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A good book on the basics of photography
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Jun 18, 2017 13:32:07   #
al13
 
I would appreciate suggestions for a good book on the basics of photography.

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Jun 18, 2017 13:45:02   #
imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida
 
al13 wrote:
I would appreciate suggestions for a good book on the basics of photography.


John Hedgecoe put out some excellent books back in the eighties when I was teaching - I used one of his books as a text for my basic photo class. The Time/Life series on photography is excellent also. These books were film based but did give you good basics. Today, you would have to add digital/sensor and software to the basic mix.

"Camera & Craft" by Focal Press is one of the better recent books I have seen.

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Jun 18, 2017 13:52:55   #
al13
 
Thanks

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Jun 18, 2017 14:02:10   #
imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida
 
imagemeister wrote:
John Hedgecoe put out some excellent books back in the eighties when I was teaching - I used one of his books as a text for my basic photo class. The Time/Life series on photography is excellent also. These books were film based but did give you good basics. Today, you would have to add digital/sensor and software to the basic mix.

"Camera & Craft" by Focal Press is one of the better recent books I have seen.


This is the book I used for my class -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Photographers-Handbook-John-Hedgecoe-Original-Book-1977-/350582023331?hash=item51a05124a3:m:m7N9dtJseuDGzTl4TonC_7A

He has other excellent books on ebay .....

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Jun 18, 2017 14:05:31   #
dadaist
 
Try eBay for the following older books. They are excellent in content.
1. Photography Composition, Color and Display by Marc Levy, Margaret Iris and Samuel Kazdan- Amphoto publishers, 1979
2.Practical Composition in Photography by Axel Bruck -Focal Press, 1981
3.The Joy of Photography by the Editors of E. Kodak Co.
There are many, many more to choose from; however, I found the above to be exceptionally clear in their delivery. Hope this helps, Stan

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Jun 18, 2017 14:09:04   #
ken_stern Loc: Yorba Linda, Ca
 
You know books are good - BUT in addition - Classes are so much better -- Check with your local adult education for Photography classes

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Jun 18, 2017 14:11:31   #
al13
 
Thanks to all and am looking for classes

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Jun 18, 2017 14:39:46   #
mackphotos Loc: Washington, DC
 
Understanding Exposure, by Bryan Peterson is also good

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Jun 18, 2017 15:03:14   #
Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.
 
al13 wrote:
I would appreciate suggestions for a good book on the basics of photography.


Give "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson a look.

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Jun 18, 2017 16:58:09   #
G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK
 
There are lots of excellent books....Can I perhaps suggest that you first buy a practical guide book to your particular camera... Not only will you learn all the whistles and bells available to you, but also practical applications in which to use them. The guides go beyond the manual. Tell us your camera model and someone here will have a 'source' for you

The internet is a fantastic resource if used productively. When you 'Google' How to....take a note of the many sites that are listed. Explore those sites and see if their approach fits with your needs - then bookmark them. That way you can build your own resource list rather than trolling through sites that 'irritate' in some way. Sites like 'Picture Correct' send endless emails and they cycle in about 18 months.....There may be new ones in there But....it fills your inbox to the point that 'delete' is your first response. Check out 'Links and Resources' at the top of the UHH page

Photography is also about what additional kit you require to 'do' certain things. Flash is a perfect example. Sites like 'The Strobist' will explain far better than a general photography guidebook. There are so many lighting options available that once again no single book can compare.

Your immediate interests may also dictate what you want to read about. There are on-line magazines that even without paying for give taster tutorials and articles. These may inspire you and also give you lots of 'key-words' to further your searches.

If all this is not to your taste......try the thrift shops and second hand book sellers......Digital Photography is not 'new'. Stand and read them in the shop....a lot will go back on the shelf - but you may just find a nugget.

Have fun and enjoy the ride.....

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Jun 18, 2017 17:27:35   #
Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN
 
The Camera by Ansel Adams

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Jun 18, 2017 17:36:55   #
BebuLamar
 
Darkroom317 wrote:
The Camera by Ansel Adams


Great book but it would be a tough book to read. So many things mentioned in the book are no longer used or available although knowing about them still helps.

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Jun 18, 2017 18:17:01   #
Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN
 
BebuLamar wrote:
Great book but it would be a tough book to read. So many things mentioned in the book are no longer used or available although knowing about them still helps.


Still relevant in understanding exposure, depth of field and other basics. Most things mentioned in book are still available but are often of little interest to many. This is why I didn't recommend The Negative and The Print as well

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Jun 18, 2017 18:31:28   #
BebuLamar
 
Darkroom317 wrote:
Still relevant in understanding exposure, depth of field and other basics. Most things mentioned in book are still available but are often of little interest to many. This is why I didn't recommend The Negative and The Print as well


Yeah it's much better than the "Triangle" book. I found the understanding exposure book by Peterson among the worst yet so highly recommended. In fact the book didn't teach about exposure.

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Jun 18, 2017 19:25:21   #
CO
 
For flash photography, Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Flash Photography" is excellent. It covers many different flash techniques. One of the techniques he describes is how to get even exposure on both the background and your main subject when the main subject is close to the camera. I never used my flash in manual mode until I got this book.

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