What is your favorite book on photography?

hockmasm · 10-20-2011, 08:48 AM

I've read many books on photography and wanted to know what everyone else's favorite book is on this forum.

What is your favorite book and why?

Mine is Understanding Exposure because it explained when and why to use each aperture. Before that book I was clueless about which aperture to use.

Your turn...

**mattb123** · 10-20-2011, 09:28 AM

I'd have to say The Tao of Photography, not that I have read all that many photography books. It's not technical and all about seeing. That makes a more interesting book IMO.

eddie1960 · 10-20-2011, 09:46 AM

For me when I was young it was The Ansel Adams books I learned a lot from them (particularly for the darkroom)
I agree Understanding Exposure is an excellent book and I recommend it often to people who just moved into SLR photography

0rangepeel · 10-20-2011, 10:38 AM

Right now i'm reading "Within the Frame" by David Duchemin, and I am really loving it. It's not so much a technical photography book, more so about story telling.

RioRico · 10-20-2011, 01:06 PM

Not one book, a set: the Time-Life LIBRARY OF PHOTOGRAPHY series.

pioneery · 10-20-2011, 01:20 PM

the text bokk form New york institute of photography

**paulh** · 10-20-2011, 01:38 PM

Understanding Exposure was the biggie for me, altho I also like most of Bryan Peterson's books. I picked up a couple at the library today - Understanding Shutter Speed, & Understanding Close-up Photography. Hopefully, I'll pick up something useful from these, too.

Last edited by paulh; 10-20-2011 at 05:12 PM.

bigted · 10-20-2011, 04:29 PM

Thanks for asking this question. As a newbie I wondered what more seasoned photographers liked and why.

bigted

magkelly · 10-20-2011, 04:37 PM

I read my share of tech books, but I like photograph books that go beyond the tech. The ones that talk about artistic view, photographers and what they see and why. I like photo bios and table books with lots of old photos too. I'm fascinated by the early photographs. I like the Civil War stuff, 1800's and 1900's people portraits, and the spiritualist fakery photos. Those are too funny, all that cheese cloth ectoplasm. I like books that talk about the stories behind the photographs and the photographers behind them. I like photographs of bizarre stuff too. I spent too much time reading Ripley's as a kid. I have a definite morbid streak...

Wheatfield · 10-20-2011, 05:01 PM

The Complete Photographer by Andreas Feininger.
It's about photographic philosophy, not nuts and bolts though.

**JimD** · 10-20-2011, 10:51 PM

Haven't read any lately but one I enjoyed back in the 1970's was David Bailey's Darkroom Book. It wasn't only about processing and a lot of it about exposure, composition, etc. is still very much relevant in today's digital age

MoiVous · 10-20-2011, 11:59 PM

Michael Freeman's The Photographer's Eye and The Photographer's Mind - two books by a great photographer that look at composition once you've got beyond the technical (which people like Bryan Petersen cover really well)

costas60 · 10-21-2011, 01:13 AM

Originally posted by paulh

Understanding Exposure was the biggie for me,

\Also enjoyed this one and very helpfull

Billgscott · 10-21-2011, 03:07 AM

Anything by Tom Ang. Very well written and illustrated.

His 'How to photograph Absolultly Anything' is great.

Bill

RioRico · 10-21-2011, 04:24 AM

I forgot to mention WHY the Time-Life LIBRARY OF PHOTOGRAPHY series, which were available cheap on eBay the last time I looked. They're pre-digital. They cover film, yes, but the principles of photography remain the same. They cover techniques. And they're beautiful, containing many masterpieces of camera work. Start with THE CAMERA and go on to the volumes on studio, travel, nature, children, art, great themes, documentary, photojournalism, etc. They're just a fantastic resource.

10-20-2011, 08:48 AM	#1
hockmasm Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Photos: Albums Posts: 353	What is your favorite book on photography? I've read many books on photography and wanted to know what everyone else's favorite book is on this forum. What is your favorite book and why? Mine is Understanding Exposure because it explained when and why to use each aperture. Before that book I was clueless about which aperture to use. Your turn...

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10-20-2011, 09:28 AM	#2
mattb123 Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Colorado High Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,872	I'd have to say The Tao of Photography, not that I have read all that many photography books. It's not technical and all about seeing. That makes a more interesting book IMO.

10-20-2011, 09:46 AM	#3
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	For me when I was young it was The Ansel Adams books I learned a lot from them (particularly for the darkroom) I agree Understanding Exposure is an excellent book and I recommend it often to people who just moved into SLR photography

10-20-2011, 10:38 AM	#4
0rangepeel Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Vancouver Photos: Gallery Posts: 111	Right now i'm reading "Within the Frame" by David Duchemin, and I am really loving it. It's not so much a technical photography book, more so about story telling.

10-20-2011, 01:06 PM	#5
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Not one book, a set: the Time-Life LIBRARY OF PHOTOGRAPHY series.

10-20-2011, 01:20 PM	#6
pioneery New Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 3	the text bokk form New york institute of photography

10-20-2011, 01:38 PM	#7
paulh Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: DFW Texas/Ventura County, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 33,258	Understanding Exposure was the biggie for me, altho I also like most of Bryan Peterson's books. I picked up a couple at the library today - Understanding Shutter Speed, & Understanding Close-up Photography. Hopefully, I'll pick up something useful from these, too. Last edited by paulh; 10-20-2011 at 05:12 PM.

10-20-2011, 04:29 PM	#8
bigted Moderator Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Jessica Lake, Whiteshell Provincial Park, or Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,592	Thanks for asking this question. As a newbie I wondered what more seasoned photographers liked and why. bigted

10-20-2011, 04:37 PM	#9
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	I read my share of tech books, but I like photograph books that go beyond the tech. The ones that talk about artistic view, photographers and what they see and why. I like photo bios and table books with lots of old photos too. I'm fascinated by the early photographs. I like the Civil War stuff, 1800's and 1900's people portraits, and the spiritualist fakery photos. Those are too funny, all that cheese cloth ectoplasm. I like books that talk about the stories behind the photographs and the photographers behind them. I like photographs of bizarre stuff too. I spent too much time reading Ripley's as a kid. I have a definite morbid streak...

10-20-2011, 05:01 PM	#10
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	The Complete Photographer by Andreas Feininger. It's about photographic philosophy, not nuts and bolts though.

10-20-2011, 10:51 PM	#11
JimD Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Newport, South Wales Posts: 187	Haven't read any lately but one I enjoyed back in the 1970's was David Bailey's Darkroom Book. It wasn't only about processing and a lot of it about exposure, composition, etc. is still very much relevant in today's digital age

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10-20-2011, 11:59 PM	#12
MoiVous Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 677	Michael Freeman's The Photographer's Eye and The Photographer's Mind - two books by a great photographer that look at composition once you've got beyond the technical (which people like Bryan Petersen cover really well)

10-21-2011, 01:13 AM	#13
costas60 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Melbourne Posts: 86	Originally posted by paulh Understanding Exposure was the biggie for me, \Also enjoyed this one and very helpfull

10-21-2011, 03:07 AM	#14
Billgscott Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: York Posts: 241	Anything by Tom Ang. Very well written and illustrated. His 'How to photograph Absolultly Anything' is great. Bill

10-21-2011, 04:24 AM	#15
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	I forgot to mention WHY the Time-Life LIBRARY OF PHOTOGRAPHY series, which were available cheap on eBay the last time I looked. They're pre-digital. They cover film, yes, but the principles of photography remain the same. They cover techniques. And they're beautiful, containing many masterpieces of camera work. Start with THE CAMERA and go on to the volumes on studio, travel, nature, children, art, great themes, documentary, photojournalism, etc. They're just a fantastic resource.