Good Book?

[zach30345]

ok so im really getting into this photography thing i have two slr's now and i know the basics but i want to know more any book ideas? like theres a couple on amazon but not sure which one is the best to teach me. any help is greatly appreciated

[sherijohnson]

Zachary,

Is there a book store near you? I have found actually going into a store and browsing a book is a great way to find out if you would love to own it.

A recent trip to Fry's electronics caused me to walk out with about $200 worth of photography related books.

[gbux61]

An even better place to browse around is your local library. You will be amazed at the selection of photography books.

[ziggy53]

I moved this into what I think is a more appropriate forum for the question.

There are wonderful books that I could recommend, but I also encourage you to explore the resources of the Digital Grin. We have some of the most amazing photographers on the planet as members. Also explore the links you will find at the top of many of the forums located in the "sticky" threads.

Start with this thread:

http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=110366

[Art Scott]

Any of the Ansel Adams books....they are still relevant.....and then pertaining to what subject matter you are interested in shooting I suggest....for glamour and shooting women books by Peter Gowland and his wife Alice, Landscapes....well any of the Rocky Nook / Luminous Landscape's Authors won't steer you wrong.....Birds and such...Pathfinder / Harry B here on Dgrin.....General Photo Knowledge.....Ziggy53.....again here on Dgrin.....Also Scott Kelby's books on Digital Photography and also his books on Photoshop and Lightroom......The Moment It Clicks by Joe McNally....great book.........Welcome to Oz by Vincent Verace another great advanced book....

Not a complete list of any sort...and as mentioned above....Your local Library just 'cause the book(s) were writtten for film doesn't mean they do not have value.....they do.....especially if you find one of the masters you want to be like or better than........

HTH

[pathfinder]

All of the previous posts have been excellent suggestions.

We even have a room here on dgrin for book reviews (http://dgrin.smugmug.com/gallery/4055033)

There are books about the technical aspects of photography itself - about cameras, lenses, flashes, lighting etc etc, and then there are books that contain images by great photographers that can be used to educate your eye and to stimulate your visual style. Both types of books can be informative, and educational. DO not overlook books about great art either, the painters and visual artists were dealing with images on a flat surface long before photography was born in the 1830s.

[henryp]

It's not photo-related per se, but several decades ago a fellow from the original Nikon School suggested I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig. It was good advice.

[Slinky0390]

I have a ton of books, none of which I can remember the names, and I'm at school and they are at home. But one that sticks out in my mind is The Moment it Clicks. I've been meaning to pick it up but never got around to it.

[pathfinder]

It's not photo-related per se, but several decades ago a fellow from the original Nikon School suggested I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig. It was good advice.


Henry - we have something in common,

I read Zen and the Art of MM, years ago when I was about 18, and just a year ago I read it again. There is a whole thread of literature that has developed around Robert Pirsig and his books. I loved "Lila, an Inquiry into Morals" as well

The latest I have read recently is "Zen and Now" by Mark Richardson which is a discussion of the author, Pirsig, his son, and a bit about Mark Richardson as well. I was stunned to learn that Chris, the narrator's son in "Zen and the Art of MM" was stabbed to death in San Francisco outside the Zen Center in 1979. He was 22 years old.

I want to ride the route from Minnesota to San Francisco that Pisrsig travelled. It has become a right of passage for a number of riders according to Mark Richardson's book.

[pathfinder]

Just a few books on my bookshelf that I think help me learn more about how to think about approaching a photograph

"First Light - a Landscape Photographer's Art" by Joe Cornish

"Light in the Landscape" by Peter Watson

"Window Seat - the Art of Digital Photography and Creative Thinking" by Julieanne Kost

"The Moment It Clicks" by Joe McNally

[Scott_Quier]

I found great value in Ansel Adam's "The Negative" - yes, Virginia, it's film based but his discussion/description of his Zone System has recreated the way I think about exposure. That alone is worth the price of admission.

And, for those that don't know, his zone system isn't about "What's the correct exposure?" It's more about where in the range of luminosity available to you do you want the brightest/darkest elements in the photographic scene/subject to fall and the compromises you may have to make to get it. Through control of expsoure you can make fresh snow a dingy gray or a grooms tux a light gray - but is that what you want? It's all there if you apply his principles to what you see in front of you. It's what you want to see in the result that controls your camera settings.

I could go on and on, but that's enough already:D

[hiroProtagonist]

I can highly recommend Brian Peterson's Understanding Exposure
Ron Bigelow has a awesome series of articles http://www.ronbigelow.com/articles/articles.htm

Another good site is http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm