Topic: Must have books that changed your photography (Read 13675 times)

chbla · « **on:** October 19, 2014, 03:26:28 am »

Hi there,

I'm always trying to find new good books about photography, because I realized that
even if I think I know quite a lot already, there are books that can really teach me a lot
and take me further with my photography.

I want to collect what you think are books that are a must have for nature (wildlife, landscape, macro + post processing, lighting)
and that you think really improved the quality and end result (including post processing) of your photos.
It shouldn't be beginner books but intermediate/advanced. I think I can still learn a lot especially about post processing in
Photoshop, however, there are a lot of books that are not worth their money.

My favorite books are currently:

- Nature Photography Field Guide, John Shaw (for me the best book about exposure)
- Mountain Light, Galen Rowell (interesting as he describes his journeys/reasons quite detailed)
- Photoshop Restoration and Retouching, Katrin Eismann (a lot of techniques that are useful for any photographer, one of the most interesting PS books imho)
- From Camera to Computer, George Barr (also learned quite a lot here, enhancing photos with only the basic tools)
- The Hot Shoe Diaries, Joe McNally (great results with only small flashes, a bit Nikon centered though)
- Photography and the Art of Seeing, Freeman Patterson (very nice read, generally about concepts, perception, inspiration)
- Closeups in Nature, John Shaw (for Macro Photography)

I'm thinking of adding:

- The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression by Bruce Barnbaum

What would you suggest?

Fine_Art · « **Reply #1 on:** October 19, 2014, 03:07:07 pm »

Clearly you would want to have "Ansel Adams 400 Photographs" published by Little, Brown

Published by Nat Geo
Photography Field Guide
Wide Angle

This one has a lot of people shots, so it is not all about what you specify. Still, it is a significant work that will improve somebody's photography
Published by Life
The Classic Collection

Rand47 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 19, 2014, 05:01:51 pm »

Ernst Haas, "The Creation."

Rand

chbla · « **Reply #3 on:** October 19, 2014, 05:02:07 pm »

Thanks for the suggestions, I will take a look at them!

I didn't want to restrict it to wildlife, landscape, macro + post processing, lighting - of course general
books about photography are very useful to me as well.

It's just that there is such an overwhelming amount of "spam" out there that it's quite hard
to separate the books I can really get something out of.

Telecaster · « **Reply #4 on:** October 19, 2014, 05:47:17 pm »

Galen Rowell's Inner Game of Outdoor Photography. That's the full title, written by Galen of course.

It's still in print…saw a copy in the local Barnes & Noble earlier this week. It taught me to pay greater attention to how various films render light, color in particular, and how to make creative use of this. The same mindset applies to sensor-based photography too. Unlike most Rowell books it's primarily text, often drawn from his column in Outdoor Photographer mag. Ironically reading the book stoked my interest in urban photography. I wanted to see how films created mainly for nature pic-taking worked in cities.

-Dave-

Jim Kasson · « **Reply #5 on:** October 19, 2014, 06:50:49 pm »

Quote from: chbla on October 19, 2014, 03:26:28 am

I'm always trying to find new good books about photography... ...What would you suggest?

Art and Fear Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking, by Ted Orland and David Bayles. Ted was one of AA's assistants.

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Fear-Observations-Rewards-Artmaking/dp/0961454733/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413758798&sr=8-1&keywords=art+and+fear

#1 seller in its category on Amazon, and with good reason. The most important thing you can do for your photography is to keep on working, and this book can help.

Jim

dwswager · « **Reply #6 on:** October 20, 2014, 02:58:14 pm »

At 16, I read 4 books that not only got me started in photography, but gave me motivation. I still loan these out to friends and their children if they are getting started in photography.

Understanding Exposure - Bryan Peterson
Learning to See Creatively - Bryan Peterson
Closeups in Nature - John Shaw
The Nature Photographer's Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques - John Shaw

I've read probably 100 other books, but these are the one I remember.

In fact, I was asked how I could use a 62mm Nikon 5T on a 77mm 70-200 f/2.8 VR II. I said 25 year ago I read a book where that is what the guy used and he made the point that for reasonable working distance you are going to be at the long end and vignetting won't be an issue. I said I don't do true macro and don't own a macro lens so when I want to go close it is either the 5T or 6T, or extension tubes.

chbla · « **Reply #7 on:** October 24, 2014, 06:01:14 pm »

Thanks a lot for your suggestions so far, a very interesting list!

Tony Jay · « **Reply #8 on:** October 24, 2014, 06:30:59 pm »

Bryan Peterson's titles are really excellent for people needing to get a handle on the fundamentals of photography.
Galen Rowell's Inner Game of Outdoor Photography stands for me as one of the most thought-provoking books on photography I have ever read.
This title is not one for those still grappling with the definition of an f-stop or focal length though.
Many of the points he raises on issues of vision, colour, and perception are still hotly debated today, this forum not excepted.
Despite these titles dating from the film era (perhaps Bryan Peterson has updated his titles, unfortunately Galen Rowell died in a plane accident) they are magnificent in fulfilling the purpose for which they were penned.

Tony Jay

Pic One · « **Reply #9 on:** October 24, 2014, 09:09:51 pm »

A bit off the beaten path.. but I thought worthwhile is "Train your Gaze" by Roswell Angier. Another book.. not by any means an instruction manual, but I thought was great is a coffee table book I bought a few years ago called "Book of 101 Books" or something like that. It's a recollection and history of the art of photography. Not sure if it's in print any more though.

Torbjörn Tapani · « **Reply #10 on:** October 24, 2014, 10:20:45 pm »

Light Science and Magic. A book that actually teaches you something. Only a few key concepts but infinitely useful.

chbla · « **Reply #11 on:** October 25, 2014, 02:05:35 pm »

Thanks a lot guys, my reading list grows and grows

I found some of the books very interesting, although I don't do portrait photography I think if you know how to do it
you still learn a lot in respect to photography in general, lighting etc.. that's why I don't want to restrict myself to theoretical books about
outdoor nature/landscape only because there are a lot of different books that teach quite a lot, whether it is in terms of thinking/visualization
or technique

slowframe · « **Reply #12 on:** October 26, 2014, 05:46:42 pm »

I got a lot out of reading Why It Doesn't Have to Be in Focus by Jackie Higgins. I don't shoot many portraits, but it gave me a number of ideas about moving away from strictly realist forms of photography more generally.

Isaac · « **Reply #13 on:** October 26, 2014, 08:31:33 pm »

That would be Jackie Higgins, author of The World Atlas of Street Photography.

Ken Bennett · « **Reply #14 on:** October 26, 2014, 08:36:09 pm »

I really enjoyed Photography and the Art of Seeing, by Freeman Patterson, and taught a couple of classes loosely based on the book. This link is to a new edition, "updated for digital," which I have not seen. The book is a set of creative exercises, rather than a how-to.

Isaac · « **Reply #15 on:** October 26, 2014, 08:52:57 pm »

Both:

Welcome to Oz 2.0: A Cinematic Approach to Digital Still Photography with PhotoShop CS5

Quote

When someone sees this image for the first time, I frequently hear, "I've seen that… but I've never been able to photograph it." Then they tell me that I'm the luckiest photographer in the world for having been at the right spot at the right moment to capture it. In reality, this image is made up of nine images shot over an hour and a half. What actually happened is that first, the rainbow appeared in a cloudless, fogless sky. Then the ray of light hit the bridge, after which the fog rolled in and the clouds appeared. …

What I strive to do … is combine a series of "now" moments into one image that will be seen by the viewer as a single "now."

:and what was one chapter in a previous edition of "Welcome to Oz" and expanded into a book:

From Oz to Kansas: Almost Every Black and White Conversion Technique Known to Man

(Although "From Oz to Kansas" made a lot more sense to me after reading the first edition of "Welcome to Oz".)

Ellis Vener · « **Reply #16 on:** October 31, 2014, 01:41:09 pm »

Stephen Shore's "The Nature of Photographs". http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Photographs-Primer-Stephen-Shore/dp/0714859044/ref=la_B001K7WVEK_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414777247&sr=1-3

and Robert Adams' "Beauty in Photography: Essays in Defense of Traditional Values" http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Adams-Photography-Defense-Traditional/dp/0893813680/ref=pd_sim_b_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1RBZHVYEVR4AWKFVWJ96

Both profoundly changed the way I photograph and look at and into photographs.

chbla · « **Reply #17 on:** January 03, 2015, 02:10:34 pm »

I didn't check this thread for a while, forgot to subscribe.

Thanks a lot to all of you for the contributions, this has become quite an interesting list!

Colorado David · « **Reply #18 on:** January 04, 2015, 06:53:38 pm »

A very long time ago I bought and read all the John Shaw books. I haven't kept up with his publishing since he started selling eBooks. The print books were/are all excellent although they were written before digital. Almost all the information is easily transferable. He does spend a bit of time on calibrating your camera's meter for the film you choose to use, and in essence that is transferable as well.

Jim Kasson · « **Reply #19 on:** January 04, 2015, 07:55:00 pm »

It's not a book, but when I was getting started in studio photography, I watched all the Dean Collins videos and learned a great deal.

http://www.deancollins.com/

A lot of the gear he used is obsolete by now, but many of the techniques must be ageless.

It would be interesting to see something similar for the present era, when extensive retouching is so simple.

Anybody have any suggestions?

jIM

Author Topic: Must have books that changed your photography (Read 13675 times)