Photography is a recent obsession, comparatively. My oldest obsession is books. So, if you combine the two, you get this page. It is an incomplete list of useful photography books and major publications, for the bibliophilic photographer. I welcome additions or corrections.
Most of the books listed are still in print or are commonly available used. (The publication date is for the copy I used, not necessarily the latest printing.) Some may be harder to find, but are listed because they are worth the effort. Most bookstores have a Photography section, some better than others. Some used book stores have very good selections. There are also some mail-order retailers, or publishers who sell through the mail or the internet (see below).
You are welcome to save and/or print this document for personal use. If you wish to distribute or alter it, I would appreciate a request and description of the use first. Thank you.
| Understanding Exposure | Bryan Peterson | Explanation and Examples of the effects of exposure on your image. |
| John Hedgecoe's Complete Guide to Photographing People | John Hedgecoe, Sterling Publishing Co., New York, 1992 | Advice on Photographing different categories of people in different locations, equipment and lighting. |
| Lighting for People Photography | Stephen Crain, Amherst Media, Inc., Amherst, NY, 108 pages, $24.95 | |
| Creative Darkroom Technique | Kodak, 1973 | How to create alternative/contemporary/creatives images in the darkroom. (See, people could do this before computers were common.) |
| The Photographer's Master Printing Course | Dr. Tim Rudman | Excellent guide to what you do to make a quality print after you have learned to develop film and to focus an enlarger. |
| The Master Photographer's Lith Printing Course | Dr. Tim Rudman | Have yet to review in the US, but based on comments from others and his other excellent work, this is a must have if you are at all interested in creative darkroom printing. |
| How to Start A Professional Photography Business | Ted Schwarz, Contemporary Books, Inc., Chicago, 1976 | Discussion of some of the business practices, and the most common areas of specialty. |
| Professional Photographer's Survival Guide | Charles E. Rotkin, Writer's Digest Books, Cincinnati, OH, 1992 | Getting started, business practices, and interviews with well-known professionals. |
| The Art of Infrared Photography | Joseph Paduano, Amherst Media, 1995, $17.95 | Rather minimal discussion of infrared film and technique, but excellent examples of IR photos. Note: I recently saw what looked like an expanded version of this book, so it may be significantly more useful. |
| Infrared Nude Photography | Joseph Paduano, Amherst Media, 1991, $18.95 | See Art of Infrared Photography. |
| Infrared Photography Handbook | Laurie White, Amherst Media, 1996, $24.95 | A pretty thorough but accessible discussion of infrared theory and technique. |
copyright ©Bertha Adamson
created by badamson@ix.netcom.com / last revised September 1999