CameraCrazy

A few thoughts when looking for a good photography book

If you read CameraCrazy then you’re likely in search for ideas, information and techniques to make you a better photographer. Now despite the great comments we have received about how useful our readers are finding our ideas (and we truly do appreciate them, so keep them coming!) another great resource can be photography books.

There are a multitude of photography books on the market and often because of their high gloss pages and numerous photographs they can cost quite a bit more than a ‘standard’ book. I guess what sparked this post was when I was in a photography rut; one of the ways I get out of a rut is by going to my book store and picking up a photography book to inspire me or teach me a technique that provokes me into trying it out. However, recently I just realized how much the photography market has exploded and the number of books that now line the shelfs of my local book store can be fairly overwhelming. I started browsing through them and realized there is a lot of choice and if you’re not careful in your purchase you could be choosing an expensive book that doesn’t offer much.

I classify books into three categories, general knowledge, specific/specialty books and art books. The general knowledge books are petty much the basics of photography. They are often directed towards beginner photographers and showcase great photos that attempt to lead newbie photographers into believing that after reading their book they can instantly take just as good photographs. I’m not trying to discredit these books, the techniques they offer are often good and accurate, however in my opinion I try to keep these books on the shelf because the techniques they teach can easily be obtained elsewhere. There are tons of podcasts, websites and other photographers out there that can show you about the basics of apertures, exposure, shutter speed, flash, ISO and lots of other standard ideas. I prefer to just pick up this knowledge elsewhere since it is so well known that most websites can demonstrate them accurately and provide different views on the issue.

The books I prefer to read are from the other two categories. The specialty books are typically what I purchase they are more dedicated to a particular technique or idea, exploring the idea in-depth. These books range from teaching about portraiture photography right up to learning to see and being creative. In the example of portraiture photography they show techniques on how to position and interact with the subject to get the shot you want. These books also go in-depth with such things like different lighting techniques, right down to aperture or shutter speed effects. These are the books that will teach you the techniques that you likely won’t find easily online. That’s not to say they don’t exist, but in my experiences are often few and far between. Why not just purchase the book and have an easy resource to access and re-access in the future.

One great series of books that I find myself reading and re-reading are by Freeman Paterson, Freeman is a well known Canadian photographer who offers workshops in New Brunswick and South Africa and cost roughly $2000 to attend. However for those who can’t afford the cost, you can pick up his books and learn similar techniques on a wide variety of topics. The general theme across all his books is creativity and trying new things and before you ask, no I’m not sponsored by Freeman. I just find his work and books exceptional.

The last type of books are photography art books. Typically seen on coffee tables these often oversized books are full of photographs with a particular theme and few words written. Books with such titles as Landscapes, Wild Flowers, Butterflies, Babies, etc. Although these books offer little in technique, they offer a wealth of information in seeing how other good photographers approach a scene. Furthermore, the large format allow for in-depth study of the photographs. Now I strongly suggest that everyone develop their own style of photography, however if you do find yourself in a rut try applying the techniques used in these types of books. Examine what pictures you like and then study why you like them, is it color, angles at which the subject is shot,the simplicity of the scene, the confusion?

I think the last thing to remember is that despite all the reading you do, the best learning tool is using your camera. There are no set techniques to the basics of photography, there are hundreds or thousands of ways to combine techniques to get all kinds of effects. The best way to figure which ones work is to try them. So get out there and experiment. A lot of the time you will be disappointed with the results, this is part of the learning experience. Don’t get discouraged and keep trying, eventually one of the techniques will work and you will be overjoyed with the results. Good Luck and Keep Shooting!