It’s been a few months since I’ve bought any new photography related books. So since it’s Friday, payday, and my “save for later” list was getting a little long at Amazon, I went ahead and moved everything over to the shopping cart and clicked on “Place Your Order”. There are two books in particular I am really eager to read, Black & White Photography in a Digital Age: Creative Camera, Darkroom and Printing Techniques for the Modern Photographer ~ Tony Worobiec and Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography ~ NK Guy.

Black & White Photography in a Digital Age interests me because my passion for photography has really re-emerged in the digital era but I also have an interest in and shoot film and digital black and white. Most books now are focused only on digital and no longer cover film or how to properly capture black and white (monochrome) images with digital equipment.

I came across Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography, available for pre-order at Amazon.com, while doing some research on portable flash units. NK Guy has an awesome blog and website at Photonotes.org with an extensive 3 part article on flash photography with Canon EOS systems. He also has interactive comparison and compatibility charts for camera bodies, lenses, and flash units on his Canon EOS Camera/Flash Compatibility Lookup page.

Here’s the complete list of new additions to my photography library: 

1. Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision ~ David duChemin     ~This book is about finding and expressing your photographic vision, specifically where people, places, and cultures are concerned. A personal book full of real-world wisdom and incredible images, author David duChemin (of pixelatedimage.com) shows you both the how and the why of finding, chasing, and expressing your vision with a camera to your eye.
2. Beyond Portraiture: Creative People Photography ~ Bryan Peterson    ~In this book, renowned photographer Bryan Peterson shows how to spot those “ah-ha!” moments and capture them forever. Peterson’s approach explains what makes a photo memorable, how to spot the universal themes that everyone can identify with, and how to use lighting, setting, and exposure to reveal the wonder and the joy of everyday moments.
3. Street Photography: From Atget to Cartier-Bresson ~ Clive Scott    ~Street photography is perhaps the best-loved and most widely known of all photographic genres, with names like Cartier-Bresson, Brassai and Doisneau familiar even to those with a fleeting knowledge of the medium. Looking closely at the work Atget, Kertesz, Bovis, Rene-Jacques, Brassai, Doisneau, Cartier- Bresson and more, this elegantly written book unpicks Parisian street photography’s complex relationship with parallel literary trends — from Baudelaire to Soupault — as well as its more evident affinity with Impressionist art.
4. Architectural Photography: Composition, Capture, and Digital Image Processing ~ Adrian Schulz    ~Adrian Schulz, both an architect and a photographer by training, teaches and illustrates with real world projects. This book is a step-by-step guide to architectural photography, both for the aspiring amateur photographer interested in architectural photography, and for the professional photographer wanting to expand his skills in this domain.
5. The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos ~ Michael Freeman    ~The Photographer’s Eye shows how anyone can develop the ability to see and shoot great digital photographs. The book explores all the traditional approaches to composition and design, but crucially, it also addresses the new digital technique of shooting in the knowledge that a picture will later be edited, manipulated, or montaged to result in a final image that may be very different from the one seen in the viewfinder.
6. Michael Freeman’s Perfect Exposure: The Professional’s Guide to Capturing Perfect Digital Photographs ~ Michael Freeman    ~Chosing the exposure for a photograph is infinitely complex and one of photography’s most absorbing paradoxes because it affects everything in the image and its effect on the viewer. Understanding how and why exposure works is essential and this book will give you confidence in that decision.
7. Black & White Photography in a Digital Age: Creative Camera, Darkroom and Printing Techniques for the Modern Photographer ~ Tony Worobiec     ~With this concise guide, black and white enthusiasts can finally learn exactly how to enhance their creations with digital techniques. The book covers everything from scanning, manipulation and printing to advanced, digital darkroom techniques. Readers will find tricks and advice for making their images more creative than ever before.
8. The Mind’s Eye: Writings on Photography and Photographers ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson    ~This slight book contains short essays by Cartier-Bresson along with some epigrams and tributes to fellow artists. This is the first published collection of his writings.  His artistic philosophy is well captured by his landmark 1952 essay “The Decisive Moment,” contained here, probably the most poetically instructive evocation of the field photographer’s art yet written. This is a useful and important title from one of the defining sets of eyes in the cumulative visual record of the 20th century.
9. Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography ~ NK Guy    ~This is the authoritative book on guiding you through Canon’s Speedlite system, from off-camera portable flash to professional studio lighting. It covers the fundamentals of flash metering technology, discusses key lighting concepts, and documents a wide range of Canon and third-party equipment. Universal flash accessories, studio gear, and radio triggers are all thoroughly covered. The book is lavishly illustrated with diagrams that demonstrate important functions and lighting arrangements, and inspiring photos that show sophisticated flash techniques.