Photographing the World Around You

Freeman Patterson, 2004 [ Technique ]

An easier read than his other book, Patterson begins with building blocks of visual design, covering light, line, shape, texture and perspective with a few example pictures. He then explains to us on how to put the building blocks together using interesting ideas of dominance, balance, proportion and rhythm that is inherent in your images. He also reasons with us the importance of evaluating your own photos and finishes off by encouraging us to tackle a few assignments on people, natural things, and constructed things. He also discusses on how to make an album.

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Photography and the Art of Seeing

Freeman Patterson, 2004 [ Technique ]

This may be a thin book, but it is quite heavy reading. Patterson challenges the reader to break the barriers of seeing by "thinking sideways" and "relaxed attentiveness", two techniques he introduces to us in Learning To Observe. He then goes on the next chapter of Learning to Imagine and teaches us to use our mind's eye to gives us exercises on abstracting and selecting visual elements. Finally, Learning to Express covers the treatment of subject matter and thinking about visual design. 136 pages.

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Learning to See Creatively

Bryan Peterson, 2003 [ Technique ]

Actually, this book covers the traditional topics in photography such as Elements of Design (line, shape, form, etc), Composition (golden section, right third, diagonals, etc), and Magic of Light (colour, direction, etc). It emphasises on how to expand your vision by creatively imagining the scene in various original ways and avoiding common visual pitfalls. 160 pages.

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Great Photography Workshop

Bill Fortney, 2003 [ Technique ]

This is an interesting book on how to do outdoor photography. It begins with a portfolio of beautiful photos from selected amateurs, and then covers 13 chapters beginning with Goals for Success, Four Keys to Great Images and later on tackling issues relating to Exposure, Light, and Composition specific to outdoor scenery. 192 pages.

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A Short Course in Nikon Coolpix 5700 Photography

Dennis Curtin, 2002 [ How-to ]

This is an excellent book that is suited for beginners. It explains the workings of the CP5700 more clearly than the manual, which can at times, be a little confusing. Related how-tos and tips are neatly grouped together for easy reference.

The book is not a regurgitation of the CP5700 manual. It covers broad subjects like lighting, exposure metering, focusing, and flash techniques, and introduces each topic fittingly. Dennis discusses the merits of using certain functions of the CP5700 and suggests ways to best make use of them. For example, he talks about how to read the histogram and provides sample photos with tips on applying exposure compensation based on the histogram readings. Another example includes controlling depth-of-field combining the various functions of the CP5700, using focus lock, aperture priority, zoom length and understanding the hyperfocal distance.
This book is strewn with tips like those; coupled with loads of good photos that explain scene situations, it becomes an indispensable handbook.

Since I bought the book and cd-rom version, I'd say the cd-rom is well worth it because: -

• It contains the coloured version of the paperback :D
• There are two .pdf files, one for print quality, and the other for screen viewing
• There are several software included - Picture windows (an image editing tool), Poster (creates huge prints), Screensaver toolkit (creates shareable screensavers), ThumbsPlus (graphic viewer)
• You can do keyword searches on the pdf files. All in all, I'm very happy with this book. Highly recommended.

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Designing With Photographs

Linda Proud, Peter Bonnici, 1998 [ How-to ]

I spotted this book and was delighted that is was so inexpensive - only US$8. Yet it is in full colour and contains a marvellous set of pictures and graphic designs. Although it is geared for the layout designer in mind, it has a lot of commentary from photographers and editors who use pictures to tell their story. So you learn a lot about visual communication and pictorial impact. It even covers the use of borders around photos, something no other photography book I own, does. An absolute bargain. 160 pages.

Digital Photographer's Handbook

Tom Ang, 2002 [ Technique ]

Another book I am aiming to buy. Targetted primary at the new digital photographer, it focuses on technique rather than techie stuff.

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Hedgecoe on Photography

John Hedgecoe, 1998 [ Photo Essay ]

This is an older Hedgecoe book (I couldn't find it on Amazon.com) You get lots of colour and b&w photos covering all sorts of subjects from portraits to abstract. Pubished by George Weidenfeld & Nicolson Limited.

Moments: The Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographs

Hal Buell, David Halberstam, 2002 [ Photo Essay ]

This book contains the best Pulitzer awarded pictures from its inception since 1942. Most of the photos are in B&W and you begin to realise how much more powerful and appropriate it is to be shot in this medium, as it strips away the epidermi of the scene and reveals the emotional flesh of the moment. Every photo is accompanied with a commentary about how it was made and the situation that exposed the determination, patience and grit of the photographer. This book makes you want to be a photojournalist.

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National Geographic Photography Field Guide: People and Portraits

Robert Caputo, 2002 [ How-to ]

Since I wanted a book that covered my favourite topic - candid portraits, I bought this particular field guide among the few made by National Geographic. It is a focused treatment of the subject and is well written. Included are three profile articles by professional photographers that give a flavour of their working style and approach. They provide some valuable lessons and tips in producing successful shoots. Highly Recommended. 160 pages.

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National Geographic: The Photographs

Leah Bendavid-Val, 2002 [ Photo Essay ]

Another brilliant collection of stunning photographs of the last 15 years, and the facts behind them. 336 pages.

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Photographic Assignments: The Expert Approach

Michael Busselle, 1992 [ Technique ]

Similar to style to John Hedgecoe, it is a collection of tips and ideas on tackling various subject matter. Lots of nice colour photographs accompany the text.

Within each topic that he covers, such as Techniques, there are several short ideas and tips on how to deal with, for example, creative blur, mirror images, and infra-red effects. Other topics like Light and Colour, or Subjects, or Composition and Style, have varying explanations on suggested assignments to tackle, whether the photographer is into making pictures of trees or portraits, on using wide or tele lenses, or exploring bold colours and textures.

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Reader's Digest Complete Photography Manual

Ailsa McWhinnie, Reader's Digest Assocation, 2000 [ How-to ]

This is one of the best all-rounder books I've read on understanding the basics of photography. It is quite thorough yet takes you step-by-step thru the whole process and also covers digital imaging workflow. Another thing I like is that it covers other formats besides 35mm SLR, like the medium and large cameras, including studio lighting techniques and working in a B&W darkroom. You learn to appreciate where the SLR and point-and-shooters stand in the hierarchy of professional photography, and so are the wiser when choosing the proper setup for your photographic objectives.

It also makes meaningful recommendations when applying certain techniques. For example, in macro photography, it covers the whole gamut from close-up filters to extension tubes, and gives the pro and cons of using each setup. Another example: with filters, it recommends the use of square ones with holders because it is more flexible than screw-on filters (you can adjust the placement of graduating colours) and you only need to purchase a single polariser that can be shared with many lenses of differing thread diameter. Tips like these can be found in every topic.

Of course, it goes beyond the technicalities and discusses ways to improve your artistic abilities and photographic styles. Containing beautiful colour photographs, it emphasises exploration, previsualisation, and simplicity. And lots of practice!

Definitely highly recommended.

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The Art of Seeing: A Creative Approach to Photography (Kodak Workshop Series)

Derek Doeffinger, 1998 [ Photo Essay ]

This is one of the best books that highten your photographic abilities. It makes you aware of preconceptions you may have about photography, and encourages you to explore your seeing and observation skills. Included are chapters on what elements make up a scene, the importance of composition and lighting, and varying your ways of looking and treating the subject. I've reread it several times, learning new things everytime. It's remarkably well written and is non-technical.

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The Photographer's Project Book: Shooting Like a Professional

Jeanne Griffiths, 1984 [ Tutorial ]

This is an excellent collection of projects that you can follow to build your portfolio. Covering a wide range of assignments like "A Day at the Races" to "Shapes and Symbols", it guides you to take a professional approach to photo making, and emphasises planning and preparation before a photo shoot. Sample work done by beginners and real professionals show actual results from doing a few of the projects in the book.

More details at Amazon.

A Nikonian Hobbyist

Photography has been a hobby of mine, as I was exposed (pun unintended) to it since I was little. My late dad and older siblings were into photography and I had played with picture taking using their analogue cameras.

This blog was intended as a place to record some of my thoughts on my hobby, from book and equipment reviews to tips and techniques. Hope it benefits you in one way or another.

To view my online gallery, please visit http://harun.zenfolio.com