12 Excellent Books for Photographers…

Photography books are rarely mentioned on Vocal. It’s a pity, because there are so many great ones out there!

Today, I’d like to share a list of 12 books that have inspired me in more ways than one. I hope they will inspire you as well.

‘Capturing the Light: The Birth of Photography, a True Story of Genius and Rivalry’

• Authors: Roger Watson and Helen Rappaport
• ISBN: 978–1250009708
• Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
• Publication date: 2013

During the 1830s, Louis Daguerre and Henry Fox Talbot developed their own photographic processes (the Daguerreotype and the Talbotype) independently from each other. A very interesting book to understand how photography was born.

‘The Photography Book’

• Authors: Editors of Phaidon Press
• ISBN: 978–0714839370
• Publisher: Phaidon Press
• Publication date: 1997 (reprinted in 2000)

A beautiful collection of 500+ images of famous events, historic moments, and people, arranged in alphabetical order by photographer.

‘Game Changers: The Unsung Heroines of Sports History’

• Author: Molly Schiot
• ISBN: 978–1501137099
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 2016

Featuring rarely-before-seen photos and stories, this book celebrates many of the pioneering, albeit often forgotten, female athletes of the 20th century. A must-read!

‘Mathew Brady: Portraits of a Nation’

• Author: Robert Wilson
• ISBN: 978–1620402030
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Press
• Publication date: 2013

Mathew Brady was one of the most important Civil War photographers and the pioneer of photojournalism. He is also remembered for his extremely successful portrait gallery. Wilson’s biography sheds some light on his life, career, and the people who worked with him.

‘Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis’

• Author: Timothy Egan
• ISBN: 978–0544102767
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Publication date: 2013

In 1900, Edward Curtis decided that he would use his camera to document the old ways of North American tribes before their disappearance. He dedicated the next three decades to that mission. He left behind 40,000 images, 10,000 audio recordings, and what is considered the first narrative documentary film. This book delves in depth into his incredible work.

‘Edward S. Curtis: Visions of the First Americans’

• Author: Don Gulbrandsen
• ISBN: 978–0785821144
• Publisher: Chartwell Books
• Publication date: 2009

A selection of the most beautiful photographers taken by Edward Curtis, and listed by tribe. An invaluable book for fans of this iconic photographer.

‘History of Photography: From 1839 to the Present’

• Author: Beaumont Newhall
• ISBN: 978–0870703812
• Publisher: Bulfinch Press
• Publication date: 1982 (fifth edition, 2012)

Bar none, the best scholarly account on the history of photography.

‘Moments: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photographs’

• Author: Hal Buell
• ISBN: 978–1631910081
• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
• Publication date: 1999 (new edition, 2012)

A compendium of arresting images allowing you to experience (or relive) the most important events of the 20th and 21st centuries. Each photo is accompanied with important information about the shot and its photographer, as well as historical context. One of my favorite books!

Books for Fans of Ansel Adams

‘Ansel Adams: A Biography’

• Author: Mary Street Alinder
• ISBN: 978–1620408001
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Publication date: 2014

First published in 1996, this is the only full biography of Adams. A very worthy read.

‘Our National Parks’

• Author: Ansel Adams
• ISBN: 978–0821219102
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
• Publication date: 1992

75+ of Adams’s greatest images taken in many national parks and monuments.

‘The Ansel Adams Wilderness’

• Photographer: Peter Essick
• ISBN: 978–1620408001
• Publisher: National Geographic
• Publication date: 2014

An excellent tribute to Adams. All the photos, which were shot in the Sierra Nevada, are exquisite!

‘Ansel Adams’

• Author: Kate F. Jennings
• ISBN: 978–1890927007
• Publisher: Belden Hill Press
• Publication date: 1997

More beautiful photos from Adams. Locations include the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Boulder Dam. Another great book to add to your bookshelf!

Bonus Reads:

Disclaimer: I co-authored the books below.

‘Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography’

• Authors: Cendrine Marrouat, Hadiya Ali, and David Ellis
• ISBN: 978–1393191094
• Distributor: Draft2Digital
• Publication date: 2021

The medium of limitless possibilities that is photography has been with us for almost 200 years.

Despite its great advancements, its early days still influence and dazzle a majority of professional photographers and artists. Such is the case of Cendrine Marrouat, Hadiya Ali and David Ellis.

The result? Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography. This unique collection of artistic styles brings together different innovative concepts of both gripping writing and stunning visual imagery.

‘Photography of Life and Living: The Black and White Book’

• Authors: Cendrine Marrouat and Isabel Nolasco
• ISBN: 978–1393378983
• Distributor: Draft2Digital
• Publication date: 2020

In Photography of Life and Living: The Black and White Book, Cendrine Marrouat and Isabel Nolasco invite you to learn from brief moments spent on our little planet. The book juxtaposes black-and-white street and nature photography in five different themes (movement, stillness, growth, moments, and sharing), offering photography lovers an opportunity to (re)discover their deep connections with the world.

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I hope you enjoyed this selection of photography books. Which one would you add to the list?

Thank you for reading!

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Cendrine Marrouat is a writer, photographer, podcaster, blogger, anthology editor, and the co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms and A Warm Cup of Cozy. She has authored and co-authored more than 40 books, including The Train: A Short Story (2023), In Her Own Words: A Collection of Short Stories & Flashku (2022), After the Fires of Day: Haiku Inspired by Kahlil Gibran & Alphonse de Lamartine (2021), Rhythm Flourishing: A Collection of Kindku and Sixku (2020), Walks: A Collection of Haiku (2019-2020), and In the Silence of Words: A Three-Act Play (2018).

Cendrine's work has appeared in many publications. She is the creator of the Sixku, Flashku, Sepigram, and Reminigram; as well as the co-creator of the Kindku, Pareiku, Vardhaku, and Hemingku.