For this blog post I’d like to give you a a small list of some of my favorite and recommended photography books. During this time of social distancing, one of the things I’ve done is make a trip to my stuffed bookshelf to revisit some books that have proved very useful and insightful to me on my photographic journey. I’ve noticed that I pick up different books depending on what cycle of maturity my photography is in at the current moment and today I’m more reflective on my art and searching for some new insight to dislodge a bit of a creative boulder blocking my path. I mentioned this in an earlier blog post, please read it for some background on the state of my creative rut. One of my go-to methods for breaking out of a slump is to learn….either learn new skills or learn something new about myself.
In this vein of learning about myself, here are a few go-to books that have been continual references to me on my artistic journey. I hope that they
Art & Fear, Observations on the Perils and Rewards of Artmaking
What is your art really about? Where is it going? What stands in the way of getting it there? These are questions that matter, questions that recur at each stage of artistic development – and they are the source for this volume of wonderfully incisive commentary.
Art & Fear explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn’t get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. This is a book about what it feels like to sit in your studio or classroom, at your wheel or keyboard, easel or camera, trying to do the work you need to do. It is about committing your future to your own hands, placing free will above predestination, choice above chance. It is about finding your own work.
This is a quick read and I’ve read this book at least half a dozen times. About once a year I’ll pick this up and read it. At times the book can reveal some truths about your pre-conceived notions relating to your art..other times it gives some very insightful thoughts to ponder as you look at your work. The book can trigger lots of internal reflection! Great if you’re someone who enjoys this kind of thought process for your creative endeavors (this is not specific to photographers, but all artists). If you’ve ever thought about turning pro, this is definitely a must read book. For others, it is just a great dive in to what our motivations are for creating art, how we persevere in the face of adversity as well as our internal and external reward system for art.
The Art of Photography, A personal approach to artistic expression
Without talking down to anyone or talking over anyone’s head, renowned photographer, teacher, and author Bruce Barnbaum presents how-to techniques for both traditional and digital approaches. In this newest edition of the book, Barnbaum has included many new images and has completely revised the text, with particular focus on two crucial chapters covering digital photography: he revised a chapter covering the digital zone system, and includes a brand-new chapter on image adjustments using digital tools. There is also a new chapter discussing the concepts of “art versus technique” and “traditional versus digital” approaches to photography. Throughout the book, Barnbaum goes well beyond the technical, as he delves deeply into the philosophical, expressive, and creative aspects of photography so often avoided in other books. Featuring nearly 200 beautiful photographs in both black-and-white and color, as well as numerous charts, graphs, and tables, this book presents the world of photography to beginner, intermediate, and advanced photographers who seek to make a personal statement through the medium of photography.
This is another book that has a permanent place on my bookshelf. It’s a bit of a “how to” book in some regard as it can appeal to beginners through advanced photographers with many tips and mechanics of how to execute photography. For more advanced users, it gives lots of good insights in how to create compelling images.
Art and Visual Perception, A Psychology of the Creative Eye
Since its publication fifty years ago, this work has established itself as a classic. It casts the visual process in psychological terms and describes the creative way one’s eye organizes visual material according to specific psychological premises. In 1974 this book was revised and expanded, and since then it has continued to burnish Rudolf Arnheim’s reputation as a groundbreaking theoretician in the fields of art and psychology.
For me, this has been a fantastic book to reference when I’m wanting to raise my game in terms of composition and how people perceive my images. Understanding how we as humans process visual information is key to creating impactful images. Color balance, visual weight, positioning of objects and the relationship of objects in your frame….it all part of the compositional challenge we face as photographers. It’s a bit of a “heady” book with more science than art involved, but it can be well worth a read if you are wanting to dive deeper in to how our brains process visual information.
Whatever “flavor” of learning your into, I encourage you to pick up a book or watch a video about photography and the creative process. I hope that these recommended photography books can help point you in the right direction to be in a learning frame of mind and grow your own self-awareness and artistic ability.
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