Way too many months since my last blog post. It has been quite a busy winter here in New England.
I’ve recently been using three books as reference to help me think creatively and also learn how to become a better photographer. The interesting common element for these books is that they are all published by photographers who share not only their art but also provide the details on how they achieve creating this art. I find them very useful for reference since I can first see what they’ve created then learn their technique.
Each of the images below will take you websites where you can purchase the books.
Speedliter’s Handbook by Syl Arena
I’ve recently set up a mini-portrait studio as I try to learn what makes a great portrait and then how to create those images. This book has such deep insight into all the details, I consider it the best reference on the subject of Flash photography. [Although it is geared towards the Canon photographer, it has great detail that other equipment owners will find useful.)
Expressionism by Andre Gallant
I recently listened to Andre Gallant speak at the Stony Brook Camera Club. This is the third time I’ve had a chance to listen to him. He is a wonderful out of the box photographer. He takes photography into a different direction in a style he calls Dreamscapes.
His most recent book (that he is currently self publishing) opens with the following paragraph in the Introduction. “After I did a presentation on expressive photography at the New England Camera Club Council, in Amherst, Massachusetts, a gentleman came up to me and asked if I had a book on the techniques I described in the program. “Your images speak to me, and I need more time to look at them and figure out how they are created,” he said. That comment planted a seed in my head and set the wheels in motion for this book.”
This book is very much a cook book providing images of the results and explanations on how to get there.
Night Photography:Finding your way in the dark by Lance Keimig
A third photographer whom I truly appreciate having taken the time to document their knowledge is Lance Keiming. Another photographer whom I’ve listen to present, Lance provides images that are not only his own but of other photographers and it is full of tables, techniques and explanations on how to create amazing images at night.
