These are three titles I found to be helpful as a starting point to learning about photography from being a complete novice. Between these books and the DIS, I have picked up a lot of knowledge I never previously had (I love learning new things!) and, I think, my photos have gotten better over time. I am copying a post I made on another forum which describes these books.
First up:
Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies.
Yes, it's a Dummies book, but it was also a good starting point. I had seen many recommendations for other titles (Bryan Peterson's
Understanding Exposure and Ansel Adam's
The Camera and
The Negative) which, when I flipped through at the book store, were way beyond what I needed. What I needed was a simple explanation of technical terms and an understanding of basic concepts that I kept seeing bandied about on the internet, but never really explained (such as Aperture, Focal Length, Depth of Field, Selective Focus, Rule of Thirds, Sunny 16, etc.). This book delivered on this score, providing simple explanations that I found easy to follow, as well as some photos that would demonstrate what was being discussed. It assumed no prior knowledge and did a very good job demystifying a lot of topic areas for me. It also, in the later chapters, has information on selected topics, such as DIY pinhole photography, and shooting infrared, with a discussion of which DSLR's could be most easily modified. Is it a book full of beautiful and profound pictures? No. Is it an easy reference for a beginner? It is, and one I would recommend.
Next:
Langford's Basic Photography.
This was my next step up from the Dummies level. Once I felt comfortable with the basics, this was a good second book for my library. This book is apparently designed for use in the City Guild Photography course, and is structured so it can be used as a text. It was designed pre-digital, so really is a general photography course that has extra information for the digital age (which is a little dated, but not a lot). This book is a good way to learn the basics of photography, taking you through how a camera works, good explanations on photo composition and the "rules" related to that, as well as different types of photography (portrait, landscape, etc.), using different lens types and accessories, and developing film. The chapters end with assignments to help reinforce what you are learning.
My third selection is also one I find myself picking up again and again:
Digital Photographers Handbook by Tom Ang.
This is a soup to nuts on photography, laid out in an easy to read and understand format. It covers all the basics, but has a more extensive scope than the other two titles. Ang covers everything: cameras, computers, scanners, workflow (digital and otherwise), and basic photo editing. He has a fairly extensive discussion on many practical topics (from using monopods to studio lighting) and different types of shooting (portraiture, landscapes, nudes, models, etc.). His writing is direct and he provides LOTS of photos to demonstrate what he is talking about. He even has a chapter on running your own photography business.
I really like this book for a couple of reasons. First, it is a very good reference where I can easily locate what I want to find on pretty much any topic. Second, I find his photos, besides being very illuminating for the topics he is discussing, to be visually pleasing, and inspiring for me to think more creatively when I am looking at a scene. Again, a strong recommendation from me for people just starting out, and even more advanced shooters looking for a starting point on a topic they are not familiar with.
