Essential Reading

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ChefRobLeeds

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Is there any essential literature - i.e. books, magazines, websites, tutorials - that you have found helpful whilst learning photography?

Anything you think has influenced you massively?

Anything you'd avoid like the plague?
 
Personally, I found the tutorial videos at adobe and adorama, to be very useful and free :)

Also like the kelbytv.com shows.

As long as you select carefully, youtube can be a great resource.

Regarding books, I'm a big fan of Scott Kelby's style, so find his books very easy to read and have gained a lot from them.
 
Hi, Some years back I was heavily influenced with any book by Ansell Adams and particularly his Zone System of working. Now that things are mostly digital I too like virtually anything by Scott Kelby.
 
Am still very new but I've been reading and absorbing for a while now

website: digital photography school - has tutorials on a weekly basis and there's something useful there

books:
1. understanding exposure - which just gave me a better idea of everything about a photo.
2. stunning digital photography - explains a lot of concepts in a clear, simple manner.
3. david busch guide to my camera.
4. Photographer's eye - just started to look at this but looks good.

Scrap book: make your own scrap book of images (you can "borrow" images as long as you don't use them for anything other than reference) and analyse why you like them. You start to appreciate the art of photography.

Avoid: dpreview.com - great for reviews and comparisons but I've really struggled to look for valuable information in the forums (which is there but just hidden amongst multiple posts).

TBH the best thing to do is explore one concept eg rule of thirds and then go out and apply it. I tried learning all theory first and it didn't really start to click until I was out and about with the camera. I'm still learning but in hindsight, I'd have relied less on theory and more on practice but we all learn in different ways.
 
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Any of the excellent books by Michael Freeman of which there are quite a few to choose from.

I also used/use YouTube as well as Cambridge in colour.

Scott Kelby is another excellent author/producer of video's (as long as you can cope with his exceedingly cheesy American-ness!)

Last and by no means least is this brilliant forum. Just don't tell anyone you intend to become a pro wedding photographer or will be doing your first wedding without the kit and you will be fine!!!

Andy
 
Scott kelby is excellent and very easy reading I'd also recommend fro knows and his podcast good weekly news and some great ideas
 
All brilliant thanks guys. Keep em' coming! I've ordered Scott Kelbys digital photography vol 2 from amazon, (only a penny plus postage!) is it worth looking at the other volumes in that series? Some comments are saying there is a lot of repeated material.

Will try and spend some time this weekend looking at those websites.
 
Essential reading?

Start with your camera's manual!!! I know it's aften a rather dry tome but it's worth ploughing through. It can be worth getting one of the supplementary books that complement the supplied manual (whether that manual's on paper, disk or line!) - I've found the Magic Lantern guides a useful addition to the D200 and D700 manuals but haven't bothered with the D800 version.

Michael Longford's Basic Photography is worth reading (and understanding). Again, rather dry (as one could expect from a text book) but full of useful knowlege (older editions cover film rather than digital but the general photography advice is still good). As far as books aimed purely at the digital user, I like Tom Ang's Digital Photographer's Handbook. Peterson's Understanding Exposure is often recommended but I've not found a copy in either the local library or 2nd hand/charity shops yet.
 
Nod said:
Essential reading?

Start with your camera's manual!!! I know it's aften a rather dry tome but it's worth ploughing through. It can be worth getting one of the supplementary books that complement the supplied manual (whether that manual's on paper, disk or line!) - I've found the Magic Lantern guides a useful addition to the D200 and D700 manuals but haven't bothered with the D800 version.
Click to expand...

Slowly plodding through the manual. Very, very slowly.
 
'Tis a bit like that (unfortunately!) but it is worth the plod. At least Nikon provide a proper (paper) manual in the box.
 
I like Scott Kelby, got the first 3 from his set of 4 plus a photoshop elements book. Not tried Understanding Exposure
Gave up on the Photographers Eye as it was all too arty farty for my liking. Gestalt entities and b****cks like that.

Books on the area you think you will specialse in are good ideas. I try landscapes so have bought a fair few on that subject including the Barbara Gerlach one mentioned. Most of them were good and some give you info on post processing ideas for your "genre" as well.
 
I got the Kindle editions of all of Kelby's 4 main books and Understanding Exposure (to read on the iPad). There was a great degree of overlap but they were both very good. Kelby's stuff felt like it lent itself better to picking and choosing what was relevant to you, whilst UE seemed a great read throughout.

Has anyone had any experience of the Photographer's Eye app for iOS? I like the idea of the interactivity but at £17.49, it's nearly greater than the paperback and Kindle version combined.
 
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