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Best photography books?

Clasoni

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What would you recommend as the best one for beginners? Is it good to buy the DVD about your camera? Or just go with a Couple of general photography books? Thanks.
 
I've been reading all the volumes of The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby, he's a well known photographer/Photoshop teacher. His books are cheap, and very informative.
 
I've been reading all the volumes of The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby, he's a well known photographer/Photoshop teacher. His books are cheap, and very informative.


I love Kelbys books as well.
 
I've been reading all the volumes of The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby, he's a well known photographer/Photoshop teacher. His books are cheap, and very informative.

Are they beginner friendly when it comes to terminology?
 
I REALLY like the old John Hedgecoe photography books as teaching tools. Not recipe books, but as tools that *teach* how to see light, find light, and how to position your subjects, and yourself, in the proper way to actually take real-woerld picture.

Hedgecoe's book The Photographer's Handbook is a good example of his illustration-rich books. avaialbale widely at used book sellers.

For $3 to $5, you can pick up a book that will show you a tremendous amount of information,quickly and easily.
 
I REALLY like the old John Hedgecoe photography books as teaching tools. Not recipe books, but as tools that *teach* how to see light, find light, and how to position your subjects, and yourself, in the proper way to actually take real-woerld picture.

Hedgecoe's book The Photographer's Handbook is a good example of his illustration-rich books. avaialbale widely at used book sellers.

For $3 to $5, you can pick up a book that will show you a tremendous amount of information,quickly and easily.

How about to learn about the camera? ISO, aperture ect?
 
Learning about the camera is the EASIEST part of photography. Believe me...that can be done in an hour or so. Maybe an afternoon.

The Hedgecoe books, ALL of them, detail how to actually "do" photography. How to find pictures. How to set-up pictures. How to frame pictures.How to create pictures. How to look for kinds of lighting conditions, and how to position yourself and your subject--in relationship to the "light".

Photography is about writing with light. A lot of people today want a book that takes them by the hand and shows them how to, say, "run" the Nikon D7100, or how to "operate" the Canon EOS 600D. And that book comes with the camera in the form of the owner's manual. It covers ALL of the necessary nuts and bolts mechanical operating stuff. Aperture, ISO, shutter, exposure modes, focusing.

You asked about the best photography books, and I am assuming you meant the best photography instructional guides for beginning- to intermediate-level photography enthusiasts, and so, I listed just one, specific author, and one specific book. I have a copy of that book on my desk, right now. The 2004 title that KmH listed is also a good book title...same author, a bit newer book. I have read every one of Hedgecoe's books, over the past 30 years.

My feeling is this: the Hedgecoe books are the absolute best books ever written for beginners who want to learn "photography". His books show hundreds and hundred of sketches and sample photos that address these critical issues:how to see light, how to find light, how to position yourself and your subjects in relation to the light, and how to use a camera,lens, and light to make photographs.
 
Bryan Peterson's series are great. Understanding Exposure, Understanding Composition, Etc.
 
Learning about the camera is the EASIEST part of photography. Believe me...that can be done in an hour or so. Maybe an afternoon.
The Hedgecoe books, ALL of them, detail how to actually "do" photography. How to find pictures. How to set-up pictures. How to frame pictures. How to look for kinds of lighting conditions, and how to position yourself--in relation to the "light".

Photography is about writing with light. A lot of people today want a book that takes them by the hand and shows them how to, say, "run" the Nikon D7100, or how to "operate" the Canon EOS 600D. ANd that book comes with the camera in the form of the owner's manual. It covers ALL of the necessary nuts and bolts mechanical operating stuff.

You asked about the best photography books, and I am assuming you mean the best photography instructional guides for beginning- to intermediate-level photography enthusiasts, and so, I listed just one, specific author, and one specific book. I have a copy of that book on my desk, right now. The 2004 title that KmH listed is also a good book title...same author, a bit newer book.

My feeling is this: the Hedgecoe books are the absolute best books ever written for beginners who want to learn "photography". His books show hundreds and hundred of sketches and sample photos that address these critical issues:how to see light, how to find light, how to position yourself and your subjects in relation to the light, and how to use a camera,lens, and light to make photographs.

Thank you for your advice.
I think I didn't explain my self really good. Even though I think that's a great book I need something else too before I go to that route or at least to pair with that one. And what I'm looking for is something that explains me what is ISO what is aperture what is white balance how can I use them? What's exposure level? I'm a beginner beginner! :/
 
I'd recommend Complete Digital Photography by Ben Long. Here: Complete Digital Photography: Ben Long: 9781285077260: Amazon.com: Books

The book will take you through EVERYTHING. It will explain your camera to you, it will teach you some basic art, exposure, and the digital dark room (photoshop). It will teach you about your camera sensor, the lenses, how it creates an image, how to use your histogram, how to properly expose a photo, about white balance modes, how to use metering modes, how to compose your photo, and how to edit it. It is literally "complete."

It is definitely a beginners book. In fact, I recommend it BEFORE reading Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson, which is another great book.

The Kelby books did nothing for me. They are more of a recipe book. They don't actually teach you photography, but many people like them.

I can't speak for John Hedgcoe. I know some people have compared Ben Long's and his book. But, I haven't read Hedgcoe.

Anyways, I highly recommend Ben Long, and then Bryan Peterson. The beginning of Ben Long's book might seem overwhelming, but it actually gets easier as it goes on, so don't let it get to you. If you're literally JUST starting photography and know NOTHING, get Ben Long's book. He will teach you to understand your camera and the basics of photography. After that, read Understanding Exposure. It'll teach you how to shoot on manual mode. Again, this is just my opinion. I don't know about Hedgcoe.

All this from one beginner to another ;) (but you're probably better off listening to the veterans).
 
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I've been reading all the volumes of The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby, he's a well known photographer/Photoshop teacher. His books are cheap, and very informative.

Are they beginner friendly when it comes to terminology?
ABSOLUTELY!!! Super easy. He explains everything.
 

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