Books (to learn from)

[DangerouslyMoody]

What are your favorite books to read to learn more about photography...the ones you refer to or ones you go to for inspiration??

[johnastovall]

For Inspiration, the ultimate reference:

"War Without Heroes" David Douglas Duncan

"Nam" - Tim Page

"Inferno" - James Nachtwey

"Diane Arbus: An Aperture Monograph" - Diane Arbus

"Figments from the Real World" - Gary Winogrand

"The Americans" - Robert Frank

"Walker Evans: American Photographs" - Walker Evans

"Ansel Adams at 100" - Ansel Adams

"Written in the West" - Wim Wenders

"Josef Sudek: Poet Of Prague" - Josef Sudek

"Ba-ra-kei: Ordeal by Roses" - Eikoh Hosoe

"Nobuyoshi Araki" - Nobuyoshi Araki

"Minamata" - Eugene Smith

"William Christenberry" - William Christenberry

This is a good start...

[Daniel Bates]

I'll second "Inferno". For a textbook, I like "Photography" (London, Upton).

[DangerouslyMoody]

wow!! thanks :)

[johnastovall]

For reference:

Real World Color Management - Fraser and Bunting everyone needs this

Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS3 - Fraser and Schewe (for CS4 out in December)

Real World Image Sharpening with Adobe Photoshop CS2 - Fraser (applies to all versions)

The Photograph: Composition & Color Design - Harald Mante

Photoshop LAB Color: The Canyon Conundrum and Other Adventures in the Most Powerful Colorspace - Dan Margulis

Color Management for Photographers: Hands on Techniques for Photoshop Users - "Digital Dog" Andrew Rodney

These are solid basic books not how to do it but why you do it.

[DavidsStudio]

Light Science & Magic 3rd Ed. Hunter, Biver, and Fuqua - If you don't understand light, all else is irrelevant.

David

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by DavidsStudio

Light Science & Magic 3rd Ed. Hunter, Biver, and Fuqua - If you don't understand light, all else is irrelevant.

David

Only if you use artifical light sources.....

[DangerouslyMoody]

i am going to have to start diggin' at half price books :)

[DavidsStudio]

Autumn, keep an eye out for the 2nd edition of the Light Science & Magic. It is cheaper and has essentially the same information. The pictures were the main update to the 3rd ed.

David

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by DangerouslyMoody

i am going to have to start diggin' at half price books :)

Far better place than Half Price. Abebooks.....

[johnastovall]

Oh, I should mention one of the most inspirational of all Photobooks.

Letting Go of the Camera.

"Photography is, or can be, a way of life. Beyond cameras and equipment, beyond film and chemistry, beyond pixels and technology lie the mysteries of the creative life shared by those who strive to communicate and express themselves clearly. This book is an exploration of the path of creative photography."

[lhdvies]

Wow, a pretty impressive library of recommendations here. Two older but very good & basic books I refer to a lot are
"Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson and
"Landscape Photography" by John Shaw.
Since I like wildlife I also keep
Moose Peterson's "Guide to Wildlife Photography" handy.
All 3 are easy to read with many samples to demonstrate their techniques. Shaw's "Landscape" book is mostly about film, but it applies to Digital as well.

[johnastovall]

What is photography's relationship to the other arts and society:

Another Way of Telling - John Berger

On Photography - Susan Sontag

Regarding the Pain of Others - Susan Sontag

Illumiations: Essays and Reflections - Walter Benjamin for the essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" Best read at the Dairy Queen in Archer City while drinking Dr. Pepper and Lime.

Photography Theory - edited by James Elkins

Robert Adams: Why People Photograph - Robert Adams

Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography - Roland Barthes

These will at least get you started on the critical theories of photography.....

[DangerouslyMoody]

Thank you guys for this great list!!!!!