5 photography books from my shelf
Books. Half of my little office is full of books. I love them. I believe in them. I am surrounded by them! The experience of leafing through a book for me surpasses anything an electronic device can offer. Unlike a blog post, books are the result of a huge effort on the part of many people. It takes dedication to the process of creating one, and it’s usually worth the time and money. My collection of photography books is extensive and I wanted to share a few with you today.
These are by no means my absolute favorites, or an all-time top five, but rather a sample of what I think others might be interested in. I have chosen a few for educational purposes and others which are the work of a photographer. These are books that I think would be useful for all photographers of all genres. They are both introductory and extremely deep in their content. So, without further ado!
The photographer’s vision – Michael Freeman
The Photographer’s Vision particularly stands out because it teaches us to take a critical look at photography. More specifically, it teaches us to look at the work of others. We are all in awe of images on a daily basis, and we see so many of them that often we don’t even stop to think about why we are feeling what we are doing. The Photographer’s Vision teaches us the tools to dissect a work and appreciate it from a technical and artistic point of view. While Michael Freeman’s work is exceptional and features in many other of his books, this book is primarily the work of other people and his dissection.
The Moment It Clicks – Joe McNally
Joe McNally is a legend in the photographic industry with accolades including National Geographic and Time Magazine to his credit. Despite all of this, he is a humble, down to earth and honest educator. This is what makes his books so valuable. Joe doesn’t forget anything. From his ideas to his process, from his failures to his successes and the techniques that got him there. Everything is in each of his books.

Belgrade Belongs to Me – Boogie
Boogie’s job is a straight kick in the butt. Each picture screams “come out and document this world”. Its grainy style in your face leaves the viewer transported in their shoes. Through each of his books, he took us to a different community and showed us the crudeness of what makes them vibrate.

The visual toolbox – David DuChemin
David DuChemin is known for his dedication to the mantra that Vision is Better. This book introduces you to much of what he has to teach. Throughout its pages, it focuses on hands-on exercises that usually don’t require any specific equipment. David’s educational approach will take you on a journey to improve your observation skills and thus create better images.

The Creative Fight – Chris Orwig
This book isn’t strictly about photography, but it’s probably more valuable than all the others put together when it comes to creativity. After all, photography is a creative endeavor, and without ideas and understanding we cannot create. It’s also one of the hardest to digest books in this series. Chris Orwig is an educator and photographer who focuses a lot on the more poetic side of creating images. His work is breathtaking and his process fascinating.

In conclusion
So this is it. Five books from my shelf. I hope some of them inspire you to go out and create pictures in new ways, or at the very least lead you down the path to other books that will. Hope this serves as a place for you to share your own favorites and bring many great books to the attention of our readers. Please share some of your favorite books related to our craft below for the benefit of all!