Beginner Any good book recommendations

Hi all..

As a beginner I wondered if anyone had any recommendations for some good photography related books?

I've just ordered a used copy of Understanding Exposure from Amazon as a mate had mentioned it was quite good but are there any others I should pick up..

For reference I'm just starting out .. snapping everything in and out the house and anything I see out and about when walking the pug ..

Just bought my first SLR (D5300) and am trying to get my head around all the settings ...

I'm interested in landscape and architectural photography with a little racing motor bikes thrown in for good measure..

Thanks in advance ..

Andy

Hello Andy and welcome to TP.

You might have done this already but have a good read of the manual. I carry mine with me most of the time and dip into when needed.

I know you mentioned books and understand some people prefer books to online material, but have a look at the tutorials on here and elsewhere, eg http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/

To get the best out of your camera a good understanding of aperture, shutter speed and ISO, how they relate to each other and the effect each has on the final result, is needed, but I'm sure the book you have ordered will cover these well.

Other than that you are doing the best thing by taking lots of photos.

If you are unsure of the settings on the camers just put it on Auto. A lot of the time it will give you good results but there will be shots where you are saying, "What's gone wrong" and that is the beginning of moving on to using your camera to its full potential.

If you are not sure what has gone wrong or why what you did has not achieved what you want, then post the shot up here and people will help.

One really good thing about digital photography is that each shot is effectively free, so play about with the settings and see the effect they have.

Dave

Dave,

Thanks for taking the time to write such a response....

I have read the manual .. twice and I think I'm getting there in terms of what all the settings do ... But as you say I need to get a feel for how they all work together ..

I have been shooting in auto most of the time and am happy with most of the results although I think I need to work on what makes a good photo in terms of its composition but I'm sure that will come in time.

Thanks for the link I'll take a look when I'm home.

Thanks once again.

Andy.

Getting a feel for composition will come and also having a clear, or at least fairly clear, idea of what you want from a photo is important. One quote attributed to Ansel Adams which I try to remember and apply is, "There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept"

Dave

I shall keep that in mind ... Ta !

What style attracts you? For me, no photography tutorial books cut it, but if I want to be inspired... I reach for a photo collection. I love my World Press photo annuals, or my Magnum retrospectives, or my Alec Soth etc.

My advice, is buy a book with lots of incredible photos in, look at Flickr, look at 500px etc. Get your groove on by regarding the masters, just as in the art world!

As a beginner I found books by Tom Ang a good starting point - titles like The Complete Photographer and Digital Photography Masterclass were very useful.

Apart from that have a look around on YouTube as theres some great people out there that explain things very well... but above all you can't beat getting out and about with your camera and just practise, practise, practise!

I use YouTube. But have been doing online photography course. Got of groupon for 50 quid which is ok. Don't think it would have been worth its full price though. Also have a mate who is a great help. Like you just keep practising

The Photographers Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photographs by Michael Freeman is a great book as it breaks down the elements of a photo and explains what makes for great composition

It depends what you're looking for.

For technical guidance on how to set-up your camera this forum, youtube and the endless variety of photo blogs will tell you more than you need (and there's nothing wrong with just sticking the camera in P mode for now and just getting out and taking photographs).

For inspiration and interesting photos, forget any book or magazine with "photography" in the description - you'll find the best inspiration for motorbike shots in motorbike magazines, for landscapes in travel/lifestyle magazines, etc.


Remember, a good photograph is one that *you* find interesting enough to print and put on the wall (blu-tacked or glass framed, just the fact you want to look at it daily means it's good) it's not about what anyone else thinks. And it's never about what makes it to the pages of the monthly photography magazines

And if you don't print it, it doesn't count..