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Curling up with a good bookI am an advocate of learning by doing, but books do have uses, and this list is a selection of favorites. Some contain classic images, some contain technical information, and some help you think about why you take photos. As with anything of the sort, they aren't infallible. A good book should spur your thinking, not just pour out data. Not all of these books are currently in print. Before you pay sky-high prices, check the Advanced Book Exchange or a similar service to find out who has copies and what they're asking. And remember that nearly every local library can get what you want through Inter-Library Loan. These are the "classics" of photography in my opinion. A classic, by definition, may be technically out-of-date, but the ideas are still challenging. For more technical or modern books (which are also worth reading) look at the lists in my links.  Ansel Adams, with introduction by John Szarkowski, The Portfolios of Ansel Adams. Every photographer needs to be acquainted with Adams. This book, with portfolios from 1932 to 1976, contains a cross-section of his work. A wide variety of other collections are available, and they are all fine, but this one is the most comprehensive. Some caution is called for: I tend to avoid introductions and books about Adams: the idea is to absorb his pictures and what he has to say about the creative process. When there's something to be said, Adams does, by and large, a fine job of it himself. His technical series, consisting of The Camera, The Negative, The Print, and Polaroid Land Photography, is worthwhile, but requires a lot of work to absorb. His ideas of technical control are important, but this is one area where his thoughts are sometimes explained better by others.
Andreas Feininger, The Complete Photographer. First published in 1965, some of the technical parts of this book are, of course, out of date. But this is much more a philosophical book about the nature and purpose of photography, what it means to take a photo, and how to use the elements of photos to create a message. Kodak Professional Photoguide: one of the best small references you can have. It's frequently updated to include information on film changes. Other than that, older editions remain perfectly usable with grey and color cards, lighting calculators, filter information, depth of field calculators, and the like. Kodak Workshop Series: overall, an excellent series, intended to be a guide to expanding one's photographic knowledge and practice. Several of the volumes have undergone significant revisions since their first appearance, keeping them up to date, but sometimes resulting in dramatic changes in content. In addition to the books listed here, the series also includes Photographing with Automatic Cameras and Existing Light Photography, which cover introductory matters well, and a group on home darkrooms, which--if you're interested in such things--are worth reading as well.
Using Filters explains and illustrates how filters work and how to choose them. It deals with the "normal" filters as well as effects filters. Artur Landt, Lenses for 35mm Photography, is a detailed exploration of optical principles, lens construction, and use. There's always something new in this one, which is more technical than most of the series. Jack Neubart, Electronic Flash, explores the technical aspects of flash and light in general, types of flash units, a variety of techniques, and a practical section called "fun flash adventures." William White, Jr., Close-Up Photography, starts with spectacular photos and then explains how it all works. This book includes two important chapters, one on large-format cameras by Dennis Brokaw, and "Photographing Miniatures" by Malcolm Furlow. Train lovers have often been awed by Furlow's work with model rail subjects--here he makes it look easy! William Leach, Land of Desire: Merchants, Power, and the Rise of a New American Culture (Vintage Books, 1994). This is not a photography book as such, although it is well-illustrated with fascinating photos. It will help you understand the "consumer" mindset that permeates our world today, and why industries work so hard to convince you that your perfectly-functional camera is an outdated piece of dinosaur doo-doo. Willard Morgan and Henry Lester, Graphic Graflex Photography, various editions from 1940 to about 1960. Billed as the "master book for the larger camera," much of the technical information specific to the camera is, not surprisingly, far outdated. However, the principles and guidance here--such points as technical foundation, composition, how lenses work, using light, and the uses of photography--are still valuable. Before you close the book, look carefully through the back to remember the days when some of the world's great cameras were made in the USA. Lawrence W. Levine, Highbrow / Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in Amerca (Harvard University Press, 1988). This is also not a photography book, but if you're interested in understanding my occasional rants about snobbery in the arts, and my insistence that rail photography is art, you need to read this book. Freeman Patterson, Photography and the Art of Seeing. Patterson is one of my favorite writers, probably because his education and work are much like mine. He deals with photography as a spiritual and communicative art, and his books are useful beyond the area of nature photography. They expand on Ansel Adams's idea of visualization, extending it to thinking visually about subjects, environment, and effect. By the same author, Photography of Natural Things also deals with one's approach, but it becomes more of a "how-to" manual about nature, with specifics on such topics as natural cycles (large and small), how to capture motion in water, why plants grow where they do, the behavior of animals, why he uses some of the equipment he does, and guidelines for your own choices. Ted Schwarz and Brian Stoppee, The Photographer's Guide to Using Light (Amphoto, 1996). A testimonial of how good this book is: as word spread after publication, even the "old head" pros came around to pick up a copy. It covers enough basics that a beginner won't get lost, but doesn't dwell on them as so many books do. The authors deal with all aspects of light, natural and artificial, with clear explanations of how they differ and how they can be used to best advantage to create the photograph you want. I would also suggest that you obtain a "system manual" or similar book about your camera and its accessories. These are invaluable for learning what you can do with your camera, what fits what, and so on. If you're having trouble with the instruction book, which is probably written in shattered English and presumes that you know what you're doing anyway, look around. Some offer history, some offer instruction. Many can be found online, and many cameras are the topic of discussion groups at places like Yahoo! Groups.
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