- Cover via Amazon
Best Photography Books
If you want the best photography books, or you love a photographer, then you’ll want to print a copy of this list. These are the most wished for books on Amazon. This means there is probably a book or two on this list your photographer would love.
Save yourself some time by using this list as a shopping list. Your photographer will love you for it. I’ve included the star rating incase you’re trying to decide between two books.
1. National Geographic Image Collection by National Geographic, Michelle Anne Delaney, Maura Mulvihill
For the first time ever, readers will plumb the fascinating depths of this immense
archive from the earliest photographs collected in the late 19th century to the cutting-edge work of today.
2. The Digital Photography Book , Volume 3 by Scott Kelby
This book truly has a brilliant premise, and here’s how Scott describes it: “If you and I were out on a shoot and you asked me, ‘Hey Scott, I want the light for this portrait to look really soft and flattering. How far back should I put this softbox?’ I wouldn’t give you a lecture about lighting ratios, or flash modifiers. In real life, I’d just turn to you and say, ‘Move it in as close to your subject as you possibly can, without it actually showing up in the shot.’
3. VisionMongers: Making a Life and a Living in Photography by David duChemin
A book for any photographer who’s ever felt compelled to combine their craft with the world of commerce and make the transition to becoming a vocational photographer.
4. Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision by David duChemin
A book about finding and expressing your photographic vision, specifically where people, places, and cultures are concerned.
5. The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by 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.
6. The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2 by Scott Kelby 4.6 out of 5 stars
In Volume 2, Scott adds entirely new chapters packed with Plain English tips on using flash, shooting close up photography, travel photography, shooting people, and even how to build a studio from scratch, where he demystifies the process so anyone can start taking pro-quality portraits today!
7. The Moment It Clicks: Photography Secrets from one of the World’s Top Shooters by Joe McNally
This book blends the rich, stunning images and elegant layout of a coffee-table book with the invaluable training, no-nonsense insights, and photography secrets usually found only in those rare, best-of-breed educational books.
8. Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Photography Field Guide : How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera by Bryan Peterson
Everything you need to know in one take-anywhere field guide! Want to finally understand exposure? Interested in learning to “see” and composing your images more creatively? Ready to master the magic of light? It’s all here, the techniques every amateur photographer needs to take better nature, landscape, people, and close-up photos.
9. Master Shots: 100 Advanced Camera Techniques to Get an Expensive Look on Your Low-Budget Movie by Christopher Kenworthy
Not a photography book, but still made the top 10 wish list. Master Shots gives filmmakers the techniques they need to execute complex, original shots on any budget. By using powerful master shots and well-executed moves, directors can develop a strong style and stand out from the crowd.
10. Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 by Scott Kelby
Scott Kelby shows which button to push, which setting to use, when to use them, and hundreds of the most closely guarded photographic “tricks of the trade” to get budding photographers shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos with their digital camera every time they press the shutter button.
I’m sure you’ll find something your photographer will love. And guess who gets the credit….you. “I just love it. How did you know?”
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I think you should have listed Scott’s full volume ste as one book, then added a few more choices to the list. We all know Scott’s books are wonderful, but to list them separately is taking away from another fine selection. So hard to choose! Love the choices for the most part.
Hi Lainer
You’re right about Scott’s books. Each one is a gem! I was going by the bestsellers in Amazon. I’m always curious what other people are buying.
Once you’ve learned the basics with Kelby’s and Peterson’s books, been inspired to get out and take photos by the Nat Geo and DuChemin’s books, and then discovered that your photos don’t match up with the images in your mind, you should study (not just read) “The Photographer’s Eye” by Michael Freeman. It has more substance than all the other books combined (with the exception of the Nat Geo book) when it comes to really learning how to take better photos, and should be at the top of the list!
That’s why I love photography so much. No matter how much you learn, there is always more cool stuff to find out. Thanks for the tip. I’ll be studying!
Thanks so much for the shout out, Scott. You are single-handedly changing photography for us ‘normal’ folks. And we appreciate it!
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