Recommended Readings
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Technique and Composition Basics Black and White Nature Photography |
The Creative Process Art Books Rating System |
Technique and Composition
Basics
- The Basic Book of Photography
- by Tom Grimm and Michele Grimm. Plume Books, 1974, 1979, 1985, 1997, 2003; now in its 5th edition. We have copies of the second and fourth editions, and the book just keeps getting more useful with every revised edition.
- Outdoor and Location Portrait Photography
- by Jeff Smith. Amherst Media, Inc., 2002, 2nd edition.
- The Photographer's Guide to Filters
- by Lee Frost. David & Charles Books, 2002. Very, very useful introduction to filters.
- Understanding Exposure
- by Bryan Peterson. Amphoto Books, 2004. A must for beginners, and a handy reference for more advanced photographers. ½
Black and White
- Camera Craft: Black & White
- by William Cheung. AVA Publishing, 2003.
- Mastering Black-And-White Photography: From Camera to Darkroom
- by Bernhard J. Suess. Allworth Press, 2003. Primarily a college textbook.
Nature Photography
- Fine Art Nature Photography: Advanced Techniques and the Creative Process
- by Tony Sweet. Stackpole Books, 2002.
- Nature Photography: Learning From a Master
- by Gilles Martin and Denis Boyard. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2003. Lots of unique material.
- Nature Photography: National Audubon Society Guide
- by Tim Fitzharris. Firefly Books Ltd, 1996.
- Photographing the Patterns of Nature
- by Gary Braasch. Amphoto Books, 1999 (revised and updated). Extremely helpful to improve composition.
- The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Guide to Bird & Nature Photography
- by Laurie Campbell. David & Charles Books, 1990.
- Selling Nature Photographs
- by Norbert Wu. Stackpole Books, 1997.
- Wild Bird Photography: National Audubon Society Guide
- by Tim Fitzharris. Firefly Books Ltd, 1996.
The Creative Process
- Letting Go of the Camera
- by Brooks Jensen. LensWork Publishing, 2004.
- On Being a Photographer
- by David Hurn/Magnum and Bill Jay. LensWork Publishing, 1997.
- Single Exposures
- by Brooks Jensen. LensWork Publishing, 2005.
- The Tao of Photography: Seeing Beyond Seeing
- by Philippe L. Gross and S.I. Shapiro. Ten Speed Press, 2001.
Art Books
- Born Into Brothels
- by Zana Briski and Children of Calcutta. Umbrage Editions, 2005.
- Cats In the Sun
- by Hans Silvester. Chronicle Books, 1995.
- Seasons of Life and Land
- by Subhankar Banerjee. Mountaineer Books, 2003.
- Wildlife
- by Mitsuaki Iwago. Chronicle Books, 1998.
Rating System
This rating system reflects our subjective view of how enjoyable a book is, how useful its contents are, and how unique it is. The art books are not rated because it would fall into the entire subjective range; you can assume that if we have them listed, it's because we really loved them.
A great book. Every photographer should have it on the shelves. Useful, well-written, and a single source of information you normally need to consult several references to assemble.
We love this book. It's a good read and it has a lot of material that is not covered in every other photo book, or that is covered in more depth here.
A good book. If it's your first book on this topic, it will be very useful, but if you already have other references on this subject, it may be a bit redundant.
The book is alright, but the material is widely available in many other basic sources, and the writing style is not compelling.
Why did we buy this book?