Take Your Photography to the Next Level: From Inspiration to Image, by George Barr, is a collection of the most helpful postings from his blog over the past few years. I rank this book right up there with the works of Bryan Peterson in terms of it’s importance to photographers in general. In [...]

As a photographer I am always being told to read this book or check out that book. Usually I will try to pick up whatever is recommended and at least glance at it to see if it’s really THE book that I need to read to become a better photographer.
Since I got back in to [...]

Photography is all about light. Exposing a sensor or strip of film to light is how an image is made. So one can only imagine the number of books written covering this very subject. Add one more to the pile with O’Reilly’s Practical Artistry: Light & Exposure for Digital Photographers (Practical Artistry) by Harold Davis.
This [...]

I read a lot. I am one of those types who actually learns from reading…I know, odd in this day in age. Occasionally I will pick up books that seem to offer something for me to learn in their pages, sometimes it’s just because of a recommendation…and other times its on a whim.
I grabbed 100 [...]

There are no tutorials, this book is purely meant to define terms and concepts. That said, some concepts, such as “descreening” do include before and after images to show what the results of the concept could be. I have found this book to be an excellent reference as I put my presentation together, and will keep it handy as I continue to learn more about this hobby of mine.

I am a self-taught Photoshop hack. First started using it when version 3 came out (on a TON of 3.5″ floppy disks). I have been able to use it enough to generate/ edit web images, scan prints, etc. It is grossly overpowered for what I use it for, but it’s all [...]

“The HDRI Handbook” is a must read for anyone who wants to dabble in HDR imaging. Written by a recognized expert in the field, this book carefully and cleanly details everything you need to know to generate quality HDR images that will make you the envy of your photographer friends. The examples in the book are stunning, and the techniques presented will give you confidence for when you start to compile your own High Dynamic Range image library.

Sometimes you take a picture and you know in your mind that it could have been different or better if you had taken it on a different day or at a different time. Lighting can play a huge role in what your picture conveys. And this is where “Creative Photoshop Lighting Techniques” comes [...]

“Understanding Exposure” takes the technical details of photography (which can be intimidating) and lays them out in a manner that makes them easy to understand and retain. This book should be considered a must read for anyone who considers themselves a photography novice or intermediate and wants to get more out of their camera. This book is not camera specific, and is quite useful for SLR and point and shoot owners alike.

Photography forums are littered with posts from rookies asking about filters and other effects. Almost immediately someone will post “that’s easy to do in Photoshop,” without a link or any other explanation. For a Photoshop AND photography rookie like myself, that makes it doubly frustrating. Luckily, help is just one book away.
“The Photoshop Show Starring [...]