Photography

These are a few of the books that have both inspired and helped me learn the basics of photography. The first three books by Bryan F. Peterson will teach you the basic principals of the camera.  The book by Jay Dickman & Jay Kingham is a single volume on the basics of photography and post-processing. The two books by Scott Kelby will demystify the art of post-processing. The titles by or about Ansel Adams, Galen Rowell, Art Wolfe, Joe McNally, etc. are personal favorites of mine that go beyond the technical aspects of photography and venture into the art of it.

Bryan Peterson

The technical aspects of photography can be daunting. I’ve found Bryan Peterson’s books to be refresingly straight-forward and even uplifting in that regard. Begin with the first three listed below as they provide the foundation for the rest. And start with the first one of those three, after all, learning to see creatively is really the underlying principle of this entire thing!

Post-Processing

I am, by no means, an expert when it comes to post-processing. I basically know enough to get by. But more importantly, I know I can turn to books like these to help me past the inevitable roadblocks. The initial printing of the book by the two Jays (Dickman & Kinghorn) was my introduction to the digital darkroom. The books by Scott Kelby took me even further. Scott’s constantly putting out new books and even re-editing his past books. The two below are the ones I own.

Ansel Adams

Now we’re are moving on into inspiration territory and what can you possibly say about Ansel Adams that hasn’t already been said? There are a ton of books on his life and work. Here are the few that I own.

Galen Rowell

This one still hurts. Galen died - along with his wife Barbara and two of their friends - tragically when the plane they were flying home in crashed on approach to the airport in Bishop, CA. That happened in the summer of 2002 - just a year or two before I bought my first digital SLR camera. I think my first conscious exposure to Galen likely came via Outdoor Photographer magazine some time after his pasing in the early 2000s, though I had unknowingly encountered his work back in the late ‘80s in form of cover of David Lee Roth’s album SKYSCRAPER - which was shot by Galen. Galen’s photographs and writings changed the way I look at color photography in many of the same ways that Ansel changed my view of black & white photography. I count myself fortunate to have been able to visit his Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop before it closed where many of his most iconic photos were on display.

Art Wolfe

While Ansel and Galen are no longer with us, there are number of modern masters who are. Art Wolfe is one of my favorites. There is a softness to his photos that I simply adore. And I’m not talking about focus. His photos are always in focus, except when they aren’t - deliberatly for artistic purposes. No, It’s more of a painterly effect that he has mastered. It’s not surprising given that he was educated as an artist and even still occasionally paints to this day. He has produced a great many books. I’ve only managed to get my hands on most of his more popular titles which I’ve compiled below - though I still have yet to pick up TREES and HUMAN CANVAS (both are on my list!). If you have to start with one, I would say that EARTH IS MY WITNESS would be my pick. It’s arguably the best summation of his work to date.

Joe McNally

Joe is another modern master who I really like. I consider myself more of a landscape & architecture photographer, but I love his portrait work and his use of flash. He is also quite thoughtful and insightful when it comes to talking and writing about photography.

Anton Corbijn

He’s probably still too young to be considered a “master”, but he has an identifiable style that I appreciate. He also directed one of my favorite George Clooney movies (THE AMERICAN).

Bryan Adams

Yes, THAT Bryan Adams. Perhaps a surprisng pick, but a worthy one.