If you're looking for books on camera settings and equipment, don't buy these.
I've had stacks of books over the years that explained exposure, metering, focusing, editing and, to be honest, they weren't very helpful. Not because they weren't good books but because I learn technical stuff by doing it rather than reading about it. And I know I'm not alone. The majority of people I've taught come to me for that very reason. "However many times I read up on it, or watch a video, it just doesn't go in. Can you show me how to do it."
So I rarely recommend photography books to people, perhaps the occasional one about composition or light or a particular genre like travel, landscape or macro photography.
However, over the last year or so, I've bought four photography books that I tell everyone about. I've read each one cover to cover, and underlined sentences in pencil, and made notes and highlighted paragraphs with asterisks.
None of these books is about the technical aspects of photography and, in fact, they can be enjoyed by the complete beginner or the accomplished pro.
I guess the latter is the category I fall into (I still suffer from imposter syndrome!). I have been paid to photograph weddings, families, newborns, products, food, even honey being harvested from hives, in full protective gear. Although there's still a lot I could learn about some of my camera's very sophisticated (and complicated) settings, I feel I've sufficiently mastered the technical side of photography for what I need to do.
So why am I still buying photography books?
The answer is that photography is about far more than settings and equipment. It's much more than nailing the perfect exposure or composition. It's about creating images that tell a story, have an emotional connection and, most importantly are authentically yours. They show the unique way in which you see the world. They reflect your values and your style.
As a professional food photographer I have to take into account the client's needs and their brand aesthetic, and that sometimes means I have to create images that are not what I would do if I had a free rein. I've often felt I've been in danger of losing sight of my authentic style. These books have all been so valuable to me in helping me to examine what I want to say with my photographs and how to rediscover my 'voice'.
These two books are similar and yet different (!) but both feature stunning photography. Laura Pashby's Little Stories Of Your Life encompasses creative writing and photography to "preserve the small moments that matter in your life". Don't be put off if you have no interest in writing, as there's so much fantastic content about how to find and photograph the magic in your everyday life.
Sara Tasker's book helps you tell your story through images that are authentically yours, and I found it incredibly useful to go through my archive and pull out images that felt like they were "intuitively right" (her phrase) and reflect my undiluted style.
David duChemin's book also helps you to explore how to create images that reflect your beliefs and tell your story, but in a very practical and useful way. He poses questions that challenge you to consider what you want an image to say, and then gives you tools that will help you to achieve that.
I've been a fan of David duChemin for a long time, reading his blogs, downloading his ebooks. His photographs are stunning and inspirational. His writing is insightful and he's without doubt an excellent teacher.
Andrew Paynter's DO / PHOTO is a powerful little pocketbook in which he urges you to slow down and "develop a more considered approach to photography so that you craft pictures with care." Again, it's practical and gives you plenty of ways to capture moments that are unique to you.
People who are new to photography usually tell me they don't have a unique style yet and they are usually hung up on the technical aspects. They may well feel that these books are not for them yet... but they absolutely are for anyone at any stage of their photography journey, and whether they are using a camera or a phone.
The ability to take a photograph that captures a moment, and connects by showing people what you saw and telling them how you felt, is far more important than settings or equipment.
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