Back with the second part of must-have photography books that deserve a spot on your bookshelf for that constant creative reference especially when you find yourself stuck and in search of ideas for your next photographic project.
I have shared book lists on my blog before. Just incase you missed them, you can find them here:
Mastering exposure is crucial for any photographer. Peterson breaks down complex concepts into simple terms, helping you unlock the secrets of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to achieve stunning images.
Stanton’s portraits and interviews of everyday people on the streets of New York offer a powerful exploration of human connection and emotion. It’s a testament to the profound stories that can be captured through photography.
Fuel your creativity with a variety of assignments and ideas to challenge and inspire your photography. This is book is a personal favourite as it is full of photographers and photography professionals giving their ideas on improving on your practice as a photographer.
This book is perfect for all camera users with basic photo knowledge, this guide teaches you vital techniques for capturing people in various settings—streets, homes, studios. Filled with iconic photos from renowned photographers, it offers inspiration and practical tips to confidently photograph friends, family, and more.
Sontag’s collection of essays explores the philosophical and cultural dimensions of photography. Her thought-provoking insights will challenge your perspective on the art form and encourage you to see photography in new ways. While I didn’t find this book particularly easy to read, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing it through Audible. In fact, it even sparked my imagination, inspiring me to develop ideas for future photography projects.
So there you have it, part two of photography books that will not only adorn your bookshelf (or Kindle) but also serve as an endless source of inspiration and education. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro, these books offer a diverse range of perspectives and techniques to elevate your photography. Happy reading and even happier photographing!
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If you have reached here, thank you for reading my blog post.
Drinking loads of tea/coffee with M&S ginger cookies make it happen and your support is always welcome.
If you’re like me, you probably find endless inspiration and valuable insights from flipping through the pages of well-curated photography books. There’s something magical about the way these books can transport you to a different time, place, or emotion.
I have shared book lists on my blog before. Just incase you missed them, you can find them here:
Today, I want to share must-have photography books that deserve a spot on your bookshelf for that constant creative reference especially when you find yourself stuck and in search of ideas for your next photographic project.
And the best thing, with some of these books, you can listen to them via Audible.
This timeless classic delves into the fundamental aspects of composition, lighting, and framing. Freeman’s explanations are easy to follow, making it an essential read for photographers of all skill levels.
Deborah Willis, a photography expert from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, has curated an electrifying collection of black & white photographs that exuberantly honour Black culture. These images, sourced from institutions like the Smithsonian and individual photographers’ archives, capture moments of joy and dignity among friends, family, and in various settings. Arranged thematically, the photos span different eras, covering childhood, work, arts, everyday life, sports, portraits, and spirituality. The book aptly fulfils its title, offering a vivid celebration of Black culture’s vibrant tapestry.
Explore an incredible journey through hip-hop history with Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop. With over 100 rare photoshoot outtakes, captivating interviews, and insightful essays from industry icons, this book chronicles the evolution from old-school to alternative hip-hop, spanning the shift from analog to digital photography.
So there you have it, part one of photography books that will not only adorn your bookshelf (or Kindle) but also serve as an endless source of inspiration and education. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro, these books offer a diverse range of perspectives and techniques to elevate your photography. Happy reading and even happier photographing!
I have used some affiliate links in this blog post. Click here for more details.
If you have reached here, thank you for reading my blog post.
Drinking loads of tea/coffee with M&S ginger cookies make it happen and your support is always welcome.
For the last two years or so, I have been shying away from reading any books in depth. However, it hasn’t stopped me from getting my hands on a few more, which have either gone untouched or I just do a quick flip through. I am vowing to myself this year to do better and embark on some essential reading of my investments.
For this list, I am sharing with you 5 books you should consider buying this year as these are books that are also on my wishlist.
I think this is going to be my third book list. My previous lists can be found here and here.
“Presenting a diverse geographic and ethnic selection, the What They Saw anthology interprets historical photobooks by women in the broadest sense possible: classic bound books, portfolios, personal albums, unpublished books, zines and scrapbooks.” – Read more about the book from the publisher 10×10 Photobooks here.
“Dazzling color, dreamlike backgrounds, and a fierce gaze are the hallmarks of Ijewere’s work. But most important to the London photographer is subversion of traditional concepts of beauty. In fashion work, editorials, advertisements, and film stills, Ijewere draws not only on her roots in Nigeria and Jamaica, but also on her own experiences as a young Black woman in South East London whose skin color, hair, and body type were nowhere to be found in the pages of magazines.” – Read more about the book from the publisher Prestel here. Follow Ijewere’s work here.
“Parks and Ellison collaborated on two historic photo-essays, now published in full for the first time. It is relatively unknown that the photographer Gordon Parks was close friends with Ralph Ellison, author of the acclaimed 1952 novel Invisible Man. Even less known is the fact that their common vision of racial injustices, coupled with a shared belief in the communicative power of photography, inspired collaboration on two important projects, in 1948 and 1952.” – Read more about this book here.
“Photo No-Nos is for photographers of all levels wishing to avoid easy metaphors and to sharpen their visual communication skills.
Not a strict guide, but a series of meditations on “bad” pictures, Photo No-Nos covers a wide range of topics, from mannequins and TVs in motel rooms to issues of colonialism, stereotypes, and social responsibility. At a time when societies are reckoning with what and how to communicate through media and who has the right to do so, this book is a timely and thoughtful resource on what photographers consider to be off-limits and how they have contended with their own self-imposed rules without being paralyzed by them.” – Read more about the book from the publisher Aperture here.
“Now in its sixth edition, this seminal textbook examines key debates in photographic theory and places them in their social and political contexts. This revised and updated edition includes new case studies on topics such as: Black Lives Matter and the racialised body; the #MeToo movement; materialism and embodiment; nation branding; and an extended critical discussion of landscape as genre.” – Read more about the book from the publisher Routledge here.
What I also like about this book is that the cover is by Adaeze Ihebom from her series ‘Igbo Woman’. You can follow her work and the rest of the series here.
“Photographic lighting is a topic that will never go out of style, no matter how sophisticated cameras and other technology get. Even with the most high-tech gear, photographers still need to put a lot of thought and vision into lighting their photographs in order to get great results. Mastering this key skill has the power to dramatically and quickly improve your photographs as well as your efficiency. Light-Science & Magic provides you with a comprehensive theory of the nature and principles of light, with examples and instructions for practical application.” – Read more about the book from the publisher Routledge here.
If you have reached here, thank you for reading my blog post.
Drinking loads of tea/coffee make it happen and your support is always welcome.
Two years ago, I shared a list of books that I was reading to keep me motivated. You can find the list here.
I have to admit, since then, my reading habits haven’t improved, but I do try and read when I can. Or shall I say, listen to books when I can?
Seeing that a lot of us around the world are going through some form of isolation and quarantine due to corona virus, I thought I could share with you a few books that I have found to be interesting.
And the best thing is you can either listen to them using Audible or read them via your devices using Amazon Kindle, Rakuten Kobo, Apple Books, Googles Books, etc. You don’t have to have physical books delivered to you especially now that alot of places are on lockdown.
I am reading the physical version of this book as part of my evening routine before I sleep. It is a book of young black girls finding themselves in white dominant academic spaces and the challenges they faced. It is a book about their experiences and how they navigated through these spaces. It is about finding ones voice and giving hope to those that follow, that it is ok to question and challenge in order to make the changes that are needed within these spaces.
I bought this book for my kids, my daughter especially. It is a well written book by Academy Award-winning actress, Lupita Nyong’o with illustrations by Vashti Harrison. This book is all about colourism and loving yourself despite what shade your skin is. A story about self-esteem and true love for oneself from within.
My daughter really loves this book, that she chose it as her book for this year’s World Book Day. She was so proud to take to school to show it to the rest of her class.
I can’t remember how I came about this book, but I can tell you it has certainly helped me navigate the world of working in the creative industry. From building my brand, public speaking tips, money management skills, going back to school to refresh or learn new skills, etc. are some of the gems this little black book has. It is one of those books that I keep referring too for ideas and as I have the kindle version of it, I get updated versions for free. It is more for UK readers, but I have sure there are a few things you may find useful even if you don’t live in the UK.
As a photographer, I can sometimes feel like my mojo to take pictures wane. This book has a few tips and ideas on how to get you motivated with ‘new’ ideas for photographic projects. This is one book that I have decided to make up with notes and circle the ideas that I know I would like to attempt. It is a book full of photographers and photography professionals giving their ideas on improving on your practice as a photographer.
For example: Tim Barder’s topic Findings suggests you “Find someone else to take your photographs for you. Tell them what you are looking for, and see if you can find it in the photos they take.”
I really welcome this book seeing that I will have to result to working from home for the next few weeks. It has good examples of photographing in tight and weird spaces especially around your home to get the photographs that you want without have to spend so much hiring a studio. You can do so much with very little is more or less the gist of this book.
And there you have it. I hope this list inspires you to read or try new ideas.
What books will you be reading in the coming weeks?
Which books have you read that you would recommend I check out?
#ReadMore
A Little Disclaimer I am an affiliate and I only affiliate with products and services I have used and would recommend. As I have used some affiliate links in this blog post, if you click on any products and services I recommend to make a purchase, I get a small commission on sales by referring you to these links at no extra cost to you other than the cost of the products and services – in some cases you can even get a discount. I have purchased the products mentioned and you are not obliged to click on any of the links, but if you do, any revenue generated enables me to continue blogging as well as pay for my bills and I thank you for your support.
Lately, I have begun to analyse how much I read and to be honest, I haven’t been reading as much as I should and that is about to change.
Over the years and this mostly influenced by doing an arts degree in the last five, I cannot fail to acknowledge that as a photographer, photography books are a good source of information to keep me motivated. Some may be hard to read especially when they, ironically, hardly contain any photographs and to be honest, I tend to shy away from those books unless I want to sleep.
Having said that and recovering from the shock of how intense some of these books can get, I am slowly getting back into reading and also listening to books via Audible using their app on my iPhone. As much as I like reading physical books, listening to books enables me to do something else, like take notes, iron, shower, wash dishes, eat, commute, etc. An experience I find quite enjoyable. I also signed up to my local library so I can borrow books I would not necessarily like to keep.
As I write this, I have already read and listened to 6 books this year already with 2 waiting for me to finish listening to on Audible and 5 more on my Kindle app. I know with some of these books I will be referring to them from time to time and I just thought I share 5 of my favourites.
Fellow photographer and friend of mine, Patricia Ng’ang’a, recommended this book and it is one of the books I listened to first this year. I am glad I did.
It’s one of those books that jolts you into the mindset of working out for yourself that things that matter the most and to stop literally f*cking around with your life. Stop sweating the irrelevant stuff and only give a f*ck to things that really matter and add value to your life.
If you are the kind of person that likes sweating the small stuff especially for no particular reason, you should definitely read this book.
I watched a vlog by Aileen (Lavendaire) on “How to Attract More Money into Your Life” and she mentioned Jen’s book. I quickly downloaded the audio version of the book as I am at a point in my life where I am ready to attract more money in my life. I am tired of constantly reminding myself why I cannot do or buy something due to limited funds. This book has certainly changed my attitude when it comes to how I deal with money, whether I have it, don’t have it or when I am ready to receive it.
Money is all around us and this book helps us understand that it is not a dirty word and should be embraced and talked about with positivity. Afterall, there is nowhere in this world, unless you are living under a rock, that you will not encounter money. This book helps you accept that and with a positive mindset about money, you can indeed attract it into your life to afford all the experiences you have dreamed of without breaking the proverbial bank. What I also like about this book is that with every chapter, there is a personal story, a case study and little exercises to engage/motivate you into being that money making badass and that the only thing that is stopping you is YOU.
I read this book in one sitting. It is a little quirky book with small chunks of information that makes you think about what you can do with your creativity that will make you stand out or just get out there and get creating. It an all-rounder of a book for creatives in this digital age. A book that makes you realise that “…nothing is completely original.”
Once you have read, ‘Steal Like An Artist’ as mention above, you have to read Austin’s follow up book. Just as it says on the cover, you cannot be creating all this awesome work and then keep it to yourself, you have to show it. Show the process, document, share, listen, ask, etc. are all mentioned in this book to get you as a creative to open your doors just enough so that people can see what you are all about and want more. Afterall, your work forms a part of your legacy that you will leave behind once you die. Basically, don’t be the Vivian Maier of the digital age.
Stumbled upon this book when I popped into the library and I have to say, it was a welcome read. I recently changed my eating habits and reading this book affirmed that I was on the right path when it came to my diet and relationship with food. What sold it to me was that it was written by an NHS doctor who with a lot of research especially as a medical profession confirms that food is the best medicine over prescribed medication anytime. I am not saying you go to your medicine cabinet and start binning your meds, no, I will leave it to the professionals to make that decision for you. What I am saying is that if you feel that something in your body does not feel right, first look at what is on your plate and rethink everything esp. if you feel you are not getting enough plant-based meals in your diet. And if a busy NHS doctor confirms that I am on the right path of adding more plant-based meals to my diet, then I am up for it. I would recommend this book to anyone struggling and wants to get healthy by eating right. And if you want more convincing, watch ‘What The Health’ on Netflix and then read this book. Come back and let me know what you think.
Bonus Book – Beyond the Lens Createdby Association of Photographers (AOP)
This is more of a guide rather than a book and it has an arsenal of information for any professional photographer in the UK. As a creative, you can sometimes be confused when it comes to matters relating to the law, contracts, running a business, dealing with other businesses, etc. and Beyond the Lens becomes that reference guide that essentially helps you fight for your rights as a pro photographer. It is not easy finding something like it in the UK market and I am glad that the AOP saw this as an opportunity to produce Beyond the Lens. The one I have featured here is the 4th 2014 Edition. I understand that there is a new edition coming out soon and I will update you once it is published.
And there you have it. These are the books that I have read and will continue to refer back to apart from The Doctor’s Kitchen, which I have to return to the library.
If you haven’t tried Audible, you can sign up for a free trial which you can cancel before they start charging you for membership. Once you sign up, the first book is free and you can keep it even if you cancel your free trial or membership. TIP: Don’t forget to set a reminder to cancel your free trial at least 2-3 days before the billing date. #NotAnAd
If you have reached this far into this blog post, thank you and I hope you enjoyed it/motivated you to read or listen to more books.
What books are you currently reading or would recommend?
Comment. Like. Share.
#ReadMore
A Little Disclaimer
I am an affiliate and I only affiliate with products and services I have used and would recommend. As I have used some affiliate links in this blog post, if you click on any products and services I recommend to make a purchase, I get a small commission on sales by referring you to these links at no extra cost to you other than the cost of the products and services – in some cases you can even get a discount.
I have purchased the products mentioned and you are not obliged to click on any of the links, but if you do, any revenue generated enables me to continue blogging as well as pay for my bills and I thank you for your support.
