Photography
Books
“A
Selection of Good Buys”
If you were to read all the photography books
available, you would have no time to take photographs.
How do you pick a
few which will help you?
The books listed here have all been read and
recommended by visitors to better-photographs.com.
Some of them cover a broad range of topics and techniques whilst others
specialize
on specific areas and subject
types.
General
Technique Books
Landscape
& Travel Books
Underwater
Books
Wildlife
& Nature Books
Wedding
and Portrait Books
They have all
helped their readers to improve and progress.
If you have read one which is not on the list and
you would recommend it, then please spare a minute to help your fellow
photographers by completing the short
form at the bottom of this page. photography books
General
Technique Photography Books
 
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The History of Photography in 50 Cameras - Michael
Pritchard
The
history of photography, perhaps more so than any other art, is a
history of technology that is best revealed in the very vehicle that
makes it possible the camera.
Through a selection of fifty landmark cameras, Michael Pritchard tells
the story of this ground-breaking piece of equipment that changed the
way we saw the world around us.
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Beginner's Guide to Digital Painting in Photoshop -
Nykolai Aleksander & Richard Tilbury
Beginner’s Guide to Digital Painting in
Photoshop: Volume 1 is a brand new series dedicated to providing a
truly comprehensive guide to the basics of digital painting in this
versatile program.
The step-by-step tutorials within this book don’t just describe
techniques, but actively demonstrate how these techniques can be
applied to an artwork. Industry veterans including Nykolai Aleksander
and Richard Tilbury share the benefits of their years of experience in
a clear and methodical fashion.
They examine the various basic Photoshop tools on offer, and also look
at fundamental art theory, including classic topics such as
composition, story-telling, portraying emotion, lighting and color.
Instructive and inspirational, Beginner’s Guide to Digital Painting in
Photoshop: Volume 1 is an ideal resource for anyone taking their first
steps into the digital painting world.
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Panoramic Photography: From Composition and Exposure
to Final Exhibition - Arnaud Frich
It has never been easier to make
panoramas--both in terms of the new lightweight equipment and the
spectacular quality of the final image output.
New vistas concerning this unique way to see the world and express
oneself abound in Panoramic Photography: From Composition and Exposure
to Final Exhibition.
Written by one of the world's pre-eminent panoramic photographers, the
author, Arnaud Frich, provides diagrams to explain the technical
details involved in various shots. Long on inspiration, you will find
beautiful images by the author, as well as by Benoît Ancelot,
François-Xavier Bouchart, Franck Charel, Macduff Everton, David J.
Osborn, and many others.
Camera equipment examples and a list of suppliers make this book a
valuable resource for all panoramic photographers.
Inside you will find all the information you need to create your
perfect panorama!
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Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography - Harald
Woeste
The unusual
perspective of a panoramic image creates a unique and intriguing visual
experience for the viewer. Skillfully executed, panoramic photography
can realize scenes which could otherwise never be captured in an image
or seen with the naked eye.
Panoramas offer new possibilities for creative photographers, either as
flat, two-dimensional images, or mapped into a 3D space that can be
visited on a virtual tour. New, powerful, panorama software makes the
workflow easier and more efficient than ever before.
Author Harald Woeste takes the reader on a tour from the basics of
capturing panoramas, all the way through stitching, editing, and
printing panoramic images. He provides a detailed description of the
necessary equipment and materials, as well as the various software
tools that can be used in the workflow. The latter half of the book
illustrates the making of panoramas through a number of example
projects.
In Mastering Digital Panoramic
Photography you will find everything you need to know to create
amazing panoramic images.
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Digital Photography Month by Month - Tom Ang
Capture the seasons with photographer Tom
Ang
From photographing a dew drop in spring to a beautiful winter frost you
can now follow your hobby throughout the year with Digital Photography
Month by Month. Be inspired as renowned photographer Tom Ang shows you
how to capture the moods and moments of each season to stunning effect.
Whatever your level of expertise or type of camera from the best
digital SLRs on the market right down to camera phones, you'll find
tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your shot.
Packed with "how to" advice and projects to keep you snapping
throughout the year, Digital Photography Month by Month is an inspiring
and practical guide to taking beautiful photos in every season.
Tom Ang is renowned
as a photographer, author, and broadcaster. A specialist in travel and
digital photography, he is the author of 23 books on photography and
video including the best-selling Digital Photographer's Handbook
published in twenty languages and sold over half a million copies. He
is now busily creating eBooks.
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 Lenses for Digital
SLRs: The Complete Guide - Ross Hoddinott
It's very easy, when investing
in new camera gear, to put all your energy into choosing the right
body, only for that most crucial of factors - the lens - to become an
almost secondary consideration.
"Lenses for Digital SLRs: The
Complete Guide", redresses that balance. Covering everything from focal
length to depth of field, prime versus zoom lenses and specialist
optics, this book manages to unravel the technicalities of lenses while
remaining comprehensible and reader-friendly. photography books
Throughout the book, the
reader is guided through basic terminology, common focal lengths, what
optical quality means in terms of the photographs they take and
eventually comes to understand the anatomy of the camera lens and its
effect on the image. photography
books
Available from amazon.co.uk and amazon.com
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A Guide to Astrophotography with Digital SLR Cameras -
Jerry Lodriguss
This
book on CD-ROM is a practical guide to astrophotography with digital
single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. It explains how digital cameras work
and everything you need to know about how to take astrophotos with them.
It also tells you how to process the images after you have shot them,
with step-by-step directions that will produce beautiful results. With
this book you will discover how easy it is to shoot the Sun, Moon,
stars, nebulae, galaxies, and other celestial objects. |
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Creative Night: Digital Photography Tips and
Techniques - Harold Davis
Shooting in low light and at night is
challenging, but it can result in stunning images, so don't put that
digital camera away after the sun goes down! Start capturing eerie and
intriguing photographs at all levels of light with this
information-packed guide from renowned photographer and author Harold
Davis.
He provides pages of field-tested techniques to help you find the
proper exposures, including the best settings for ISO, aperture, and
shutter. Don't miss the intriguing examples of his own work, including
cityscapes, landscapes, and more.
- Walks readers through the intricacies of night
and low light photography
- Explores the fundamental rules of exposure,
including creative settings for ISO, aperture, and shutter speeds
- Informs and inspires with the author's own
breathtaking examples of night photography, including cityscapes,
landscapes, exciting night events, and other photos that illustrate the
concepts
Capture the visually exciting world after the sun goes down with this
essential guide to night photography. photography books |
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The Complete Guide to Digital Night & Low-Light
Photography - Tony Worobiec
Low-light
photography can mean early mornings, late nights and bad weather, but
with the right technique it does offer wonderful rewards and the
opportunity to capture stunningly beautiful images.
The Complete Guide to Digital Night and Low-Light Photography is the
ultimate guide to achieving the most striking results in your work. It
takes you through the standard features of modern Digital SLR cameras,
specifically discussing how these can help in low-light photography.
Tony Worobiec's expert advice covering in-camera techniques—some
conventional and others less so—and invaluable post-production
techniques extend the possibilities of low-light photography even
further.
Practical guidance on tackling a comprehensive range of situations also
ensure that whatever circumstances you are faced with, expert help is
close at hand.
Whether you want to capture the vibrancy of a city at night or the
eerie beauty of a misty landscape at dusk, this practical guide will
help you to make the most of every low-light situation. photography books |
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Photography at Sea: Techniques for Capturing Amazing
Photographs Afloat - Patrick Roach and Fred Barter
Sailing yachts under full sail, motorboats
with huge bow waves, seemingly impossible angles and close encounters -
even before you factor in the spray-filled atmosphere, blinding
sunlight, fast-moving targets and an unstable platform, photography at
sea is a very tricky proposition. photography books
But it is an attractive one.
The glamour and the excitement can result in amazing photographs, but
it helps to have some expert guidance. In this full-colour, highly
illustrated guide, one of the world's leading yachting photographers
explains how to get the best shot and dramatic effects, looking at all
the elements photographers afloat will need to cover, including:
Composing the shot Capturing groups, fast action and reflections
Dealing with confined interiors Taking dramatic creative shots: up the
mast, from the bows etc.
This is a unique, informative and instructive book, and for those back
from a day on the water, it will be an inspiring and attractive
addition to any bookshelf. photography books |
 Sport
and Action (World's Top Photographers Workshops) - Andy Steel
The sports and action photography community is
rich with
imagination, inspiration, and artistry, making it the most dynamic arm
of contemporary professional photography. photography books
The World s Top Photographers Workshops Sport & Action is the
definitive guide to the genre, presenting readers with the skills,
techniques, and unrivalled portfolios of some of the very best in the
business. They take readers to the core of sports and action
photography, from the equipment and kit needed for profitable work, to
the enthusiasm and creativity required by those wanting to reach the
highest echelons of their profession.
This book seeks not only to teach the technological know-how and timing
needed to master fast-paced situations, it also helps to guide keen
amateur photographers toward finding their own inspiration and creative
voice to record the perfect action shot.
Available from amazon.co.uk and amazon.com
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A Village Lost and Found - Brian May & Elena Vidal
Based on 30 years of research, Brian May's
painstaking excavation of exquisite stereo photographs from the dawn of
photography transports readers to the lost world of an Oxfordshire
village of the 1850s.
At the book's heart is a reproduction of T. R. Williams' 1856 series of
stereo photographs, "Scenes In Our Village." Using the viewer supplied
with this book, the reader can become absorbed in a village idyll of
the early Victorian era: the subjects seem to be on the point of
suddenly bursting back into life and continuing with their daily rounds.
The book is also something of a detective story, as the village itself
was only identified in 2003 as Hinton Waldrist in Oxfordshire, and the
authors' research constantly reveals further clues about the society of
those distant times, historic photographic techniques, and the life of
the enigmatic Williams himself, who appears, Hitchcock-like, from time
to time in his own photographs. |
 Points of View:
Capturing the 19th Century
in Photographs - John Falconer and Louise Hide
From its beginnings in the 1840s up to the mass
democratisation of photography as a widespread leisure pursuit, the
development of the medium was swept along by a tide of artistic and
entrepreneurial activity that gathered pace throughout the 19th century. photography books
Since the first public announcement of the
invention in 1839, photography has both reflected and shaped society.
Science, government, industry and a growing media quickly recognised
its value as a documentary tool, a shaper of opinion and a potentially
lucrative profession. Both as art form and social document, the
photograph has played a critical role as the primary means of visual
expression in the modern age.
"Points of View" brings together, for the first
time, a selection of images from the British Library's collections,
examining the history, diversity and influence of photography from its
invention and early years up to the growth of a popular amateur market
in the early 20th century. Beginning with the work of William Henry Fox
Talbot and other influential pioneers, the book includes many of the
most celebrated names in 19th century photography from across the
world, including Francis Frith, Felix Teynard, Samuel Bourne and Peter
Henry Emerson, as well as numerous lesser known names who made
significant contributions to the medium.
Organised by subject matter in a broadly
chronological arrangement, it asks: who was taking the photograph and
why? Section by section, items are presented within their cultural,
contexts, exploring some of the major themes of the 19th century, from
imperial expansion to industrialisation and the emergence of new
scientific and social disciplines in an era of rapid social
change.
The final sections of the exhibition will examine
the ways in which the development of simplified cameras and accessible
technology responded to the demands of a developing mass market for
photography, which continues up to present day.photography
books
Available from amazon.co.uk and amazon.com
 The Photographer's Eye: Composition and
Design for Better Digital Photos - Michael Freeman
Design is the single most important factor in
creating a successful photograph. The ability to see the potential for
a strong picture and then organize the graphic elements into an
effective, compelling composition has always been one of the key skills
in making photographs.
photography books
Of course, digital photography has brought a new,
exciting aspect to design first because the instant feedback from a
digital camera allows immediate appraisal and improvement; and second
because image-editing tools make it possible to alter and enhance the
design after the shutter has been pressed. This has had a profound
effect on the way digital photographers take pictures.
The Photographers Eye shows how anyone can
develop an eye for seeing great digital photos. The book explores all
the traditional approaches to composition and design, but crucially, it
also addresses the new digital technique of shooting in the knowledge
that a picture will later be edited, manipulated, or montaged to result
in a final image that may be very different from the one seen in the
viewfinder.photography books
Available from amazon.co.uk and amazon.com
 Guide
to Great
Photography - Peter Bargh
This high quality book presents hundreds of truly
amazing images, along with the secrets behind their creation. Prepare
to be stunned, inspired and provoked. It's much more than just a
showcase of great images though. photography books
Photography Books
Inside, you will find a wealth of useful tips to help you take better
photographs, along with step-by-step guides to advanced photographic
techniques. Whether you are still a film user, or have fully embraced
the world of digital, this book has something to offer, regardless of
your level of experience.photography
books
Available from amazon.co.uk
 Digital
Photographer's Handbook - Tom Ang
If you're a beginner and new to ISO's, Spot
metering and Apertures, its really good. But it's not just that. It is
full of really good advice, tips and maybe more importantly, ideas.
Every photo in the book has an explanation of how it was taken and what
equipment was used etc...
Photography Books
This is invaluable stuff to beginners. But the best aspect is the fact
that it attempts to get you thinking. It talks about project ideas and
basically "getting you out there" taking pictures. As for covering film
as well as digital!?! Surely this is a good thing as digital
photography is based on film technology, where did the ISO come from
after all… It's a great companion and a great starting point in
photography.photography books
Available from amazon.co.uk and amazon.com
 Digital
Photography Masterclass - Tom Ang
It's
easy to see
why digital photography has overtaken analog in popularity-it's
affordable, convenient, versatile, and, above all, it makes photography
more fun than ever before. Tom Ang's latest book is an in-depth,
inspirational, and uniquely practical guide to every aspect of digital
photography. photography books
There
are assignments and analysis spreads, and step-by-step tutorials
to help you hone your skills. He teaches you to look at the world with
a photographer's "eye" and shows you how to get great shots every time.
In short, this book shows you how to master your camera to ensure the
best results in every situation and how to push the computer to keep up
with your vision. photography books
Available from amazon.co.uk and amazon.com
 The
Art of
Digital Photography - John Hedgecoe
Need
inspiration? Get the best out of your equipment and explore your
creative side with this practical guide. Still life or action, portrait
or abstract - whatever your subject, discover how to take amazing
digital images with this expert photographer and inspiring teacher.
Photography Books
Learn
the fundamentals of composing an image - from lighting, camera angle,
drama, colour, time of day, style to subject matter. Get the most out
of your camera, so whatever moment you are capturing: from stunning
landscapes, action-packed sport, beautiful weddings to playful
children, you'll be picture perfect, again and again. We'll show you
what others only tell. Enjoy 500 breathtaking photos and learn how to
take great pictures every time.
Available from amazon.co.uk
 Understanding
Exposure - Bryan Peterson
More
than 100 vivid, graphic comparison pictures illustrate every point in
this classic and can help any photographer maximize the creative impact
of his or her exposure decisions.
Photography Books
Peterson
stresses the importance of metering the subject for a starting exposure
and then explains how to use various exposure meters and different
kinds of lighting. The book contains lessons on each element of the
triangle and how it relates to the other two in terms of depth of
field, freezing and blurring action, and shooting in low light or at
night.
A section on special techniques explores such options as
deliberate under-and over-exposures, how to produce double exposures,
bracketing, shooting the moon, and the use of filters. Understanding
Exposure demonstrates that there are always creative choices about how
to expose a picture - and that the decision is up to the photographer,
not the camera. photography
books
Available from amazon.co.uk and amazon.com
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Digital Painting Techniques: Practical Techniques of
Digital Art - 3dtotal
Discover the tips, tricks and techniques that really work for concept
artists, matte painters and animators.
More than just a gallery book - within Digital Painting Techniques each
artist has written a breakdown overview, with supporting imagery of how
they made their piece of work.
Beginner and intermediate digital artists will be inspired by the
gallery style collection of the finest examples of digital painting
from world renowned digital artists.
Start your mentorship into the world of digital painting today with
some of the greatest digital artists in the world and delve into
professional digital painting techiques, such as speed painting, custom
brush creation and matte painting.
Develop your digital painting skills beyond the variety of free online
digital painting tutorials and apply the most up to date techniques to
your digital canvas with Digital Painting Techniques for Animators. |
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Adobe Photoshop
CS5 One-on-One (Digital Media) - Deke McClelland
Master
the fundamentals of Photoshop CS5 and make all of your images come
alive. With Deke McClelland's unique and effective learning system, you
get step-by-step tutorials, hours of DVD-video demonstrations, and lots
of hands-on projects to help you improve your knowledge and hone your
skills.
- Find out everything you need to know to be
productive with Photoshop CS5 right away
- Learn at your own speed with 12 self-paced
tutorials
- Try out professional techniques with engaging,
real-world projects
- Read about a particular technique and watch the
video to see how it's done
- Follow every key step with hundreds of
full-color photos, diagrams, and screen shots
- Test your knowledge with multiple-choice
quizzes in each chapter
Adobe Photoshop CS5 One-on-One simulates a
classroom environment with one-on-one attention as you proceed from
lesson to lesson. Deke's expert advice is like working with a personal
coach -- you'll learn Photoshop faster, more creatively, and more
efficiently than you thought possible.
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Recommend Photography
Books
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