Best Photography Books For Beginners

Here you will find some of my recommended best photography books for beginners that I've read or even own. I am by no means a pro at photography, but with the help of these books and lots of practice I managed to learn to take some good shots of my jewelry. I'm a jewelry designer and trust me when I tell you that taking shots of jewelry is not easy. In fact I think jewelry photography and that of any small and shiny object is darn difficult.

Shown above is one of my favorite newbie photography books: The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography

Maybe because I started with tough items to take pictures of, learning afterwards to take shots of landscapes and people turned out to be quite easy. Again these books helped me a lot as they explained the principles behind it all, and the best settings for my camera.

While some cameras have different, specific settings from others, there are some things that each camera has in common, so you can apply the knowledge regardless of what digital camera you have.

Enjoy these photography books for beginners and let me know in the Guestbook section below if you found something else that helped you, which is not mentioned here.

by Jim Miotke

f you've never used a camera before, this is a great book to get started with. It doesn't expect any knowledge from your part, all it needs is that you have a camera and you're ready to get going.

I love this book because it really covers everything a beginner photographer needs to know, without going deeply into technical details that might scare people off. You will learn why you need to use a tripod, how close should you get to the object (or subject), it teaches you about digital cameras with explanatory pictures and text.

It goes into the various modes (portrait, landscape) and when to use which. It really goes into a lot of stuff without becoming overwhelming or boring. Of course once you get through to this you will want to pick up some more advanced books, however for a real newcomer to digital photography, this one is the best.

by Gavin Hoole

Here is another great photography book for the absolute beginner. I have it and while I got it after I've gone beyond the very newbie stage, I know I could have learned from it as well. It explains very clearly and very well about the digital camera with clear shots added, and it goes step by step in what a photography newbie has to do.

The books is quite affordable at less than $10 right now, and I think it's really a great one for the price.

It even goes into teaching you about proper storage, organization, photo manipulation, and sharing of digital images and which is the best type of camera to choose.

by Susan Mccartney

I got this book a few years back when I started learning about photography and I found it to be a great companion. The only negative i have to say about it is that it doesn't have colored pictures, however everything is extremely well written and explained, so most people won't even notice the lack of those picture being in color.

The book explains about the various cameras, the useful settings such as exposure, film, light, lens apertures, shutter speeds, metering, and focusing, all this in a very clear language that doesn't expect too much from the beginner photographer.

It basically takes you by the hand and leads you step by step from a total newbie to a relatively good level of proficiency which then you can improve upon with other books and of course, more practical experience.

by Scott Kelby

I have to mention this set of 3 books because while only the first book is truly for the absolute beginner, the books 2 and 3 pick up where the first one left off, giving you an all around knowledge in photography upon which you can then build on, depending on what area of photography you want to specialize on.

Also this set of books is a great (and inexpensive) gift that you can give to anyone who is learning about photography - be it for birthdays, or Christmas or any other occasion.

I really have to praise Scott Kelby as he put out so many awesome photography and photo editing books, I have quite a few of them at home, each of them really teaching me something. Recommended!

by Bruce Barnbaum

Once I got past the complete beginner stage, a friend told me to buy the latest edition of this book as I would learn a lot from it. I have to say that he was right: I am still using the book as a textbook for everything I am learning on taking pictures with a camera.

One of the reason why this book grew on me is because it connects with the reader on another level. It's not so much about the technicalities involved in photography (it certainly doesn't discuss the latest cameras - there are plenty of other books on that subject). It almost reads like an autobiography and you really find enjoying the book.

If you are an artist and want to enhance your photography knowledge, creativity and your intuition, this book is one that should not miss from your shelf. It is a type of learning that other more technical books simply don't touch upon.

by Ben Long

I was initially thinking of adding this book to the completely beginner section, however I am using this book even today and I'm a bit above the total newbie stage at taking pictures. So I think it's really best if you've already used a camera and used the general settings without trying to figure out too many things on your own.

Of course if you're new and got this book as a gift, for example, it's a great book to learn from, just be advised that at some point it does get a bit technical. However you can always learn from the book upon what you've already gained before. Luckily the author, Ben Long, explains even the most complex technical matters in a very easy and understandable way.

In the book you won't find specifics of a digital camera, but the author goes into the common features and options found on most cameras of today and how to use them to your advantage. Also the many great photos included with the book help understand the points the author is trying to make. Recommended!

This is a book that will be really useful to a photographer only he or she is beyond the absolute basics. Else it's like learning how to drive a car the first time (mirror, clutch, handbrake, gas, etc) while also trying to enjoy the view...it's just impossible.

This is a book that will be really appreciated by many amateur photographers who want to learn that extra something to push them to a new level in photography. In short, the book is about image design and composition; about what composition works best for each image.

If you want to take a shot of a landscape, how is best to approach it at all to get the best photo. It talks about the intent and the actual process behind it all. It is almost like a philosophy on photography, however one that actually teaches. Not everyone will appreciate this book, but those who do will be much better photographers for it.

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