During quarantine, I have not only picked up new hobbies but also have been brushing up on hobbies I did not have the time for in the past. Photography is one of those hobbies! Even if it is just with my smartphone or my trusty Nikon, I love coming up with new ideas from social media content and getting some amazing shots! Here are some great books to up your photography skills!

Understanding Exposure has taught generations of photographers how to shoot the images they want by demystifying the complex concepts of exposure in photography. In this newly updated edition, veteran photographer Bryan Peterson explains the fundamentals of light, aperture, and shutter speed and how they interact with and influence one another. With an emphasis on finding the right exposure even in tricky situations, Understanding Exposure shows you how to get (or lose) sharpness and contrast in images, freeze action, and take the best meter readings, while also exploring filters, flash, and light.

With all-new images, as well as an expanded section on flash, tips for using colored gels, and advice on shooting star trails, this revised edition will clarify exposure for photographers of all levels.

Need to know which digital camera to buy? Want to take better photographs and retouch images? Ready to achieve professional results?

This updated edition of THE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY HANDBOOK will allow you to make the most of all the advantages your camera has to offer - as well as guiding you through the latest software to enhance your images, and get professional results with every shot.

This book includes expert advice on the art of photography (composition, depth of field and how to photograph a variety of subjects), editing and image manipulation software, how to print your images for the best results, developing a portfolio and mastering the rules of copyright. Doug Harman includes the very latest developments in digital technology, equipping you with everything you need to become a photographer.

 

Co-authored by photographer and teacher Sean Duggan, The Creative Digital Darkroom translates skills, concepts, and nomenclature of the traditional darkroom into digital solutions for photographers who sense that, despite the newness of the technologies at hand, there remains a timeless method for learning and practicing photography the right way. This is not a Photoshop book per se, but it does focus on the photographic aspects of Photoshop, something other books claim to do but rarely have the discipline to accomplish.

Clearly, The Creative Digital Darkroom is not your typical digital photography "how-to" book. It's ideal for intermediate and advanced photographers, artists, and educators looking for clear, concise, insightful, and inspiring information and techniques on how to make their photographs shine. The language and techniques will immediately appeal to serious students and professionals, and the original tutorial images and high-profile work will make the book an important visual resource for educators and art appreciators.




When it comes to photography, it’s all about the light.

After spending more than thirty years behind the lens—working for National Geographic, Time, Life, and Sports Illustrated—Joe McNally knows about light. He knows how to talk about it, shape it, color it, control it, and direct it. Most importantly, he knows how to create it...using small hot shoe flashes.

In The Hot Shoe Diaries, Joe brings you behind the scenes to candidly share his lighting solutions for a ton of great images. Using Nikon Speedlights, Joe lets you in on his uncensored thought process—often funny, sometimes serious, always fascinating—to demonstrate how he makes his pictures with these small flashes. Whether he’s photographing a gymnast on the Great Wall, an alligator in a swamp, or a fire truck careening through Times Square, Joe uses these flashes to create great light that makes his pictures sing.

Having already taught you how to compose and interpret great photos, Michael Freeman now continues his best-selling series by exploring the most successful methods for presenting photography meaningfully and in an engaging format. This is the critical "next step" that separates adequate image galleries from captivating collections - and disinterested viewers from enthralled audiences.

Tapping into his decades of experience shooting for such publications as Smithsonian, GEO, and Condé Nast Traveller (among many others), Michael Freeman studies the photo-essay phenomenon that took the world by storm and gave storytellers a completely new set of tools to construct their narratives. Having established how rhythm, pacing, and careful organization build tension and cultivate interest, Freeman goes on to explain what this means for presenting your own photos, particularly in the new digital formats of online galleries, slideshows, and tablets.

The Photographer's Story will enliven your images, refresh your perspective, and elevate your understanding of how photographs work together to tell a story. Your audiences will thank you for it.

 

 

 

By guest editor,
Alicia  (IG: @thebookishpuff) 

About the guest editor: 

Alicia is currently the resident blogger over at The Bookish Puff and aspiring author. Raised under the southern sun she is a true eternal optimist with a deep love of history, stories, and a shameless addiction to caffeine. When she’s not on the internet writing about books, you can find her baking up a storm in her kitchen, watching true crime documentaries, sipping on coffee while chatting with friends, or getting lost in nature. She currently lives with her boyfriend and two crazy cats in Charleston, South Carolina in the United States.