5 Outstanding Photography Books

In keeping with the whole year in review lists I wanted to go back over the many photography books we’ve reviewed here at Your Photo Tips. While we, as a society, are moving more and more to the digital realm of everything (music, movies, photography) I’m not heading into getting my photography books in 1’s and 0’s. Not just yet. I’m not ready to abandon my love for books in their physical form. I want to feel the texture and be able to flip through the pages at my leisure. Having them sit on a book shelf for me to grab at a moment’s notice for quick reference is still vital to my growth as a photographer.

Besides, I like my photography books in the bold and rich color that the photographer wanted them to be seen in.

I suppose if Apple or some other company comes out with a full color digital book reader I may have to revisit these thoughts, but until that time, I want my old fashioned books. There…I said it. I feel better.

We reviewed tons of books throughout the year and while I could rank all of them I just wanted to recap a few that really stood out to me. These are in no particular order and the links point to the full reviews.

5 Outstanding Photography Books

Within The Frame by David duChemin – Within The Frame is about finding and expressing your photographic vision. A rare book on the why, rather than the how, of finding, chasing, and expressing your vision from with a camera from your eye.

I know I said that these were in no particular order. I lied. This was the best book on photography I read this year. The rest are in no particular order.

The Hot Shoe Diaries by Joe McNally – The specialty or niche of this book is centered around hot shoe flashes, speedlights, or strobes if you will. It’s not all off-camera lighting and it runs the gamut from deceptively simple applications of light and exposure to very complex setups involving multiple flashes, reflectors, flash accessories, and man power.

The Art of Black and White Photography: Techniques for Creating Superb Images in a Digital Workflow by Torsten Andreas Hoffman – Over the last few years, most books on photography emphasized explaining the new breed of cameras and how to master the digital imaging workflow. In the Art of Black and White Photography, Torsten Andreas Hoffman takes a different approach as he focuses on image compositon and image capture, with an emphysis on the creative aspects of black and white photography, as well as on the digital workflow.

The Photographer’s Survival Guide by Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sossa Stone – The reading is fundamental and filled with so much information it could actually make your head spin (this is a good thing). There are real resources and examples throughout the book of where you can find tried and true vendors sure to help your career.

The Digital Photography Companion by Derrick Story – A book to help novice and hobbyist photographers get a handle on digital photography. The images presented throughout the book are beautiful and shot using various cameras using different techniques. Chapter 2 and the size of this book really make it a great reference book that should fit in any medium or larger camera bag.

All of these books cover a different area of photography and excel at hitting thier target audience.

What were your favorite photography books you read this year?

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Related posts:

1. The Art of Black and White Photography [Book Review]
2. Photography Book Club
3. Within The Frame [Book Review]
4. David Pogue’s Digital Photography The Missing Manual [Book Review]
5. Inner Vision and Photography