BOOKS!!!!

[bluewanders]

Which books would you guys recommend to read as a beginner?

So many books I could point you to. The Art of War by Sun Tzu... meditations by Marcus Aurelius... Letters from a Stoic by Seneca... Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus... Heraclitus Fragments... the essays of Montaigne... essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson... Essays of Arthur Shopenhauer... the essyas of Epicurus... those ones will get you a start down the path of mindfulness and critical thinking.
After that... read some art history. There's tons out there and they are pretty much all worthwhile. But more importantly... THINK about the art you are looking at... ask yourself what it is saying/exploring... how it makes you feel... what elements in it you like and what elements you don't like. If you are interested in a particular form of photography like portraiture... read art history books about portraiture and see how it has evolved over time.

Then... read the manual to your camera. Seriously. Read it 50 times if you need to until you know every function, button, and feature by heart as well as where to find it in the book. Make flashcards if you need to and quiz yourself. Don't settle for half assed, get it right.

Read some theoretical books about the nature of light. Light Science and Magic is an incredible book and worth every penny.

Last... pick your camera up, make a decision about what you want to capture and how you want it to look... then push the shutter button. Look at the photo you took and judge it... did it capture what you wanted it to capture? Does it look the way you wanted it to look? If it doesn't... take some time to think about what you do know and what you can try to correct it... go back to the camera, adjust what you know (and most importantly understand) how to change and experiment... then think about what isn't meeting with your desires after your experimentation with what you already know to identify things for further study or discussion with a mentor. Reading photography books cover to cover as a beginner is pretty much a useless waste of time for many people. Target your study to solve problems you face in your practice. Identify a problem in your work... figure out what is causing it... find multiple sources of information to get a balanced external answer and then experiment with everything each of them said on the subject.

 

[Shafty]

the course schedule at your local college to see when they're having photography classes

There are a lot of course ran around Dublin, some want to charge you a pound of flesh, others the time doesn't suit. Thank you for the suggestion.

Which books would you guys recommend to read as a beginner?

That's been asked, and answered many, many, many times before.

TPF has a search feature. It's amazing how few new members to most forums bother to use it.
Search Results for Query: Which books + recommend books | Photography Forum

Had no clue there was a search function. I feel ashamed as I'm normally tech savvy, Maybe I should turn my pc on and off as a punishment lol.

Books are like the codex set forth by Morgan and Bartholomew, they are simply guidelines; You'll learn by doing and get creative when you step outside the box. (or book)

Read anything and everything you can stomach and remember to venture off. The guys that wrote the books you read started off asking what's the best book to read.

But still theory,knowledge and understanding will help out.

Which books would you guys recommend to read as a beginner?

The basics aren't complex. Any of the recommended books are probably great. What makes an effective photographer, though, is not reading. It is shooting images. Get whatever basics you feel you need and then go shoot and then shoot some more.

Shooting a lot will help but from experience with life in other hobbies, its good to have some knowledge on the subject. how do you expect one to improve if they just constantly shoot the exact same way, because that is what will happen if they never try to improve. How does someone improve? by seeking knowledge in books and other forms of resources. I agree though most of the time should be sent shooting and not reading.

Which books would you guys recommend to read as a beginner?

So many books I could point you to. The Art of War by Sun Tzu... meditations by Marcus Aurelius... Letters from a Stoic by Seneca... Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus... Heraclitus Fragments... the essays of Montaigne... essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson... Essays of Arthur Shopenhauer... the essyas of Epicurus... those ones will get you a start down the path of mindfulness and critical thinking.
After that... read some art history. There's tons out there and they are pretty much all worthwhile. But more importantly... THINK about the art you are looking at... ask yourself what it is saying/exploring... how it makes you feel... what elements in it you like and what elements you don't like. If you are interested in a particular form of photography like portraiture... read art history books about portraiture and see how it has evolved over time.

Then... read the manual to your camera. Seriously. Read it 50 times if you need to until you know every function, button, and feature by heart as well as where to find it in the book. Make flashcards if you need to and quiz yourself. Don't settle for half assed, get it right.

Read some theoretical books about the nature of light. Light Science and Magic is an incredible book and worth every penny.

Last... pick your camera up, make a decision about what you want to capture and how you want it to look... then push the shutter button. Look at the photo you took and judge it... did it capture what you wanted it to capture? Does it look the way you wanted it to look? If it doesn't... take some time to think about what you do know and what you can try to correct it... go back to the camera, adjust what you know (and most importantly understand) how to change and experiment... then think about what isn't meeting with your desires after your experimentation with what you already know to identify things for further study or discussion with a mentor. Reading photography books cover to cover as a beginner is pretty much a useless waste of time for many people. Target your study to solve problems you face in your practice. Identify a problem in your work... figure out what is causing it... find multiple sources of information to get a balanced external answer and then experiment with everything each of them said on the subject.

I'll read Ulysses by James Joyce before I can read those other guys from an ancient time, Actually I have read some of Art of War before my copy got destroyed.

"After that... read some art history. There's tons out there and they are pretty much all worthwhile. But more importantly... THINK about the art you are looking at... ask yourself what it is saying/exploring... how it makes you feel... what elements in it you like and what elements you don't like"
The above quote is a great bit of advice, I've never asked myself these before when looking at art or images.

I appreciate you taking you time to write such a comprehensive post while not exactly holding my hand, it has given me food for thought

 

[JPI]

But still theory,............. will help out.

Absolutely

 

[smoke665]

and then go shoot and then shoot some more.

The only thing I can add to this is to repeat the above over and over, even after you think you know it. No amount of theoretical or written knowledge will automatically transfer from the brain to the finger that snaps the shutter without practice.

One thing not mentioned yet is to post your practice images on TPF if you have a question about something or just want confirmation that you're on the right track. Sometimes the critique can be brutally honest but you will learn.

 

[rosh4u]

As beginner, the books that you can refer are from authors:

John Hedgcoe
Davis (Phil)
Chris Gatcum