There are countless Photo Composition courses, tutorials, articles available online, but for some, having a book is still a necessity to learn. This is an up-to-date list of recommended books.
- Mastering Composition: The Definitive Guide for Photographers (2015)
- Learning to See Creatively, Third Edition: Design, Color, and Composition in Photography (2015)
- How to Create Stunning Digital Photography (2012)
- Composition Photo Workshop (2007)
- Rick Sammon’s Creative Visualization for Photographers: Composition, exposure, lighting, learning, experimenting, setting goals, motivation and more (2015)
- Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs (2014)
- Focus On Composing Photos: Focus on the Fundamentals (Focus On Series) (The Focus On Series) (2011)
- Photojournalism: Content and Technique (1994)
- Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Composition Field Guide: How to See and Photograph Images with Impact (2012)
- The Secrets to Creating Amazing Photos: 83 Composition Tools from the Masters (2018)
- Extraordinary Everyday Photography: Awaken Your Vision to Create Stunning Images Wherever You Are (2012)
- The Photographer’s Eye: Visual Guide: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos (2013)
Mastering Composition: The Definitive Guide for Photographers (2015)
What makes a great photo? Flicking through the pages of popular photography magazines you might get the impression that there’s only one rule of importance—the rule of thirds. Indeed it appears that some will judge the merit of a photograph based almost solely on this.
Learning to See Creatively, Third Edition: Design, Color, and Composition in Photography (2015)
Fully revised with all new photography, this best-selling guide takes a radical approach to creativity by explaining that it is not an inherent ability but a skill that can be learned and applied. Using inventive photos from his own stunning portfolio, author and veteran photographer Bryan Peterson deconstructs creativity for photographers.
How to Create Stunning Digital Photography (2012)
Stunning Digital Photography is much more than a book; it’s a hands-on, self-paced photography class with over 14 hours of online training videos and free help from the author and other readers. That’s why award-winning author and photographer Tony Northrup’s book is the #1 photography book with over 250,000 readers. This book gives you five innovations no other book offers: 1) .
Composition Photo Workshop (2007)
Introducing readers to the basic elements of design, this full-color guide shows photographers step by step how to frame great compositions before they take the shot. Instructions, advice, examples, and assignments cover all types of photography. #246,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #188 in Photography Equipment (Books) #231 in Photo Essays (Books) #70 in Photography Criticism & Essays (Books) Would you like to ?If you are a seller for this product, would you like to ?
Rick Sammon’s Creative Visualization for Photographers: Composition, exposure, lighting, learning, experimenting, setting goals, motivation and more (2015)
The difference between seeing and looking is essential―much like the difference, in music, between hearing and listening. In Creative Visualization, master photographer, photo educator and photo instructor Rick Sammon presents his proven methodology for creative digital photography.
Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs (2014)
Photography is now more popular than ever thanks to the rapid development of digital cameras. Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs is for this new wave of DSLR dabblers and users of compact system, and bridge cameras. It contains no graphs, no techie diagrams and no camera club jargon. Instead, it inspires readers through iconic images and playful copy packed with hands-on tips.Split into five sections, the book covers composition, exposure, light, lenses, and seeing.
Focus On Composing Photos: Focus on the Fundamentals (Focus On Series) (The Focus On Series) (2011)
As digital cameras and software packages become more advanced, seemingly by the minute, it has become easier than ever to overlook the basic elements which have always resulted in the best photographs, no matter how fancy (or primitive) the camera itself. Composition is the single most important aspect of creating great images, no matter what level of photographer you happen to be. No amount of digital wizardry can turn a badly composed image into a picture you would want to display.
Photojournalism: Content and Technique (1994)
Updated throughout to reflect recent technological advances and changes, Photojournalism: Content & Technique, second edition, continues the commitment to contemporary coverage. Your students will learn about the principles, tools, and techniques needed to become effective photojournalists. Like the previous edition, parts and chapters progress logically from beginning to more advanced ideas, yet each chapter functions as an independent unit giving you greater flexibility in the classroom.
Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Composition Field Guide: How to See and Photograph Images with Impact (2012)
Learn to “see” more compelling images with this on-the-go field guide from Bryan Peterson! What makes an image amazing? Believe it or not, it is not about the content. What makes a photo compelling is the arrangement of that content—in other words, its composition. The right composition gives your images impact and emotion; the wrong one leaves them flat.
The Secrets to Creating Amazing Photos: 83 Composition Tools from the Masters (2018)
compose better photos. There's a common misconception that composition is mysterious and that only certain people have that natural gift for the techniques involved. The truth is that composition involves a set of skills that you can master.
Extraordinary Everyday Photography: Awaken Your Vision to Create Stunning Images Wherever You Are (2012)
Photographers are born travelers. They’ll go any distance to capture the right light, beautiful landscapes, wildlife, and people. But exotic locales aren’t necessary for interesting photographs. Wonderful images are hiding almost everywhere; you just need to know how to find them. Extraordinary Everyday Photography will help you search beyond the surface to find the unexpected wherever you are, be it a downtown street, a local park, or your own front lawn.
The Photographer’s Eye: Visual Guide: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos (2013)
Michael Freeman’s unrivalled compositional advice, first presented in the bestelling The Photographer’s Eye, is explained in a new and deliberately visual manner in The Photographer’s Eye Graphic Guide. Photography is a visual language in itself, and therefore lends perfectly to visual explanation.
Best Photo Composition Books Reviewed & Ranked
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some photo composition books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Composition & Photography: Working with Photography Using Design Concepts
Author(s): Harold Davis
ID: 3205782, Publisher: Rocky Nook, Year: 2022, Size: 44 Mb, Format: epub
Product Photography: Lighting, Composition, and Shooting Techniques
Author(s): Nath-Sakura
ID: 3418464, Publisher: Rocky Nook, Year: 2022, Size: 57 Mb, Format: epub
Outdoor Photography Essentials: Easy to follow tutorials on exposure, camera settings, composition and light
Author(s): Barry O'Carroll
ID: 2857010, Publisher: Independently published, Year: 2020, Size: 36 Mb, Format: pdf
Please note that this booklist is not definite. Some books are truly record-breakers according to The Wall Street Journal, others are composed by unknown writers. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant resources you could recommend? Leave a comment if you have any feedback on the list.