Santa is here! For many photography enthusiasts, this means equipment! For the luckiest of you, this may mean lenses and bodies. Others may expect Loupedeck Live or Simplr Strap. These things are great, too. For me, wedding photography is my job, though, and I won’t ask Santa for gadgets because I’ll buy them when I need it. Instead, my family now usually asks: "Which book do you want for Christmas?
My books are a little luxury in my life. Some people like express trains and designer handbags. I like to sit at the table and have a glass of fresh coffee and an album. When I go out, I also prefer to read paper books rather than scrolling endlessly on Instagram.
So, you can divide all my books into two categories. The books I read, the books I read .
The first group is a photo book filled with nostalgic, thought-provoking, beautiful photography books. I often pick up one, flip through it for 10 minutes, and put it back on the shelf. I may not touch it for months, but I usually see or absorb something different every time. Some of them are a lot of coffee table books.
My reading books are still related to photography. These are usually Brian Lloyd Duckett (Brian) Lloyd Ducket) or David Gibson (David) Instructor books by writers like Gibson. They can also be inspiring, or just enjoyable to read. These smaller books slide into a bag and carry them wherever I go until I read them from beginning to end.
You may not be the same as me. Maybe you don't want to collect a lot of books. You may want a book that will take you a year to read in your spare time. On the other hand, you may be looking for a big book to put on your desk, Inspire you when you’re bored. Or, like me, you want all the books you can get.
So I’ve listed below some, some from well-known photographers or publishers, and some less known. I urge you to find your own too; it’s a personal journey.
Why do you like this photo: Perceptual Science, Brian Dilger
Brian Dilger (Brian A fun reading by Dilg, Why You Like This Photo, gets a deeper look at our brains. It not only delves into how we take photos, but also why we do things in a certain way, using scientifically proven insights, interviews and infographics to study what our brains do when we look at photos.
Unfinished Stories, Lucy Hamizadeh
Lucy is a talented emerging street photographer living in London, England. Her first book, Unfinished Stories, was by Trope Publishing) published, it contains beautiful photos, mostly photos of people’s daily work. She managed to find peace in the hustle and bustle of London, which was not an easy task. Lucy is also a great writer, which also makes the book a great reader.
Where I Find Yourself, Joel Meyerowitz
I'm turning to one of the greatest players of all time, Joel Meyerowitz. "Where I Found Myself" is probably one of the most frequent photography books I go to. This inspiring book contains his life's work, from his powerful photos at WTO to playful street photography. The retrospective also includes many of his projects. It's a big book, and it's really not a subway book, but you're hard to find a better book to lose yourself with coffee.
Street Photography Pocket Guide, Brian Lloyd Duckett
I'm moving from one of the heaviest books in my collection to the smallest ones. But it's small for a reason, Brian's Street Photography Pocket Guide is designed to go anywhere on your camera. So, if the avid street photographer among us has a stocking filler, it must be it. The Pocket Guide is small but powerful, running through gear, mindset, technology, location and lighting.
100 Great Street Photoss, David Gibson
As a celebration of modern street photography, 100 Great Street Photoss brings together 100 wonderful photos of a new generation of talented photographers. The book also contains information about each photographer, some of whom are relatively unknown or have only been active for a few years. It’s a true insight into the work that great photographers continue to produce every day, not just legends.
Europeans, Henry Cartier-Bresson
Speaking of legend, any photo book review would be incomplete without at least one title of Henry Cartier-Bresson. The European may not be his most famous book, but it covers a long period from the 1920s to the 1970s, with images of his travels on the European continent. We've all seen famous photos of Henry, but The European contains some of his lesser-known but always fascinating works.
I can list books for several days in a row, but I want to have a deeper look at the types of books available. Whether the title of your choice comes from a famous photographer or a self-published book by a newbie, I know it will give you something. This could be technical information about camera settings, or a nostalgic view of past life.
My personal collection also contains many books that are interesting to me, but probably not for the vast majority of people: books containing smaller projects, photos from certain nightclubs, and some picture books from unknown photographers that contain photos from places I have been. Some are people I have met, or people I just want to support. I have a lot of very old books I buy in second-hand stores. It makes no sense to mention these because they are so personal to me, but they are as beloved as anything else.
If you haven't started your never-ending trip to the rabbit hole of photography books, consider buying your first book from your local bookstore. The rest urgently need our support. If you don't have anywhere locally, Amazon is the obvious choice and you can spend hours discovering new titles.
If you have any book you think I need to try, please pop it in the comments. I've been adding to my collection and probably asking Santa for some this year.
