Photography Book Suggestions

Like many a newbie, my first posting (last week) to this forum was a question

about which lenses to buy for my Rebel. Many of you responded with tremendously

helpful advice. I've spent the week since my posting reading reviews and

checking out retailers while trying to make a final decision about lenses. I've

also read quite a number of your responses to other newbies with similar

questions and picked up on a theme that some of you seasoned veterans have been

advocating; in the beginning, newbies should spend less money buying lenses and

more time learning the nuances of photography. Upon your recommendations to

other newbies, I today picked up a copy of John Hedgecoe's "New Manual of

Photography" at the local library and "discovered" that lighting, composition,

perspective, etc., might just have a little to do with taking good pictures.

And to think, I assumed that every L lens came fresh out of the box with a

guarantee of award-winning photographs for any purchaser, regardless of skill

and talent! Instead, it seems that the photographer actually may have some

minor effect of a photograph's quality. An epiphone! Learn photography...

hmmm, what a concept! Can it possibly be true that a $20 book (or, even better,

a borrowed one from a library) might make a bigger difference in performance

than a $1000 lens? Do tell! ;)

 

So, despite my urge to rush out to buy new lenses to compensate for my lack of

expertise behind the shutter, I'd prefer to hone my skills first. I'd

appreciate it if any of you could offer some suggestions for good photography

how-to books. In addition to Hedgecoe's book, I understand John Freeman's

"Photography" book is also a very good primer. Are there any others that you

think are worth a look?

 

I look forward to your responses and thank you in advance.

 

Regards,

 

 

Howard

I found this one to be helpful, with some nice ideas and explanations a while back- Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0817463003/026-1559040-0067603

 

Jim

The epiphone you have experienced is the most important thing when it comes to breaking the shackles to being a truely great photographer. Despite the gear junkies on this forum obsessing about gear, great photos involve involve mostly inspiration and hard work. The gear accounts for less than 2 per cent.

 

As for books, check out KenRockwell.com. I have purchased many books suggested by him on his website and found them all to be good. (Though they tend towards lanscape and nature photography.) Importantly the books he suggestsin are all about composition, light, etc and refreshingly free of discussion of gear.

 

National Geographic have a series of very good photography handbooks too.

"The gear accounts for less than 2 per cent." I can't agree with that statement - good gear is important as well as good technique and artistic flair. I think you are going about it the right way, I did the same. I spent quite some time with my 300D, the kit lens and the Canon 28-135IS before making any other purchases.

 

In addition to reading books and Internet sites I've started doing classes with local professional photographers and a retired nationally acclaimed fashion photographer. I also belong to a photography club. These latter persuits help give me the practical feedback that books can't give.

 

My first book was "The Joy of Digital Photography" by Jeff Wignall. I also bought some out of print Kodak books off eBay. They are pre-degital but still quite relevant and an excellent read. They are "The Complete Kodak Book of Photography", The Kodak "Joy of Photography" and the "More Joy of Photography". As you can see photography is full of joy.

 

When you do decide to buy more gear, get the best glass you can afford, as this, together with your technical and artistic skills will get you the most from your camera. Then you can think about upgrading your camera body....

 

Cheers, Bob

Thanks for the quick responses and recommendations. I will definitely check out the websites/books you suggested.

 

Might I offer a suggestion, too? If you're interested in finding books at very low prices, try www.abebooks.com. It's a website that allows you to search the inventories of hundreds of used bookdealers around the country (world?). I'm a college professor and have found lots of good deals there.

 

-- Howard

I agree with Geoff's comment, but I suspect that he meant to say "epiphany".

 

I think that the best book on photography is Freeman Patterson's "Photography for the Joy of It". I was lucky enough to get mine signed by the author. The book isn't digitally-oriented, but then you're not limited by gear, are you ?

I second Jim's suggestion of Peterson's "Understanding Exposure". It's a really good grounding in the basics of good photography with Peterson's own fine examples to illustrate his points. Well written too.

Probably all of the above are good suggestions. You might browse bookstore offerings, as well, and see what appeals to you.

 

Photo.net's "Learning" tab contains a "Tutorial" section, near the end of which is a link to the book review section. Scrolling down aways gets you to "books about photography." The second listing says, "Photography by Barbara London and John Upton, is a good all-around introduction." It has been updated regularly to keep pace with current developments. I learned a lot from it in a basic photo class years ago and recommend it. I've learned a great deal from the Photo.net resources -- don't overlook the static content. Welcome and best wishes!

I would also reccomend that once you get a handle on shooting that you try to intern with a pro, or at least find others that are at a higher level than you to get feedback from. You can spend months with a book and not learn what you'll learn in a day with a great shooter who takes their time to explain things.

I sort of agree with Bob King. My approach to this new hobby is perhaps different.

 

1. I ramped on books/lessons on internet about photography as fast as I can.

 

2. Simultaneously, I jumped right into the L lens, e.g., 17-40mm f4L and 70-200mm f4L. This would save me money and hassles later, because I don't have to worry about selling off the 2nd rated lens and getting good lens. This depends on how much your dedication toward photography. The good lens (products) also have several good features that the 2nd rated products don't have, and you can learn many things from them. Of course, it is better to have the lessons learned from books and you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for it, but if you can have a "hands-on" experience with it, it'd be better.

 

3. I practiced the lessons as soon as I learned them. The good lens would minimize my tendency to blame for something else other than me! If my picure quality is not good, e.g., sharp, it gotta be me.

 

4. Upgrade the bodies later, once your photographic skills are improved.

 

On #4, I did a bit different though. I did similarly to #3 for a camera body. This (non-preferred) step enhaced my knowledge about camera and equipments very sharply. Not only I was able to know the features that doesn't exist in the pro-sumer cameras, such as crop factor, spot metering, etc., I was able to practice/understand the differences b/w them and other features. Interesting enough, at the time, as a very novice, I did not know anything about picture post-processing. With that camera, I learned quite a lot about digital darkroom.

 

tien pham

 

http://www.tkphamphotography.com

Thanks again for your suggestions. I'm going to take to heart your advice to hook up with a local club/photographer and/or take some classes. I teach at a huge university and am sure that there are some very good shutterbug clubs here. I should've thought of it sooner... d'uh!

 

By the way, James, I have to take the blame for "epiphone". I misspelled epiphany in my original post and realized it too late to edit. I guess I was thinking of Epiphone guitars rather than some sudden insight! :) ...just one of the many perils of posting late at night after several long days and nights of grading students' papers.

 

A little aside that might make some of you smile... I was taking pictures of people and their dogs at a charity event sponsored by my wife's organization. A woman with a point and shoot was also taking pictures. I was a little late arriving at the event and the woman had already taken and printed some of her photos. When she printed the first of my Rebel XT pics, she remarked, "Oh good, the printer's finally working. Green looks like green." I grinned a little and let her believe that the printer had suddenly fixed itself.

<i>Can it possibly be true that a $20 book (or, even better, a borrowed one from a library) might make a bigger difference in performance than a $1000 lens?</i>

<p>

Yes. My <a href="http://www.photographybay.com/2007/03/10/how-to-take-better-photos/">thoughts</a>.

<br><I>Ultimately photography is about who you are. It's the seeking of truth in relation

to

yourself. And seeking truth becomes a habit... My photos convey what I believe is my

truth, expressed through my ability as an artist... The photographer has to discover and

capture what is unique in each and every person... I am not particularly interested in being

up-to- date on the latest technological developments. I'm more involved with the people

in the world around me and their relationship to the world around them. I use technology

simply as a tool to penetrate this world. After all, the photos I take don't come from the

camera but from me.</I><br>

-- Leonard Freed (1929-2006), Magnum Photos

If you are into Nature photography (landscape and macros), I can recomend the series of books by John Shaw. They provide a good mix of technical content and artistic content.

 

I can also recomend that you buy lots of "author" photographic books, for inspiration. There are wonderful books from landmark photographers, in several fields, be it Nature, Travel, Contemporary, Reportage, etc, etc.

 

Also, it is worth it to invest in magazines; not the ones that focus on equipment reviews and publicity adds (there are already too many of those!), but the ones that focus on the artistic side of things.

I would start first at your local library. There are hundreds of books along the genre of Kodak and National Geographic that do well to get you started. The next step, often forgotten, is to spend some time with your camera manual, and also buy one of the Magic Lantern books tailored to your exact camera model.

 

After that, look to Freeman Patterson or Bryan Peterson for inspiration. I liked Bryan's book, "learning to see creatively". For wildlife photography, Arthur Morris offers great advice in print and on his website.

 

You'll need a text for your version of photoshop software -- those come and go with new versions, but my favourite has been CS Artistry by Haynes and Crumpler. You may want something less complex.

 

However, beyond textbooks, the best way to accelerate a learning curve is to step out and work at it. Personal style comes from within, not from someone else's accomplishments. I was surprised to learn that a big part of landscape photography involves getting up early, working to put yourself into the situation where you are likely to succeed.

 

 

Dave

My favourite books for photographic inspiration are the books "Galen Rowell's Inner Game of Outdoor Photography", "Galen Rowell's Vision: The Art of Adventure Photography", and "Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape" all by Galen Rowell. I also love the large format photography of Christopher Burkett.

 

Visit galleries and peruse books of photographs. Find photographs you like and photographs you hate and ask yourself Why do I like it or why do I hate it? How could I have done it differently? Do you like a technique - steal it and try it on your own subjects. Do you like a subject - photograph it. Has it been done before - sure - but not by you. Provided that you always judge things by your personal response you will end up with a uniquely you style of photography without it having to be forced.

 

Above all have fun.

Thanks again for your help. The more I participate in these fora, the more I find my thoughts about the true value of photography changing. I grew up in a household where my dad took all the pictures. He used an old Polaroid until he eventually graduated to some cheap Kodaks. I have three much older sisters, so it was a good group shot for him if he managed to not cut off the top of my oldest sister's head when trying to fit us all in the frame. His composition wasn't great or imaginative, the colors (if indeed color and not B&W) weren't that vibrant, etc. but those pictures were (and remain) some of my family's most valuable possessions. My mother always said that, if ever our house caught fire, the pictures would be the first thing she'd try to save (hopefully after saving her family!). The pictures, while not spectacular in a technical sense, were/are irreplaceable.

 

I think it's tempting for many newbies (like me) to get caught up in the technical aspects of photography and to view taking pictures as an end rather than as a means to an end. We may think that we have to have all L-lenses and perfect technique or else our pictures will be embarrassments. We may forget that photography is about capturing life even if imperfectly. When I take a picture, my measure of success is not that it can withstand technical scrutiny; instead, my goal is to evoke memories like my dad did with his limited equipment and skills. Yes, I want to improve my skills and equipment so that I can do an even better job of preserving my family's stories but the ultimate goal is the always the same... celebrate life. And this leads me to my final point (that many of you already made to me in your responses).

 

Photography should inspire us to find the beauty in life and to appreciate it more fully. If I find that I'm not taking many fun shots of my family, it's probably not because my skills/equipment are failing me, but because my family and I aren't doing fun things! I can only take so many pictures of kids sitting on a couch and watching TV. Sure, I could experiment with light, f stops, exposure, etc. while the kids watch the tube and produce technically proficient shots but it wouldn't be fun. Why not do those same experiments at an amusement park or while hiking a trail or playing? A picture can only be as meaningful as the thing it captures.

 

And so it is that photography is a truly a reflection of life and, as such, it serves to tell us a lot about our own lives. As I've become a more serious shutterbug, I've been surprised to find that something as simple as taking pictures is motivating me to get off the couch, to do more with my kids, and to seek the extraordinary in the ordinary. Essentially, I'm learning to, paraphrasing the cliche, "slow down and shoot the flowers!".

 

Now, I'm not suggesting that photography is the cure for war, cancer, and poverty, but I have been pleasantly surprised that my desire to become a better photographer is really becoming a desire to lead a more creative life. I confess I did't see that one coming when I bought a DSLR.

 

So, while I want to explore the finer points of photography through reading books, finding a mentor, etc., and to upgrade my equipment as needed, I'm especially going to heed your advice to have fun. Shoot, shoot, shoot and don't obsess about perfection. Fit the kids in the frame and try not to crop out any of their heads! I won't win a Pulitzer but I'm sure that my imperfect picture of a day at the zoo will be more rewarding to me when I'm old and gray than that lost Pulitzer.

 

I apologize for writing such a long "confession" but your postings have really helped me to rethink my approach to photography. For catalyzing some new thoughts about life generally, I thank you. Maybe we can gather later at my new Zen sand garden! ;-)

Howard-

 

I'm also a relative newbie (and a new poster here), and I really liked your post that included the following statement:

 

"I have been pleasantly surprised that my desire to become a better photographer is really becoming a desire to lead a more creative life. I confess I didn't see that one coming when I bought a DSLR."

 

That's exactly how I feel. In fact, your whole post captured my feelings exactly- my primary subjects are also my kids. While I've managed to get a handful of photos of them that I might call "good" on a purely aesthetic a technical level, most of my pictures of them aren't that great. But they did capture wonderful moments and bring back great memories, which makes them truly priceless.

 

Thanks for some great thoughts!

 

-Mark