reading list

Without any formal education in photography, books and assisting other photographers has become a crucial element in advancing my technical and business knowledge. Books are a great resource in providing inspiration, advice, technical data and information on business practices. No matter what level you’re at, there’s a book out there that is sure to help you advance in your photography.

Here’s a few I recommend and why they’re on my bookshelf.

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson - In my opinion, every first time camera purchase should automatically come with a copy of this book. It’s the quintessential read (other than the manual that came with your camera – go read it if you haven’t!) to understanding the principles of aperture, shutter speed and ISO in achieving an exposure. No other book illustrates it all quite as well. This newer version incorporates techniques for both digital and film. I first purchased the film only version of this book when I was 16 and took a semester of high school photography. When I picked up a camera again seven years later it was invaluable in acquainting me with the principles of photography once again. Peterson put out another companion book solely focused on Understanding Digital Photography. I’d recommend grabbing it as well.

Photo Trekking by Nick Onken – Nick is one of my favorite photographers so its probably no surprise this book is up there on my recommended reading list. His book focuses on travel photography, from photo tips to pre and post production to personal branding and inserts on little stories from his own travels. What I’ve found great about it is that it has a little something in there for both beginners and more advanced photographers. An entire section is devoted to tips for taking great travel photographs that beginners will love (and more advanced photogs that need a reminder). If you’re into lifestyle or travel photography it’s a great read on tips to streamline your trip from what to pack to considerations of production.

The Photographer’s Survival Guide and How to Succeed in Commercial Photography – Both of these books are written by leading commercial photo reps and consultants and contain a wealth of advice on common business practices of the commercial photographer. If this world of photography appeals to you, these are two must read books. However, there’s some great common themes that easily translate into retail photography (weddings, families, etc). In the Photographer’s Survival Guide, Amanda Sosa Stone and Suzanne Sease review such critical elements of commercial photography as establishing a unique visual style, marketing, website and portfolio presentation, bidding jobs and production. I’d consider it THE basic primer on successful business practices. The bonus is that it’s filled with photos, diagrams and remarkably easy to read and follow text. In addition, the book contains a CD with 21 essential forms such as model releases, invoice forms and call sheets.

Selina Maitreya is thought of as one of the original photography consultants, and she’s helped hundreds of photographers find their voice and improve their business practices. In How to Succeed in Commercial Photography she speaks to many of the same principles found in Stone’s and Sease’s book, but from a bit more of a general perspective that is both motivational and enlightening. The two authors differ on a few things, but mostly agree. There’s a better look in this book at what goes into a good team and specific examples on building a vision from photographer profiles. What I found really great were the last two chapters. Packed full of inspirational stories and thoughts. They leave you with a real go-getter attitude. I actually found myself working much harder toward my goals after reading the book, even the dismally boring ones like accounting.

These last three books really hone down more on professional practices, profit and workflow. If you’re really still struggling with your technical skills, I’d recommend holding off on these few books. They are an in depth look at what it takes to create a sustainable business as a commercial photographer. The first is what might be called the manuscript on photography for profit – Focus on Profit by Tom Zimberhoff. I’m not sure if it’s regularly printed much anymore and I’ll admit I have yet to dive into this one, but it’s reputation is big. The other two, Professional Business Practices in Photography and Digital Photography Best Practices and Workflow Handbook come free with membership to the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP). It’s a great organization where you can meet and network with many experienced professional photographers. Membership also includes a lot of really great benefits such as discounts on gear, Adobe software, computers, insurance, business services, websites, car rentals and more. I’ve easily made back what I spent on membership and more. The ability to network and learn from other local photographers is a huge boon. Consider it once you’ve gained a bit more proficiency and want to start learning the business side of this craft.

Lastly, if the commercial world really isn’t your goal, there’s a great packet put together by Stacy Reeves and a few other retail photographers on how to price weddings and portrait work. It’ll give you a great look into all the calculations that really go into a wedding and why charging $500 for one is ridiculously unsustainable. Hope this was helpful. If you have any other books that you really enjoy and would recommend, feel free to let me know on Facebook about them.