Last Updated on August 9, 2024
From the many available photography books that have been published, only a few really deliver the promise of giving great insights and knowledge on improving your skills.
The compilation below includes 15 great photography books that will enhance your ability and understanding of photography in different areas or as a whole. Please note that prices vary.
VisionMongers: Making a Life and a Living in Photography by David duChemin
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Transitioning into vocational photography isn’t easy. This same problem is what David duChemin wanted to address when he wrote his book, VisionMongers. This literary work was made to be a great companion for starting your journey towards becoming a famous photographer. It contains surefire ideas, inspiration, and wisdom to help you with the many aspects of transitioning your passion into your vocation.
It also explains some basic concepts of business, marketing, and finance as a jump-starter for your transition. Along the way, this book features 9 stories of distinct photographers whose passion and drive can be a great source of inspiration.
The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby
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The man who wrote the #1 bestselling book, The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, and the one who changed photography’s digital darkroom, now explains the most crucial part of digital photography. This book gives you a big chunk of knowledge about how to get pro-quality pictures the same way experts today do it.
This book shares actual and practical ways of achieving different professional shots. This book is also written at a level that anyone can understand, as if the writer, Scott Kelby, is just talking to a friend. So in short, this book explains which key to press, what settings to utilize and when to make use of them.
Langford’s Starting Photography: The guide to creating great images by Philip Andrews
Written by a best-selling author, Philip Andrews, this book is a revision and a refresh of the authoritative classic book – The Focal Press Introductory Photography Book by Michael Langford. This book is mainly about digital with a few classic photography concepts here and there.
This book includes all fundamentals such as composing and selecting a great photo up to the more complicated stuff like how other types of cameras operate and how to control them. Moreover, it tackles different subjects from animals, people, landscapes, places, close-ups, and a whole lot more. So to make it short, this book is set out to take your photography skills to the next level.
The Perfect Portrait Guide: How to Photograph People by Michael Busselle
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Written by Michael Busselle, this book takes you through the most interesting picture subject of all – people. This book tackles everything there is to know about taking amazing and pro-quality portraits – from lighting, backgrounds, and colors to exposure, lenses, film, and composition. It also contains guidance on how to achieve the best from your subject or model.
Every page of this book contains creative, technical and useful comments and discussion about taking the perfect portrait. It really reflects the artistic intention of Busselle in a manner that can be easily learned by anyone who ventures to take shots of people.
Digital Exposure Handbook by Ross Hoddinott
Created by a photography genius, Ross Hoddinott, this book tackles the most crucial part of photography – exposure – which is considered to be its heartbeat. This book gives you a walkthrough of everything there is to know about digital exposure. The book revolves around a realistic idea that you can never realize your full potential if you overlook the fundamental concept of exposure.
It also explains why auto settings on a camera limit its artistic and creative potential. Moreover, this book gives you a lot of ideas about how ‘wrong’ exposures produce dramatic and artsy pictures including blazing highlights, freezing fast actions, bold silhouettes and a lot more.
Pro Secrets to Dramatic Digital Photos
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Bringing his lifetime of professional photography tricks and secrets to the table, Jim Zuckerman tackles his pro techniques that allow you to produce surreal and vivid work of arts through the use of a camera. He also shares how you can bring the big WOW factor to your pictures.
This book tackles everything from abstract to technical photography. It shows you how to take postcard worthy photos and how to make an impact with the use of different colors. It also reveals the tools that enhance photos – not destroying their raw artistic quality.
The Creative Digital Darkroom by Katrin Eismann and Sean Duggan
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This book, by a best-selling author, gifted educator, and an internationally acclaimed artist, Katrin Eismann, and co-authored by a teacher-photographer, Sean Duggan, takes you beyond the gimmicks and quick tips of many digital photography books. It shows you the specifics of how to use the digital medium in creating, editing, and producing photos that mirror your true vision.
It has four sections that cover the color darkroom, black and white darkroom, production essentials, and creative techniques. Additionally, it contains several illustrations which take the theory and apply it to real world examples.
The Digital Photography Companion by Derrick Story
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Tackling topics that are in line with capturing your creative spirit in a photo, this book by Derrick Story is a digital photography masterpiece. It gives you technical advice and creative tips for taking top of the line pictures in a wide variety of conditions for different occasions. The chapters include ‘What is it?’, ‘How does it work?’, ‘Shoot like a pro’, ‘I’ve taken great pictures, now what?’, and ‘Printing made easy’. So in short, this book is a companion that will help you to take better pictures than others.
Successful Self-Promotion for Photographers by Elyse Weissberg
Elyse Weissberg knows that there is so much more to photography than it seems. He knows that it encompasses the taking of great photos. He also knows that when it comes to photography, marketing always plays a role. That is why he wrote this book. He wanted to bright hope and help to everyone who wants to become successful with photography.
This book is a guide that gives you a head start in the industry and help you to become more than just a ‘nobody’. It features sections such as ‘focus on your image’, ‘identify your market’, ‘spot trends’ and ‘sharpen your client focus’. It features surefire techniques and strategies to sell your brand and start your business.
Closeup Shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop and Macro Photography
One of the most fascinating areas in photography is the ‘close-up’. That is exactly what this guidebook is about. It takes you to the interesting world of capturing even the smallest subjects yet still producing a digital masterpiece.
Every step of close-up shooting will be tackled, from choosing the right equipment, knowing how to take great shots from ambient and artificial light, to capturing that perfect shot. It also explains all the aspects of studio and outdoor close-up shoots. This book also includes beautiful examples with detailed sets of instructions for achieving the same quality photo.
Buy $4.85 – $9.56
The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman
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This book entitled The Photographer’s Eye is a literary work by Michael Freeman. The book revolves around the idea that design is a crucial factor for getting a successful shot. It also explains the ability to see potential for an awesome photo and the organization of graphic elements into a compelling and effective composition.
It explores the traditional approaches to design and composition, but more so, it answers to the new digital techniques of knowing that the images taken can be later manipulated, edited and made into a montage. This book has been translated into different languages worldwide and has sold over 300,000 copies.
Digital Masters: Nature Photography: Documenting the Wild World (A Lark Photography Book)
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As the newest addition to the series Digital Masters, this book takes you to the world of nature photography. It is created to widen and develop your unique view of nature and wildlife. It is a lavishly illustrated book to which you will turn repeatedly as you master different techniques and hone your photography skills.
It covers everything from basic lighting, conservation, wildlife encounters to the ultimate goal of capturing an awesome photo. And in the process, you get the real meaning of nature photography as ability and an art.
Digital Wedding Photography: Capturing Beautiful Memories Glen Johnson
A full color book from the highly praised expert in wedding photography, Glen Johnson, this book takes you to the world of weddings. It teaches you how to take the most memorable photos which can be the beginning of creating a business.
It is packed with great advice and savvy tips about managing workflow, choosing the best equipment, enhancing pictures, making remarkable presentations, and even marketing techniques towards building your own business. Additionally, it shows you how to set up and take beautiful photos, candid or posed, in different types of settings.
Michael Freeman’s Perfect Exposure: The Professional’s Guide to Capturing Perfect Digital Photographs
Giving you an insider look at getting the perfect exposure, this professional guide is a perfect companion to produce professional quality work. Essentially, this book gives you a clear cut view of how and why exposure works. It also provides you with the specifics on the most up-to-date post-processing methods.
Additionally, this book is packed with beautiful pictures taken by Michael Freeman and explains how you can do the same. And most of all, it shows you the surefire ways of honing an invaluable skill of controlling exposure.
Buy $11.49
Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Photography Field Guide: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera
Packed with everything that you need to know about photography, this book is a writing masterpiece from a renowned instructor-photographer, Bryan Peterson. Basically, this guide gives you the instructions and approach to taking pictures anywhere, anytime, using whatever camera you have.
It shows you how to capture better close-up, landscape, and portrait photos. It even gives you a take on artistic techniques such as capturing ghosts and making it rain. It also provides practical advice on equipment, gear and post-processing approaches. So in other words, this book is an essential guide fit for every cameraman’s bag.
