Understanding Color in Photography: Using Color, Composition, and Exposure to Create Vivid Photos


Bryan F. Peterson - 2017
    Here he explores his signature use of color in photography for the first time, showing readers his process for creating striking images that pop off the page. He addresses how to shoot in any type of light, and looks at color families and how they can work together to make compelling images in commercial and art photography. He also helps readers understand exposure, flash, and other stumbling blocks that beginning and experienced photographers encounter when capturing images, showing how to get the most out of any composition. With its down-to-earth voice and casual teaching style, Understanding Color in Photography is a workshop in a book, helping any photographer take their images to the next level.

The Camera


Ansel Adams - 1980
    It covers everything from "seeing" the finished photo in advance, to lens choices. It is illustrated with many of Ansel Adams most famous images.

The Art Book


Phaidon Press - 1997
    Each artist is represented by a full-page colour plate of a definitive work, accompanied by explanatory and illuminating information on the image and its creator. Glossaries of artistic movements and technical terms are included, making this a valuable work of reference as well as a feast for the eyes. By breaking with traditional classifications, The Art Book presents a fresh and original approach to art: an unparalleled visual sourcebook and a celebration of our rich and multi-faceted culture.

Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist


James Gurney - 2009
    Renowned for his uncanny ability to incorporate amazing detail and imagination into stunningly realistic fantasy settings, James Gurney teaches budding artists and fans of fantasy art step-by-step the techniques that won him worldwide critical acclaim. This groundbreaking work examines the practical methods for creating believable pictures of imaginary subjects, such as dinosaurs, ancient Romans, alien creatures, and distant worlds.Beginning with a survey of imaginative paintings from the Renaissance to the golden Age of American illustration, the book then goes on to explain not just techniques like sketching and composition, but also the fundamentals of believable world building including archaeology, architecture, anatomy for creatures and aliens, and fantastic engineering. It concludes with details and valuable advice on careers in fantasy illustration, including video game and film concept art and toy design.More than an instruction book, this is the ultimate reference for fans of science fiction and fantasy illustration."Gurney's Imaginative Realism is a gold mine for artists who want to create images that sing with authority and delight the viewer with rich otherworldly visuals." --Erik Tiemens, concept artist, Star Wars: Episodes II and III"Imaginative Realism is an indispensable, flawless reference for vision makers in any discipline to create their own imaginative realms." --Frank M. Costantino, ASAI, SI, FSAI, JARA, cofounder, American Society of Architectural Illustrators

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative


Austin Kleon - 2012
    That’s the message from Austin Kleon, a young writer and artist who knows that creativity is everywhere, creativity is for everyone. A manifesto for the digital age, Steal Like an Artist is a guide whose positive message, graphic look and illustrations, exercises, and examples will put readers directly in touch with their artistic side.

An Illustrated Life: Drawing Inspiration from the Private Sketchbooks of Artists, Illustrators and Designers


Danny Gregory - 2008
    The margins sometimes spill over with hurriedly scrawled shopping lists and phone numbers. The cover may be travel-worn and the pages warped from watercolors. Open the book, and raw creativity seeps from each color and line. The intimacy and freedom on its pages are almost like being inside the artist's mind: You get a direct window into risks, lessons, mistakes, and dreams.The private worlds of these visual journals are exactly what you'll find inside An Illustrated Life. This book offers a sneak peak into the wildly creative imaginations of 50 top illustrators, designers and artists. Included are sketchbook pages from R. Crumb, Chris Ware, James Jean, James Kochalka, and many others. In addition, author Danny Gregory has interviewed each artist and shares their thoughts on living the artistic life through journaling.Watch artists—through words and images—record the world they see and craft the world as they want it to be. The pages of An Illustrated Life are sometimes startling, sometimes endearing, but always inspiring. Whether you're an illustrator, designer, or simply someone searching for inspiration, these pages will open a whole new world to you.

A Short Course in Photography: An Introduction to Photographic Technique


Barbara London - 1979
    Oriented toward traditional black and white photography, the book also explores digital techniques and web photography resources, equipment, the exposure and development of film, and the making and finishing of prints.

Gregory Heisler: 50 Portraits: Stories and Techniques from a Photographer's Photographer


Gregory Heisler - 2013
    From his famously controversial portrait of President George H.W. Bush (which led to the revocation of Heisler’s White House clearance) to his evocative post-9/11 Time magazine cover of Rudolph Giuliani, to stunning portraits of Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Hillary Clinton, Michael Phelps, Muhammad Ali, and many more, Heisler reveals the creative and technical processes that led to each frame. For Heisler’s fans and all lovers of photography, Gregory Heisler: 50 Portraits offers not only a gorgeous collection of both black-and-white and color portraits, but an engrossing look at the rarely seen art of a master photographer at work. With a foreword by New York City mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

The Unforgettable Photograph: How to Take Great Pictures of the People and Things You Love


George Lange - 2013
    In this entirely new kind of photography guide, written by Mr. Lange and Scott Mowbray, magazine editor and longtime amateur photographer, the rest of us will learn how to take photographs that don't just document life but celebrate it. No fancy equipment required. Just hundreds of simple, inspiring ideas and lessons-each one illustrated with a photograph-organized around the six essential principles of seeing like a photographer.

Annie Leibovitz at Work


Annie Leibovitz - 2008
    Fuji. Climbing Mt. Fuji is a lesson in determination and moderation. It would be fair to ask if I took the moderation part to heart. But it certainly was a lesson in respecting your camera. If I was going to live with this thing, I was going to have to think about what that meant. There were not going to be any pictures without it." —Annie LeibovitzAnnie Leibovitz describes how her pictures were made, starting with Richard Nixon's resignation, a story she covered with Hunter S. Thompson, and ending with Barack Obama's campaign. In between are a Rolling Stones Tour, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, The Blues Brothers, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keith Haring, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Patti Smith, George W. Bush, William S. Burroughs, Kate Moss and Queen Elizabeth. The most celebrated photographer of our time discusses portraiture, reportage, fashion photography, lighting, and digital cameras.

Todd Hido on Landscapes, Interiors, and the Nude: The Photography Workshop Series


Todd Hido - 2014
    Its goal is to inspire photographers of all levels who wish to improve their work, as well as readers interested in deepening their understanding of the art of photography. Each book features the creative process and core thinking of a photographer told in their own words and through pictures of their choosing, and is introduced by a well-known student of the featured photographer. In this book, Todd Hido explores the genres of landscape, interior and nude photography, with emphasis on creating images from a personal perspective and with a sense of intimacy. Through words and photographs, he also offers insight into his own practice and discusses a wide range of creative issues, including mining one's own memory and experience as inspiration; using light, texture and detail for greater impact; exploring the narrative potential activated when sequencing images; and creating powerful stories with emotional weight and beauty.Todd Hido (born 1968) is a San Francisco Bay Area-based artist. He is well known for his photography of urban and suburban housing across the United States, and for his use of detail and luminous color. His previous books include House Hunting (2001), Outskirts (2002), Roaming (2004) and Between the Two (2007). He is a recipient of a Eureka Fellowship and a Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation Visual Arts Award, and is represented by Stephen Wirtz Gallery in San Francisco. He is an adjunct professor at California College of the Arts.Gregory Halpern received a BA in history and literature from Harvard University and an MFA from California College of the Arts. His third book of photographs, entitled A, is a photographic ramble through the streets of the American Rust Belt. His other books include Omaha Sketchbook and Harvard Works Because We Do. He currently teaches at the Rochester Institute of Technology and is the coeditor of The Photographer's Playbook (Aperture 2013).

The Complete Photographer


Tom Ang - 2010
    It encourages you to explore every discipline and experiment with different approaches, hone your skills, and find your own personal style.There are two key features that make the book unique. The first is the structure. Almost invariably, photography books parcel up information in such a way that the technical elements of photography are dealt with separately from creative ideas, which in turn are dealt with separately from projects and genres. The Complete Photographer takes a completely different, holistic approach, with insights, ideas, tips, and techniques that focus specifically on each genre.The second unique feature is the "behind-the-scenes" coverage. Where Masterclass showcased the work of a number of professional photographers working in a variety of fields, The Complete Photographer goes further. It shows in step-by-step, photographic detail the planning, setting up, and shooting of 20 superb images taken especially for the book. In a running commentary, each photographer reveals the ideas and inspiration behind the shot, how decisions on location, lighting, camera angle, and props are arrived at, and, where relevant, demonstrates any image manipulation that has been carried out to produce the final image. Galleries of selected works are accompanied by notes on each image and how it was made.As with Digital Photography Masterclass, Tom's tutorials are presented in a highly visual, logical way that makes concepts easy to grasp. Images are grouped together to reveal how different approaches to the same subject can produce dramatically different results. Individual images are analyzed to show why they are successful, and how specific effects are achieved. Side-by-side comparisons highlight common problems and show how to avoid them. Each tutorial includes an assignment that encourages the reader to experiment, think outside the box, and practice new skills.The Complete Photographer will provide inspiration and be a beautiful book to look at, as well as delivering engaging, hardworking content that unlocks the secrets of success for the reader and provides a fascinating insight into the techniques of the professionals.The ContentsPrelims (7pp)general Introduction (2pp)1. Portraits (38pp)Formal and candid, in the studio and outdoors, individuals and groups, children and pets.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)2. Landscape and nature (38pp)Different times of day and weather conditions. From breathtaking vistas to close-ups.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)3. Fashion and street (38pp)Studio set-ups, on location, props and styling. Capturing moments on the city streets.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)4. Wildlife (38pp)On safari and close to home, in the wild and in captivity, up close and in the environment.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)5. Sport (38pp)Key moments, capturing action, the spirit and emotion of the sport.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)6. Documentary (38pp)Finding and telling a story, observation,capturing decisive moments.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)7. Events (38pp)Live music, graduation, wedding, new baby etc.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)8. Travel (38pp)Spirit of place, capturing atmosphere, people. Cultural and social considerations.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)9. Architecture (38pp)Ancient and modern, interior and exterior.Light and angles, details and wide views.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)10. Fine art (38pp)Color and black and white, fine-art printing.Still life, abstracts, nudes, stock photography etc.Tom's tutorial (8pp)Image analysis (4pp)Assignment (4pp)Behind-the-scenes with... (12pp)Gallery (8pp)Index/Acknowledgments (11pp)

Picture This: How Pictures Work


Molly Bang - 1991
    But what about the elements that make up a picture? Using the tale of Little Red Riding Hood as an example, Molly Bang uses boldly graphic artwork to explain how images -- and their individual components -- work to tell a story that engages the emotions: Why are diagonals dramatic? Why are curves calming? Why does red feel hot and blue feel cold?

How to Paint Like the Old Masters


Joseph Sheppard - 1983
    Now Watson-Guptill proudly presents the 25th Anniversary Edition. Each chapter is devoted to a different Old Master—Dürer, Titian, Veronese, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Hals, Rubens, and Rembrandt—and is divided into two sections. The first part describes the artist’s techniques and discusses how artists can incorporate these methods within their own personal style. The second part is a full-color demonstration. Author Joseph Sheppard traces the artist’s working sequence, colors and mediums, surfaces and tools, as he creates a new painting. With today’s resurgence of interest in Old Master techniques, this unique, practical, and inspiring book is sure to teach countless artists exactly How to Paint Like the Old Masters.

The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression


Bruce Barnbaum - 1994
    In his accessible style, Barnbaum presents how-to techniques for both traditional and digital approaches. Yet he goes well beyond the technical as he delves deeply into the philosophical, expressive, and creative aspects of photography. This book is geared toward every level of photographer who seeks to make a personal statement through their chosen medium. Bruce Barnbaum is recognized as one of the world’s finest photographers as well as an elite instructor. This newest incarnation of his book, which has evolved over the past 35 years, will prove to be an invaluable photographic reference for years to come. This is truly the resource of choice for the thinking photographer. Filled with over 100 beautiful photographs, as well as numerous charts, graphs, and tables.