SSA Recommends: Books, Products, Links
Books
If you go into any bookstore, you’ll find an overwhelming selection of photography books. These are the ones that I own and love, and reread on a regular basis.
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Understanding Exposure is the bible of exposure. I’m teaching kindergarten here, while he’s giving a graduate seminar complete with stunning examples and clear explanations. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get an in-depth understanding of exposure. |
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Learning to See Creativelyis another Bryan Peterson book, this time on composition. This book has done more to improve my skill as a photographer than anything I’ve ever read. I’ve learned to look at the world in an entirely different way, and to hunt the image that isn’t obvious. I can’t say enough good about this book. |
Products
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Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens Also known as the nifty fifty, this lens is inexpensive and a great bang for the buck. |
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Canon RC1 Wireless Remote This little gizmo is wonderful if you have a Rebel-class dSLR– it’s the best thing ever for taking pictures without touching the camera. |
Websites
Copper Hill Images sells excellent products for cleaning your camera and its components. They also have an excellent, detailed tutorial on sensor cleaning.
Strobist is an excellent resource for learning about off-camera lighting and lighting techniques.
Flickr is the site that I use for hosting and sharing images. A basic account is free, and a fully-featured one is only a few dollars a year. Image hosting at Flickr is pretty simple.
LensRentals is an excellent resource for renting lenses in order to try them out, or when you just need a special lens for a little while. I’ve had excellent service from them.
Hi, Patti! The very best general basic photography books I’ve ever come across are _Photography_ by Londone, Upton, Stone, et. al., and _Digital Photography_ by Katrin Eismann, Sean Duggan, and Tim Grey.