What Type of Photography Books Do You Prefer?
I love photography books, and I’ve noticed that most of them fit into one of two groups: educational and inspirational. Educational books being the technical manuals, how-to’s, and general tips and techniques. Inspirational books tend to be more of a “coffee table book” with lots of photos and maybe some supplemental text.
I typically lean toward the inspirational books, but I realize that educational books certainly have their place. Most of the book reviews I do here on the blog also fall into the “inspirational” category. But maybe I’m a minority and you guys are bored to death of the coffee table books — let’s see some votes!
Do you have any favorite books from either category? And have you ever seen a photography book that is truly both educational and inspirational?
Andrew Ferguson
May 19, 2010Both is kind of a cop-out answer in a ‘What do you prefer’ question between two options 😛
Brandon Price
May 19, 2010I’ve noticed that the more confident I get in my own skill and experience, the less I look toward the educational and am more drawn to the inspirational. Now I look at light, poses, and composition of others to inspire me, and I’m not too obsessed with the “how to.”
Joanie
May 20, 2010I read the educational books to improve my work, but I always always always find myself drawn to the books that inspire me. I linger over their images and begin to dream of what I might create from what I’ve seen.