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TEXTS & RECOMMENDED READING

 
  This page contains the list of texts and recommended reading material for my classes at City.   Many of the books listed can be ordered through Amazon directly by clicking on the link for that listing in the right hand column.  Often they will have used copies at even better discounts.

The buttons below list the categories under which the books are listed.  You can use them to jump to the category or simply scroll down the page to review the complete set of listings.


 
   

TEXT/TOPIC CATEGORIES

 
General Photo Digital Photo: Intro Digital Photo: Advanced Digital Editing (P'Shop) Photo Business
HDRI Landscape Lighting Macro/CloseUp Portraiture
Composition Wedding Fashion Advertising Photography Architectural
 
CATEGORY TITLE / DATA / DESCRIPTION CLICK ICON TO ORDER

General Photography (for Photo 100, 102, and following classes.  Good material for ALL Photo Students.)

General Photography


 

Photography
Barbara London, et al
Prentice Hall

One of the best general photo text books.  Latest edition is heavy on Digital.  For non-digital classes older editions are fine.  This book covers a very wide range.  Although expensive, it remains the core textbook for many of our advanced classes as well

 


 
  A Short Course in Photography
Barbara London

Condensed version of the main text.

 

 

 

 


 
  Criticizing Photographs: An introduction to Understanding Images
Terry Barrett

A good place to start in understanding how to view (and therefore create) images.

 

 

 


 
  On Photography
Susan Sontag

Classic text on Photo Appreciation.  A must read for serious photo students.

 

 

 

 

 


 
  The Photographer's Eye
John Szarkovski

Photo appreciation and critique by the former curator at MOMA.

 

 

 

 


 
  Light and Lens
Robert Hirsch

Very good basic exploration of photography from both a technical and aesthetic perspective.  Excellent foundational book for all photo students.

 

 

 

 
Basic Digital Photography for students new to digital
Introduction to Digital

Photo 143

Complete Digital Photography
Ben Long

Recommended for student new to both digital photography and general photography as well.

 

 

 

 


 
  Perfect Digital Photography
Jay Dickman and Jay Kinghorn

Recommended for student new to digital but with some background in general photography.

 

 

 

 


 
  A Short Course in Digital Photography
Barbara London

A smaller text by the author of the main Photo text.  This contains most of the digital material from the main text plus more.

 

 

 


 
  Digital Photography Series
Scott Kelby

A small 3-book series covering a comprehensive range of shooting issues in simple 1-3 page segments with excellent illustrations.

You can buy the books separately but really ought to get the set.

 

 


 

  Digital SLR Cameras and Photography for Dummies
David Busch

Although I hate the name of this series of books they are, in fact excellent basic overviews of the topic and are written in a very easy to understand narrative.  If you are having trouble grasping some of the foundational topics check out this book and any other relevant ones ion the series.

 

 


 
  Digital Photography for Dummies + DVD
Barbara Obermeier

Another good one in the "Dummies" series

 

 

 


 
  Perfect Exposure
Michael Freeman

Exposure is the key to photography: a perfect photo demands perfect exposure.  This is a good book on getting it right.

 

 

 


 
  Understanding Shutter Speed
Bryan Peterson

Good material on using shutter speed to control motion and in doing low light photography.

 

 

 

 


 
  Black and White for Photoshop CS4
by Leslie Alsheimer & Bryan Hughes

Good detailed book and converting digital capture into black and white final images.

 
The following books are all on composition.  This is the heart of a good photograph so the more you can grasp the concepts and apply them the better your imagery will become. The Photographers Eye
Michael Freeman

A very good text on Photo composition discussing the normal "rules" of composition and illustrating how they are applied in photographic image making.

 

 

 


 
  Creative Composition: Digital Photography Tips and Techniques
Harold Davis

Another take on composition

 

 

 

 


 
  Learning to See Creatively
Bryan Peterson

 

 

 

 

 


 
Advanced Digital Photography (For Photo 243)
Advanced Digital Photography
Photo 243
Within the Frame
David DuChemin

A book about finding and expressing your own personal photographic vision.

 

 

 

 


 
  Creative Night
Harold Davis

Good book on shooting at night and in low light photography.

 

 

 

 


 
  Mastering Digital Panormaic Photography
Harald Woeste

 

 

 

 


 
Digital Photo Editing (Materials and information for your digital darkroom processes and techniques)
Digital Photo Editing

Photo 143, 243, 180, all levels

PhotoShop CS4 for Photographers
Martin Evening

This is the standard text used for our digital imaging classes.  It offers a very good basic grounding in Photoshop CS4

 

 

 

 


 
  Photoshop CS4 for Photographers
Scott Kelby

Though the Evening book is the text for photo 180/181, I prefer this one.

 

 

 

 


 
  The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers
Scott Kelby

 

 

 

 

 



 
  Layers: PhotoShop's most powerful feature
Matt Kloskowski

Having trouble getting a grasp on using layers in PhotoShop?  Then this is a good text to start sorting it all out.

 

 

 


 
  Adobe PhotoShop Lightroom 2
Scott Kelby

All of Scott Kelby's books are good. If you use Lightroom this is a very good reference book to have. 

 

 

 

 


 
HDRI (References for expanding the dynamic range of your photogrphs)a
HDRI

Photo 204,
243, 245

Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Photography
Ferrel McCollough

One of the better texts on the subject showing comparisons of different HDRI generators

 

 

 


 
  A World in HDR
Trey Ratcliff

Major travel photographer brings some amazing HDR to his genere with some great images and techniques.

 

 

 


 
  Practical HDR
David Nightingale

 

 

 

 

 


 
Landscape Photography (Texts on shooting and selling landscape photos)
Landscape

Photo 245

Digital Landscape Photographs: In the Footsteps of the Masters
Michael Frye

Discusses iconic images from Adams and others and show how to apply digital techniques to those types of photographs.

 


 
  Photographing Nature
Ralph Clevenger


A course in a book by the Nature and Landscape instructor at Brooks Institute.  This is a very good book covering a wide variety of aspects involved in shooting nature and landscape.

 

 


 
  Mastering Landscape Photography
Alain Briot

 

 

 

 

 


 
  Nature Photography Fieldguide
John Shaw

 

 

 

 

 


 
  Landscape Photography
John Shaw

 

 

 

 

 


 
  Focus on Nature
John Shaw

The creative process behind making great photographs in the field.

 

 

 


 
  The Business of Nature Photography
John Shaw

Very good material on creating and selling nature and landscape photography.

 

 

 

 
Lighting (texts and reference books on lighting techniques and issues)
Lighting

Photo 200, 200B, 201, 230 and 220

Photo Recipes Live
Scott Kelby

Text on current photo lighting styles and techniques.  Well illustrated book by top author.

 

 

 

 


 
  Light: Science and Magic
Paul Fuqua

Good foundational text on lighting

 

 

 

 


 
  Studio Lighting Techniques
Christopher Grey

 

 

 

 

 


 
  Hot Shoe Diaries
Joe McNally

Comprehensive book on using portable flash in all types of shooting situations.

 

 

 

 


 
  Lighting for Photography
Glen Rand

 

 

 

 

 


 
  Digital Lighting and Rendering
Jeremy Birn

 

 

 

 

 

 
Macro & Close Up  (These text contain data on the equipment and techniques for macro & close-up photos)
Macro & Close Up

Photo 204,
243, 200,

Creative Close Ups
Harold Davis
 

Pages of field tested techniques for all types of macro and close up subjects. A good general reference for shooting close ups.

 

 


 
  Understanding Close Up Photography
Bryan Peterson

Tips and techniques from well known author and photgorapher.

 

 

 

 


 
Portraiture (Lighting, posing, and other issues for Portrait photos)
Portraiture

Photo 220, 250, 200

Sculpting with Light
Allison Earnest

 

Good text for using light purposefully in portraiture.  Well illustrated.

 

 

 


 
  Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers
Christopher Grey

 

 

 

 


 
  500 Poses for Photographing Women: A guide for Portrait Photographers
Michelle Perkins

 

 

 

 

 


 
  On Camera Flash Techniques for Weddings and Portraits
Neil Van Neikirk

Tips and Techniques for using your portable flash unit for weddings and events and  location portraits

 

 

 


 
  Beyond Portraiture: Creative People Photography
Bryan Peterson

Location and casual portraiture and people shooting.

 

 

 


 
  Skin
Lee Varis

A great book on lighting portraits but also has extremely good data on editing and retouching for portraiture.

 

 

 

 
Photo Business (References and forms for working as a professional photgorapher)
Photo Business Issues

Photo 145 and all vocational classes

Best Business Practices for Photographers
John Harrington

Comprehensive book on running a photo business.

 

 

 


 
  ASMP Professional Business Practices

 

 

 

 

 


 
  Business and Legal Forms for Photographers
Tad Crawford

 

 

 

 

 

 
Wedding Photography:  Issues for shooting high quality wedding photos
Wedding Photography Digital Wedding Photography
Glen Johnson

 

 

 

 

 


 
  Master Posing Guide for Wedding Photgoraphers
Bill Hurter

 

 

 

 

 

 
Advertising Photography
Advertising Photography Photo 230 Advertising Photography by
Lou Lesko
 
  Commercial Photography Handbook  
     
 
     

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