First stab at a list
Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:35 pm
To continue with a few more, just a selection:
Photographic technique:
The first and in many ways defining book on camera technique for me was Teach Yourself Photography, which I read in the early 1970s. Its probably still as good. Other more recent books:
The Negative - Ansel Adams. One to return to time and again.
Digital Photography Masterclass - Tom Ang. I really like this. It is well written and not just a "How to" book.
Leica M - Advanced Photo School - Gunter Osterloh. A true classic, not just for Leica users, and back in print.
Learning to see creatively - Bryan Peterson. Another classic in its genre,as apparently is his book on Exposure, but I haven't seen that one.
Lighting for portrait photography - Steve Bavister. A fantastic work book with full page studio lighting placement examples. Really excellent.
The Photographer's Eye - Michael Freeman
Photoshop - Books by Martin Evening, Matt Kloskowski. Evening's book on Lightroom 3 is indispensable in my opinion.
Personally I find Scott kelby's attempts at humour jars.
Criticism:
Looking at Photographs - John Szarkowski - finally back in print.
How to Read a Photograph - Ian Jeffrey
Photo Journalism:
Pictures on a Page - Harold Evans
Eisenstaedt - Witness to our time
Jewgeni Chaldej - see below
Red Star Over Russia - David King
Red-Color News Soldier - Li ZhenSheng
Photo Journalism - Getty Images
The Heart of the Great Alone - David Hempleman Adams. Original photos from the Scott and Shackleton expeditions to the Antarctic - how did they do it?!
Photographers:
Photographers A-Z - Han-Michael Koetzle (Taschen)
This book came as a real surprise. I was expecting a largish selection of one page examples by well known photographers and in a way this is what you get. However, instead of a single plate the author has taken a representative book of work for each photographer and taken illustrations from within as well as the books front cover. Appended is a potted biography and the odd comment. This may sound sketchy but it works brilliantly and is a true eye-opener because alongside the names we know are plenty I did not, such as Jewgeni Chaldej, a Soviet war photographer, whose images are dark and evocative. Examples like this are leading to further discovery. I can really recommend this book.
Photography - The Masters (Scala). Just full page examples, often multiple, of the great. Absolutely marvellous book and cheap too.
Then there are the dedicated books. Where to start. I enjoy portraits so I have to highlight Yousuff Karsh, Arnold Newman, Jane Bown. Landscape, First light - Joe Cornish. Landscape - The World's Top Photographers - Terry Hope.
As I said, just a very small selection of my favourites. Which are yours?
Photographic technique:
The first and in many ways defining book on camera technique for me was Teach Yourself Photography, which I read in the early 1970s. Its probably still as good. Other more recent books:
The Negative - Ansel Adams. One to return to time and again.
Digital Photography Masterclass - Tom Ang. I really like this. It is well written and not just a "How to" book.
Leica M - Advanced Photo School - Gunter Osterloh. A true classic, not just for Leica users, and back in print.
Learning to see creatively - Bryan Peterson. Another classic in its genre,as apparently is his book on Exposure, but I haven't seen that one.
Lighting for portrait photography - Steve Bavister. A fantastic work book with full page studio lighting placement examples. Really excellent.
The Photographer's Eye - Michael Freeman
Photoshop - Books by Martin Evening, Matt Kloskowski. Evening's book on Lightroom 3 is indispensable in my opinion.
Personally I find Scott kelby's attempts at humour jars.
Criticism:
Looking at Photographs - John Szarkowski - finally back in print.
How to Read a Photograph - Ian Jeffrey
Photo Journalism:
Pictures on a Page - Harold Evans
Eisenstaedt - Witness to our time
Jewgeni Chaldej - see below
Red Star Over Russia - David King
Red-Color News Soldier - Li ZhenSheng
Photo Journalism - Getty Images
The Heart of the Great Alone - David Hempleman Adams. Original photos from the Scott and Shackleton expeditions to the Antarctic - how did they do it?!
Photographers:
Photographers A-Z - Han-Michael Koetzle (Taschen)
This book came as a real surprise. I was expecting a largish selection of one page examples by well known photographers and in a way this is what you get. However, instead of a single plate the author has taken a representative book of work for each photographer and taken illustrations from within as well as the books front cover. Appended is a potted biography and the odd comment. This may sound sketchy but it works brilliantly and is a true eye-opener because alongside the names we know are plenty I did not, such as Jewgeni Chaldej, a Soviet war photographer, whose images are dark and evocative. Examples like this are leading to further discovery. I can really recommend this book.
Photography - The Masters (Scala). Just full page examples, often multiple, of the great. Absolutely marvellous book and cheap too.
Then there are the dedicated books. Where to start. I enjoy portraits so I have to highlight Yousuff Karsh, Arnold Newman, Jane Bown. Landscape, First light - Joe Cornish. Landscape - The World's Top Photographers - Terry Hope.
As I said, just a very small selection of my favourites. Which are yours?