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Jean-Philippe's
Recommendations
Photography Books
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Note:
People often contact me and ask for
book recommendations on various photo subjects, thus
I have compiled this list. I own and/or have read
all of these books and present reviews and ratings
(five stars represent my favorites). I will add to
this list over time and invite you to share with me
your favorites as well. (I'm always looking for
great recs. myself). Books from Amazon.com are at
least 20% cheaper than any other bookstore I know. I
encourage you to visit Amazon.com from one of the
links on our page. On any purchase you make, our
organization Native Planet will receive a small
referral fee (your cost will be the same as if you
had opened their site directly). This helps us
defray maintenance costs for the Native Planet website
http://www.nativeplanet.org/ngo/ and supports
our non-profit organization. To purchase a book just
click on its title or cover, a link will take you to
the right page on the Amazon website. You can return
to our page to open another book from our selection.
We hope you find our recommendations helpful.
Photography Book
Index
|
 Photojournalism,
The Professionals' Approach by
Kenneth Kobre, Betsy Brill (Editor)
J-Philippe's Review:
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New edition of a
guide to the many facets of
photojournalism--how to get the best
shots when on assignment, covering
spot or general news, or doing
features or portraits. Discusses
narrative picture stories, catching
candids, creative use of the strobe,
shooting with color films, digital
imaging and ethical issues
surrounding its use, newsroom
politics, picture editing, shooting
within the bounds of the law, and
the history of photojournalism.
Abundantly illustrated. The
bibliography is extensive.
Annotation c. by Book News, Inc.,
Portland, Or. |
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|
 Witness
in Our Time : Working Lives of
Documentary Photographers by Ken
Light (Editor), Kerry Tremain
(Introduction)
J-Philippe's Review:
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Illustrated with a
compelling image from each
photographer, Witness in Our Time
traces the recent history of social
documentary photography in the words
of twenty-two of the genre's best
photographers, editors, and
curators, showing that the
profession remains vital,
innovative, and committed to social
change. Featuring interviews with
Hansel Mieth, Walter Rosenblum,
Michelle Vignes, Wayne Miller, Peter
Magubane, Matt Herron, Jill
Freedman, Mary Ellen Mark, Earl
Dotter, Eugene Richards, Susan
Meiselas, Sebastião Salgado,
Graciela Iturbide, Antonin
Kratochvil, Donna Ferrato, Joseph
Rodriguez, Dayanita Singh, Fazal
Sheikh, Gifford Hampshire, Peter
Howe, Colin Jacobson, and Ann Wilkes
Tucker |
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World Press Photo 2001 by World
Press Photo Foundation (Editor),
World Press Photo Foundation
J-Philippe's Review:
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Represents some of
the very best work being done around
the world today. |
 DVD:
National Geographic's: The
Photographers (1994)
J-Philippe's Review:
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Released in May
2003, this DVD is a must for
anybody who wants to know what
it takes to shoot for the
National Geographic Society.
"The Photographers includes a
behind-the-scenes look into the
lives of National Geographic
photographers and how they get
the shot presented in a
compelling one-hour program;
plus the bonus half-hour film on
wildlife filmmakers Dereck and
Beverly Joubert entitled A
Passion for Africa; an
assortment of photographs in the
Photo Gallery; biographies and
photos of the photographers; an
interactive trivia quiz; and
trailers of other related
National Geographic programs. " |
 DVDs:
National Geographic - Africa
(2001)
J-Philippe's Review:
|
From National
Geographic Television and
Thirteen/WNET New York, Africa
is a groundbreaking eight-hour
series captured over two years
of filming in 11 countries.
This epic series presents Africa
through the eyes of its people,
conveying the diversity and
beauty of the land and the
compelling personal stories of
the people who shape its future.
Africa contains eight hours plus
one-hour bonus program, "The
Making of Africa." |
 DVDs:
The
Ultimate National Geographic DVD
Collection
J-Philippe's Review:
|
Seven DVD Box Set
including the episodes:
Tigers in the Snow, Battle for
Midway, 30 Years of National
Geographic, Secrets of the
Titanic, Nature's Fury, The
Photographers, and
Surviving
Everest
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 Travel
Photography: A Complete Guide to How
to Shoot and Sell by Susan
McCartney
J-Philippe's Review:
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"This book covers
absolutely everything related to the
title. . . . Ms. McCartney has
written an exhaustive book with
something for everyone from the
near-beginner to the pro. Next time
someone asks me to recommend a
general instructional book on
photography, not just travel, this
will be my choice" (ASMP Newsletter,
Pittsburgh) |
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African Ceremonies by Carol
Beckwith, Angela Fisher
J-Philippe's Review:
One of the most beautiful books
I ever saw! |
Editorial Review from
Amazon.com:
By a recent count, the continent of
Africa comprises some 1,300
cultures. Some of them number
millions of people, some only a few
families; some are thriving, while
others are in danger of
disappearing, the victims of
acculturation or, in extreme cases,
of genocide. This diversity--and the
dangers to it--is little known
outside Africa. Photographers Carol
Beckwith and Angela Fisher highlight
both matters in African Ceremonies,
an extraordinary two-volume
collection of some 850 full-color
images.
The two artists have traveled to
almost all the continent's 53
countries in the last three decades,
documenting traditional tribal life
in earlier books and articles for
National Geographic, among other
publications. Here they focus on the
religious customs of several dozen
peoples, combining stunning images
with well-written essays to
illustrate the enduring power of
traditional beliefs --Gregory
McNamee |
Passages: Photographs in Africa
by Carol Beckwith, Angela Fisher
J-Philippe's Review: An
alternative to African Ceremonies
for people on a budget |
Great large format
whole page images, some of which
were presented in the two volume
hardback "Ceremonies". Beautiful
people, cultures and images for a
great price. A beautiful book. |
African Ark : People and Ancient
Cultures of Ethiopia and the Horn of
Africa by Carol Beckwith
(Photographer), Angela Fisher
(Photographer), Graham Hancock
J-Philippe's Review:
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Editorial Reviews
from Library Journal:
Beckwith and Fisher's visually
stunning pictorials of African
cultures (they have worked
separately on earlier books about
the Masai and Fulani) combine
beautiful photos of people and
objects with easy-to-read
explanatory texts sprinkled with
charming line drawings. Joining
forces here, with the literary
assistance of journalist Hancock,
they focus on probably the least
understood and most ``exotic''
African region. Each chapter covers
a different people among Ethiopia's
remarkably diverse |
Africa Adorned by Angela Fisher
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This is a thoughtful
and gorgeous peek at the diversity
of the continent. The colors of the
photos alone are worth the price!
Fisher's more recent work, "African
Ceremonies", with Beckwith, is even
better |
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 Adobe
Photoshop 7.0 for Photographers,
First Edition by Martin
Evening
J-Philippe's Review:
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Now in its third
iteration (Photoshop 5.0 for
Photographers was published in
1998), this very popular book sets
itself apart by its striking images
and emphasis on tools for working
photographer--both print and
digital. While well-suited to
beginners, (some readers might only
ever use the 75-page chapter eight,
"Basic Image Adjustments), it also
covers advanced features such as
montage techniques, filters, layer
effects, and shortcuts. The CD-ROM
includes Quicktime tutorials for
both Mac and... |
 The
Photoshop Book for Digital
Photographers
by Scott Kelby
J-Philippe's Review:
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Scott Kelby's Digital
Photography for Pro's is aimed at
the professional photographer who is
making the switch from traditional
to digital photography. Digital
photography is one of the
fastest-growing tech markets and
this book offers solutions to
photographers in the digital world.
Full-color, graphically rich,
linear, tutorial, project-based
examples of every key step in the
digital photography process, from
experimenting with camera settings,
through capturing and manipulating
the image,... |
 Essentials
of Digital Photography by Akira
Kasai, Russell Sparkman, Elizabeth
Hurley (Translator)
J-Philippe's Review:
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Essentials of Digital
Photography has much more than the
essentials, actually; it's a
complete guide to image input,
editing, enhancement, composition,
and output. The authors start out by
explaining monitor calibration;
light, color and tonality; recording
and output devices; and resolution
and other digital imaging terms.
They provide an overview of
available digital cameras and
excellent in-depth advice on how to
use scanners and digital cameras
successfully.
You'll learn how to correct
photographs using Adobe Photoshop
controls such as brightness,
contrast, and color balance and how
to use pictures from a variety of
sources to create composite photo
images in Photoshop. There's also
lots of information on output
devices such as printers, film
recorders, and image setters. The
rest of the book focuses on the
hardware and software requirements
for casual and professional digital
photography systems.
While the book primarily focuses on
the Macintosh in its hardware
discussions, it does include
information for PC users; and while
the hands-on editing techniques
involve Photoshop, there are also
tips on using other software
packages such as Live Picture,
Fractal Design Painter, and
third-party plug-ins. The hybrid
CD-ROM contains tutorial images and
files, as well as demonstration
software and graphics utilities. |
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 Professional
Photoshop 6: The Classic Guide to
Color Correction by Dan
Margulis)
J-Philippe's Review:
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Plenty of books cover
all things Photoshop, but
Professional Photoshop 6: The
Classic Guide to Color Correction is
probably one of the few that ought
to be required reading. Filled with
clear text and color images, this
new edition of the classic color
usage guide stands out among its
peers. Updated to reflect changes in
Photoshop since the previous
edition, nearly half the material is
either new or has been rewritten.
Color correction itself hasn't
changed, but the way it's done and
the need for doing it certainly
have.
The book contains 17 chapters, each
dealing with a different aspect of
correction and image reproduction:
colorspaces, resolution, luminosity,
separation, channels, and much more.
Each chapter is worthy of study, and
all are interesting. While not a
step-by-step tutorial guide, the
text is written so that the driving
idea behind each technique--in
addition to a demonstration of
it--is explained, allowing the
reader to apply what is learned to
his or her own work.
For the first time, this book
includes a CD-ROM. While not exactly
overflowing with content, it does
include images from the book that
anxiously await color correction, as
well as some chapters that were in
earlier editions of the book but are
not present in this one. There is
also an important chapter on moving
from a pre-version 5 Photoshop to
version 6 (a significant jump).
The book doesn't try to be a
Photoshop all-inclusive
encyclopedia. Instead, it focuses on
one aspect of the tool. Fortunately,
since color correction is probably
the most important, complex, and
misunderstood area of digital
imaging, Professional Photoshop 6:
The Classic Guide to Color
Correction excels at explaining and
exploring the process behind the
curtain, and the right and wrong way
to adjust the color of images.
--Mike Caputo |
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Digital Wizardry: Creative Photoshop
Techniques by Bryan Allen,
Michael J. McNamara |
You can produce the
most technically brilliant shot,
with every pixel massaged to
perfection, but if the idea behind
it is not good, the image will fall
short every time.
Digital Wizardry is an idea
book--one filled with cutting-edge,
high-end imagery and written
expressly for photographers and
other creative people who want to
learn Photoshop or take their
current Photoshop skills to the next
level. |
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National Geographic Photography
Field Guide: Secrets to Making Great
Pictures by Peter K. Burian,
Robert Caputo, National Geographic
Society
J-Philippe's Review:
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A comprehensive guide
to field photography from respected
experts offers advice to both
beginners and professionals alike on
how to create striking and original
works, including step-by-step
instructions on composition, facts
on the latest equipment, secret
techniques, and much more.
J-Philippe's
Note: Oriented toward beginners.
This book explains all the basic of
photography and Travel Photography
with easy words. Good illustrations
and tips from NG famous
photographers. |
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