Ok, so these will never be on the Oprah Winfrey “must read” book list but they are on mine. If you’re trying to figure out how to use that Barnes & Noble gift card next week, consider one of these selections to take your photography to a new level.
Here are ten off the top of my head, but not in any particular order:
Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition) by Bryan Peterson – To many people press that shutter button without really know what the camera is doing. If you want to get great shots, you need to understand what the camera is doing and why you might want to change things for the better. This book will get you on the right track to adjusting your images for the better.
The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby – The first book in Scott’s Digital Photography series isn’t the #1 photography book for no reason. This thing is packed full of tips and hints that even a seasoned photographer can use. If you are just starting out, forgetaboutit! You need this book, plain and simple.
The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2 by Scott Kelby – Picking up right where he left off with the first volume, Scott dives deeper in to the photographic process with more of those great one page tips for thing like basic lighting with flash, how to use a hair light, setting up a home studio, using relfectors, and more. And since I actually make an appearance in the book, you just know I had to include this one on my list.
Monte Zucker’s Portrait Photography Handbook by Monte Zucker – Monte Zucker presents page after page of essential photographic lessons to enable photographers to achieve and exceed their financial and artistic goals.
Mastering Landscape Photography: The Luminous Landscape Essays by Alain Briot – From the folks that bring you the great Luminous Lanscape photography blog comes this great instrument for improving your landscape photography. This book starts with the technical aspects of photography; how to see, compose, find the right light, and select the best lens for a specific shot. It continues by focusing on the artistic aspects of photography with chapters on how to select your best work, how to create a portfolio, and finally concludes with two chapters on how to be an artist in business.
Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs by Ansel Adams and Andrea G. Stillman – If you want to improve your photography, spend some quality time looking at images created by the master himself. If this book doesn’t inspire you, nothing will.
Rick Sammon’s Travel and Nature Photography by Rick Sammon – I have had the pleasure of attending classes taught by Rick Sammon and his books are no less instructional and inspiring. If you are in to travel photography this book will help you improve upon what you are already doing as well as help you see new ways to look at the world through your lens.
Photoshop LAB Color: The Canyon Conundrum and Other Adventures in the Most Powerful Colorspace by Dan Margulis – I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend and I have to say that it is one of those books that I turn to over and over and over again. Dan is the Father of Lab color and his insights into this world have broken more ground in the world of color correction than probably anyone in the imaging business. It’s not something that you will ready from cover to cover in one sitting but you will definitely find value in all the pages.
The Photoshop Channels Book by Scott Kelby – Not necessarily a photography book but then again, Photoshop is so much a part of the process that the more you know about it, the better you will be able to apply it to finishing off your images. That being said, this is one fantastic book for utilizing one of the most powerful and least used portions of Photoshop, the channels. Scott does a fantastic job of demistifying channels and shows how to put them to use in your workflow.
The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world’s top shooters by Joe McNally – I know, this one isn’t even out yet and I haven’t read a single page. What I do know is what a fantastic photographer Joe is. I have also had the pleasure of seeing him teach and the man is just incredible. With Joe, it’s not just the technical aspect but the thought process that goes into creating iconic images. I have this one one pre-order and so should you.
So that’s it for my list. I know that as soon as I hit the publish button I will think of a dozen more that I should have included (which is why I limited myself to just 10). So I hope you take some time this holiday season to curl up with a good book in front of your fireplace and get a little smarter or a little more inspired. If you have any that you would like to add to the list, send me a comment and let others share from your recommendations.
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