Best Photography Reference Books of 2025

The Digital Photography Complete Course by DK is an excellent guide for anyone who wants to learn about photography. The book contains easy-to-understand tutorials, step-by-step photo shoots, practical assignments, and fun Q&As, making it a perfect beginner's learning program. It covers technical concepts like aperture, exposure, shutter speed, and depth-of-field, as well as the latest technological and creative developments in digital photography and image manipulation. The book is well-structured and easy to read, with diagrams and illustrations to highlight key theories. Overall, this book is a great resource for beginners who want to improve their photography skills and take great pictures.

"National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Great Photography" is a comprehensive guide for aspiring photographers by Joel Sartore, an experienced National Geographic photographer. The book covers the fundamentals of photography, including framing, F-stops, editing, and archiving. It also includes pro tips, quick assignments, and behind-the-camera stories of great photographs. Sartore uses examples from his own work to apply the basic rules of photography to family, pet, travel, nature, and street photos. This practical book is an entertaining gateway to taking great pictures, whether you're using a phone or a DSLR camera."

The iPhone Photography Book is a guide that teaches how to take professional-level photos with an iPhone. Written in plain English, the author shares the same techniques used by high-end photographers and applies them to iPhone photography. Readers will learn how to take pro-quality portraits and landscape shots, pose subjects, and edit photos like a pro. The book is easy to follow, with each page covering a single concept, tool, or trick. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned photographer, this book will take your iPhone photography skills to the next level.

The newly revised edition of Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure is a must-read for photographers of all levels. This book demystifies the complex concepts of exposure in photography, making it easier for readers to capture the images they want. Peterson explains the fundamentals of light, aperture, and shutter speed and how they interact with each other. The book also covers filters, flash, and light. With all new images and an expanded section on flash, this revised edition will clarify exposure for photographers. Overall, Understanding Exposure is an excellent resource for photographers seeking to improve their skills and capture stunning images.

Photography 101: Pocket Guide: Exposure Basics, Camera Settings, Lens Info, Composition Tips, and Shooting Scenarios is a great resource for beginner photographers who want to learn the basics of exposure, composition, camera settings, and lenses. The book's compact size makes it ideal for carrying around and referencing when out taking photos. The author covers a range of topics, including the pre-shoot checklist, essential camera modes and settings, and composition tips for framing your shots. The book also includes techniques for getting great shots in typical scenarios like portrait, landscape, freezing action, and low light. Overall, this book is an excellent guide for novice photographers looking to improve their skills.

Making Movies by Sidney Lumet is a comprehensive guide to the art, craft, and business of filmmaking. With over 40 years of experience directing films, Lumet shares his expertise and anecdotes on everything from script selection to final screening. He also explores the role of the director in collating the various components of a movie and why they are often considered the author of the film. This book is a must-read for film enthusiasts and aspiring filmmakers alike. Lumet's clarity, candor, and wealth of experience make for an engaging and informative read.

The Photographer's Guide to Posing: Techniques to Flatter Everyone by Lindsay Adler is an essential resource for photographers looking to improve their posing skills. The book covers everything from camera angle and perspective to posing essentials and specific subject matter such as women, men, couples, families, and large groups. Adler provides five "go-to poses" for each subject and teaches readers how to analyze a pose to create endless posing opportunities. This book is a must-have for photographers looking to take their skills to the next level.

David Busch's Canon EOS R7 Guide to Digital Photography is a comprehensive resource and reference for enthusiasts of the new APS-C format Canon EOS R7. With detailed how-to steps and full-color illustrations, the book covers all the camera's features in depth, from taking your first photos through advanced details of setup, exposure, lens selection, lighting, and more. The author also includes a handy "roadmap" chapter, an easy-to-use visual guide to the camera's features and controls. This book is an excellent choice for anyone looking to master their Canon EOS R7 and take great photographs.

Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs is a must-have guide for both amateur and professional photographers. The book provides top photography tips from 50 famous photographers without any techie diagrams or camera-club jargon. Split into five sections, the book covers composition, exposure, light, lenses, and the art of seeing. The book uses iconic images and playful copy, making it an enjoyable read. Also, the masterpiece photographs by acclaimed photographers serve to illustrate points, encouraging readers to try out new ideas. Overall, this book is a valuable addition to any photographer's library.

Whether you’re the photographer behind the camera or the model in front of the lens, chances are you could use some help with posing, which is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to portrait photography. POSE! provides the knowledge and the inspiration you need to make your next photo shoot a success.With over 1,000 different looks for you to recreate and experiment with, the book covers a wide range of poses and subject matter in an easily accessible and visually dynamic layout. Photographer and author Mehmet Eygi demonstrates exactly how to get the right pose—from hand and leg placement, to a subtle tilt of the chin, to engaging with props and the environment around you.Each pose covered consists of a main pose followed by three variations on that pose. Organized by subject matter, POSE! covers:WOMEN: Portrait, Beauty, Fashion, Lingerie, Implied Nude, Curvy, Curvy Boudoir, Sports, Business, WallMEN: Portrait, Fashion, Implied Nude, Sports, Business, WallCOUPLES: Portrait, Fashion, Implied Nude, SportsMATERNITY: Mother, CoupleFAMILY: Parents and Baby, New Family, ChildrenWhether you use POSE! as an educational tool to explore the art of posing, or you simply use it as a look-book to find photographic inspiration or to help you direct a model, you’ll quickly improve your portrait photography starting with your very next shoot.