This article showcases our top picks for the Books To Learn Photography. We reached out to industry leaders and experts who have contributed the suggestions within this article (they have been credited for their contributions below).
We are keen to hear your feedback on all of our content and our comment section is a moderated space to express your thoughts and feelings related (or not) to this article This list is in no particular order.
One Face Fifty Ways by Imogen Dyer
This product was recommended by Daniel Hess from To Tony Productions
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One of the best books that has always helped me with photography posing, especially working with people is One Face Fifty Ways. It has amazing insight and plenty of examples of great photography throughout. If you are especially looking to do photography in a studio or just with people than this is the one to check out.
Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll
This product was recommended by Patrick Sinclair from All Home Robotics
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It’s called Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs, by Henry Carroll, and it’s a book as simple as its title. The author went to great lengths to keep things fun, interesting, and beginner friendly while avoiding technical jargon that may ward off fresh adopters. Although it does somewhat lack coverage of more advanced techniques, it’s still a fantastic place to start and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone picking up photography.
Picture Perfect Practice by Roberto Valenzuela
This product was recommended by Eden Cheng from PeopleFinderFree
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For those looking to dive into the world of photography but have been frustrated by the challenges of shooting in real-world locations or are simply looking to become better shooters but have no idea where to start, then this book is the perfect resource for you. Picture Perfect Practice does a good job of providing readers with the tools and information they need to become the kind of photographer that can confidently walk into any location with any subject and under any lighting condition successfully create astounding photographs that have a timeless impact.
National Geographic Photo Basics by Joel Sartore
This product was recommended by Craig Miller from Academia Labs LLC
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This beginner book from a National Geographic seasoned photographer will teach you how to take better photos, from framing until photo archiving. It gives lessons that are applicable to whatever type of camera you are using, from your phone camera to DSLR. It gives all the basics and other extras about exposure, focus, lighting, and composition. The book will take you to short snippets of the life of a photographer where you’ll learn a lot of pro tips along the way.
National Geographic Complete Photo Guide by Heather Perry
This product was recommended by Scott Hasting from BetWorthy LLC
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This book gives you a lot of tips and tricks from one of the most talented photojournalists of National Geographic. It is created to make every reader better at taking pictures by discussing the basics of lens technology and image composition plus other stuff like lighting and exposure, aperture and depth of field, and so much more. The commentaries in this book will teach you how a photographer should look at the world and examples of images taken with pure art, love, and talent.
Michael Freeman’s Top Digital Photography Tips by Michael Freeman
This product was recommended by Iryna from foxoffers
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The book is great – the material in it is presented in an accessible language, with lots of authors’ examples. This is literally the ABCs of modern photography, which is a good starting point to get into the art. It teaches how to be not just technical but develops the artist’s eye and how to take photos with meaning and emotions.
The Photographer’s Eye By Michael Freeman
This product was recommended by Olivia Tan from CocoFax
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As important as camera technique is, many see composition as the single most valuable element in capturing appealing pictures. That’s why a photographer with a “good eye” can shoot outstanding images with a decades-old automatic camera and an expired roll of film. This book explores the intricacies of visual language far beyond the basic photography composition rules, while illustrating each concept with incredible images.
The Art of Photography By Bruce Barnbaum
This product was recommended by Olivia Tan from CocoFax
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As a photographer, you should be paying as much attention to “how” you capture things as you do to “why” you want to photograph them in the first place. Through this photography book, the author describes the emotional and philosophical reasoning behind over 100 images as well as the techniques used to capture the exact sentiment he wanted to transmit to viewers.
On Photography by Susan Sontag
This product was recommended by Erika Rykun from Booklyst
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Although this book doesn’t cover the topic of acquiring practical photography skills, it is great to understand the way photography and visual images have affected and changed out society.
Digital Photography Complete Course by David Taylor
This product was recommended by Shiv Gupta from Incrementors
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This self-paced photography course will guide you through every area of digital photography, step by step. You’ll learn how to utilise your camera to its greatest potential via a combination of lessons, demonstrations, and practical tasks. You’ll work at your own speed while exploring a variety of photography styles. This comprehensive resource may be used for study and reference throughout your photographic career.
Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition by Bryan Peterson
This product was recommended by Shiv Gupta from Incrementors
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What others are saying: This book might be titled understanding your camera. It is the finest photography book ever written. Peterson invites readers to go beyond the box to fully comprehend and use all of the creative features of a camera and their imagination.
BetterPhoto Basics by Jim Miotke
This product was recommended by Kristofer Sims from How To’s Guru
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This photography book promises to make beginners better at taking photos. It includes tricks and tips to improve your photos whatever camera you are using. In this book, you can learn how to make the best of indoor and outdoor light, as well as how to take photos properly from sunsets and flowers to taking a family portrait. It even includes tricks on how to adjust photos using Photoshop. Hence, this is really a basic book everybody interested in photography should have.