Congratulations Dave Koch, April 2025 PFRE Photographer of the Month! The theme this month was "Primary Bedroom".Dave Koch - Entry 1056 Peter Wingfield - Entry 1051 Paul-Dan Dragoman - Entry 1053Here's what Dave has to say:Thank you so much — this real ...
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Regardless of your
If you want to shoot excellent images, it will help if you read the Magnum Contact Sheets by Kristen Lubben. It breaks down the capturing of many widely-recognized images, explaining in detail the involving strategies.
It digs deep into
Unlike other photographing books in my list, I love how it covers the various photographing processes the top photographers use.
Picture Perfect Practice by Roberto Valenzuela is the ideal book for real estate photographers who want to shoot images in any lighting condition, location, gear, or subject. Unlike Photographer's Guide to Posing by Lindsay, it helps photographers create stunning images with a timeless impact.
This book approaches
Unlike The Dramatic Portrait by Chris Knight, it explains how to minimize the background clutter using simple structures with compositional elements, enhancing picture balance.
If books full of diagrams, technical jargon, and graphs intimidate you, consider Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll.
Like the Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson, it covers five critical aspects of
It uses iconic images and hands-on tips to demonstrate to the readers how to achieve outstanding shots practically and straightforwardly.
For instance, this book will help you shoot stunning portraits and landscapes without the need to purchase another book, unlike The Negative by Ansel Adams which features landscapes only.
On
It's written by an American writer who had many years of experience in filmmaking. She was also a political activist and philosopher, enhancing her ability to inspire.
It emphasizes the positive impact of
She explains through philosophical reasoning how
Lindsay, the book author, is one of the ten best fashion photographers globally, and reading her book, Photographer's Guide to Posing by Lindsay - will definitely inspire you.
Unlike Essence of
Unlike Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson, she opts to detail the process behind poses rather than offering page after page of her preferred poses.
This book is full of resources that will help you examine a situation and generate the most flattering pose.
The Negative by Ansel Adams is a definitive masterpiece by Ansel Adams, the famous landscape photographer famous for some of the most widely-recognized landscape photos in the 20th century.
This book explains the secrets of his
Unlike The Dramatic Portrait by Chris Knight, he excelled more in landscape
If you plan to capture perfect portraits, then get a copy of The Dramatic Portrait by Chris Knight. After learning and understanding the photographic lighting theory, it is high time to learn how to apply it correctly.
In this book, you will learn how light and shadow work together to produce impressive photographs in portrait
Also, he offers practical information in a simplified manner. He makes it understandable even by photographers challenged by technical explanations, unlike Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.
The The Essence of
Unlike other
It will transform you from a photographer who only records moments to a photographer who makes personal artistic statements, like the Extraordinary Everyday
If you want to demystify the sophisticated exposure concepts in
Unlike the Photographer's Guide to Posing by Lindsay, it mainly emphasizes how to find the correct exposure, especially in tricky conditions.
It will provide you with tips for an expanded section on flash, utilizing the colored gels and shooting star trails.
Unlike the other book in my list, it comes with specific instructions on shooting under challenging situations.
The Extraordinary Everyday
Unlike Magnum Contact Sheets by Kristen Lubben, it emphasizes the need to open your eyes without haste and respond to what you can see to capture compelling shots.
It helps the photographer's eye develop a creative vision for a stunning image, rather than depending on the gear.
It's about improving the artistic version of yourself, like the Essence of
Whether you are a professional or a beginner photographer, you might need to go through
The following features can help you choose a book that clearly explains the most important aspects of
| Books | Publicaton Year | Author | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnum Contact Sheets | 2017 | Kristen Lubben | Paperback, Hardcover |
| Picture Perfect Practice | 2012 | Roberto Valenzuela | Paperback, Kindle |
| Read This | 2014 | Henry Carrol | Paperback, Kindle |
|
On | 2001 | Susan Sontag | Paperback, Kindle, Hardcover |
| Photographer’s Guide | 2017 | Lindsay | Paperback, Kindle |
| Negative | 1995 | Ansel Adams | Paperback, Kindle |
| The Dramatic Portrait | 2017 | Chris Knight | Paperback, Kindle |
|
Essence of | 2014 | Bruce Barnhaum | Paperback, Kindle |
| Understanding Exposure | 2016 | Bryan Peterson | Paperback, eTextbook |
|
Extraordinary Everyday | 2012 | Brenda Tharp and Jed Manwaring | Paperback, eTextbook |
The main reason you might want to get a
For instance, if you get a book that mainly dwells on how to take photographs using film cameras, it might not be of much help if you're using the modern digital camera. This might even create confusion as the techniques taught might even conflict with the techniques you should use with a modern camera.
Fortunately, you can avoid such scenarios by getting a book that was published several years ago, such as The Dramatic Portrait by Chris Knight. This allows you to learn how to use modern camera gear and how to shoot using the techniques in trend.
Most
As a result, you might need to read from the first page to the last page of the book to gain a proper understanding of the concept featured in the book. Even if you are reading the book full-time, it can still be time-consuming if the book has thousands of pages.
If you don't have lots of time, it is, therefore, advisable to go for a book with a few pages, such as Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs by Henry Carrol. Keep in mind that a book having a few pages doesn't mean the explanation is not good enough.
In most cases,
Hardcover books are also more durable than paperback books. On the other hand, books using the paperback format are more portable than those using the hardcover format. This makes them a great option when you need portability, such as reading a book while on a flight.
If you want a book that you can read from your tablet or smartphone, you can go for the Kindle or eTextbook format. However, if you want more versatility, you can go for a book that comes in all formats, such as On
Generally, the period that you can take to learn photography through books depends on your level of understanding. For instance, some people can understand the basic skills in 6 months or less, while others take up to 3 years. If you want to become a professional photographer, it can take you around 10 to 12 years.
Yes, you make photography a hobby and learn it on your own as long as you follow all the rules from the photography books. Through practice, trial, and error, you can acquire skills in exposure, shutter speed, and ISO. However, it is advisable that you get a professional to guide you on the critical areas that you might not understand on your own.
Yes, a professional photographer should be able to edit photos. However, photo editing might be challenging for beginners, and you should first concentrate on shooting. For editing, it is advisable that you get editing guides from a professional to shorten the learning curve.
There are many
