Please recommend a book for me.

[baachitraka]

I am traveling to India next week and that will be more than 15 hours and I do not want to waste that time. Please recommend an excellent book for me. I have read The Negative and The Print already so any recommendations apart from that will be appreciated.

 

[cliveh]

Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel.

 

[stillsilver]

Way Beyond Monochrome v2

Mike

 

[ntenny]

Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel.

I second that recommendation. A fascinating book in spite of its flaws, and it seems to be undeservedly forgotten.

It won't fill up a 15-hour flight, though. The best books I've found for that purpose are Thomas Pynchon's longer ones, but as far as I can think they're off-topic.

-NT

 

[doughowk]

A good in-flight read would be a biography of a photographer. Ansel Adams Autobiography; Brett Weston: a Restless Eye by Woods; Through another Lens by Charis Wilson or Ed Weston's DayBooks.

 

[baachitraka]

I really enjoyed reading 'The Negative'. I'm looking for similar books or even more geeky either in Photography or in Arts.

 

[keithwms]

15 hours, on your way to India, hmm... what about A Passage to India by E. M. Forster.

WBM2 is too dang big to carry, sorry Ralph!

The Herrigel book is thought-provoking, and compact. I reviewed it on Amazon and on here too I think, and it is definitely a must-read for photographers. But I doubt it'd take more than a couple hours to read, and it is rather academic.

What about Rites and Passages, about Minor White. You might like that.

 

[kb3lms]

+1 for Way Beyond Monochrome. I just took it on the airplane to the UK with me and while big, it was manageable.

-- Jason

 

[rdtaylor_sea]

Another +1 for Way Beyond Monochrome.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Post Exposure by Ctein.

PE

 

[kb3lms]

Post Exposure is a good book, too. If you Google it, he may still have the PDF soft copy on his website you can load on your laptop or tablet.

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

The Kodak encyclopedia of practical photography, 14 or 16 volumes, I forget. Should be a breeze haha

The only encyclopedia I have attempted to read end to end.

 

[stavrosk]

If it does not have to be photography related one that I really liked is “Four Walls” by
Vangelis Hatziyannidis.

 

[sharperstill]

The Ongoing Moment by Geoff Dyer

 

[RalphLambrecht]

+1 for Way Beyond Monochrome. I just took it on the airplane to the UK with me and while big, it was manageable.

-- Jason

iwill not be responsible for the extra luggage cost

 

[baachitraka]

I'm going to carry only my OM-2sp and two lenses(35mm and 85mm) in my hand-luggage.

I have ordered 'Zen in the Art of Archery' and looking for one more book.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Post Exposure is a good book, too. If you Google it, he may still have the PDF soft copy on his website you can load on your laptop or tablet.

goodpoint!
waybeyond monochromeed2 is alsoavailable as ebook.

 

[andrew.roos]

Bruce Barnbaum, The Art of Photography.

 

[Shawn Rahman]

An enthusiastic thumbs up for Michael R's suggestion: Freeman Patterson's Photography and the Art of Seeing is outstanding.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Yes , Yes , Ralph is even here to ask questions, cannot get any better than that.

Way Beyond Monochrome v2

Mike

 

[CGW]

Errol Morris, Believing is Seeing.

Another vote for Geoff Dyer, The Ongoing Moment.

 

[benjiboy]

I recommend a book called An Area Of Darkness by V.S. Naipaul http://www.amazon.com/Area-Darkness-V-S-Naipaul/dp/0375708359/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top a fascinating read about an Indian who was grew up in the West Indies first trip to India.

 

[baachitraka]

I'm not a student of art, but how you guys rate this book 'Mastering Composition: Techniques and Principles to Dramatically Improve Your Painting'. I thinking to read a bit about composition esp., Geometries...any suggestions.

 

[keithwms]

A perfect companion for the Zen book would be the Minor White book that I mentioned

 

[BainDarret]

Certainly not Helmut Newton's "Sumo" http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/photography/all/02601/facts.helmut_newtons_sumo.htm
But I do think that Michael Freeman's "The Photographer's Eye" or his "The Photographer's Mind" would be a good read on the plane.