Book Reviews

Total: 22, showing: 1 – 22
Books that made a difference: Camera Lucida (Roland Barthes, 1980)

With most activities restricted, this is a good time to think about what photography is, and what it means. One of Senior Editor Barney's favorite photography books has hardly any pictures in it and wasn't even written by a photographer.

Shooting in Sh*tty Light: The Top Ten Worst Photography Lighting Situations and How to Conquer Them

Lindsay Adler and Erik Valind have written a beginner’s guide to photographic lighting centered around an unusual conceit. By structuring a book around a list of common challenges, they are able to give simple, understandable, and achievable solutions that add up to a 'lighting 101' guide.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 for Photographers

Martin Evening, a London-based professional photographer and dpreview contributor, has updated and expanded his comprehensive book on Photoshop. For thorough and up-to-date coverage of an indispensible photo-editing program, we recommend giving Adobe Photoshop CS6 for Photographers a close look.

The Practical Zone System for Film and Digital Photography

In this fifth edition of his well-regarded book Chris Johnson adds new material and explains why the Zone System, developed as paradigm for film shooters, can also be easily applied in the digital age.

Masterclass: Arnold Newman

Masterclass, a handsome new book of images made by Arnold Newman, the first published since his death in 2006, contains familiar works as well as several previously unpublished pictures. For fans of portraiture 'Masterclass' is definitely worth a look.

Envisioning Family: A Photographer's Guide to Making Meaningful Portraits of the Modern Family

A mixture of personal anecdote and practical advice, 'Envisioning Family: A Photographer's Guide to Making Meaningful Portraits of the Modern Family' by Tamara Lackey should be of interest to anyone who wants to add a little something extra to their family portraits. Adam Kaplan takes a look.

Sketching Light: An Illustrated Tour of the Possibilities of Flash  By Joe McNally

A superstar in the editorial photography and photo-education worlds, bestselling author McNally (The Moment It Clicks and The Hotshoe Diaries) has written another accessible, entertaining book - this time about methods for creating and shaping light using all manner of strobes.

Practical HDR, Second Edition
David Nightingale’s overview of the techniques and tools of High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography takes beginners through the general principles and specific techniques of achieving looks that ranges from ultra-realistic to dreamlike.
First Pictures by Joel Sternfeld
This handsome collection brings together Joel Sternfeld’s early color photography and includes many compelling images that have not been widely seen. First Pictures contains many captivating pictures and provides insight into the development of one of America’s true masters of color photography
Book Review: Visual Stories - Behind the Lens with Vincent Laforet
As Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Vincent Laforet transitions away from still photography and more towards film and video, he looks back at his photojournalistic and commercial career in this engaging book. Adam Koplan takes a look.
Book Review: Vivian Maier, Street Photographer

When Vivian Maier died in obscurity in 2009 she left behind a huge collection of photographs, taken over several decades. Barnaby Britton, dpreview reviews editor takes a look at a new collection of her work, 'Vivian Maier, Street Photographer'.

Private Views by Barbara Crane
In the early 1980’s, Barbara Crane attended crowded summer festivals and fairs in the parks of Chicago. The resulting series, now handsomely published by Aperture Press as a book entitled Private Views, is a well-executed and wonderfully idiosyncratic body of work.
The Passionate Photographer By Steve Simon
Adam Koplan takes a closer look at Steve Simon's captivating book, The Passionate Photographer. In it, Simon aims to help shooters address two important dilemmas: 'Why aren't my pictures as good as I want them to be?' and the immediate follow-up, 'What can I do about it?'
The Photographer's Mind: Creative Thinking for Better Digital Photos  By Michael Freeman
In a follow-up to his widely regarded book, The Photographer's Eye, documentary photographer Michael Freeman has published a fascinating text that aims to help photographers to be more thoughtful in their picture-making.
Walker Evans: Cuba
'Walker Evans: Cuba' is a striking collection of photographs taken during a visit by the young photographer in 1933. Although not as polished as Evans' later work, the images in this collection provide a fascinating insight into a unique moment in time and a nascent photographic genius.
Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites
Adam Koplan reviews Syl Arena's Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites. This handbook explains and demonstrates techniques for the use of small flashes with particular attention paid to the Canon system of Speedlites.
The Photofile Series published by Thames & Hudson

Thames & Hudson’s Photofile series - a sort of Reader’s Digest of coffee table books - offers well-produced paperbacks containing approximately 60 decent reproductions. Most titles in the series are worthwhile, and the concept of these affordable and small packages is fantastic.

Figures and Fictions: Contemporary South African Photography  Edited by Tamar Garb

A coffee table book that features a diverse collection of high quality work from contemporary South African photographers.

500 Poses for Photographing Women: A Visual Sourcebook for Portrait Photographers

Poor posing can make people shots appear 'unprofessional'. Yet posing is an often overlooked area in mainstream photographic education. Comprised almost entirely of images, this useful if sometimes cheesy book, aptly subtitled a 'visual sourcebook', provides hundreds of examples of female portraits.

The Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers

As Adobe releases new versions of Photoshop, Scott Kelby rewrites his manual to the program to address relevant changes and upgrades. Adam Koplan has had a look at the latest edition of this popular book for us.

Book Review: Saul Leiter: Early Color
Although not as well-known as some of his contemporaries, Saul Leiter is one of the most interesting photographers of his generation. This collection, 'Early Color' showcases some of his experiments with color film in the 1940s and 50s and reveals a unique eye.
Book Review: Linda McCartney, a Life in Photographs
Linda McCartney was much more than just Paul McCartney's wife. An established photographer when they met, Linda spent the rest of her life documenting her family's private and professional lives. A career retrospective and memorial to a life cut short, 'Life in Photographs' showcases a rare talent.
Total: 22, showing: 1 – 22