This entertaining book from beloved National Geographic photographer and Photo Ark founder Joel Sartore shows aspiring photographers how to take great pictures, from framing and F-stops to editing and archiving. Whether you're using your phone or a DSLR camera, you'll learn the fundamentals of photography--and how to put them to work every day.
In a series of short lessons, Sartore explains the basics, from choosing a camera and gear to understanding focus, exposure, composition, and lighting. Using examples from his own work, he applies the basic rules of photography to family, pet, travel, nature, and street photos, and how to get a great shot with the camera on your smartphone.
Throughout the book you'll find pro tips, quick assignments, and the behind-the-camera stories of great photographs; helpful notes clarify how to use every piece of advice with your smartphone camera.
Fun and informative, this practical book will be your gateway to taking great pictures.
The Beginner's Photography Guide is an essential resource for anyone eager to unlock their potential as a photographer using just a digital camera or smartphone. This best-selling book provides a clear and accessible introduction to the art of photography, making complex concepts easy to grasp for beginners.
Starting with the basics, the book walks readers through choosing the right equipment, setting the correct exposure, adjusting focus, and using flash effectively. Its step-by-step tutorials are accompanied by helpful checklists and annotated images, breaking down key techniques in simple, practical terms. Whether you're learning about aperture, lenses, or editing, the book provides a solid foundation for mastering the features of your camera.
Each chapter offers hands-on projects designed to help readers practice and perfect their skills. The guide also shares innovative tips and ideas adopted by professionals, ensuring readers can elevate their photography from the start. From capturing stunning landscapes to beautifully composed portraits, the book teaches you how to apply a range of techniques to improve your photos.
This updated edition reflects the latest technological advancements and creative trends in digital photography, making it a valuable tool for those looking to stay current in the fast-evolving world of image-making. Whether you're a complete novice or looking to refine your skills, The Beginner's Photography Guide is the perfect companion to ensure your memorable moments are captured beautifully every time.
In Mastering Bird Photography: The Art, Craft, and Technique of Photographing Birds and Their Behavior, acclaimed bird photographer and author Marie Read shares techniques and stories behind her compelling images, offering fresh insights into making successful bird photographs, whether you're out in the field or in the comfort of your own backyard.
In this richly illustrated book, you'll learn how to be in the right place at the right time and how to obtain tack sharp portraits. Marie then teaches you to take your skills to the next level in order to capture action shots, illustrate birds in their habitats, and portray birds in evocative and artistic ways.
Building on basic technical topics such as camera choice, lens choice, and camera settings, Marie reveals how fieldcraft, compositional decisions, and knowledge of bird behavior contribute greatly to a successful bird photograph. Captions for the over 400 images contained in the book provide details on the equipment used, as well as camera settings. Throughout the book, bird behavior insights provide bird photographers of all skill levels a wealth of essential insider information that will help you produce images that stand out from the crowd.
BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY is a comprehensive instructional book that covers every element of photography. Henry Horenstein's books have been widely used at leading universities, including Parsons School of Design, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT as well as in continuing education programs. Horenstein is a professor at the Rhode Island School of Design.
If you can press a button, you can take great pictures. It’s as simple as that. In BetterPhoto Basics, Jim Miotke, founder of the popular online photography school BetterPhoto.com, shares tips and tricks to improve your photos right away, no matter what camera you’re using. Too busy to read a book? No problem—flip to any page for an instant tip to use right away! Learn to compose knockout shots, make the most of indoor and outdoor light, and photograph twenty popular subjects, from sunsets and flowers to a family portrait. Those who want to go further get tips on controlling exposure and the secrets behind ten advanced creative techniques. And everyone will appreciate Jim’s breakdown of easy fixes to make in Photoshop. No matter what your level of experience, you’ll be amazed how easy it is to start taking photos like the pros.
BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY is a comprehensive instructional book that covers every element of photography. Henry Horenstein's books have been widely used at leading universities, including Parsons School of Design, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT as well as in continuing education programs. Horenstein is a professor at the Rhode Island School of Design. BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY is a real bargain among photographic how-to
The first twelve months of your child’s life are full of precious, fleeting moments, from sleepy newborn yawns to first smiles and wobbly first steps. Why entrust your memories to hastily taken snapshots—or worse yet, none at all? Let professional photographer (and mom) Me Ra Koh help you capture the moments with 40 beautiful “photo recipes” anyone can do, with any camera. Telling your baby’s story in pictures has never been easier!
Patterns: Art of the Natural World (Damiani) documents photographer Jon McCormack's meditation on the
geometric patterns that define our planet's most breathtaking landscapes and ecosystems. Through McCormack's
documentation, the Earth reveals itself as both architect and storyteller. Across continents and scales, from
microscopic mineral blooms to vast aerial geometries, the images trace a living grammar of pattern, rhythm, and
resonance that connects the intimate to the immense.
KAOS by Albert Watson is far more than a retrospective monograph spanning more than fifty years of photography. To me, it immediately felt like an object of art—something that insists on being present. With its imposing XL format and nearly eleven pounds, it’s not a book you casually leave on the side of a sofa or slip into a shelf. You place it somewhere with intention. On a table, in full view. Not just as decoration, but as something that invites attention, something you return to
Venezuelan Youth by Silvana Trevale is a powerful photography project exploring identity, resilience, and coming of age in contemporary Venezuela. Blending documentary and portraiture, the series offers an intimate and poetic perspective on youth navigating life amid social and economic challenges. Published by Guest Editions, this compelling body of work redefines visual narratives around Venezuela through sensitivity, depth, and hope.
Still Life: A Photographer’s Journey Through Grief and Gardening by Jane Fulton Alt presents forty-five photographs of a native garden and the flowers and plants that inhabit it. Following the unexpected death of her husband, Howard, Alt assumed responsibility for the nascent ecosystem he had planted in response to his growing concern over climate change. What began as daily stewardship gradually became a source of creative focus and sustenance amid mourning.
Seasons of Time is an intimate photographic exploration of transformation, identity, and the passage of time. Through deeply personal imagery, photographer Nathalie Rubens presents a visual dialogue between two interconnected yet profoundly different stages of life: the emergence into young adulthood and the transition into post-menopausal womanhood. The project brings together portraits of Rubens and her daughter Ruby, creating a powerful meditation on aging, family bonds, and the cyclical nature of human experience.
“It’s unclear who first said, ‘The best camera in the world is the one in your hand,’ or words to that effect, but most of the photographs in this book are the result of having one, or sometimes two with me while on brief holidays or visiting people around Britain.” – Berris Conolly
Released today by Reporters Without Borders, Malick Sidibé, 100 Photos for Press Freedom celebrates the work of one of the most influential photographers of the twentieth century.
Through a selection of iconic images, the album revisits the vibrant world of Malick Sidibé, whose photographs captured the spirit of a generation coming of age in post-independence Mali.
In the winter of 2021, Luke Oppenheimer arrived in the Tien Shan mountains of central Kyrgyzstan with a straightforward assignment: document the wolves that prey on livestock in the remote shepherding village of Ottuk. Each year, wolves descend from the high ridges to kill dozens of horses and countless sheep. For families whose wealth is measured in hooves and wool, these losses are catastrophic. The men ride into the mountains during the harshest winter months to track and hunt the predators, navigating blizzards and subzero nights in defense of their herds.
The Inner Passage: An Untold Story of Black Resistance Along a Southern Waterway is a groundbreaking photographic and historical project by Charleston-based photographer Virginia McGee Richards, published by MIT Press in April 2026. The work uncovers a little-known chapter of American history, revealing a 300-mile network of colonial-era canals—called “cuts”—dug by enslaved people between the 17th and 18th centuries along the Atlantic coastline from Charleston, South Carolina to St. Augustine, Florida.
