My Core Set of Photography Reference Books
I’m a “bookie”. I love books and still find a printed hardbound or paperback much easier and quicker to access than any information on the computer, especially when there is no power. Over the years, I’ve spent hours (in total, probably weeks or months) browsing the shelves of bookstores wherever I go, looking for interesting and useful books for my reference collection. I look for books about the business of photography, digital asset management, the “philosophy” of photography, technique, and inspirational (picture) books, among others.
As with most things, some authors and subject matter resonate and connect better with me than others, as they will also with you. The key is to spend some time with the author and the book before you commit to the purchase. Don’t run into the bookstore on the recommendation of a friend or someone you respect (or even someone you don’t know anything about) or because you need a book on a specific topic (like “How To Do Whatever in Photoshop”). Take a few long minutes to browse the book, read a chapter or two. Does the writing style and content make sense to you? Does it put you to sleep or tie your brain in a knot? A book costs money (some much more than others) and will take up space on your bookshelf. If you’re going to make the investment, it should be for a book you’re going to use and/or refer to often, right? I have a handful of “dogs” on my shelf I purchased without prior review. These were mostly purchased online or on impulse in the bookstore. The summary and online reviews sounded good or an initial “page flip review” made the book seem useful, but once I got it home and spent some time reading, it turned out to be less than expected. These books are still on my shelf because I don’t want to give books like this away, it’s not fair to the person I give the book to. And, I really don’t like throwing away books. One day I will gather them up and donate them to a library or other institution that can get some use from them.
While I have a generally decent-sized book collection, I’ve compiled here what I consider my core reference list, the books I go to most often or have been the most useful in my learning process. I pass the list off to you to review and hope one or more of these books helps you in your artistic and/or professional journey. New books are always being released, so this list will always change and grow. The list is in no particular order. Good reading!
Berger, John. 1972. Ways of Seeing. British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books.
Bayles, David & Orland, Ted. 1993. Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking. The Image Continuum Press.
Orland, Ted. 2006. The View from the Studio Door: How Artists Find Their Way in an Uncertain World. The Image Continuum Press.
Gross, Philippe, L & Shapiro, S.I. 2001. The Tao of Photography: Seeing Beyond Seeing. 10 Speed Press.
Adams, Ansel. 1983. Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs. New York Graphic Society Books.
Barrett, Terry. 2006. Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images. McGraw Hill.
Fielder, John. 1996. Photographing the Landscape: The Art of Seeing. Westcliffe Publishers.
Wier, Nevada. 1992. Adventure Travel Photography. Watson-Guptill Publications.
Hunter, Fil, Biver, Steven, & Fuqua, Paul. 2007. Light, Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting. Focal Press.
Piscopo, Maria. 2001. The Photographer’s Guide to Marketing & Self-Promotion. Allworth Press.
Weissberg, Elyse. 2004. Successful Self-Promotion for Photographers. Amphoto Books.
Eismann, Katrin & Palmer, Wayne. 2006. Photoshop Restoration & Retouching, 3rd ed. New Riders.
Crawford, Tad. 2009. Business and Legal Forms for Photographers, 4th ed. Allworth Press.
Harrington, John. 2010. Best Business Practices for Photographers. Course Technology PTR.
ASMP. 2008. Professional Business Practices in Photography, 7th ed. Allworth Press.
Krogh, Peter. 2009. The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers. O’Reilly Media, Inc.
Fraser, Bruce & Schewe, Jeff. 2008. Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS3. Real World Press.
Fraser, Bruce & Schewe, Jeff. 2008. Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS4. Real World Press.
Zimberoff, Tom. 2002. Photography: Focus on Profit. Allworth Press.