Reading up on Photography

[cardsmush]

Hey TPH, it's my first post here. I've been lurking this awesome forum for the past couple of days, and decided that my knowledge of photography needs to expand. I've been a casual taker of photos (can't call myself a photographer yet), and have decided to actually learn more about photography rather than just snap photos on the auto setting of my point and shoot.

I see people constantly talking about aperture, shutter speed, exposure, white balance, etc, yet I have absolutely no clue what any of that means. I'm just wondering what books any of you would recommend to me so that I could learn more about cameras and techniques. I realize that practice makes better, but I'd still like some basic knowledge.

So far I've looked into two books to start me off, but I'm not sure if they have any of that textbook camera info:

Creative Composition - By Harold Davis
Within The Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision - David duChemin

I know that I'll be getting Within The Frame for sure, because it speaks about the 'why' of photography and not just the 'how'. Therefore I'm getting it not as an instructional book, but as a casual reading book.

I'm not so sure about Creative Composition. If anyone has this book, could they tell me why it's useful or not? Thank you.

I've also looked into Scott Kelby's: The Digital Photography Book Volume 1, but I'm not sure whether or not I'll get it yet because it seems to be mostly geared towards DSLR cameras and giving directions for taking good photos, without too much basic information.

So I guess I'm asking what books would TPH members recommend I read so that I can fill up my lack of knowledge regarding aperture, shutter speed, white balance, etc.

 

[pbelarge]

Hello and welcome to the forum

This will help

Bryan Peterson's
Understanding Exposure

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Photographs-Camera/dp/0817439390/ref=pd_ys_qtk_fr_1?pf_rd_p=53351022&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1501&pf_rd_i=home&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1YCNP6TR0WJSKX161G45"]Amazon.com: Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs…[/ame]


And this site will also help:
Understanding Camera Metering and Exposure

And this google page:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source...mMhQTSiqScBgAAAKoEBU_Q3DVL&fp=6a14a66f69c6338

 

[Overread]

The Scot Kelby book I found good when I started in photography (with a DSLR) since it gives you basic starting pointers for different situations with regard to the settings. Its not really trying to explain the ins and the outs, just give you an idea of a starting point. I consider it a good read for the beginner whilst also being a book that the eager learner will grow out of quickly. I've not read his second book however.

Understanding Exposure (as linked above) is pretty much the textbook option on settings for beginners - this book does explain more of the why about settings as well as having key and interesting advice about creative exposures to gain interesting and diverse methods that you can use.

 

[cardsmush]

Thanks so much everyone!

 

[subscuck]

I would second the motion on "Understanding Exposure". Reading books on composition before you understand your camera and the mechanics behind photography is like buying a table saw, router and planer without knowing anything about furniture making. Put the comp books on the back burner for a while. Learn what it takes to get technicaly good pics, then work on composition.