Recommend a good photo/art book for me!

Lots of good suggestions above

Lots of good suggestions above

I'll just add, Freeman Patterson's books which many find inspiring and helpful.

As to Stephen Shore, you could get one of his books or you could shoot street corners and parking lots on your way to lunch.
Oh, and photograph your lunch, too. :)
 
If you can only buy one book, The Photographer's Eye by Szarkowski is the most comprehensive. The book was published in the mid 1960s, thus it avoids discussion of all the "conceptual" slop photography produced since then for the "fine art" market.
 
hipsterdufus said:
<snip> What I'm looking for is a book that helps me "see" photos better and look for better photo opportunities. I feel like my vision has gotten a little bit stale over the last couple of months. <snip>
I just want something that will freshen my photographic perspective. <snip>
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Have you thought about making your own book? It can be virtual, not hard copy. But the editing of all your own work down into a book style format can be very inspiring as well as informative.

You will have the opportunity to go back and see what has worked for you and probably understand why. If you have fallen into that trap of just going out and trying to find something interesting to photograph, it will become obvious. The process will bring great focus to your personal photography and thus give some indications how to go forward.
 
Since we're now all of over the place, I'd like to add: Larry Burrows 'Vietnam' - great reportage and 35mm colour photography at its best.
 
You might try Steve Crist's "The Contact Sheet" which includes several photos by famous and less-known photographers, shows contacts from the shoot, and briefly discusses the photos. powells.com has remaindered copies and it's also on Amazon.
 
What I'm looking for is a book that helps me "see" photos better and look for better photo opportunities. I feel like my vision has gotten a little bit stale over the last couple of months.
Click to expand...

I recently bought a book by George De Wolfe on Black and White printing. In it he recommends photographers should read 'The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain' by Betty Edwards. He writes in his book that following the excercises in the book will teach you to 'see' in a different way, that you'll be better able to visualise a flat 2d image when presented with reality. Impressed , I bought the book and have been working through it. It is a revelation and is enabling me to control something I thought uncontrollable and mere gut instinct.
Despite the title it doesn't just apply to drawing but to a way of seeing and using your brain - well worth a look

Chris

ISBN-13: 978-0007116454
 
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