In November 2008 I listed the current contents of my photography bookshelf, well 21 months later, there have been quite a few new additions to that list, some bought by me, some bought for me, and as before some of them are well thumbed, and others are waiting for me to commit some time to learning from them. Here, in no bookshelf order, they are:
- The Digital Photography Book Volume 3 : How to make your photos look like the pros'! by Scott Kelby
- same format as volumes 1 and 2, recipes for success. Handy little books to have around.
- The Photo Book
"brings together 500 inspiring, moving and beautiful images of famous events and people, sensational landscapes, historic moments, sports, wildlife and fashion"
- Photosecrets San Francisco & Northern California: The Best Sights and How to Photograph Them
- great combination of travel guide and travel photography guide, giving hints and tips on where to go to get the best, or sometimes more unusual, photographs of San Francisco. This book was actually owned last time, but was sitting in another part of the house, in the travel bookshelf (and I'm not brave enough to attempt to list the books that live there!)
- The Moment it Clicks: Photography Secrets from One of the World's Top Shooters by Joe McNally
- a recommendation from someone, sometime. The "How to get this shot" sidebars are similar in concept to the recipes in the Scott Kelby books
- Hot Shots: How to Refresh Your Photos by Kevin Meredith
- reviewed more thoroughly here but still one of the first books I reach for when I need a bit of inspiration, or indeed the first book I buy for friends interested in photography
- The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes: Creative Applications of Small Flashes (Voices That Matter) by Joe McNally
- bought after my flash course with Garage Studios as a reminder
- Photos That Inspire: Photo Workshop
- a book I saw recommended on a website someplace, similar to the Joe McNally "The Moment it Clicks" book in so much as it shows a photograph, with the photographers intentions and settings etc but it concentrates more on the images, and less on the words. Good to flick through.
- Photographing People: Portraits, Fashion, Glamour (Revised Edition)
- a recommendation by Adam when I did my flash course at Garage Studios, an interesting book because it shows the lighting settings for each image, giving more of a lighting insight
- 52 Photographic Projects by Kevin Meredith
- I was fortunate enough to be able to make it to the Brighton book launch for this, and look forward to trying out some of the projects, seeking inspiration from others, and having just raw admiration for yet others
I also read a lot of article and blog posts online, some related to these topics, some which feel more like visiting a gallery or an exhibit, some which are more tutorial based, but I still love having the permanence of these books near my workspace. I have also bought/had bought a couple of the Craft & Vision eBooks, which are good quality but which need a good display to get the most out of them.
So, what are the must-have books that I don't have listed? What should I be adding to my Amazon wish-list?