know a lot when I originally wrote this guide. I had been working in photography since 1982 professionally. Everything I knew, pretty much, was self-taught. In general, thatÕs still true. ThereÕs no need for you to do it all by yourself, too, though. This book and this series are meant to help you get going with the basics fast. Yes, OK, I tend to relate my own experiences, but that, too, is meant to help you avoid some basic mistakes I made. And, perhaps, I write in a tad too friendly manner, but think of it as sitting down with me to have a friendly talk about a passion we share: Photography!

It has taken me 37 years to write this biography of author Robert W. Chambers. Along the way, I wrote and published many articles about him, but did not complete the biography until 2014. I got the idea of writing it when I was 15, and the reason I got the idea is the same reason it has taken so long to write the book. There simply is not that much information about Chambers out there. Despite his fame and thorough integration in New York high society, very little was written about him during his lifetime. This volume contains the Expanded Edition of the biography, Robert W. Chambers: Maker of Moons, as well as the collection of articles, originally titled, Robert W. Chambers: In Search of the Unknown Author of The King in Yellow.

ÒJust like me to never have any money when the end of the world comes, Ó thought Martin Fahy as he walked through the bitter, ceaseless rain. He laughed slightly and wondered what he was going to do now. Sure, he had been the one who always knew The End was coming soon, but he just couldnÕt convince anyone else. He wasnÕt a religious fanatic or anything and his predictions of the coming doom had nothing to do with apocalyptic visions or cultist beliefs. It was based largely on his continual observation of scientific predictions. And now, it all was happening. Fahy realized what heÕd always said was his prime philosophy still was true: The only way out is throughÉ

Outside was crazy. The thick, coming storm weighed me down. It could come any minute: thunderous, hurricane rain, followed by all kinds of hell. I dashed across the lawn, into The Lab and up the stairs. The bookcase was locked. Most of our books anyone can look at. Some, we donÕt think would be wise to let out. I fumbled the key chain, looking for the tiny key that could open the door. I managed to get it near the keyhole when the electricity died. Cara may curse my pipe, but right then, I think sheÕd have been glad I had a lighter. The lighter helped me again. The deep, old books were a window to the past. We had read few. That would entail things like dying horrible deaths. Instead, we had a collection of Òabout books, Ó essays written anywhere from last year to a thousand years ago. The one I was looking for was deep red, 'AichlanÕs Deimos.' In it I hoped to sort out how to send Xith back to wherever the hell it came from before it ate Lily Dale, or whatever it does.