What books to get about Photography?

[cosmokanga2]

I'm currently taking a photography course with my school and I am allowed to spend up to $170 on books and instructional material purchases. This also includes video's, tutorial and the such.

With there being so many books out there on the subject of photography, would would you suggest I look into getting?

I haven't really chosen what area of photography to pursue so books that encompass the whole area I'm open to.

For the school to cover the cost of buying them, that have to have some element of teaching or instruction in them. i.e. How to properly expose, compose and so on.

I'm thinking of getting Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson but am open to your suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[ThunderRobot]

You're starting right. Pick up Understanding Exposure immediately! It's wonderful and is very helpful. In addition I'd recommend an after-market manual for your own camera. I like the work by David D. Busch, but there's lots of choice depending on your model.

I'm currently taking a photography course with my school and I am allowed to spend up to $170 on books and instructional material purchases. This also includes video's, tutorial and the such.

With there being so many books out there on the subject of photography, would would you suggest I look into getting?

I haven't really chosen what area of photography to pursue so books that encompass the whole area I'm open to.

For the school to cover the cost of buying them, that have to have some element of teaching or instruction in them. i.e. How to properly expose, compose and so on.

I'm thinking of getting Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson but am open to your suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[shady825]

I havent read it but I see it get recommended all the time..
Understanding Exposure <-Revised Edition

 

[compuwar]

Light: Science and Magic.

 

[cosmokanga2]

I'm going to get Under Standing Exposure and probable also The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for better Digital Photos as composition is one of the areas I struggle in. Any other suggestions?

 

[kjohansen]

I second Understanding Exposure by Bryan Petersen, excellent book! Another is called Photography by Barbara London, it is an expensive book, but covers everything.

 

[Edge100]

Simple:

The Camera

The Negative

The Print

 

[Kamera RAWr]

You might also be interested in Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Shutter Speed" as well.

 

[Pikemann Urge]

I loved reading books on photography. There are plenty of old ones around for cheap, so you can get a huge library for that amount of money you specified.

IMHO don't waste your (or someone else's) money buying new ones. The Web is the greatest resource around. I'm a paying member of photo.net and there are heaps of folks there who will happily answer your questions and chat with you in general.

Anyway, charity/op shops and used bookstores is the way to go. Sure, they're old books but a lot of the info doesn't date. The more books you buy, the more photos you'll get to look at. Looking at photos is the greatest thing you can do.

You can figure out a lot of stuff by experimentation. Find out technical points for yourself - it's more fun and it will sink in better.

Use as many types of camera as you can. A variety of equipment is a catalyst for seeing your subject differently.

 

[ghoztman]

Another thread on this here

 

[ChrisA]

I haven't really chosen what area of photography to pursue so books that encompass the whole area I'm open to.

For the school to cover the cost of buying them, that have to have some element of teaching or instruction in them. i.e. How to properly expose, compose and so on.

Photography is more about art them twiddling dials. You will learn how to set dials quickly. THe hard part is knowing where to point the lens and when to trip the shutter. In other words composition, use of color and so on.

Look for books on the art and history of photography. Find one that covers several of the "masters" from Edward Westin to Man Ray and then look at their work and find a style you might want to try and emulate.

Anyone can learn to work a camera in a few hours but what you need to learn is to have an image in your head and then go out and make that image with a camera. The later part is purely a mechanical process. Making the image in your head is not. THere are rules of composition but you have to come up with the ideas. Get books to help with that. Look at the best work of the masters.

Think of your self as an art student. Buy art books.

 

[cosmokanga2]

Another thread on this here

Thanks! Funny it didn't show up in my searches. It seems with every post I read, I find different books to read. I think I've narrowed it down to following:

• Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera
  
• Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography OR
  
• The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos
  
• The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world's top shooters and/or Light: Science and Magic

Waiting for approval from the school and then I'll order them. Thanks for all the suggestions and tips!



*Update*

As a follow up, I ordered Understanding Exposure, The Moment It Clicks and The Photographers Eye: Composition and Design.

All the books had some minor use, however for half price, it was well worth it. After flipping though them last night, I would highly recommend the Composition and Design one as it has detailed diagrams and sketches of how to use colours, lines, shadows and other elements to compose images. While Composition and Design is a instructional book, The Moment it Clicks is much more of a coffeetable book with write ups of how the images where taken and the story behind them. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it if you want a instructional book like Understanding Exposure. All together their great books and I've got a fair share of reading to do.