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TP: Which photography book?

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Category: Dyxum Community
Forum Name: Knowledge Base
Forum Description: Improving photo techniques & getting more from Dyxum
URL: https://www.dyxum.com/dforum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15610
Printed Date: 19 February 2025 at 14:34


Topic: TP: Which photography book?
Posted By: Mauricio11
Subject: TP: Which photography book?
Date Posted: 05 May 2007 at 19:21
Hi,

I just bought my first SLR 6 months ago. But I have an experienced relationship with photographers (and their work) as I am a graphic designer for the last 17-18 years.

I'm looking for books which step my eyes up as a photographer.
Please, I'm NOT looking for beginner stuff, nor with photoshop techniques. I need improve my composition skills, for instance.
I'm also interested in black and white photography (but not in darkroom chemical techniques).

Do you have any book to recommend?

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I'm a graphic designer. I'm an art director. Photography is therapy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mauricio11 - Visit my flickr



Replies:
Posted By: Sanjuro
Date Posted: 05 May 2007 at 19:45
The Ansel Adams ones are very good, there are 3 parts, I have the Part 1 and is very good..
I know those are read in USA at the photo university.

But if you like to get better at composition you should read about painters, like Picasso, Klimt, etc and look at their work.

John Berger "Ways of Seeing" is also very good.

And free on the web,
http://photoinf.com/ - here , very nice link.

I read pretty much books that I borrow in my local library I need to remember the titles.
But I will come back.

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Rgds
Sanjuro

"I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them." --Pablo Picasso


Posted By: Raimios
Date Posted: 05 May 2007 at 19:51
The best books you can get (the root of photography book collection) could be:
The family of man
Mirrors and windows by John Szarkowski
The photographer's eye by John Szarkowski
Worlds in a Small Room by Irwin Penn (portraits)
maybe some book of photography history:: Pollack: "The picture History of Photography" ...
those are basic/root for knowledge about photography as an art...
The maybe one for philosophy: Susan Sontag: "On Photography"
Those might be little hard to find .. but everything about photography as an art are printed on those books.....



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Light glorifies everything. The object is nothing, light is everything

My gallery: http://raimios.kuvat.fi" rel="nofollow - Raimios


Posted By: Silver
Date Posted: 06 May 2007 at 11:35
Masterclass in Photography - Michael & Julien Busselle

Working The Light: A Landscape Photography Mastercalss -
Joe Cornish Charlie Waite David Ward Eddie Ephraums

The Complete Guide To Sony's Alpha 100 (Color Edition) -
Gary L. Friedman


These are books that ive found useful so far.. i thought composition was the beginner stuff ;)

Im a begginner but oh well.

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Alpha77, 11-18mm, 16-50mm f2.8, 100mm f2.8 macro, HVL-F58AM.


Posted By: bharnois
Date Posted: 07 May 2007 at 14:34
Only one I've got is a twenty plus year old "The Photographers Handbook" Revised 2nd edition. Bloody comprehensive book for a single volume.

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Just luvin' DYXUM.


Posted By: cezarL
Date Posted: 07 May 2007 at 14:47
I have John Hedgecoe's "New Manual Of Photography" and "The Book Of Photography". I find them very detailed and easy to understand, covering a lot of subjects, from cameras and lenses, through composition, colour, to shooting techniques, grouped under different subjects (portraits, landscapes, architecture, etc).
The second one also sets up individual projects for the readers, so they might be really valuable for the beginners (like me).



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“Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long.” - Walker Evans

http://cezarl.zenfolio.com - http://cezarl.zenfolio.com


Posted By: Mauricio11
Date Posted: 07 May 2007 at 16:24
Thank everyone who colaborate with this thread.
Keep'em coming!

---And...
I do want to apologize if I may be rude to someone saying "I'm not looking for beginner stuff". Please, I'm not conceited/superior at all.

What I mean is I'm not looking for books explaining basics of apertures, depths of field, shutter speeds and something like that.
These are the very basics for a SLR owner. Otherwise a point-and-shoot would be a better choice.

In fact, there are basic learnings about every item, including composition basics, of course.
But when you go to a exhibition, you see a lot of different photographic aspects. You see that photo and ask yourself: "why did this guy make a so dramatic crop? There's almost only sky in this photo!"
Answer(IMHO): the photographer was looking for a certain mood, besides his complete known technical skills.

What I meant, when I asked for books, was titles which make you "think different", "think bigger", "shake your eyes and brain" searching for your own photographic style.
Maybe Sanjuro was closer, talking about Picasso, Klimt... I hadnt really thought about it, and this is a very good tip. ;)

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I'm a graphic designer. I'm an art director. Photography is therapy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mauricio11 - Visit my flickr


Posted By: cezarL
Date Posted: 07 May 2007 at 18:14
Well.. this was changed to a talking point so that means that it should be made valuable for everyone, including beginners :) Hence...my suggestion for John Hedgecoe.

However, here's something that might be useful to you,too, Mauricio: Henri Cartier-Bresson - "The Mind's Eye: Writings on Photography and Photographers". I think this will be a very interresting reading, ordered it meself just a few minutes ago from Amazon :)



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“Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long.” - Walker Evans

http://cezarl.zenfolio.com - http://cezarl.zenfolio.com


Posted By: DavidB
Date Posted: 07 May 2007 at 18:26
I agree about Hedgecoe... very good comprehensive books.
I like Freeman Patterson's "The Art of Seeing" series and John Shaw's books on Closeups in Nature.

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davidbannister.zenfolio.com

a900, a77, RX100 III, 16-50 2.8, 20 2.8, 24 2.8, 28-135, 50 1.7, 100 2.8M, 200 2.8G, 1.4 & 2x TC.


Posted By: Sanjuro
Date Posted: 07 May 2007 at 20:06
Hedgecoe, I got that one from my syster and it includes a lot but I don't think you will get those answer there Mauricio.

The book you are looking is not written yet, because even if there are some basic rules of composition is the photographer background, mood, feeleing , experience and education that is in the image.

There are books that can give you ideas like http://www.amazon.co.uk/Learning-See-Creatively-Brian-Peterson/dp/0817441816/ref=pd_bbs_2/026-6636117-2650851?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178560540&sr=8-2 - this one from Bryan Peterson, I read 2 from him. This was just OK, nothing new, it can give you some hints.

The only way of learning, IMHO, is watching the masters of photography and painters.
Go to a museum and look some paintings you will be amazed by the details you can find and those guys can about composition.

I could recommend you these book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andre-Kertesz-Eternal-Sarah-Greenough/dp/0691121141/ref=pd_bowtega_1/026-6636117-2650851?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178560713&sr=1-1 - Andre Kertesz and the Early Yeras is also good.

Brassai : The Monograph

Any photo book by Aleksandr Rodchenko (he and Kertesz are my favourites).



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Rgds
Sanjuro

"I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them." --Pablo Picasso


Posted By: Shaocaholica
Date Posted: 07 May 2007 at 20:12
Hedgecoe is a great book even for people who have been shooting forever. Its a great refresher and is easy to pick up and read a quick section here and there.


Posted By: Raimios
Date Posted: 07 May 2007 at 20:20
I do simply recommend another topic on Dyxum Knowledge Base; "TALKING POINT: Who influences your photography?"...might be good way to find own "idol photographer(s)"...and after it you can look your idol's books....

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Light glorifies everything. The object is nothing, light is everything

My gallery: http://raimios.kuvat.fi" rel="nofollow - Raimios


Posted By: alberto
Date Posted: 08 May 2007 at 12:01
http://www.amazon.com/Landscape-Within-Insights-Inspirations-Photographers/dp/190253834X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-4940272-2577416 - Landscape Within by David Ward. Foreword by Joe Cornish.

http://www.amazon.com/Josef-Sudek-Photographers-Aperture-Monograph/dp/0893813869 - Josef Sudek, poet of Prague by Anna Farova. Pictures by Josef Sudek.

Both of them were truly inspirating for me.

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Posted By: paulofessel
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 22:06
I like Time-Life photography books. I've got the Portuguese version of TL's "Photography Complete Manual". It's a tad outdated - of course a 1975 book wouldn't cover digital photography - but it teaches basic and some advanced technical concepts very well. It's not that organized, but as a handy reference it's invaluable - and has a lot of great photos.

I've got also two other books from another TL series: "Travel Photography" and "Special Problems". Both are very interesting, and the latter shows many gadgets and special techniques that are still useful today. I also like how SP shows how some "impossible pictures" have been made in a time when there wasn't such things as photoshop (small caps intended).

Seems that Amazon has a used set of the manual http://www.amazon.com/Photography-Documentary-Photojournalism-Photographing-Photographers/dp/B000NKFZAC - here .
A seller on eBay Australia has a subset of the collection http://search.ebay.com.au/_W0QQsassZdennises_oldwaresQQhtZ-1 - here . You'll probably able to find then in used book stores.

[]'s
Paulo



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http://public.fotki.com/Zarastro/ - Fotki

α900+some FF glass
α700+some DC glass
KM5D, R.I.P.


Posted By: gvknight
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 22:19
personally i've recently bought a tom ang book, primarily for specific techniques.

Eve Arnold in retrosect is an excellent read and has fantastic pictures.

Anything from magnum gets my vote.

plus i've picked up several old British Journal of Photography from the 60's with stuff by don mccullin and others.

I also like manray and have several books with his work in.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/8797801@N05/ - my flickr


Posted By: Raimios
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 22:52
One very fine (funny and serious at same time) is Working Cats by Terry Deroy Gruber (B&W) ...get one if you find one (very rare indeed)

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Light glorifies everything. The object is nothing, light is everything

My gallery: http://raimios.kuvat.fi" rel="nofollow - Raimios


Posted By: Diddlbiker
Date Posted: 03 June 2007 at 16:13
Since they haven't been listed yet, I really liked these two books by Bryan Peterson: (amazon links included)

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-0604586-5291129?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180879699&sr=8-1 - Understanding Exposure
http://www.amazon.com/Learning-See-Creatively-Composition-Photography/dp/0817441816/ref=pd_sim_b_1/104-0604586-5291129?ie=UTF8&qid=1180879699&sr=8-1 - Learning to see creatively

BP is a commercial stock photographer, so he's focussing on pictures with high "Ken Rockwell" content, but that doesn't mean that you can't pick up a lot from these two books. He's also clueless about digital photography, so avoid his http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Digital-Photography-Techniques-Pictures/dp/0817437967/ref=pd_sim_b_2/104-0604586-5291129?ie=UTF8&qid=1180879699&sr=8-1 - Understanding Digital Photography like the plague.

And Gary Friedman, I know you're reading this: you really should consider "going mainstream" with your books. I can recommend any of his e-books, content and value-for-money wise!

Regards,
Bart

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Posted By: Turerkan
Date Posted: 30 December 2007 at 07:02
Thanks Eddyizm for the link http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/ - Merklinger's Photo Books with a set of very technical books open to download.

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http://tinyurl.com/chaokc - Self moderate. http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/topic45171&get=last.html - Use Gimp. http://tinyurl.com/cj4qq8 - View My Photos.


Posted By: Happy Hour
Date Posted: 06 March 2008 at 23:23
I can't believe nobody has mentioned Understanding exposure by : Brian Peterson. This is a excellent book for beginners! It covers aperture,shutter speed,Iso, ect. On a simple basis with assignments to follow along with while reading it. Everybody I know who has read this book has improved there photography 100% he has 3 other books out also Understanding digital is not one to read because it is very outdated!


Posted By: brettania
Date Posted: 06 March 2008 at 23:44
Originally posted by Happy Hour Happy Hour wrote:

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Understanding exposure by : Brian Peterson.


and from two posts above

Originally posted by Diddlbiker Diddlbiker wrote:

Since they haven't been listed yet, I really liked these two books by Bryan Peterson: (amazon links included)

Understanding Exposure
Learning to see creatively


I use lens cleaning cloths for my glasses too.

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Posted By: Happy Hour
Date Posted: 07 March 2008 at 00:06
Originally posted by brettania brettania wrote:

Originally posted by Happy Hour Happy Hour wrote:

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Understanding exposure by : Brian Peterson.


and from two posts above

Originally posted by Diddlbiker Diddlbiker wrote:

Since they haven't been listed yet, I really liked these two books by Bryan Peterson: (amazon links included)

Understanding Exposure
Learning to see creatively


I use lens cleaning cloths for my glasses too.
Haha I guess i missed that one! funny since it was right on top of mine!LOL


Posted By: richard42
Date Posted: 07 March 2008 at 00:59
ok anybody recommend a book that i can follow at home that will help me improve my nature photography, one that doesn't cover all the old ground, i've had langdons basic photography, which was very good, bit too much about film and different types of cameras, but very helpful, now i need a book that goes a step further, not basic technical or history of photography but may be the art of photography. Any ideas?


Posted By: ferretracer
Date Posted: 29 May 2008 at 04:01
One that I liked that I read a couple years ago was http://www.amazon.com/How-I-Photograph-Wildlife-Nature/dp/0393313700/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222448987&sr=1-1 - Leonard Lee Rue's How I Photograph Wildlife and Nature . It was written many years ago, but I found it a very enjoyable read. It is linked to Amazon.

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You don't stop having fun because you get old, you get old because you stop having fun.


Posted By: DesinNZ
Date Posted: 19 June 2008 at 10:00
G'Day
been reading thru this post. Two books I have, both very old and might be considered basic compared to the discussions about Klimpt and the painters.. but hey. The Kodak Workshop Series, The Art of Seeing and the other is called Designing a Photograph by Bill Smith, published by AMPHOTO in 1985 but I think the original book was first published in 1952.. Old but nothing has changed and each time I read them I 'see' a little better.


Posted By: rovhazman
Date Posted: 31 January 2009 at 06:10
I was looking for something similar lately (a book to make my pictures better and not a book about basics of apertures, depths of field, shutter speeds and something like that).
I was thinking that no one can teach me (or anyone else) to be creative, because creativity is a natural gift. So I was looking for a book that shows good pictures and have a small story on the side to tell what exactly the photographer thought when he took the picture, and maybe some short comments about how to get it (in case that you need to be creative to get the pciture and solve the technical problems...). Unfortunately, I was aware of this thread when I was looking...

I found The Moment It Clicks by Joe McNally to be something like I was looking for. Picture and a story about the things that led to the picture. I don't think it is a brilliant book, but it is quite nice. Although most of the pictures are just impossible for amateur like me, I still learned alot. However, I don't like that he is using an American slang, which makes it anooting for non-american guy like me.

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http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/topic103095.html - Knowledge Base


Posted By: LECHER
Date Posted: 31 January 2009 at 06:19
Shay, I might have a book you could borrow. REALLY Freekinn old B&W from 1974. "Art History of Photography" by Volker Kahmen.

Call me.

Jack

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From the Mind of LECHER.





Posted By: DavidB
Date Posted: 31 January 2009 at 06:46
"Photography and the Art of Seeing" by Freeman Patterson is one of an excellent series of books by this Canadian author. Freeman tended to use a Minolta with just a couple of zooms and his books are very non-technical in nature. (Edit... Freeman is still very much alive, I'm just not sure what he's shooting with these days!)
The focus is generally on landscape and nature photography.
As an artist, I really appreciated his visual thinking in his approach to photography. The books are simple to read with great shots and explanations of what makes them work.

(Edit... as well as the two additional books noted by accady below, there's "Photograpy of Natural Things" by Freeman Patterson.)

Edit: Freeman Patterson's website: http://www.freemanpatterson.com/index.htm - http://www.freemanpatterson.com/index.htm

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davidbannister.zenfolio.com

a900, a77, RX100 III, 16-50 2.8, 20 2.8, 24 2.8, 28-135, 50 1.7, 100 2.8M, 200 2.8G, 1.4 & 2x TC.


Posted By: accady
Date Posted: 31 January 2009 at 07:46
Originally posted by DavidB DavidB wrote:

"Photography and the Art of Seeing" by Freeman Patterson is one of an excellent series of books by this Canadian author. Freeman tended to use a Minolta with just a couple of zooms and his books are very non-technical in nature.
The focus is generally on landscape and nature photography.
As an artist, I really appreciated his visual thinking in his approach to photography. The books are simple to read with great shots and explanations of what makes them work.


Ditto. Two more titles from him,

Photographing the world around you : a visual design workshop for film and digital photography (Freeman Patterson)

Photography for the joy of it : an introductory workshop for film and digital photography (Freeman Patterson and André Gallant)


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Posted By: Mindiraser
Date Posted: 11 March 2010 at 20:37
I highly recommend Tom Ang "Digital Photography Masterclass" Great book with lots of photos and great explaination. Was about 30 bucks, hardbound at Borders.


Posted By: mhlvos
Date Posted: 05 April 2011 at 15:57
I just bought Das Foto. Bildaufbau und Farbdesign. from Harald Mante. I really like it. I bought the german version but I'm pretty sure english versions can be bought.


Posted By: romke
Date Posted: 05 April 2011 at 19:47
in photography you need two skills: on the one hand the craftsmanship to use your tools (camera, PP) and on the other hand you will eventually need to have a vision of what you want to accomplish in terms of mood/atmosphere and composition. the second element (the one you are looking for) is not specific to photography, is highly personal and does have "something" in it where others can relate too - otherwise nobody would like the photographs you think are good.

the craftsmanship can be obtained through training and practice, and there are a lot of very well written books around more or less written on the "how to..." principle.

the second part is far more difficult, because there are no hard and fast rules, and what is thought to be beautiful may not be regarded that way by people grown up in a vastly different culture - compare for example the classic flemish painters with traditional japanese drawings.

the second part is usually taught in art schools and i think you could learn more from the books that are used there then from books on photography. since you are a graphical designer you must already be familiar with that scene - why not just try to design a photo with your camera the way you do your designs when at work? it's just another tool that has to be mastered, but the real skill is in your ability to express what you think that should be expressed - by means of your camera.

btw, the Harald Mante book is good (and available in the english language), because it shows a lot of examples. it does so in a very "clinical" way, and as a result of that lacks "soul" imo. books and courses on how to look at visual art "products" imo do offer more because they will force you to think about what you see. so, back to school....


Posted By: keithf
Date Posted: 06 April 2011 at 09:26
I second Tom Ang, got a couple of his books both bought for me as presents and I really like them, they are maybe a bit basic sometimes, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing as I think we all sometimes need to "go back to the basics". Also have a look at the Royal Photographic Societies website there are some great shots on there just for inspiration alone...www.rps.org I am seriously considering joining and then going for a licentiateship this would allow me to use LRPS after my name...but I have digressed and gone off topic so apologies for that...

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"Everything in moderation including moderation"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithfransella/


Posted By: Ellisson
Date Posted: 14 May 2011 at 13:58
One of the best discussions on personal photographic vision is in Bruce Barnbaum's 'The Art of Photography'. The book includes some technical information, but takes you deeper into the process of individual artistic vision and how to make photographic technique work for you.



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