What Books Should I Get?

[Passion - Photography]

Hello, thanks for looking. I am new to both dPS and photography, and have read just about every online tutorial I can. So now I am looking for books! So: Beginner, don't know a whole lot...what books would you suggest? I need to learn everything.

Thanks in advance.

[NicoleScraps]

Maybe get a book that was written for your specific camera model. That was one of my first book purchases. I looked for one that was more than just an "extended owners manual" but had not only information about how to use the features but when and why.

[RichardTaylor]

From a purely technical point of view.
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Understanding Exposure: How To Shoot Great Photographs With A Film Or Digital Camera

by Bryan F. Peterson and Bryan Peterson

FORMAT: Paperback

ISBN: 9780817463007

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[NicoleScraps]

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

From a purely technical point of view.
----------------------------------------------------
Understanding Exposure: How To Shoot Great Photographs With A Film Or Digital Camera

by Bryan F. Peterson and Bryan Peterson

FORMAT: Paperback

ISBN: 9780817463007

-------------------------------------------

I have that book too. It is awesome!

[Dodge]

Originally Posted by NicoleScraps

I have that book too. It is awesome!

yup same. in fact i have the full set of his books, covering all different aspects of photography. If you type Bryan Peterson into amazon you can find them all. Great books.

[zona5101]

Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

Everything we do in photography is based on capturing light. Having a basic understanding is essential.

[Passion - Photography]

Thanks, I'll check these out and search for a book on my camera.

[Photologyst]

First, be sure to read your manual to get to know your camera cold.

“The Digital Photography Book” Volumes 1-3 by Scott Kelby is very good. However, if someone acting/writing like the class jerk bothers your sensibilities, Kelby’s stuff might not be for you.

International photographer Michael Freeman has numerous superb books that I heartily recommend:

“Michael Freeman's Top Digital Photography Tips”

“Perfect Exposure: The Professional's Guide to Capturing Perfect Digital Photographs”

and “The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos ”

The biggest criticism I have about Freeman’s books is that they are often difficult to read due to type size. However, the substance is excellent.

[inkista]

Less "books to get" and more "books to find at the local library":

Ansel Adams: Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs. You wanna read how he did it? The guy was a gear nut, you're gonna get camera, lens, exposure, development AND print details, as well as the compositional thinking on a lot of these. If you find yourself fascinated by the gear stuff, I'd also recommend The Camera/The Negative/The Print, but you have to do a lot of mental translation for digital.

Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Mind's Eye. Short essays. Again, they may or may not help you out, but a fascinating look inside a photographer's head and almost as a great an inspiration as just getting a book with a bunch of his photos in them and looking and looking and looking again.

Philippe Halsman, The Jump Book. How a photographer finds a project, and continues with it, and explores it. Also Portraits is good, again with discussions on how certain photographs were taken. The ones of Einstein and Sartre in particular I found really fascinating. And, of course, all the stuff he did with Dali is just fun.

And, if you're a techie like me, and you want to learn lenses? I have seen the name Rudolf Kingslake (onetime Eastman Kodak's Head of Optical Design) repeated a lot. Lenses in Photography: The Practical Guide to Optics for Photographers looks like it's the one to start with.

[Passion - Photography]

Originally Posted by Photologyst

First, be sure to read your manual to get to know your camera cold.

“The Digital Photography Book” Volumes 1-3 by Scott Kelby is very good. However, if someone acting/writing like the class jerk bothers your sensibilities, Kelby’s stuff might not be for you.

International photographer Michael Freeman has numerous superb books that I heartily recommend:

“Michael Freeman's Top Digital Photography Tips”

“Perfect Exposure: The Professional's Guide to Capturing Perfect Digital Photographs”

and “The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos ”

The biggest criticism I have about Freeman’s books is that they are often difficult to read due to type size. However, the substance is excellent.

Thanks! I have been checking out Michael Freeman's books...I ordered a few of them.