9 Photography Books I Recommend

If I could recommend just one photography book, it would be The Americans by Robert Frank.

It shaped how I think about black-and-white photography. A classic for anyone interested in street and documentary work.

More than 30 years of photography commissioned by The New York Times Magazine, from reportage and portraits to fashion and conceptual work.

The magazine pages sit alongside the photographs, showing how an image works with a headline, a story and the rest of a layout.

Ever wondered how a photographer works a scene before finding the picture? Contact sheets let you see the frames around the photograph that made the cut.

This book takes you through that process with street and documentary photographers including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alec Soth and Elliott Erwitt.

Jamel Shabazz’s street portraits record four decades of New York life. Look at the clothes, the poses and the confidence people bring to his camera. Albums received the Gordon Parks Foundation / Steidl Book Prize.

Elliott Erwitt photographed Castro and Che Guevara in 1964, then returned to Cuba decades later. The portraits, streets and landscapes let you see the country through both visits.

Sally Mann photographs her children and family life in rural Virginia. The pictures are intimate and sometimes unsettling, raising questions about childhood, privacy and what we choose to photograph.

Elliott Erwitt’s humor comes from noticing small gestures and unexpected moments. Personal Best brings together the candid photographs that make his view of everyday life so distinctive.

Dan Winters shares how he observes, develops ideas and approaches the people he photographs. A book about becoming a photographer, as much as making photographs.

One of my favorite photography books. Diane Arbus’s portraits make you stop and look at the person in front of her camera, with all their individuality and discomfort.

Alec Soth is a legendary photographer and together with Magnum Photos, he has developed a 5-hour photography course on the art of photography. Do yourself a favor and study this class.

If you’re into street photography this class is a must-see. You get 34 episodes and more than five hours of material with one of the most iconic and accomplished photographers alive, in Joel Meyerowitz.

Another iconic photographer, Steve McCurry - famously known for his portraits of the green-eyed ‘Afghan girl’. In his class, he teaches how he has developed his style and shooting technique.