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Best Photography Books [2024 Review]

Published: 10/03/2023

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

There is a significant change in real estate photography over the years, with evolving concepts and creative techniques. Even with modern technology, there is nothing like books when it comes to improving photography skills. This review provides you with the best photography books to inspire you and give you a fresh photography perspective.

My Top Photography Books Reviews

Regardless of your photography experience, there are always new photography concepts and ideas to learn. In the below list, I focus on the best photography books that will help you develop a new approach to real estate photography.

Magnum Contact Sheets by Kristen Lubben

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 photography to a point you will understand what the photographer who captured the image had in mind, unlike On Photography by Susan Sontag. It shows how photographers capture their images, in a way that’s easily understandable by anyone. 

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

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 photography from an artistic or creative point of view. It helps understand the geometry of the scene you are photographing. 

Unlike The Dramatic Portrait by Chris Knight, it explains how to minimize the background clutter using simple structures with compositional elements, enhancing picture balance.

Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll

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 photography, including composition, light, lenses, seeing, and exposure. 

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 Photography by Susan Sontag

On Photography by Susan Sontag is an outstanding book that explores the idea of how photographs have improved my access to knowledge, and how I understand foreign lands and history. 

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 photography on the world, unlike the Picture Perfect Practice by Roberto Valenzuela.  

She explains through philosophical reasoning how photography influences society and the overall human life, like The Dramatic Portrait by Chris Knight.

The Photographer's Guide to Posing by Lindsay Adler

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 Photography by Bruce Barnhaum, the author shares her extensive experience and ideas when it comes to posing for photographs. She highlights essential tips and tricks on developing flattering poses. 

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.

Negative by Ansel Adams

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 photography success. Particularly in this book, he explains his zone system of exposure, like the Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. 

Unlike The Dramatic Portrait by Chris Knight, he excelled more in landscape photography, it's crucial to understand the secrets behind impressive landscape photos if you are a landscape or architectural photographer. Also, if you have a particular affinity for white and black, you can't go wrong with this book.

The Dramatic Portrait by Chris Knight

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 photography, unlike the Negative by Ansel Adams. He delivers the information with humor, making it easily digestible even by beginners. 

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 Essence of Photography by Bruce Barnhaum

The The Essence of Photography by Bruce Barnhaum is an excellent book featuring how to excel in photography, fine art, or editorial work. 

Unlike other photography books in my list that focus more on the technical part of photography such as aperture and exposure, this book focuses on the less practical side of it. It highlights the tools you need to capture more impactful shots. 

It will transform you from a photographer who only records moments to a photographer who makes personal artistic statements, like the Extraordinary Everyday Photography by Brenda Tharp & Jed Manwaring. It helps you capture images that can express your feelings to the viewers.

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson

If you want to demystify the sophisticated exposure concepts in photography, then Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson is the book for you. It explains the basics of shutter speed, exposure and aperture and how they work together. 

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.

Extraordinary Everyday Photography by Brenda Tharp & Jed Manwaring

The Extraordinary Everyday Photography by Brenda Tharp & Jed Manwaring is ideal if your photographing plan is to search beyond the surface. 

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 Photography by Bruce Barnhaum. It concentrates on the picture composition for impressive shots.

Vintage camera on top of photography books

Features to Consider in the Best Photography Books

Whether you are a professional or a beginner photographer, you might need to go through photography books to learn new concepts and techniques. However, not all books are the same, and you need to know which books can help you improve your real estate photography skills.

The following features can help you choose a book that clearly explains the most important aspects of photography. Additionally, the following table highlights the key things you might need to consider when choosing the book.  

Comparing Photography Books

BooksPublicaton YearAuthorFormat
Magnum Contact Sheets 2017Kristen LubbenPaperback, Hardcover
Picture Perfect Practice 2012Roberto ValenzuelaPaperback, Kindle
Read This 2014Henry CarrolPaperback, Kindle
On Photography 2001Susan SontagPaperback, Kindle, Hardcover
Photographer’s Guide 2017LindsayPaperback, Kindle
Negative 1995Ansel AdamsPaperback, Kindle
The Dramatic Portrait 2017Chris KnightPaperback, Kindle
Essence of photography 2014Bruce BarnhaumPaperback, Kindle
Understanding Exposure 2016Bryan PetersonPaperback, eTextbook
Extraordinary Everyday Photography 2012Brenda Tharp and Jed ManwaringPaperback, eTextbook

Year of Publishing

The main reason you might want to get a photography book is to learn concepts and techniques that can help improve your photography performance using modern camera gear. If you don't consider the year the book was published, you might end up learning techniques that are already obsolete in the modern world and technology.

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.

Number of Pages

Most photography books have the concept tied together, such that the concept on the last pages of the book depends on the concept on the first pages of the book. That means reading the book halfway might not be beneficial, and reading the last pages only might even create confusion. 

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. 

Format

In most cases, photography books come in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, or eTextbook format. Although the different formats may contain the same information, the book format can affect your perception of the book. For instance, the hardcover format can make the book look professional and create a sense of professionalism, even if you're a beginner.

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 Photography by Susan Sontag. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Can You Take To Learn Photography Through Books?

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.

Can You Learn Photography on Your Own?

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.

Does Photography Include Photo Editing?

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.

Conclusion

There are many photography books in the market, choosing one that fits your needs might be challenging. Different photography books feature varying concepts, ideas, and projects. Some are intended for beginners, and others for professional photographers. However, you can't go wrong picking any book from the above list. 

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