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35 Best Photography Books in 2024 (Updated)

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Can’t find reliable content on the internet? Then you should try reading photography books by famous professionals! The best photography books are still relevant for improving your photo skills and inspiring you.

Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs is our favorite photography book. It’s the ultimate how-to guide that explores techniques, styles, and practical tips. Buying this book is the first step to becoming a better photographer.

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Finding the Best Photography Books

There are so many amazing photography books out there it can be hard to find what you’re looking for.

There are photography books to learn about the art form’s history. There are photo books to help you with your composition. And there are also ones to inspire you from some of the photography greats!

We have every type of photography book, so the list is fairly extensive. But we’ve broken it down so you can find the book you need. Click on one of the links below to skip to your desired section.

• Photography basics
• Composition and technique
• Photography lighting
• Niche photography books
• Collections and compilations
• Editing photography books

Best Books on Photography Basics

Learning how to take amazing pictures requires a strong foundation of the basics. If you struggle with these areas, read publications on the basics of photography . I assure you that you’ll learn much faster.

Here’s a quick look at the best books on photography basics. We’ll take a more detailed look at each book in the section after.

• Great entry-point for new photographers
• Full of practical guides for easy learning
• Playful language anyone can understand
• One of the most popular photography guide books
• Specific chapters on portrait, sports, and wedding photography
• A helpful book if you're looking to make money in photography
• Takes a deep dive into all aspects of digital photography
• Everything is covered, from camera basics to photo editing
• A rich recourse even experienced photographers can use

• Career-focused objective from the outset
• Well-explained, practical guidance to help you master your camera
• The author's wealth of experience give the words heft

• A complete and comprehensive study of photography
• Teaches techniques and skills with suggestions for equipment
• Chapters on editing and organizing your photos

• Awe-inspiring illustrations throughout the book
• Well-explained tutorials for absolute beginners
• A perfect choice for younger photographers

• Great explanations on different cameras and how to get the most out of them
• Fantastic illustrations with the settings used to capture them
• Written by one of LIFE's most prominent photographers

• One of the most popular photography books for beginners
• Gives you a technical foundation from which you can flourish
• Author has a personal and easy-to-follow style of writing

• Teaches you how to express yourself through photography
• New dedicated chapters on digital photography
• A beneficial read for anyone interested in the visual arts

• Helps you see history through the lens of a camera
• Explores the cultural impact of the camera
• An interesting read for any history buff

• A timeless classic that still holds up
• Helps you understand how context can change a photo's meaning
• It'll take your image-making in a new direction

1. Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs

Are you looking for the best photography how-to books for beginners? Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs is worth checking out. It has practical guides, easy-to-read text, and simple, playful language. It’s easy for a beginner to follow!

This book offers an excellent foundation for improving as a photographer. It puts beginners on the fast track to better photography results. And even experienced photographers will find useful information.

The book’s title might be in-your-face, but it’s not wrong. It also includes tips from 50 famous photographers !

2. The Digital Photography Book

The Digital Photography Book is the number-one, best-selling digital photography book. It has been translated into dozens of languages. And it remains one of the most comprehensive photography books available.

This book contains everything you need to get into photography. There are chapters on portrait photography . You can learn how to use a flash for pro results. It even gives you a head start on wedding and sports photography .

Scott Kelby’s award-winning book is a great companion. You will take it from your shelf again and again to reread it. It’s essential reading for anyone serious about picking up a digital camera.

3. Complete Digital Photography

If you like to explore the fine details of the craft, then Complete Digital Photography is for you. Written by photographer Ben Long, it teaches you all the basics of photography. It has everything from the mechanics of a camera to post-processing.

It covers both the technical aspects and the art of taking photos. With the level of detail and the number of topics this book covers, you won’t even need Google!

Ben Long’s book gives beginners a thorough introduction to digital photography. But it’s such a rich resource, so all digital photographers should take a look. There’s so much to learn in these pages.

4. Learning to See

Learning to See is for you if you want insider information from a seasoned professional. David Molnar is a professional at the top of the photography industry. His client list includes Pepsi, Sony, and Google. His photos have appeared in People Magazine and the New York Times .

Molnar takes you through the basics of photography. You learn how to use your camera and a range of photography techniques. But it’s all geared around making photography a career . It’s serious stuff. But it’s easy to follow and understandable for photographers at any level.

Buying this book is an investment in your photography career, and you will see a positive return. Expert advice doesn’t get much more expert than this.

5. Langford’s Basic Photography

Langford’s Basic Photography is for people who want to pursue photography as a career. Some might find it academic. But it’s one of the most comprehensive photography books for beginners.

This publication is valuable because it helps you choose the best camera and lens for your work. It even offers useful suggestions about the equipment you need for great lighting . Of course, it teaches you skills such as framing and measuring exposure.

Apart from the technical aspects, it also teaches you how to edit and organize your images, print, finish, and present them. This is one of the best books on photography to help you jump-start your professional work.

6. National Geographic Photo Basics

National Geographic magazine has been a source of inspiration for photographers for decades. Flip through the pages of any edition, and you’ll be itching to pick up your camera. But if you’re a beginner, you might not know how to achieve the best results.

National Geographic Photo Basics inspires with its stunning photographs. It teaches you photography basics so you can create images that are just as breathtaking. You don’t even need a camera to read this book. The early chapters help you choose a camera that’s right for you.

They then take you through the early stages of photography. It’s a fast track to competency with your camera. And it puts you on a path to creating glorious images like those in the book.

7. LIFE Guide to Digital Photography

Learn from one of the best photo books about photography on the market. The subtitle of the LIFE Guide to Digital Photography — Everything You Need to Shoot Like the Pros— pretty much sums it up.

Joe explains how to take advantage of your camera’s strengths. He also helps you understand when it is wise to outthink your camera and push it to its limits.

What I found useful was the short caption under each photo . It shows you the camera settings it took to create each image. Knowing which settings he uses to recreate breathtaking photos is always beneficial.

8. Understanding Exposure 4th Edition

With more than 350,000 copies sold, Understanding Exposure 4th Edition is one of the most popular books in photography. It demystifies the complex concepts of exposure for countless photographers.

This photography book maintains Bryan Peterson’s trademark easy-to-understand style. Its best section includes how to achieve successful exposures in challenging situations. This photography book also provides information about white balance , flash , and HDR photography .

Sure, these topics may seem a bit advanced. But Peterson makes it all easy to understand. You can always take this with you for better photos anytime, anywhere, and with any camera.

9. The Art of Photography

Bruce Barnbaum’s The Art of Photography was originally published in 1994 and was first revised in 2010. The 2017 edition has dedicated chapters on digital photography.

It represents and explores the more artistic and conceptual sides of photography . And it helps you develop your artistic voice as a photographer. It features 200 color and black-and-white photos accompanied by easily readable text.

Anyone interested in the visual arts should read this book. It is beneficial to graphic designers, cinematographers, and even painters.

10. Photography

Marien’s Photography is a fascinating account of how photography has altered our perception of the world. She shows us history through the lens of a camera. It’s a gripping account. And the illustrations are spectacular!

This book is easy to understand as you don’t need any technical knowledge. And it’s not just for photographers. Any history buff will be gripped and excited by this photography book.

It aims to educate and inform us about photography. It gives information about photography and photographers within their historical and cultural contexts.

11. On Photography

Susan Sontag’s On Photography was first published in 1977. It is one of the most-read books about photography. And it remains an evergreen book for photographers. On Photography contains essays about the changing meaning of photography and photographs.

She examines the role photography plays in different circumstances. Most importantly, she looks at photography’s impact on us and the world. This book is for anyone interested in image-making.

It’s a seminal piece of work everyone should read. It’s eye-opening, educational, and inspiring.

Best Books on Composition and Technique

Once you know what you’re doing, the next step is to hone those skills. The secret is to learn what makes photos great. You then make a goal to replicate that in your photos.

I’ve learned a lot from the books on this list. What these publications teach can be a lot of information to take in at once. But when you master the techniques, your photos will improve dramatically!

• A great book for photographers of all levels
• Teaches you how to create dynamic pictures everywhere
• The techniques can be used with any camera including smartphones

• Expert advice from a master of landscape photography
• Useful for landscape photographers at all skill levels
• A blend of technical and conceptual advice for better landscapes

• Helps you achieve the best results in any location
• Tells you how to achieve studio results when working on location
• A great book for portrait, fashion, and product photographers

• Chock full of portrait inspiration
• Broadens your mind for more creative portraiture
• Portrait, fashion, and even boudoir photographers will learn a lot

• Packed with practical and conceptual advice
• Helps sharpen your vision as a photographer
• Easy-to-follow writing style

• Improves your composition with eye-opening ideas
• Helps you find your visual voice
• Gives tips on avoiding photography clichés

• Full of McNally's iconic photography work
• True expert advice from an industry insider
• Practical advice that's explained well and easy to read

• Ideal for black and white photo enthusiasts
• Breaks down the key elements of B&W photography
• Excellent bold and dynamic photography examples

1. Extraordinary Everyday Photography

Photography is not just taking pictures of staged portraits and exotic travel destinations . Photography is looking at simple things with a new perspective.

Extraordinary Everyday Photography teaches you to capture the unexpected in the mundane. It can be your local park or the street where you live.

Rather than teach photography techniques, the photo book inspires photographers. It includes examples from DSLRs and smartphone cameras . It shows that good photography doesn’t depend on gear or location. Instead, it depends on the photographer’s eye.

2. The Landscape Photography Book

Here’s another book by award-winning photographer and author Scott Kelby. It’s a must-read if you’re interested in landscape photography or plan to start shooting landscapes.

But you don’t have to be a beginner to find new ideas and tips in The Landscape Photography Book . You’ll learn new skills, improve your composition , and sharpen your vision.

3. Studio Anywhere

Finding an excellent spot to shoot can often be overwhelming. Studio Anywhere is a must-read for photographers who are unlucky in picking the perfect location. Nick shows us how to use any less-than-ideal location and still get amazing portraits.

He offers practical tips for creating a portfolio without a dedicated studio space. This book is perfect for anyone who needs help conceptualizing shoots with minimal equipment .

4. One Face Fifty Ways

This fabulous photography book explores the art of portraiture. It shows how to take 50 different types of shots of the same model, and it’s a practical guide that uses simple camera techniques.

But do you know what makes One Face Fifty Ways even more valuable? It uses budget-friendly items from your wardrobe to create a wide variety of shots.

5. The Photographer’s Eye Remastered

Michael Freeman is on this list twice—and for good reason. I love the way he writes.

Design is the most critical factor in creating a successful photograph. It helps your ability to see the potential for a strong picture. You then organize the graphic elements into a productive and compelling composition.

The Photographer’s Eye Remastered is a must-read photography book for beginners. It trains you to develop your visual style early on, and it’s unique compared to the other publications on this list.

6. The Photographer’s Mind

The nature of photography includes the demand to intrigue the viewer continually. So this book aims to answer the question, “What makes a photograph great?” It explores how top photographers achieve this goal time and time again.

The Photographer’s Mind provides invaluable knowledge you can’t learn from practical guides. For instance, it helps you avoid clichés on the cyclical nature of fashion , style, mannerisms, and light. It even shows you how to handle the unexpected.

7. The Moment it Clicks

The Moment it Clicks illustrates Joe McNally’s different techniques throughout his career. I’m sure you’ll recognize many of his photos from magazine covers. You gain insight into how each shot was taken, including his equipment.

You also gain useful knowledge about the challenges of each type of project. This photography book is excellent for setting up a similar shot.

8. Creative Black and White

Creative Black and White is one of the best black-and-white photography books ever published. Black-and-white photography poses unique challenges. It makes the point that contrast , lighting, and composition are crucial without color.

Renowned photographer Harold Davis explains these elements in this book. He demonstrates the basic rules of black-and-white photography and shows you when and how to break them.

Best Books on Photography Lighting

Lighting is an intrinsic component of photography. Mastering it can take years, and it’s more complex than understanding other aspects, like exposure settings . But you can always speed up this process by learning from the pros.

Amateurs rarely achieve great lighting. But learning techniques from these great photography books is the best way to improve. You’ll have professional illumination in no time!

• Best book on working with flashes for Canon users
• Fantastic tips and techniques for using flash lights for different effects
• Useful for any photographer, not just Canon users

• Joe's experience inspires and educates
• Tells you how to use flashes for maximum effect
• Great tips for different low-light conditions

• Techniques for maximizing natural light
• DIY tips for getting the most out of your gear
• Helps you master a variety of lighting techniques for dramatic photos

1. Speedliter’s Handbook

Speedliter’s Handbook is mainly for Canon camera users, but it is still useful for people who use other cameras. Most of the information can be used with other camera brands .

This is an excellent book for those new to flash photography . Using clear language, this book is also ideal for anyone who has given up learning out of frustration.

Arena teaches you everything from creating a classical portrait to shooting an event . Whatever it is, this photography book will show you how.

2. Hot Shoe Diaries

Joe shares his lighting solutions for many beautiful images in Hot Shoe Diaries . Joe’s photographs are quite inspirational. He uses a flash every time he shoots his subjects.

Using Nikon speedlights , Joe lets you in on his uncensored thought process. He demonstrates how he makes his pictures with these small flashes.

3. Studio Anywhere 2: Hard Light

Nick Fancher’s second entry on our list— Studio Anywhere 2: Hard Light —teaches you how to master light. He gives tips and techniques on maximizing and controlling natural light . And he goes deep into using artificial light , like flashes.

He provides experienced information about lighting equipment and some handy DIY tips for getting the most out of what you have. He shows you how to shape, bounce, and manipulate light in any location. You’ll be a light master before you get to the final page!

Best Niche Photography Books

Lots of publications focus too much on the most popular genres in photography. But what if you’re into a specific style, such as food or still-life photography ? Are there any options for you out there? The answer is yes, and there are a lot of them!

For this section, we are only covering five. But even if you don’t practice the niche topics on this list, you should still consider reading them. Who knows? You might end up liking them! Or, if anything, you might learn a thing or two that you can apply to your work.

• Well-structured and highly consumable information
• Each principle is explained and illustrated well
• Opens your eyes to new aspects in travel photography

• Helps you construct stronger and more dynamic images
• Brilliant tips for improving composition
• Illustrations include work from photography masters

• Teaches you about 35mm, medium format, and large format photography
• Explains everything you need to know from loading film to printing in a dark room
• Fantastic techniques that use digital technology to enhance your film photography

• The authority on building a social media brand
• Teaches you how to take pictures for social media formats
• Timeless advice for ever-changing tech platforms

1. The Enthusiast’s Guide to Travel Photography

The Enthusiast’s Guide to Travel Photography is the best book to pick up before your next backpacking trip. Travel photography is perhaps one of the most challenging genres in photography.

A travel photographer must know how to photograph several niches, such as food and wildlife . This book provides all the photo knowledge you need to travel the globe.

Of course, it includes the usual lessons on architecture and urban photography . But it also includes tips on taking portraits of strangers and nighttime landscapes.

2. Still Life in Photography

Still Life in Photography isn’t necessarily a collection of tutorials. Instead, it’s a compendium of the works of some of the best still-life photographers .

The photos come from the J Paul Getty Museum, so the collection feels limited. But regardless, the samples you see are enough to inspire you to create your own masterpieces.

Photographers in this book include Edward Weston, Irving Penn, and Roger Fenton. They’re big names with incredible work that will get your attention!

3. The Film Photography Handbook

Film photography is back in fashion. Whether you’re a film photography veteran or a beginner, you need The Film Photography Handbook . This is the ultimate handbook for film photography . It has all the necessary information, from loading film to printing photos.

What makes this invaluable is that it includes digital technology in the mix. Where else can you find a book that shows you how to digitize your film? It even shows you how to use your smartphone as a light meter!

4. Capture Your Style

Instagram evolves so fast that any book written about it could be useless by now. But social media star Aimee Song’s Capture Your Style is an outlier.

The book was published in 2016 to massive fanfare. Years later, it remains one of the authoritative books on Instagram and influencer photography. Song teaches you the basics of taking pictures for Instagram and shows you how to gain followers and become Instagram-famous .

Sure, there are tons of new features on Instagram that you can’t find in this older book. But the main tenets of social media photography are still there and will remain for years. Because, in the end, taking click-worthy photos will never be out of fashion.

Best Collection and Compilation Books

You can learn a lot by looking at other people’s photos. It’s what makes these books on photography as crucial as regular textbooks.

But it was hard to choose one photographer over another for this list. I felt I had to disregard 100 photographers for each one I included.

The photographers below are perhaps some of my ultimate idols in photography. But they are by no means the only ones I look up to.

• A brilliant visual history of a momentous decade
• Beautifully printed and well-written accounts
• A must-have for fans of modern history

• A fantastic collection from an icon of American photography
• Printed well with crisp and clear photographs
• A personal view into 1950s America

• Breathtaking wildlife and natural photographs
• Includes classic images from early NGO publications
• Documents the lengths the photographers took to achieve these incredible photos

• A behind-the-lens account from a pioneer of photography
• Illustrated with incredible black and white images
• A personal account that helps you improve your own photography skills

• Includes hundreds of iconic images from the pages of LIFE
• Features work from the finest photographers of the last century
• A true expression of cultural history any history buff can enjoy

• Contains some of Capa's most memorable war images
• Demonstrates Capa's versatility as a photographer
• Shows the basis for modern photojournalism

Decade was a birthday present from a past birthday, and I’ve picked it up daily since then. It’s easy to understand why this is one of the best photo books.

It’s a collection of famous photos of memorable events between 2000 and 2010. Each image has a brief description that serves as a history lesson.

It jogs your memory and reminds you what a momentous decade it was. It’s a good source of inspiration. But it’s also a great coffee table book or conversation piece.

2. Robert Frank

Robert Frank is a fantastic collection of photos from the seminal photographer. He was a central figure who documented the United States in the 1950s.

He also created some of the most iconic images from that era. Frank’s cultural documentation is invaluable for anyone interested in that period.

It is hard to believe his photos came from one photographer’s viewfinder. It covers racial tension, glamor , and Americans’ love for cars . The latter might be because Frank himself had a fondness for the road.

He shows a cultural history with a human touch. This book is a great reminder of America’s past through fantastic images. This famous photographer’s inspirational work deserves to be on your bookshelf.

3. National Geographic Image Collection

Behind this title lies one of the most compelling graphic resources on Earth. I present The National Geographic Image Collection .

It’s an archive that includes a wide range of images from the earliest photos from the late 19th century to modern ones taken today. It includes iconic and never-before-seen images from around the world.

Of course, we already know that this book represents thousands of species. But it also showcases terrific human achievements in exploration, adventure, and science. They are placed in a historical, artistic, technical, and journalistic context.

If you’re into portraits, look at National Geographic’s book of portraits .

4. Examples

Examples has some of the best black-and-white photography I’ve ever seen. Each of Adams’ 40 photographs presented here accompanies an engaging narrative . The text explores the technical and aesthetic problems of each scene he photographed.

For famous photographers, Ansel Adams is at the top of the list. So grab a copy to understand what makes this one of the best photography books.

5. LIFE 70 Years of Extraordinary Photography

LIFE 70 Years of Extraordinary Photography is one of the best photography books, with over 70 years of great images. And they all come from one of the most influential magazines of the 20th century— LIFE .

This book is like Decade and National Geographic Image Collection.   LIFE 70 Years of Extraordinary Photography presents history in photos. It highlights the most famous and beautiful pictures from the magazine’s history. It has some of the best photography you will ever see.

6. Robert Capa

Robert Capa is the father of modern photojournalism . He was fearless, brave, and had a fantastic eye for a photo. He is most well-known for his war reportage, snapping violence in the Spanish Civil War and World War II.

His shots remain some of the most famous examples of wartime. But he was more than just a war photographer. This collection shows the true breadth of his photography work.

His documentary work is powerful and poignant. You also find intimate and engaging portraits.

Capa was a true photography talent. And his photographs are still as striking as ever.

Best Post-Processing Photography Books

When you’ve been out taking photos all day, there are always going to be a few that need extra work. If you’re shooting in RAW , there will be a lot. So below are the best books on the three most popular post-processing software.

• Adobe Lightroom
• Adobe Elements
• Adobe Photoshop

• A must-have for anyone using Adobe Lightroom
• Written by one of the world's leading photographers and editors
• The plain-English style makes it accessible for all users

• The most comprehensive book on Photoshop Elements
• Handy practical tips for getting setup and organizing work
• Detailed and thorough but understandable throughout

• The official Adobe workbook
• Takes you through the basics to more advanced editing techniques
• Valuable for anyone in the creative industries
• The language is accessible for everyone from beginners to experienced editors

1. The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC Book for Digital Photographers

As mentioned, Scott Kelby is an American photographer and the author of many books. He is an avid user and educator of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

He did his biggest update with The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC Book for Digital Photographers . He shares all his latest techniques, insights, and invaluable tips for Lightroom.

His award-winning, step-by-step, plain English style makes learning Lightroom easy and fun. He shares his settings and time-tested techniques. This book consists of proven methods for learning Lightroom. You can begin using it like a pro from the start.

2. Mastering Adobe Photoshop Elements 2022

Mastering Adobe Photoshop Elements 2022 is the book for using Adobe Photoshop Elements for photo editing. It’s thorough, detailed, and extremely well-written.

Any photographer can breeze through the pages and learn as they go. It’s a great way for beginners to get a head start on photo editing with Photoshop Elements.

Nicolas provides useful tips and techniques for managing your setup and organizing your library. But he doesn’t only focus on editing. He also helps you develop your visual style.

Adobe software can seem daunting for photographers new to photo editing. But this book is understandable and practical. It’s an investment worth making.

3. Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book

For beginners, Adobe Photoshop can be stressful and challenging to learn. Post-production software has a very steep learning curve. Thankfully, Andrew Faulkner and Conrad Chavez created Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book .

Don’t worry if the title gives you flashbacks from your school days. It’s well-written and easy to understand. It takes you through the basics. And you never feel like you’re being talked down to.

Plus, all the text is accompanied by helpful illustrations. It helps you click in all the right places!

Bonus Book: Your Camera Manual!

Your camera manual contains so much information—not just irrelevant facts specific to your camera. The day I got my first DSLR , I took out the manual and began reading. I must have read it while playing with my camera for two weeks.

It always frustrates me when friends don’t know how to do something on their cameras. That’s the one thing holding them back. They’d be much better photographers if they knew how to work their cameras. So I encourage you to read it.

Conclusion: The Best Photography Books

These days, you can find everything you need about photography online. But nothing compares to flipping the pages and viewing printed pictures. So go ahead and pick up a book. You’ll learn, develop, and find inspiration.

Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs is our favorite photography book. Any photographer can pick it up and learn something new, and that’s true of all the photography books on our list.

There are hundreds of amazing photography books. But these 35 are the best photography books right now!

Popular Content

The Best Books of 2023

A Smithsonian magazine special report

ARTS & CULTURE

The ten best photography books of 2023.

Our favorite titles this year will make readers feel the power of visual storytelling

Donny Bajohr , Jeff Campagna and Quentin Nardi

The world of photography has left an indelible mark on this year through a stunning array of captivating books. These visual narratives have transported us across cultures, captured the essence of moments and unveiled the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Among the standout releases of the year, Believable: Traveling With My Ancestors by Lola Flash emerged as a poignant exploration of our shared humanity that, at the same time, embraces our rich differences. The juxtaposition of vibrant colors and intimate portraits within its pages is a testament to the power of visual storytelling. Eugene Richards’ In This Brief Life reminisces 50 years of social documentary photography, skillfully allowing the viewer to step back in time. From fleeting glances to transient landscapes, the book beautifully underscores the temporal nature of existence. And Keith Carter’s monochromatic masterpiece Ghostlight uses stark contrasts to convey profound emotional depth. The interplay of light and shadow within its frames serves as a silent poetry, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the quiet narratives embedded in each photograph.

As we close this chapter, these photo books are representative of the artistry and diversity present in the field of photography today. They provide a visual odyssey through the collective stories of our global community, and as we eagerly anticipate the work of this coming year, these books leave an enduring legacy in the ever-evolving tapestry of visual arts.

Believable: Traveling With My Ancestors by Lola Flash

New York City-based photographer and LGBTQIA+ activist Lola Flash ’s long-overdue first book is a striking collection of portraiture embracing individuals of all ages, genders, orientations and colors. Flash brings out the beauty within their subjects and ensures that they are truly seen. “Queerness, in Flash’s multiverse, is bathed in color, imbued with love, an embrace: infinitely generous and open,” writes Renée Mussai, artistic director and chief curator of Germany’s Walther Collection , in the book’s introduction.

Believable: Traveling With My Ancestors spans four decades of Flash’s work. “It’s pretty much my whole life stuck in there,” they said during a talk at New York City’s School of Visual Arts earlier this year. It begins with Flash’s potently electric “Cross Color” series, documenting queer Black life as an ACT UP member during the AIDS crisis. Visually, Flash played with viewers’ expectations, printing their images on negative paper, creating a saturated world where colors were reversed (blue is printed as red, for example). That’s followed by Flash’s “LEGENDS” series: portraits of LGBTQ+ individuals who lived their true selves, regardless of societal norms or homophobia, paving the way for others to do so later. And their series “ Salt ” features highly accomplished women over the age of 70 who still have an impact on society—all heroes in the photographer’s eyes. Believable reaches right up to Flash’s ongoing Afrofuturist self-portraiture series, “ Syzygy, the Vision ,” an exploration of the past, current and future oppression of people of color through the artist’s orange-jumpsuit-clad avatar.

Looking back over the arc of a career’s work on these pages, Flash observes “a wonderful cohesion of powerful themes.” They tell Smithsonian , “As a queer person who grew up with a huge lack of LGBTQ+ visual resources, I am grateful to be part of the necessary change toward fairness and inclusion.” —Jeff Campagna

In This Brief Life by Eugene Richards

The acclaimed Eugene Richards dove into his archive of 50 years of social documentary photography to showcase mostly unseen work in his latest book, In This Brief Life . Before the idea for the book was born, on his son Sam’s suggestion, Richards posted the photographs to his Instagram, something he had previously avoided. “The Instagram experience ­became a kind of revelation, as viewers sought to know more about the people in the pictures while also expressing wonder at the diversity of my subjects and their experiences,” Richards tells Smithsonian . The experiences are vast, from intimate moments in hospital rooms showing births, injuries and recoveries to scenes in the wetlands of northern Nigeria and the harsh farming landscape of South Dakota’s Gann Valley. “What prompted me, in most cases, to choose the photographs in this book was an emotional response,” says Richards. — Donny Bajohr

Remember Me by Preston Gannaway

San Francisco-based photographer Preston Gannaway ’s book Remember Me is a project 17 years in the making. At its heart, this beautiful, meditative work focuses on themes of love, loss, memory and the inevitable passage of time. In 2006, Gannaway, then a photojournalist at the Concord Monitor in New Hampshire, began working on a story about the St. Pierre family, whose mother, Carolynne, was dying of liver cancer. Gannaway grew close to the St. Pierres, and her images led to five stories in the newspaper and a 2008 Pulitzer Prize . A few years later, she returned to the family to continue photographing the youngest son, EJ, who had been only 4 when his mother died.

“There was this looming question: Would EJ remember Carolynne?” Preston tells Smithsonian . “How would she echo throughout his life after she was gone?” Remember Me includes photographs from Gannaway’s time with the family, documenting EJ’s gradual maturation and preserving important memories along the way. “Preston’s always been there, so I don’t really remember a time when she wasn’t there,” EJ, now a senior at the University of New Hampshire, told the Concord Monitor this year. “She’s always been pretty much just close as family.” — J.C.

Wires Crossed by Ed Templeton

Artist, photographer and former professional skateboarder Ed Templeton ’s Wires Crossed is an insider’s look at the subculture of skateboarding, blending personal memoir with a documentation of the DIY, punk-influenced sport from the 1990s to the early 2000s. While some photographs capture skateboarders executing seemingly impossible tricks, Templeton’s work shines best in the quiet moments behind the scenes, like his shot of someone strumming a guitar in a hotel room and his collages of polaroid portraits of characters he met traversing the United States on skateboarding tours. “I really wanted to make a photography book for photography fans. I knew the skate world would embrace it. But I needed to not alienate the art world by being too ‘insider,’” says Templeton in a recent Document Journal interview. — D.B.

Shark: Portraits by Mike Coots

The waves were particularly good off the coast of Kauai that fall morning in 1997, and 18-year-old surfer Mike Coots never saw it coming. A tiger shark bit his lower right leg, clamping down, shaking him violently, only letting go after he punched it in the head. Coots managed to get back to shore, but his leg was gone. “I felt no pain whatsoever,” Coots said in a recent interview with Surfer . “It happened very fast, the attack itself must’ve been less than ten seconds.”

Despite challenging circumstances, Coots didn’t give up the activity he loved, learning how to surf using a custom prosthetic leg. Surprisingly, the shark attack survivor became an advocate for the conservation of sharks, bringing a unique credibility to conversations. Coots helped pass Hawaii’s 2010 ban on the possession and sale of shark fins, even speaking at the United Nations and the U.S. Capitol. During his recovery, Coots discovered photography, a hobby that has since become his profession. His photographs capture the sea and human interactions with it.

Coots’ new photo book, Shark: Portraits , shows off his striking images of sharks—tiger sharks, great whites, lemons, oceanic white tips—in Hawaii, Mexico, the Bahamas, the Maldives and beyond. He isn’t afraid to get up close and personal with what he considers the “greatest muse on earth,” free diving and scuba diving, often with no cage. “The first thing you notice while diving with sharks is how beautiful they are, with some even having individual personalities,” Coots tells Smithsonian . “The goal of my shark photography is to show sharks in a beautiful, authentic light.” — J.C.

Painting Photographs by Alice Wong

Artist Alice Wong mines her archive of found images and puts paint to picture in her first monograph, aptly titled Painting Photographs . Taking a variety of vintage photographs of strangers from the past, such as an actress’ headshots, a couple happily cheesing for the camera at a cocktail bar, postcards of horsemen and cutouts from old magazines, Wong uses acrylic markers to add bold color and liveliness. Not all the overpaintings are of people; some feature dogs, landscapes and close-ups of flowers. All of the ubiquitous images of the American experience are given new life with the colorful palette of Wong’s whimsy. In the book, Bruno Decharme , pioneering French collector of Art Brut , says she “invites us on an inner voyage” and “creates a different kind of narrative, a truth that is her own.” — D.B.

Sneaker Freaker: World’s Greatest Sneaker Collectors

Sneaker Freaker: World’s Greatest Sneaker Collectors is a feast for your eyes. Or, perhaps more accurately, your feet?

Vintage footwear, skate shoes, basketball high-tops, and more are on gorgeous display in the seven-pound, 752-page anthology of sneakers. It even has a glossary for the uninitiated, with all the terms you’ll need to become a sneakerhead—or, a “footwear obsessive with a vast knowledge of history and likely to spend of their money on fresh sneakers.” For the already initiated, it’s still worth reading, as it covers essentials for the shoe collector, like the best ways to photograph, clean, repair and store your kicks (keep those original boxes, folks!) and to sniff out fakes.

Sneaker collecting is about quality, not quantity, Simon “Woody” Wood, the editor in chief of Sneaker Freaker magazine, tries to argue in the book’s introduction: “This is not just about putting big numbers on the boards, though accumulating hundreds—and sometimes thousands—of pairs is the natural progression.”

World’s Greatest Sneaker Collectors introduces readers to an interesting cast of characters—from Elliot Tebele, with his unbelievable compilation of game-worn Air Jordans, to Lee Deville and his obsessive quest to collect every Asics collaboration ever made. German sneakerhead Julia Schoierer, known for her love of Adidas high-tops, has nearly maxed out her apartment’s shoe capacity thanks to her passion for the hobby. “When I go to bed, I’m not praying for better health—I’m praying that I won’t be buried underneath a collapsing shoe rack next to my bed,” she says in the book. — J.C.

Ghostlight by Keith Carter

“I don't mean to sound melodramatic, but I’m pretty sure there are ghosts here,” says American photographer Keith Carter about Southern wetlands, in his latest book Ghostlight . I would have to agree after looking at the more than 100 black and white photographs in the book. Traversing swamps, marshes, bogs, fens , bayous and baygalls across Georgia, Louisiana and his home of East Texas, Carter creates haunting photographs that invoke the imagination. The collection includes mysterious portraits of locals, but it’s the animals and landscapes captured in macabre detail that make the book. Photographs of alligators popping just above the surface, endless moss hanging in the water, and deceased woodpeckers put on display only hint at the secrets of this harsh environment. — D.B.

The Horses by Gareth McConnell

The Horses is a beautiful, candy-colored acid trip of a book. Irish photographer Gareth McConnell began this equine series when he was sent on assignment for the New York Times “Voyages” issue to Skeidvellir, a town about 50 miles east of Reykjavik, to depict the diminutive Icelandic horses. Visually, he wanted to make it abundantly clear the series wasn’t documentary work, opting instead for a more psychedelic approach. McConnell photographed his pony-sized, poofy-maned subjects both indoors and outdoors using flashlights, colored gels and, at times, an analogue film camera, creating highly saturated, dreamlike imagery. The title of McConnell’s book is derived from an Edwin Muir poem, “ The Horses ,” and the only line of text in the book, the highly appropriate, “Late in the evening the strange horses came,” is a quote from that poem.

“I didn’t want to impose any didactic reading, there is no text other than one line … so it can be: ‘Wow, it’s a book of unicorns and psychedelic My Little Ponies,’” McConnell tells Smithsonian . “Or it can be a darker reading—horse as a metaphor for man’s will imposed on others, for the broken bond with nature and with him/herself with the great creating force.” — J.C.

Still Life by Doan Ly

Still Life is a photographic celebration of the work of New York City-based florist, artist and photographer Doan Ly . Her blend of skills is on full display in floral arrangements masterfully photographed in playful and surprising ways.

The book begins with a quote from the artist: “I want to be caught off guard. I want to see anew. I want to experience a quiet moment that is larger than life. I want to learn something, but mostly, I want to share beauty and bring joy.” As you flip through Still Life , the moments of beauty and joy are instant; flowers posed for portraits with a human-like quality delight. While much of her work suggests inspiration from Old Masters’ still life paintings, Ly’s work feels current with her masterful usage of color and lighting. Ly also finds muses in the people around her. For instance, her driver for a photo shoot once gleefully joined in the fun, posing intensely with a flower arrangement draping down her back as if it had been a part of her for her entire life. — D.B.

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Donny Bajohr is the associate photography editor at Smithsonian . You can follow him on Instagram @donny_bajohr .

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Jeff Campagna is a photo editor at Smithsonian magazine. You can follow him on Instagram at @jeffcampagna .

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Our Favorite Photography Books of 2023

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more . Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

Remember Me by Preston Gannaway (GOST Books) Read more

Made in America: The Industrial Photography of Christopher Payne by Christopher Payne (Abrams Books) Read more

Nothing Personal – The Back Office of War by Nikita Teryoshin (GOST Books) Read more

Salt of the Earth: A Visual Odyssey of a Transforming Landscape by Barbara Boissevain (Kehrer Verlag) Read more

It's not all words here at WIRED. Every one of our stories is brought to eye-popping life on the web and in print by our newsroom's photo desk. Each year, this award-winning team of photo editors compiles a list of their favorite photography books. What follows is a selection of their picks from 2023. (Most were released this year; there are one or two you can preorder for delivery in early 2024.)

The list covers everything from intimate portraiture and human storytelling to the harsh and industrial environments of modern factories and defense-tech trade shows. We know photography books can be pricey, but they’re worth the investment. If you’re someone who can’t find the time to commit to a novel but still craves that sublime experience of being transported to a faraway country or taken on a trippy voyage filled with abstract colors and shapes, then a book of gorgeous photos might be the perfect way to treat yourself.

Be sure to see our other buying guides for books, like our summer reading list , our gift guide for technology books , and our list of the best cookbooks of 2023 .

Remember Me

For the past 18 years, Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer Preston Gannaway has been documenting a young man's journey following the death of his mother. The young man, EJ, was just 3 years old when Gannaway began covering his story. This project started out as an assignment for the Concord Monitor in New Hampshire, but she couldn’t leave it once the initial assignment ended; she had to continue with the family to see what paths this boy took. Her new book, Remember Me, chronicles EJ as he develops into a human despite the loss of his mother, all the while exploring themes of pain, loss, and virility. Color tones tell much of the story. Dark and textured shadows signal deep emotions and feelings of personal intimacy—moments when EJ’s mother should have been there, what she missed, as well as moments that she would have disapproved of. Preston captured many father-and-son scenes to show that EJ is not missing parental love and guidance. It is obvious that this boy and his father consider Preston a part of the family. I can’t imagine the 18 years' worth of work and what lies on the editing floor. We’re going to need another eight chapters, please Preston. —Anna Goldwater Alexander

Made in America: The Industrial Photography of Christopher Payne

Anyone want to capture the ultimate factory photographs? Please hire Christopher Payne. It’s his thing, and he has the market cornered. Look around at every single thing in your view right now. You might see a golf ball, a pencil, a cigar, perhaps a piano? They all originated from some kind of process with some kind of machinery in some kind of factory. Payne’s Made in America is a glorious photography book that compiles his many photographs of industrial spaces. He includes vast over-all factory shots for every production as well as delicate and intimate details, especially when it comes to machines that require help from human hands. Payne tends to keep to an asymmetrical style, much like the film director Wes Anderson. He also is repetitive with circles, which is not surprising for documenting a factory with all the gears, but it helps distinguish his style amongst other interior photography. —Anna Goldwater Alexander

Nothing Personal – The Back Office of War

Berlin-based photographer Nikita Teryoshin will publish his first photo book in 2024, giving the world an exclusive look into the global arms trade. For Nothing Personal , Teryoshin worked at 14 defense exhibitions from 2016 to 2023. Weapons of mass destruction are the project’s focal point. He documents large exhibitions that glamorize the machine gun. He shows us an oversize dessert table decorated with sweets arranged in the form of a missile, a drone display in front of which alcoholic beverages are being served, and a grandiose white prop wall fabricated with numerous bullet holes in a dizzying spiral pattern. —Lauryn Hill

Salt of the Earth: A Visual Odyssey of a Transforming Landscape

Barbara Boissevain began documenting the San Francisco Bay area’s salt ponds in 2010. What used to be a zone of tidal marshes abundant with biodiversity quickly became a wasteland as portions of the bay were utilized as salt evaporation ponds starting around the time of the California Gold Rush. At the beginning of her project, Boissevain’s focus went from shooting mesmerizing aerial photos of the salt ponds to capturing abstract details of what’s beneath the surface, while also documenting the progression of the salt ponds back to their former ecological state. Salt of the Earth is Boissevain’s ode to San Francisco that tells a seemingly rare and hopeful story of combatting the effects of human-led climate change. —Lauryn Hill

Gabrielle Caplan

Adrienne So

Medea Giordano

Somewhere 2017—2023

I first discovered Sam Youkilis’ work on Instagram in 2018, where his work stood out among the endless sea of images. His carefully composed, colorful photographs looked like snapshots but felt like so much more. Two people embracing in a kiss on a sandy beach, elderly men playing chess at the park, a father and daughter holding hands in a crowded city center—Youkilis’ photographs were voyeuristic in the most delicate way, and delicate in the most voyeuristic way.

Since Youkilis photographs primarily using iPhones, sometimes multiple at a time, Instagram was the perfect place for his photographs to live, until now. Loose Joints is publishing his first monograph, Somewhere 2017—2023 . It is a staggering 528-page culmination of the artist’s exploration of beauty in the mundane. By employing the fundamental principles of visual arts, including composition, color, chiaroscuro, and framing, Youkilis surpasses the constraints in both his tools and platform, resulting in every page in Somewhere feeling more beautiful and tender than the last. —Cameron Getty

When I was in college as a photography major, we were assigned to create photographs in the darkroom without a camera. I splattered darkroom chemicals and household items (coffee grounds, dyes, wine) and cast light onto photo-sensitive paper and wished for the best. The results were unsatisfactory most of the time, but every once in a while, I’d get something special. From that moment, watching the paper slowly show me something I made using only my hands and various liquids and chemicals, I was hooked on camera-less photography.

Dark Room serves as a memoir of Garry Fabian Miller's photography over the last half century, cataloging the artist’s personal account of creating pictures both in the dark and in the light. The 240-page book maps out the evolution of Fabian Miller’s practice, moving away from the camera-based photography of his early career to the abstract, camera-less method of darkroom picture-making for which he has become internationally recognized. Fabian Miller’s compositions radiate and pulsate off the page as they captivate the viewer with their sheer magnitude and bold colors. Through hands-on manipulation of light across various materials, Fabian Miller meticulously crafts camera-less exposures that manifest as abstract compositions, drawing inspiration from the familial and fantastical landscapes that define the artist. —Cameron Getty

A Hoax, a Prank, an Internet Scam, an Act of Agricultural Bio-Terrorism

In the summer of 2020, packages containing unnamed seeds arrived on the doorsteps of over 85,000 unsuspecting Americans. The packages had been shipped from China, but no one had ordered them. Pending an investigation by the US Department of Agriculture that would later link the shipments to a “brushing scam,” the seed conundrum became fertile ground for conservative conspiracy theories. Some incorrectly speculated that the seeds were a deliberate attempt by the Chinese at inflicting bioterrorism upon the US.

Early this year, Klaus Pichler worked with Nearest Truth Editions to self-publish A Hoax, a Prank, an Internet Scam, an Act of Agricultural Bio-terrorism . The book—which traces this story’s evolution from bizarre phenomenon to purported national security threat to everyday retailing scheme—is a display of Pichler’s sensitivity to the sensationalist potential of unassuming objects. The photographs turn plant seeds into planets, revealing their glimmering and otherworldly landscapes. By Pichler’s own description, the seeds are “a metaphor for how unsubstantiated assumptions can grow into ‘alternative facts.’” —Charis Morgan

In 2016, photographer Daniel Rampulla embarked on a series of landscapes and portraits which grappled with his early experiences as a young queer person. The resulting work culminated in Wild Place , a brooding reliving of those formative years, published with Pomegranate Press and Handshake Books in 2023.

You will be hard-pressed to meet many gazes while flipping through this book. The majority of the photographer’s subjects exist in limbo between physical presence and emotional absence. Their bodies are stark, but their faces are shielded. Interspersed amongst these anonymous portraits are what seem to be a selection of first-person memories. Shot with bright strobes, the landscapes feel like high-octane flashbacks, and the neighboring portraits read like voyeuristic reconstructions of these critical moments. We move anachronistically through time alongside Rampulla, keeping one foot in his tumultuous past and the other in his investigative present. Wild Place is a formal time warp played out over 72 pages of masterful black and white photography. —Charis Morgan

Brenda Stolyar

Nena Farrell

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The best photography books in 2023

These photography books cover everything from portraiture to photography history, so you can find something you love no matter what your interests.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Photography books can be powerful tools. They can teach you to capture your favorite moments, provide tips on sparking creativity, or show you some of the most memorable moments in history. And they can make great gifts if you’re looking to encourage someone’s interest or spark a new one. Of course, photography books span many categories. You’ll need a different book if you’re growing your photography skills rather than simply enjoying beautiful photographs. As a result, we’ve selected a range of instructional books and those that act as conversation starters and let you appreciate the beauty of photography. No matter what kind of book you’re looking for, the best photography books should inspire and educate.

• Best overall: The Essence of Photography, 2nd Edition: Seeing and Creativity
• Best for inspiration: Behind the Camera: Creative Techniques of 100 Great Photographers
• Best for beginners: Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs of People
• Best for food photographers: The Food Stylist’s Handbook
• Best historical photos: Popular Photography: The World’s Most Iconic Photographs
• Best photo history: A World History of Photography
• Best for composition: The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos
• Best for posing: The Photographer’s Guide to Posing: Techniques to Flatter Everyone
• Best for lighting: Light ― Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
• Best technical book for beginners: Digital Photography Complete Course

Methodology: How we picked the best photography books

Photography is a broad book topic. To pick the best of the best, we considered the purpose of the book. You can think of photography books as coming from two distinct categories: Instructional and recreational. Instructional books teach the reader how to improve their photography skills. Recreational books let you browse beautiful photographs. Many recreational photography books also give you a history of the photographer or the photo’s subject. 

We also considered the book’s quality. We looked at the quality of the photos in the book and the instructional content. And lastly, we prioritized the source of the material. World-renowned photographers willing to share their expertise with others make great sources, as do publications and outlets specializing in photography. We made sure to select books written and compiled by credible, well-respected sources within the industry.

The best photography books: Reviews & recommendations

Whether you’re searching for a collection of famous photographs, a themed book covering the history of the medium, or even an instructional manual to inspire and educate, there is a broad range of books to choose from. Here are some of our favorites.

Bruce Barnbaum

The Essence of Photography: Seeing and Creativity straddles the line between an instructional and recreational book. It teaches photographers how to define and bring their own style to their photography. Using over 100 photographs as samples and inspiration, Bruce Barnbaum explores how and why powerful photos go beyond light, composition, and other principles of photography.

This book acts as inspiration for beginning photographers and is helpful for intermediate and experts in search of inspiration. Folks looking for a book to grace their coffee table can even enjoy it for the beautiful photographs and inspirational text. However, some readers may be disappointed if they’re looking for a strictly instructive book. There’s little technical information, with the author assuming good technique and technical know-how are already in the photographer’s skill set.

In the same vein as the above book, Behind the Camera looks at example photographs in order to offer inspiration and knowledge. Author Paul Lowe breaks the book up into different thematic sections, including “Places,” “Faces,” “Stories,” “Ideas,” and “Moments.” No matter what type of photography you enjoy, you’ll find something helpful in this book.

Lowe pulls from photographic works by famous photographers such as Julia Margaret Cameron, Joel Meyerowitz, Walker Evans, Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldin, Weegee, Man Ray, and Robert Capa. Through these sample photos, he considers the photographers’ technique, strategies, and vision. He not only celebrates their creative work but distills lessons from each piece that the budding photographer can work into their practice. Part coffee-table book, part textbook, it’s a great place to start or go back to for ideas. Both beginners and experts alike will appreciate this book, whether it be for the insights and inspiration it provides or simply the collection of incredible photographs held within.

Henry Carroll

The title of this book says it all. It focuses on portrait photography and draws on the works of masters like Richard Avedon, William Klein, Cindy Sherman, and others. The book speaks plainly about the art form, with an emphasis on real takeaways for those looking to learn photography. Beyond just posing tips, Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs of People touches on composition, working with color and black and white, and imbuing your portraits with meaning. It even touches on lighting to help take your portraits to another level.

This book is best for those who have a basic understanding of photographic fundamentals. But beyond that, it can serve as an inspirational tool for both novices and experienced photographers alike.

Denise Vivaldo, Cindie Flannigan

As the title implies, this is a handbook of food photography. It provides suggestions designed to give the reader practical advice on taking delicious images. Taking tips from well-known photographers from the advertising and culinary worlds, The Food Stylist’s Handbook: Hundreds of Media Styling Tips, Tricks, and Secrets for Chefs, Artists, Bloggers, and Food Lovers is something that a food photographer will reach for again and again as they hone their craft.

Popular Photography

Popular Photography: The Most Iconic Photographs in History takes readers on a journey through 200 years of photographic history. From the first photo ever taken to world-changing moments captured on film, this book explores human history and how it’s been influenced by the ability to save those moments in pictures. And the informative commentary provides context as to why each photo still has an impact today. This is an excellent book for the coffee table. You can flip through it while relaxing or use it as a conversation starter when company comes.

Naomi Rosenblum and Diana Stoll

For those looking to learn more about the beginnings and progression of photography, A World History of Photography is one of the best resources available. There’s a reason it is the book of choice for many college photography history courses. 

This book goes much more in-depth than the Popular Photography book mentioned above, making it ideal for those serious about learning. It covers a wide variety of photographic genres and photographers, including portraiture, documentation, advertising, and photojournalism. And it even examines the contemporary perspective, making it well-rounded and thorough.

A World History of Photography even has a section just on the technical history of photography, so you can learn about how cameras and photographic technologies were developed over time. It does lean towards textbook style, which some may not enjoy. But there’s a massive selection of photographs included, so it is also a worthy coffee table book or one to skim through casually.

Michael Freeman

The Photographer’s Eye is a popular book written by Michael Freeman, a well-respected photographer whose work has appeared in Smithsonian magazine, Reader’s Digest, and Time-Life Books. Readers delve into the importance of exploring the location to identify angles and lighting beyond the obvious. It helps readers develop their creative eye and bring it to life, encouraging them to look and think about unusual and interesting shots.

While it does cover traditional in-camera composition, it leans toward digital photography. That may or may not be a con depending on your preferred media.

Lindsay Adler

Lindsay Adler is both a fashion photographer and photography educator, giving her unique insight into the subject matter. The book covers posing basics while also addressing the specific posing needs of different subject matter. For example, it provides tips for photographing curvy women, maternity photos, family photos, and small groups. The author also offers her own go-to poses as starting places for those key shoots. 

The book’s beginning even details how the camera sees and how that may impact portraiture. And Adler touches on specific body parts, breaking down posing into easily digestible chunks. Be aware that this book contains some artistic nudity.

Lighting is a powerful tool that can dramatically change your images. Whether working with portraiture, events, or product photography, it can significantly elevate your work. But, it can be a challenging skill to master due to how technical it is. This book provides a very detailed approach to lighting, even including a “comprehensive theory of the nature and principles of light.”

Light ― Science & Magic provides lighting examples for a variety of situations and subject matter, such as metal, glass, liquids, and, of course, portraiture. It offers diagrams, example photographs, and set-by-step instructions. The authors thoroughly explain each lighting scenario so that you can put them into practice. It is a robust resource that every photographer working with lights should have on their shelf.

David Taylor

The Digital Photography Complete Course offers beginners everything they need to get started with their digital camera. It’s broken down into 20 weekly lessons, making the content highly digestible for anyone and everyone. Those lessons even include assignments and assessments to check skills development as you go.

The book covers the basics, like understanding f-stops, ISO, and exposure on the digital camera. The layout includes diagrams, text boxes, examples, and pictures to add visual interest. Keep in mind that intermediate to advanced photographers will find little to enhance their skills with this one. It’s truly an introductory book designed for beginners to go from “What’s a camera?” to taking their own manually-adjusted photos.

Things to consider when buying the best photography books

Photography books can generally be categorized into two groups — instructional and recreational. Instructional books are pretty self-explanatory. They teach you how to take photographs or improve specific skills.

Basic photography books may teach you how to use a digital camera or cover the seven principles of design — pattern, contrast, emphasis, rhythm and movement, balance, and unity. Some books briefly cover all seven, while others focus on a single principle or sub-topic within a principle, like composure or lighting.

Beginners should start with a basic book that covers the main photography topics. Then, as you become more skilled, a specialized book that focuses on a single technique or principle can help you add depth to your skills.

Recreational books include coffee table books that offer a visual feast. They’re a great way to appreciate some of the world’s best photographs or for you to enjoy your favorite topic. For example, there are photography books for landscapes, barns, pets, and people. These books aren’t instructional in nature. You can simply enjoy the beauty they provide and enjoy the text that accompanies them, which may explain the subject or the photographer.

Author’s authority

Do a little research into the book’s author or publisher. A photography book written by a chef doesn’t hold much credit unless they’re teaching you about food photography and know the photographic medium well.

Look for photographers who specialize in their topic, like a fashion photographer who publishes a book on posing or lighting. Organizations that specialize in photography in some way are also valid, credible sources.

Consider the quality of both the photos and the instruction and how well they fit your goals. If you don’t love landscapes, Ansel Adams probably isn’t for you, even if the photos are top quality. Similarly, a book about taking landscapes may not interest you if you want to take family portraits.

Q: Which type of photography is most in demand?

Portrait and family photography is probably the most common type of freelance photography. This type of photography is constantly in demand, as families grow and change over the year—think births, milestone events (graduations, etc.), and other excuses to take a formal family portrait again and again.

Q: What is the best book to learn photography? 

Digital Photography Complete Course is one of the best photography books for beginners. It explains camera settings and features through 20 weekly lessons. For more advanced photographers, either The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos and The Photographer’s Guide to Posing: Techniques to Flatter Everyone are excellent books for honing specific skills.  

Q: How do I start photography?

The simplest way is to get to know equipment inside and out (digital cameras vs. film cameras, for instance), watch tutorials on the subjects that interest you the most (portrait photography vs. nature photography, for example), and then get out and indulge in simple trial and error. Oh, and pick up some of the best books on photography!

Q: What makes a good photography book? 

A good photography book contains high-quality images that aren’t just beautiful to look at but are good examples of the book’s subject. For example, a book on lighting should have excellent examples of lighting techniques and how to achieve those results for yourself. A book on posing should include photos that show different posing techniques successfully put into practice. The source of the book should also be reputable and trustworthy, with lots of knowledge and experience in the field.

Related: Here’s a list of even more books that every photographer should own

Final thoughts on the best photography books

Photography is a widely appreciated art form, and thanks to digital technology it’s become more and more accessible to more people. Budding photographers have a much easier way to test the waters and find their style without the burden of expensive film development costs or equipment. There are also overwhelming resources both online and in books to help guide them as they learn photography, so grab one of the best photography books from our selection and start them on their journey.

Why trust us

PopPhoto has a long history of delivering the opinions of some of the sharpest and most prolific camera dorks the world has to offer. Since 1937, we’ve been reviewing cameras, providing wisdom from well-known photographers, and generally just nerding out about all that goes into making great pictures. Our current crop of writers and editors have decades of professional photography and camera writing experience among them. Collectively, we’ve probably shot with just about every camera and lens combo you can imagine—as well as some obscure stuff you may not even know about. Remember the Casio Tryx folding camera? PopPhoto does.

We also get that buying a camera is a big decision, which is why we’re dedicated to helping folks choose the right one (or, in our case “ones”) for their needs. Case in point: Handing over top dollar for an expensive rig may leave you unsatisfied if it doesn’t fit your preferred shooting style. Sure, a $6,000 sports-oriented DSLR can capture landscapes, but do you really need to do it at 30 frames-per-second? No, you don’t.

Abby Ferguson is the Associate Editor for Gear and Reviews at PopPhoto, joining the team in 2022. She has been involved with the photography industry in various capacities since her undergraduate training at the University of Kentucky, with work ranging from client photography to program development and management of the photo department at Evolve, a vacation rental company.

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Book Reviews

With most activities restricted, this is a good time to think about what photography is, and what it means. One of Senior Editor Barney's favorite photography books has hardly any pictures in it and wasn't even written by a photographer.

Lindsay Adler and Erik Valind have written a beginner’s guide to photographic lighting centered around an unusual conceit. By structuring a book around a list of common challenges, they are able to give simple, understandable, and achievable solutions that add up to a 'lighting 101' guide.

Martin Evening, a London-based professional photographer and dpreview contributor, has updated and expanded his comprehensive book on Photoshop. For thorough and up-to-date coverage of an indispensible photo-editing program, we recommend giving Adobe Photoshop CS6 for Photographers a close look.

In this fifth edition of his well-regarded book Chris Johnson adds new material and explains why the Zone System, developed as paradigm for film shooters, can also be easily applied in the digital age.

Masterclass, a handsome new book of images made by Arnold Newman, the first published since his death in 2006, contains familiar works as well as several previously unpublished pictures. For fans of portraiture 'Masterclass' is definitely worth a look.

A mixture of personal anecdote and practical advice, 'Envisioning Family: A Photographer's Guide to Making Meaningful Portraits of the Modern Family' by Tamara Lackey should be of interest to anyone who wants to add a little something extra to their family portraits. Adam Kaplan takes a look.

A superstar in the editorial photography and photo-education worlds, bestselling author McNally (The Moment It Clicks and The Hotshoe Diaries) has written another accessible, entertaining book - this time about methods for creating and shaping light using all manner of strobes.

When Vivian Maier died in obscurity in 2009 she left behind a huge collection of photographs, taken over several decades. Barnaby Britton, dpreview reviews editor takes a look at a new collection of her work, 'Vivian Maier, Street Photographer'.

Thames & Hudson’s Photofile series - a sort of Reader’s Digest of coffee table books - offers well-produced paperbacks containing approximately 60 decent reproductions. Most titles in the series are worthwhile, and the concept of these affordable and small packages is fantastic.

A coffee table book that features a diverse collection of high quality work from contemporary South African photographers.

Poor posing can make people shots appear 'unprofessional'. Yet posing is an often overlooked area in mainstream photographic education. Comprised almost entirely of images, this useful if sometimes cheesy book, aptly subtitled a 'visual sourcebook', provides hundreds of examples of female portraits.

As Adobe releases new versions of Photoshop, Scott Kelby rewrites his manual to the program to address relevant changes and upgrades. Adam Koplan has had a look at the latest edition of this popular book for us.

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67 Best Photography Books of 2024 for All Levels

The ULTIMATE list of photography books as chosen by over 600 professional and amateur photographers. Discover the books that help and inspire photographers.

Learn | By Mark Condon | Last Updated: February 7, 2024

Shotkit may earn a commission on affiliate links. Learn more.

A couple of years ago, I wrote about the best photography books by asking 30 professional photographers which books helped them improve both their art and their business.

For 2024, I wanted to dig deeper into the vast topic of photography books by asking over 600 top photographers the same two questions:

What photography books have helped you improve your photography, and which ones have helped you grow your business?

Each photographer kindly provided more than one book for each category, and I soon noticed that the same titles cropped up, hence the creation of this post.

Download over 250 fun & informative eBooks to help improve your photography (No strings attached!)

For a book to have been recommended in this list, it needed to have been mentioned by at least 10 times by the 600 respondents.

The photographers I interviewed ranged from new-coming beginners to experienced pros. I wanted to ensure that this list of books on photography provided a well-rounded view of the topic.

…and if you don’t have time to read any books on photography, check out these inspirational photography quotes instead!

• What are the best photography coffee table books?
• Where can I download free books on photography?
• What are the best photography books for beginners?

Table of Contents

What Are The Best Photography Books in 2024?

1. books on photography technique.

Every photographer no matter their level can improve their photography technique.

Whether it’s camera settings, composition, lighting, posing, direction or any of the myriad other topics that come together to help us produce an engaging photograph, it’s clear that there is a lot to learn!

Here’s a selection on the best photography books on photography technique as selected by the interviewed photographers. There’s a nice mix of books for beginner, intermediate and advanced level of photographer.

[Side note: If you are a beginner or intermediate photographer, out for a shoot and can’t recall one valuable concept that you’ve read in the past, I highly recommend you to check out Snap Cards. These are 44 printable photography lessons you can carry anywhere. Check out my Photzy Snap Cards review for more insights.]

Bryan Peterson’s Exposure Solutions

The most common photography problems and how to solve them.

by Bryan Peterson

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to learn how to take control of your exposure even in the trickiest situations.

Description: Exposure Solutions is aimed at the amateur photographer who struggles in situations such as exposing high-contrast scenes to freezing action in low light, photographing a full moon, exposing subjects against a sunset sky, balancing subjects in shade with brightly lit backgrounds, and many others. This is really a book photography fans can learn a lot from.

Reviewer’s Comment: “While other books on photography technique have great pics and tell you what they are and what kinds of equipment and settings were used to obtain them, this one gives specific instructions on getting tricky or difficult shots to come out properly. I love the “recipe style” approach to this book as when you are a novice, you mostly want to see how the masters have created their amazing photographs”

The Art of Photography

An approach to personal expression.

by Bruce Barnbaum

Buy this Photography Book If: You want a complete photography book that goes beyond the technical, delving into philosophical expression and the creative aspects of photography often avoided in other books.

Description: Described as the most readable, understandable and complete textbook on photography. With well over 100 beautiful photographic illustrations in both black-and-white and colour, as well as numerous charts, graphs, and tables, The Art of Photography is a classic book that presents the world of photography to beginner, intermediate, and advanced photographers seeking to make a personal statement through their work. Your collection of books about photography would not be complete without this art-focussed title.

Reviewer’s Comment: “ This photography book is totally different. It starts talking about the philosophy of how photography is connected personally to the photographer. Then it gives a detailed analysis of all the elements of composition with great examples and with a language that even an amateur can understand. Best of all, the author did a great job at interconnecting all the elements to help the reader understand the importance of applying a combination of elements instead of focusing on just one of two of the elements. It is like putting all the puzzles together to solve a great mystery.”

Studio Anywhere

A photographer’s guide to shooting in unconventional locations.

by Nick fancher

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Buy this Photography Book If: You want to be able to create images with minimal equipment and follow a professional photographers entire workflow from concept through to editing.

Description: Studio Anywhere is a resource for photographers to learn through behind-the-scenes photos and lighting diagrams from a range of photo shoots, from simple one-light set ups to more complex multiple light setups . The author also lets you in on the aesthetic decisions he makes in his signature photos, inspiring you to develop your own vision. He also describes his Lightroom and Photoshop workflow so you can learn how to deftly navigate post-processing. One of the best books about photography from a photographer with a truly unique approach.

Reviewer’s Comment: Studio Anywhere is a great book for photographers who want to improve the quality of their images without needing a ton of expensive gear or a permanent studio location. I really enjoyed the book, the author is very specific about how he lit each example picture, even including screenshots of Lightroom settings of how he color graded the pictures and fixed problems.”

Extraordinary Everyday Photography

Awaken your vision to create stunning images wherever you are.

by Brenda Tharp & Jed Manwaring

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to learn how to search beyond the surface to create an alluring photo wherever you are, be it a downtown street, a local park, or your own front lawn.

Description: Here’s a great books photography fans love. Extraordinary Everyday Photography encourages amateur photographers to slow down, open their eyes, and respond to what they see to create compelling images. Inspiring photo examples from the authors, taken with DSLRs, compact digital cameras, and even iPhones, show that it is the photographer’s eye and creative vision, not the gear, that make a great image.

Reviewer’s Comment: “ Do not expect here a technical discussion of how aperture affects DOF or how to use PS to post process your way to imaging happiness or other purely technical issues. Instead, this is a photography book about how to move from where you are to a more artistically inclined version of yourself. The book concentrates on the image – the composition and its elements. It strives to break you free of any creative restrictions you may have developed. This book isn’t very long but is dense in information.”

Picture Perfect Practice

A self-training guide to mastering the challenges of taking world-class photographs.

by Roberto Valenzuela

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to be able to walk confidently into any location, under any lighting condition, with any subject and gear, and know that you can create astonishing photographs that have a timeless impact. This is also one of the best photography posing books.

Description: In Picture Perfect Practice, experienced wedding photographer Roberto Valenzuela breaks down the craft of photography into three key elements – locations, poses , and execution. and shows you how you can use them to unlock the photographic opportunities lying beneath every challenging situation. Picture Perfect Practice also includes an inspiring and helpful chapter on deliberate practice techniques, where Valenzuela describes his system for practicing and analyzing his work, which leads to constant improvement as a photographer.

Reviewer’s Comment: “ Valenzuela’s book approaches the photography from a creative/artistic point of view: it teaches you how to recognize geometry in the scenes you are shooting; how to reduce the background clutter by finding “simple” structures that are effective compositional elements; why a picture needs “balance” and how you can use elements you find in the scene to achieve balance; which expressions and messages you send by taking silhouettes; which emotions do you evoke by which method of posing; how do you effectively pose a subject; etc. “

Picture Perfect Posing

Practicing the art of posing for photographers and models.

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to be able to pose your subject in a natural and compelling way to take your portrait photography from good to amazing. A must for wedding photographers and anyone who shoots people for a living. This book is at home with even new photography books.

Description: Instead of just showing page after page of poses (like most posing books on the market), Picture Perfect Posing actually breaks down the concept of posing by examining the anatomy, starting with the core foundation: the spinal chord and neck. Building from there, Roberto discusses every component of what makes poses work, as well as fail. How should the model hold her hands? Bend her elbows? Position her fingers? Should the model look toward or away from the camera, and why?

Reviewer’s Comment: “ If you’re looking to learn more about posing, I can’t recommend Roberto Valenzuela’s new book enough. It’s seriously AMAZING. Heck, I even recommend this book to brides who want to know the basics on how to better carry themselves, stand, sit, ect to look more amazing and flattering in their photographs. The author gives you the TOOLS to build any pose you need. By knowing the principles behind excellent posing, you’ll be MUCH better equipped.”

Understanding Exposure

How to shoot great photographs with any camera.

Buy This Photography Book If: You want one of the best photography books ever written on helping demystify the complex concepts of exposure in photography, to help you capture the images you want. This is pretty much a classic photography textbook.

Description: Understanding Exposure explains the fundamentals of light, aperture, and shutter speed and how they interact with and influence one another. With an emphasis on finding the right exposure even in tricky situations, Understanding Exposure shows you how to improve sharpness and contrast in images, freeze action, take the best meter readings, and explore filters, flash, and light. With all new images, as well as an expanded section on flash, tips for using colored gels, and advice on shooting star trails , this revised (4th) edition will clarify exposure for photographers of all levels.

Light Science & Magic

An introduction to photographic lighting.

by Steven Biver

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to learn how to light the most difficult subjects, such as surfaces, metal, glass, liquids, extremes (black-on-black and white-on-white), and portraits. Grab this title and learn lighting from one of the best books photography.

Description: Light Science and Magic provides you with a comprehensive theory of the nature and principles of light, with examples and instructions for practical application. As well as all the original helpful diagrams and step-by-step guides, this new edition of Light Science and Magic includes an all new chapter entitled “Setting Up Your New Studio”, a re-vamped and expanded chapter on “Making Portraits”, a new appendix of reliable photo gear sources, updated information about advances in flash equipment, LED panels and fluorescent lights, and over 100 new photographs and informational sidebars.

Reviewer’s Comment: “ The authors have written a truly essential reference for product in particular and an outstanding educational text for all other forms of photographer. You don’t need to have a background in studio photography or a knowledge of lighting equipment to understand and benefit from this book. You need to have only a good understanding of exposure and camera operation. Information on basic lighting equipment is found in the appendices for those who are unfamiliar with studio equipment.”

Mastering Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO and Exposure

How they interact and affect each other.

by Al Judge

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to master what most photographers take years to learn, only in a few hours – the 3 components of the exposure triangle. This book is in the running for the best photography books of all time.

Description: Do your eyes glaze over when people use terms like ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Exposure? Are you excited about photography but confused by all the technical jargon? Do you wonder how professional photographers get such great shots? Mastering Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, and Exposure will painlessly provide help and insight with all these topics and more in just a few hours of your time. This book builds a solid foundation of photographic knowledge with easy-to-follow discussions of what you need to know in order to create better images with confidence.

Reviewer’s Comment: “I have read a couple of this author’s other photography books and they are all the best of the best. This book has taught me more than the college-level photography course I took over a year ago. This book should be the textbook for those courses. I was still unclear about many aspects of photography until I found this book. I think that is the best way to judge a book, not just by how you interpret the information, but how you can relay that information to someone else. You can go through and read all of the reviews you want, or you can just buy the book and start taking better pictures right away.”

The Visual Toolbox

60 lessons for stronger photographs.

by David duChemin

Buy This Photography Book If: Here’s a book that can complete with even the best new photography books. You want to learn 60 solid concepts to help you create stronger photographs.

Description: In The Visual Toolbox, world-renowned photographer and film-maker David duChemin helps you master topics such as balance, using negative space, exploring color contrast, waiting for the moment, learning to incorporate mood and motion, and much more. The book is a kind of curriculum for learning not just how to use a camera, but how to make stronger photographs. You’ll discover both the technical side of the craft but more importantly, composition, the creative process, and the principles that have always been responsible for making great photographs. The Visual Toolbox features action-oriented micro-chapters designed to improve your photography immediately, explanations of 60 concepts with an assignment for nearly every chapter

Reviewer’s Comment: “This photography book is more helpful than most of the online photography workshops I’ve taken, and for a FRACTION of the price. If I were to teach a photography class, I would make all my students buy this book and we’d use it as a text. The best thing about it, is that it works at any experience level. I used it when I was still learning the exposure triangle and just starting to shoot in manual mode. And now that I’ve been comfortable in manual for a year, I still find this book really inspiring and challenging. The book gives me the direction and confidence to grow in my craft.”

BetterPhoto Basics

The absolute beginner’s guide to taking photos like a pro.

by Jim Miotke

Buy This Photography Book If: You are a beginner who doesn’t have time to read a whole book, but instead wants simple tips and tricks to improve your photos right away, no matter what camera you’re using. This is one of those must have photography books for beginner photographers without a lot of time to dig into a full textbook.

Description: If you can press a button, you can take great pictures. It’s as simple as that. Learn to compose knockout shots and make the most of indoor and outdoor light. BetterPhoto Basics teaches you tips and tricks to photograph twenty popular subjects, from sunsets and flowers to a family portrait. Those who want to go further get tips on controlling exposure and the secrets behind ten advanced creative techniques. And everyone will appreciate the author’s breakdown of easy fixes to make in Photoshop. No matter what your level of experience, you’ll be amazed how easy it is to start taking photos like the pros.

Reviewer’s Comment: “The author is the founder of popular online photography school BetterPhoto.com and really knows what photographers want to learn about the most. Unlike many other beginner photography books, the author doesn’t spend page after page on techniques or explanations, instead keeping his descriptions short and to the point. For a beginner, this is the photography book I would recommend to get you started. If you already have a good grasp of the basics, this is probably not the book for you.”

Lighting for Digital Photography

From snapshots to great shots (using flash and natural light for portrait, still life, action, and product photography).

by Syl Arena

Buy This Photography Book If: You are a beginner, intermediate or advanced level photographer who wants to better understand light and how it can be used to create powerful images.

Description: There’s something for all level of photographer in Lighting for Digital Photography by bestselling author Syl Arena. Learn how to use light modifiers that make light bigger and softer, such as umbrellas, softboxes, beauty dishes, and diffusion panels; understand how to control and shape the light itself with flags, grids, snoots, and the zoom function on your flash; appreciate the colour temperature of light (whether that’s the sun, a light bulb, or a flash), and how to influence it with white balance settings on your camera and colored gels on your flash; and learn how to take great pictures across many different genres, from product and still life images , to simple (and not so simple) portraits and group shots.

Reviewer’s Comment: “ There are countless books written on the subject of photographic lighting providing varying degrees of useful and practical advice. What makes this one of the best photography books on lighting is that it is a true tutorial, by which I mean it provides a complete learning journey from foundation concepts to detailed step by step instruction and explanations of how each image was accomplished. The author goes to great length and in great detail to provide specific examples and explanations on each topic that he covers in this book in a manner that will be clear to any reader regardless of their skill/knowledge level at the time of reading.”

The Headshot

The secrets to creating amazing headshot portraits.

by Peter Hurley

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to learn all the tricks of the trade to create world-class headshots. Essential reading for all level of portrait photographer.

Description: Here’s your chance to learn exactly how to create the Peter Hurley headshot style that’s so in demand today. If you’re not adding headshots to what you offer as a professional photographer, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table. The Headshot will teach you how to get authentic expressions and incredible flattering positioning that will make your clients look better than they have ever looked in any photo. Learn how to get genuine smiles and show the true personality of your subject. The author reveals all his tricks of the trade, from his trademark lighting look, to how to create good-looking backgrounds on location, to positioning tricks and much more.

Reviewer’s Comment: “I loved the conversational tone of this book which helps you understand exactly how you should talk to your clients, whatever their social stature. Peter Hurley is one of the world’s best headshot photographers, and in this book he reveals exactly how he has become so in demand. Even if you don’t have the fancy camera gear and lighting setup that he does, you’ll be able to use the tips to improve your portrait photography immediately – it’s little tips and tricks like pushing your chin forward, squinting the eyes – things that you can tell your client straight away. Highly recommended!”

Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers

by Christopher Grey

Buy This Photography Book If: You are an experienced portrait or wedding photographer wanting to improve your offcamera lighting technique.

Description: With over 50,000 copies in print, the Master Lighting Guide walks you through studio portrait lighting from start to finish to help breakdown dramatic off camera lighting techniques. Dozens of image sequences and before/after pairings show you precisely how each change of light position and modifier affects the look of the lighting on the subject. From classic portrait lighting patterns to unexpected but powerful looks, the author teaches you everything you need to know to control light effectively. Armed with these powerful skills, you’ll be able to create portraits that are more flattering, more marketable, and more creative.

Reviewer’s Comment: “I wish I had found this book in my first year of photography at college. Christopher Grey really knows his stuff. He has diagrams along with his photographs to explain each type of lighting situation. I actually learned quite a bit about different lighting accessories used for various lighting like hairlights, and different ways to show separation from the background. This is definitely a great book to have around to review a few pointers before a shoot.”

Sketching Light

An illustrated tour of the possibilities of flash.

By Joe McNally

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to learn all that’s possible with flashes from one of the masters of photography. This is one of the best book for photography if you’re interested in improving your use of light.

Description: Sketching Light follows up on the great success of The Moment It Clicks and The Hot Shoe Diaries (2 other books recommended in this list of the best books for photographers). Legendary magazine photographer Joe McNally takes us on another trip into the land of light, but this time running the gamut from small flash to big flash, and everywhere in between. No secrets are held back, and the principles he talks about apply generally to the shaping and quality of light, not just to an individual model or brand of flash.

Reviewer’s Comment: “If you are a student of light, then consider Joe McNally`s new book Sketching Light to be one of the best photography books on the subject. Sitting down with Sketching Light is like sitting down for a beer with Joe as he talks you through his favorite pix in a photo album. The conversation will wander, stories will be spun, jokes will be told, detailed insights will be shared, advice will be given, and you’ll walk away grateful for the opportunity. If you are like me who cannot attend any of Joe’s workshop then you simply grab this book and rest assured you know how he thinks while going about making those amazing photos.”

The Hot Shoe Diaries

Big light from small flashes.

by Joe McNally

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to discover the complex lighting solutions for a ton of great images. This is one of those cool photography books with lots to offer photographers at all skill levels.

Description: In The Hot Shoe Diaries, Joe McNally lets you in on his uncensored thought process—often funny, sometimes serious, always fascinating—to demonstrate how he makes his pictures with small Nikon Speedlights. No matter if you shoot Nikon or not, you’ll learn from the way McNally goes from planning to execution on shoots for National Geographic, Time, Life, and Sports Illustrated.

Reviewer’s Comment: “Joe starts with the basics: gear, the fundamentals of digital photography and simple flash. He moves on to talk about one light shots. And two light shots. And lots-a-lights shots. He talks about where to put the lights and what to put between the lights and the subject. He shares a lifetime of stories. He inspires and encourages. HSD’ is for photographers of all levels – novice to expert. Plan on reading this marvellous photography book again and again. I guarantee that every time you do, you’ll pick up something new.”

Photography Q&A

Real questions. real answers.

by Zack Arias

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to learn the answers to the most popular questions from actual photographers, across all aspects of the photo industry. It’s on the list of popular photographic books that gives you insight into the craft from an actual photographer.

Description: In Photography Q&A, commercial photographer Zack Arias answers over 100 questions that he fielded directly from the public. These are questions that range across all aspects of the photo industry: gear, marketing, street photography , vision, pricing, branding, light, models, work/life balance, technical advice, and much more. Photography Q&A answers many of the pressing questions that photographers are asking, but until now have not been addressed.

Reviewer’s Comment: “I can’t recommend this book enough… For a few bucks, you get to have “coffee” with a stellar photographer. This book is for anyone who takes their photography seriously. It really is the no-BS slap to the forehead that many of us need to get through some often confusing scenarios and situations. The questions are those that I have heard fellow photographers mutter often and Zack’s answers are backed with wisdom from the field, as well as examples in imagery.”

Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs

by Henry Carroll

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to skip the diagrams and technical jargon and fast-track your way to a better image via example. This could be the best book photography for anyone who doesn’t want the jargon-heavy textbook approach.

Description: Split into five sections, Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs covers composition, exposure, light, lenses, and seeing. Images taken by master photographers serve to illustrate points and encourage readers to try out new ideas. Image examples include works by Henri Cartier- Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Fay Godwin, and Martin Parr. It’s quick to the point with no messing around – does everything it says on the cover!

Reviewer’s Comment: “This book is for the beginner photographer who has no time or interest in learning about the technical ins and outs of photography. Using master image makers’ images and funny text as examples, the book serves as an example for you to replicate, in the hope that your photos will improve. Whilst none of the explanations go very in-depth, you’ll get the point the author is trying to make, with just enough info for you to apply the tip to your own photography.”

Shooting in Sh*tty Light

The top ten worst photography lighting situations and how to conquer them.

by Lindsay Adler

Buy This Photography Book If: You’re a beginner or intermediate photographer who is often forced to shoot in bad light, and want to learn how to handle yourself to still produce professional quality pictures. Here’s one of the top photography books that has advice just as bold as its title.

Description: Shooting in Sh*tty Light covers the top ten worst lighting situations you’ll inevitably encounter at some stage in your photography career, along with a variety of solutions for each. They explain which solutions are most practical and why one option might be preferable over another, examining such problems as extremely low lighting when no flash is allowed, strong backlight, and the light on an overcast day.

Reviewer’s Comment: “ Even though this book is aimed towards professional wedding and portrait photographers who often have to shoot in the dreaded midday sun, or in a crappy church lobby etc., many of the tips are quite basic and can apply to any genre of photographer. The chapters include titles like direct sunlight, mixed colour temperatures, and dappled light with high contrast. There is also a handy glossary and an appendix on equipment.”

On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography

by Neil van Niekerk

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to gain confidence in using on-camera flash. Good photography books like this are a wealth of great advice on the basics.

Description: In On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography, you can quickly learn how to create stunning, professional images while avoiding the common pitfalls of using an on-camera flash. You’ll discover techniques for using simple accessories such as bounce cards and diffusers, as well as how to improve a lighting scenario by enhancing it rather than overwhelming it.

Reviewer’s Comment: “On-Camera flash seems to get a bit of a bad reputation, most probably because not many photographers know how to use it well. I’m a big fan of Neil van Niekerk’s Tangents site, and so buying this book was a no-brainer. I’m glad I did, as it has allowed me to gain confidence to use my flash as it was intended i.e. stuck on top of my camera! I can now use my flash in situations I wouldn’t have dreamt about before, all the while producing natural looking photos – no more deer-in-the-headlights!”

The Photographer’s Eye

Composition and design for better digital photos.

by Michael Freeman

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to learn how to see the potential for a strong picture, then organize the graphic elements into an effective, compelling composition.

Description: Reaching 300,000+ copies worldwide, The Photographer’s Eye continues to teach photographers around the world 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.

Reviewer’s Comment: “The author approaches the subject of photography from a very thoughtful perspective. While the book covers the basic elements (lines, shapes, dynamic tension, balance, etc.) he also talks at length about more emotionally-related issues: chiaroscuro and key, the search for order, reactive thought, etc. These are the concepts that more experienced photographers (and artists) find themselves confronting once they have a solid feel for design elements and construction. This is by far the best photography book I’ve read in 10 years.”

Within the Frame

The journey of photographic vision.

by David du Chemin

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to learn how to find and express your photographic vision, specifically where people, places, and cultures are concerned

Description: Within the Frame is full of real-world wisdom and incredible images, showing you both the how and the why of finding, chasing, and expressing your vision with a camera to your eye. Both instructional and inspirational, learn how to make better images of the places and people you love, whether they are around the world or in your own backyard. Learn how to tell stories, and the technology and tools we have at our disposal in order to tell those narratives.

Reviewer’s Comment: “ When millions of photos are snapped by cameras and phones or produced via software, the author eloquently reminds us that vision, creativity, sensitivity and thought are at the core of making meaningful images. This book is a must-read, and one which you’ll return to again and again for inspiration and insight.”

2. Books on Art/Inspiration for Photographers

Here are the books recommended by photographers on the topic of photography as an art form . By this I mean books showing the work of famous photographers , which serve as inspiration to us photographers to create better photographs.

Obviously photography as art is a more subjective topic than the others in this list. This is why I made sure whichever book I recommend here as a ‘best book on photography’ was recommended at least 10 times by the interviewed photographers.

Here’s a few titles that easily meet the requirements to be the best photographer books.

Annie Leibovitz at Work

by Annie Leibovitz

Buy This Photography Book If: You are a fan of Annie Leibovitz and want to learn how she has created her iconic work over the years, and what gear she uses to do it. Leibovitz has a storied career and this is one of the best books of photography.

Description: The celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz provides the stories, and technical description, of how some of her most famous images came to be. Learn the stories behind the iconic images of Queen Elizabeth II, John Lennon, Puff Daddy, Kate Moss and other famous subjects of Leibovitz’s camera. Annie Leibovitz At Work is a unique behind-the-scenes insight into the photography of one of the most celebrated portrait photographers of the 21st century.

Reviewer’s Comment: “Unlike many photo/text books, this is not a how-to book. Sure, there is information on the equipment used for particular shoots, etc. That’s not at all what “At Work” is about, though. Rather than a behind-the-scenes look at the technical side of photography, “At Work” is a behind-the-scenes examination of Leibovitz’s growth as a photographer. And, while the photos are wonderful, they are not necessarily the book’s focus – instead, they illustrate the book’s stories.”

Gregory Heisler: 50 Portraits

Stories and techniques from a photographer’s photographer.

by Gregory Heisler

Buy This Photography Book If: You want some inspiration to create compelling portraits of people that go well beyond ‘ordinary’. The best photography collection books, like this title, will hopefully spark your own creativity.

Description: In this first-ever showcase of his work, Gregory Heisler, one of professional photography’s most respected practitioners, shares 50 iconic portraits of celebrities, athletes, and world leaders, along with fascinating, thoughtful, often humorous stories about how the images were made. For Heisler’s fans and all lovers of photography, Gregory Heisler: 50 Portraits offers not only a gorgeous collection of both black-and-white and color portraits, but an engrossing look at the rarely seen art of a master photographer at work.

Reviewer’s Comment: “This is quite simply the best photo book I’ve ever read. Learning from a behind the scenes perspective how Heisler created portrait photographs of all the major faces of our generation is the most valuable insight in my photography career. Heisler pushes himself to create portraits that tell the complete story of the individual in one single frame – something that take years of experience to truly master. An essential coffee-table book that you’ll keep coming back to again and again.”

The Negative

by Ansel Adams

Buy This Photography Book If: You love the work of Ansel Adams and want to learn about the zone system which he uses to create his iconic imagery. No list of books of photography would be complete without the work of Ansel Adams.

Description: Learn from the master of black-and-white film photography in the classic book The Negative (Ansel Adams Photography, Book 2). The early chapters are devoted to a discussion of light, film and exposure. Then there’s a detailed discussion of the zone system, chapters on natural and artificial light and at the end an extensive chapter on the darkroom and its equipment.

Reviewer’s Comment: “This is truly a great photography book, a classic that is important both historically, because it defines the zone system as no other work can, and practically, because it gives you the best combination of practice and theory available in print. It is the best book of the three books of the series by Ansel Adams. Although a lot of it may not be relevant to the digital photographers of today, it’s still a great look into the thought processes of a master photographer.”

Vivian Maier: Street Photographer

by Vivian Maier

Buy This Photography Book If: You are interested in raw street photography of city life in the post-war golden age.

Description: Vivian Maier was a professional nanny, who from the 1950s until the 1990s took over 100,000 photographs worldwide, from France to New York City to Chicago and dozens of other countries, and yet showed the results to no one. Presented here for the first time in print, Vivian Maier: Street Photographer collects the best of her incredible, unseen body of work.

Reviewer’s Comment: “It’s incredible to think that all these photos would have never seen the light of day had it not been for the local historian John Maloof who bought a box of Maier’s negatives from a Chicago auction house. The photos are at once humourous, moving and beautiful, and owning this book feels like you’re owning a piece of history that wasn’t supposed to be seen.”

Humans of New York

by Brandon Stanton

Buy This Photography Book If: You like seeing real people on the streets of New York. This is the best photography books for professionals who might feel like their photography is stuck in a rut.

Description: With four hundred colour photos, including exclusive portraits and all-new stories, Humans of New York is a stunning collection of images that showcases the outsized personalities of New York. Surprising and moving, printed in a beautiful full-color, hardbound edition, Humans of New York is a celebration of individuality and a tribute to the spirit of the city. A #1 New York Times bestseller and a huge hit on Amazon.

Reviewer’s Comment: “Whilst anyone can arguably pick up a camera, take some photos of interesting looking people in their city, write a few words, then get published, few can do it as well as Brandon Stanton. He seems to possess the ability to totally disarm strangers, giving us a glimpse into their hearts, making us feel that we know them. This book is an honest and sometimes very moving collection of images of real people going about their lives in one of the most fast-moving cities in the world.”

Magnum Contact Sheets

by Kristen Lubben

Buy This Photography Book If: You are interested in what processes editors use to choose the best photos from a print sheet.

Description: Available for the first time in a compact edition, the ground-breaking Magnum Contact Sheets presents a remarkable selection of contact sheets and ancillary material, revealing for the first time how the most celebrated Magnum photographers capture and edit the very best shots. Addressing key questions of photographic practice, the book illuminates the creative methods, strategies, and editing processes behind some of the world’s most iconic images.

Reviewer’s Comment: “Magnum Contact Sheets is truly a masterpiece in terms of content. The reproductions of the photographs in this book are of outstanding quality. This is an iconic book that’s now available in a smaller, more convenient size that’s much more affordable too.”

The Moment It Clicks

Photography secrets from one of the world’s top shooters.

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to learn the same techniques that Joe McNally shares in his seminars and lectures in a book.

Description: In The Moment It Clicks, Joe McNally breaks new ground by blending the rich, stunning images and elegant layout of a coffee-table book with the invaluable training, no-nonsense insights, and photography secrets usually found only in those rare, best-of-breed educational books. It will help you understand photography and the art of making great photos at a level you never thought possible. This book is packed with those “Ah ha!” moments, clever insights that make it all come together for you.

Reviewer’s Comment: “This fantastic photography book will teach you how to have a single photo tell a whole story. Every turn of the page has a compelling photo which is the subject of the lesson. Some lessons are technical such as how-to on lighting, while others are lessons on approach, demeanor or attitude. It is a must for amateurs through to pros. Photographers of every experience, style and age will gain huge value.”

Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs

Buy This Photography Book If: You want the full spectrum of Ansel Adams’ work in one single volume. Ansel Adams is such an influential photographer that we have to have more than one of his collections on our list of best photographers books.

Description: Beautifully produced and presented in an attractive landscape trim, Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs will appeal to a general gift-book audience as well as Adams’ legions of dedicated fans and students. The photographs are arranged chronologically into five major periods, from his first photographs made in Yosemite and the High Sierra in 1916 to his work in the National Parks in the 1940s up to his last important photographs from the 1960s. An introduction and brief essays on selected images provide information about Adams’ life, document the evolution of his technique, and give voice to his artistic vision.

Reviewer’s Comment: “If you want 400 finely reproduced photographs of the oeuvre of one of the greatest black and white photographers, Ansel Adams, then you must get this book. The photographs are reproduced with the fine attention to detail, shadow and contrast that Adams would have demanded. Even though the book could have been just a little bit bigger, it is a nice size to fit on your lap without breaking your arms. This is by far the best photography book for any Adams’ enthusiast.”

by Steve McCurry

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to see evocative National Geographic style photography and don’t care about the stories behind the shots.

Description: Powerful, moving and vivid images of many kinds of people from all over the world, all taken by Magnum photographer Steve McCurry. Critically acclaimed and recognized internationally for his classic reportage, over the last 20 years he has worked for the “National Geographic” and other publications on numerous assignments: along the Afghan border, in Baghdad, Beirut and the Sahel. Portraits is a series of photos that will inspire you to get out there and shoot.

Reviewer’s Comment: “I can’t get enough of these photos and I own the book for seven years now. All the faces tell stories, the eyes of these people speak volumes. I have my favourite ones but it’s one of an Afghani boy that breaks my heart every single time I see his picture. I’m a huge fan of Steve McCurry – he is not only a photographer of people but also of souls and I don’t care how pompous it sounds – that’s the truth.”

Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Decisive Moment

by Cartier Bresson

Buy This Photography Book If: You want a beautiful coffee table book of a street photography legend’s finest work.

Description: The Decisive Moment is a reprint of the book that launched Cartier-Bresson to international fame, adorned with a collage cover by artist Henri Matisse, making it beautiful to behold whether open or shut. The book has influenced generations of photographers. The title defines the notion of the famous peak in which all elements in the photographic frame accumulate to form the perfect image.

Reviewer’s Comment: “This reproduction is as faithful to the original as can be, and for the asking price which some may find high, it’s actually an incredible bargain. The work of Cartier Bresson needs to be re-examined several times to really get a feel for what he was trying to capture in his imagery. This is one of those beautiful photography books that is intended to stay out of your bookshelf and on your table top, allowing you to come back to it time and time again.”

Vivian Maier: A Photographer Found

by John Maloof

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to explore the full range of work by American photographer Vivian Maier.

Description: Vivian Maier presents the most comprehensive collection and largest selection of the photographer’s work, created during the 1950s through the 1970s in New York, Chicago, and on her travels around the country, almost exclusively unpublished and including her previously unknown colour work. It features images of and excerpts from Maier’s personal artefacts, memorabilia, and audiotapes, made available for the first time. Vivian Maier draws upon recently conducted interviews with people who knew Maier, which shed new light on Maier’s photographic skill and her life.

Reviewer’s Comment: “I am obsessed with Vivian Maier’s work and story. I have the other 2 books by the same author. This is by far the best book to date. The pages are larger than any of the other volumes, and the quality of the images is much better than those in the other volumes. This is the first time that many of the images have appeared in print, especially the large number of colour prints, making this book an essential purchase if you are a fan of Vivian’s powerful imagery of everyday things.”

Diane Arbus: An Aperture Monograph

Fortieth-anniversary edition.

by Diane Arbus

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to explore the best work by Diane Arbus.

Description: Universally acknowledged as a photobook classic, Diane Arbus: An Aperture Monograph is a timeless masterpiece which remains the foundation of Diane Arbus’ international reputation. Edited and designed by Arbus’s daughter, Doon, and her friend and colleague, painter Marvin Israel, the monograph contains eighty of her most masterful photos. Arbus’ photographs penetrate the psyche with all the force of a personal encounter and, in doing so, transform the way we see the world and the people in it.

Reviewer’s Comment: “Her images I think speak more about who she is than who her subjects are, but in a way that is brutally revealing. On the surface, these photographs represent a cross-section of fringe society, with all of its inherent complexity and grit. Cross dressers, midgets, nudists, drug addicts, “dancers” and the like. But they become quite revealing about her psyche during the period she was creating this amazing body of work.”

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit

50 years of beautiful.

by Editors of Sports Illustrated

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to emulate tried and tested female posing for your swimwear and boudoir photography. (Related: Check out this guide to boudoir lingerie ).

Description: Not merely a book crammed full of eye-candy, The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit book is an invaluable reference for any photographer who shoots women for a living. By viewing the poses used by the world’s top fashion and sports models, photographers can replicate the looks with their own clients to bring out the best in them. This anniversary edition features star athletes in swimsuits, never before seen outtakes and of course, all the iconic Sports Illustrated covers.

Reviewer’s Comment: “This sexy photography book is large in size and full of thousands of high quality images from the iconic magazine. There are lots of pictures that made the cut, plus a lot of extras and behind the scenes pictures to give the reader a more personal, in the moment feeling of being there at the shoot. The pages are thick paper and the ink quality is high. Very sharp colours and hardly any blurring throughout the book. Definitely a nice book to have on your coffee table. Since it’s Sports Illustrated, the pictures are classy and tasteful enough for any audience.”

3. Books on Creativity for Photographers

Remaining creative in your photography is a challenge, but by reading regularly, our minds can be kept freshly stocked with new ideas.

Gaining creative inspiration for our photography does not mean we are limited to only reading books on photography of course. This section highlights the books recommended by photographers that have inspired them in some way to create better photography.

Learning to See Creatively, Third Edition

Design, color, and composition in photography.

Buy This Photography Book If: You want to visualize your work, and the world, in a whole new light by developing your photographic vision.

Description: Learning to See Creatively is the definitive reference for any photographer looking for a fresh perspective on their work. Fully revised with 100 percent new photography, this best-selling guide takes a radical approach to creativity by explaining how it is not just an inherent ability but a skill that can be learned and applied. Using inventive photos from his own stunning portfolio, author and veteran photographer Bryan Peterson deconstructs creativity for all level of photographer.

Reviewer’s Comment: “This affordable photography book teaches you to answer the questions “what is it about this scene that I want to express?” and “how can I convey that feeling/idea in a photo?” – these may sound like simple questions but you really have to step away from the normal way of seeing things in order to take great photos.”

Steal Like an Artist

10 things nobody told you about being creative.

by Austin Kleon

Buy This Book If: You want to be put in touch with your artistic side and not feel guilty about borrowing to find inspiration.

Description: When Austin Kleon was asked to address college students in upstate New York, he shaped his speech around the ten things he wished someone had told him when he was starting out. The talk went viral, and its author dug deeper into his own ideas to create Steal Like an Artist. The result is inspiring, hip, original, practical, and entertaining. And filled with new truths about creativity: Nothing is original, so embrace influence, collect ideas, and remix and re-imagine to discover your own path.

Reviewer’s Comment: “ The small size makes the book feel approachable, ready to provide a quick inspiration burst if need be. The author describes ten basic principles to boost your creativity. He lists them on the back cover of the book so that they’re easily referenced. It’s a small touch, but emblematic of the book’s careful construction. The book is stuffed with practical tips that you can adopt. In fact, there’s a section at the very end of the book titled “What Now?”, in which Kleon gives you a long, itemized list of things you can do right now to prime your creative pump.”

Show Your Work!

10 ways to share your creativity and get discovered.

Buy This Book If: You want to get known in your chosen photography industry.

Description: Show Your Work! is about why generosity trumps genius. It’s about getting findable, about using the network instead of wasting time “networking.” It’s not self-promotion, it’s self-discovery – let others into your process, then let them steal from you. Filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples, Show Your Work! offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, productive.

Reviewer’s Comment: “This is a short book which can be read in a day, but puts forward ideas that are so good (if not somewhat common sense at times), that you’ll find yourself folding the edges of the pages to return to them again and again. I think it’s no coincidence that the book itself is small and manageable in its content – the author wants you to realise how accessible you and your work need to be.”

Creative Living Beyond Fear

by Elizabeth Gilbert

Buy This Book If : You want to spark up your creativity and discover your creative potential.

Description : Elizabeth Gilbert is no stranger in the world of inspirational and empowering writing. With previous works like Eat, Pray, Love she has set the bar high, but Elizabeth nails it again. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear is a must-read for all photographers looking to awaken their dormant creative side. She boldly asks us to abandon our fears and embrace our curiosity. Regardless if you are looking for an inspiration for your next shoot, to enrich your daily life or just to create some amazing art, Gilbert`s Big Magic will help you uncover your creative potential as a photographer.

Reviewer`s Comment : “ If you are in a creative pickle there is no better read than Elizabeth’s Big Magic. The author writes in a playful and conversational tone, but with no sugarcoating. She cuts straight to the point, creative people should accept their role in the society. There is no need to burden yourself with other things, you should write books, make art, create music, etc. Never have I ever thought about creativity in this way, I always approached it systematically, but Elizabeth encourages us to be playful and open about it. Big Magic changed my outlook on the creative process itself, thought me to enjoy it a lot more and most importantly uncovered a whole new part of me .”

Ignore Everybody

And 39 other keys to creativity.

by Hugh MacLeod

Buy This Book If : You want to get an honest and straightforward talk about creativity and how to uncover it.

Description : Hugh MacLeod is a young and versatile writer. He covers a wide range of topics, from marketing to the meaning of life, but one may say that his expertise is talking about creativity. In his book, Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity, MacLeod uses a bit cynical and witty tone to deliver powerful messages about creativity. Even though a statement like “All existing business models are wrong. Find a new one” might sound silly to someone, there is a lot of truth in it. Aspiring photographers will learn a lot from MacLeod’s 40 keys to creativity, especially if they are struggling to find their way.

Reviewer`s Comment : “ This kind of book doesn’t come out that often. Reading it felt like a breeze. I am a photographer and I always look for new ways to spark my creativity and Ignore Everybody did just that for me. This brutally honest and at times funny book helped me realize a couple of things. First, nobody gets suddenly discovered, second progress is slow and painful, and my favorite thing Hugh says is that there is no miracle. There is a lot more in this book, but I will leave it for you to discover. Just know that this book is a breath of honest air compared to other books that tell you to jump and believe .”

4. Books on Business for Photographers

It’s a somewhat sad truth that being a successful professional photographer these days depends a little on photography, but a lot on business acumen.

The better you are at business, or more specifically marketing, the more successful you can be as a professional photographer. This is assuming your photography doesn’t suck, of course!

Here are the best books on business for photographers as recommended by the 600+ photographers that I interviewed. By using the advice in these books, many photographers have achieved a growth in their photography business.

Guerilla Marketing

Easy and inexpensive strategies for making big profits from your small business.

by Jay Conrad Levinson

Buy This Photography Book If : You are a young entrepreneur that is looking to learn every aspect of marketing for small businesses.

Description : This updated and expanded edition of the 1983s bestseller has become a bible for all small entrepreneurs and business owners. More than 30 years ago Levinson started to revolutionize marketing strategies for small businesses, including photographers. In this fourth iteration of Guerilla Marketing, Levinson gives us strategies for marketing on the internet, tips on how to use new technologies, and much, much more. Running a successful small business is a lot harder without reading this edition of Guerilla Marketing.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ As an up-and-coming photographer, I found Levinson`s Guerilla Marketing tremendously helpful. A must-read for all the people who want to learn the basics of marketing strategies for small businesses. You will not only learn cheap ways to market your studio, shop or any type of business, but you will also understand the fundamentals of marketing. Everybody should start with the Levinson`s book if they truly want to learn the craft .”

Best Business Practices for Photographers

by John Harrington

Buy This Photography Business Book If : You want to learn the secrets of having a successful photography business.

Description : Harrington’s Best Business Practices for Photographers doesn’t focus on the fundamentals of photography, selling your work or starting your business. Instead, the book gives you all the information you need to successfully interact with your clients, negotiate projects, and organize your business operations. Photography is like any other business and if you want to be successful, you will need to overcome issues that every photography business faces today. Harrington’s book does just that and helps you stay on the path to success.

Reviewer`s Comment : “ The title of the book says it all. Best Business Practices for Photographers is a must-read for all struggling photographer that need advice on running their business. You will learn a lot from this versatile page-turner, like how to reach clients, nail down negotiations for deals, fulfill all your business owner duties, and much more. In this second edition of Harrington’s book a lot has been updated and expanded upon, so I definitely recommend reading this one .”

Photography Business Secrets

The savvy photographer’s guide to sales, marketing, and more.

by Lara White

Buy This Photography Business Book If : You want to learn all nooks and crannies of running a successful photography business.

Description : There is no doubt that Lara is well-established and highly competent to write on the topic of the photography business. She states in her book that the photography is a highly competitive business and if you want to succeed, you will need to plan out every aspect of your business. Lara uses her photography business website, Photomint.com, as a reference point for her guide. Lara`s Photography Business Secrets talks about building your brand, networking, creating a marketing plan, determining prices and a lot more. Very informative read for all photographers looking for ways to build their own business.

Reviewer`s Comment : “ It takes someone from inside of the photography industry to understand how everything works. Luckily, we have Lara. She really managed to nail everything down in a way that it makes sense, even for a newcomer to the industry. Lara talks in great details about what to do and what to avoid when building your photography brand. I don’t want to spoil too much, but for me, Lara’s book was a far better lesson on running a photography business than any college course .”

The Photographer’s MBA

Everything you need to know for your photography business.

by Sal Cincotta

Buy This Photography Business Book If : You are looking to start or improve your photography business.

Description : Cincotta’s book The Photographer`s MBA, is without a doubt one of the best books for photographers running a business. About 10% of photographer’s job is taking pictures and the other 90% is completely in the realm of business. The author acknowledges this from the start and focuses on giving valuable advice on how to build your brand, create business and marketing plans, use social media to maximum potential, and much, much more. After you finish this book, you will be able to tackle every business problem that comes your way.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ When I bought this book I knew that the author was an established photographer, but I couldn’t tell if he was a great businessman. After I have finished the book, I can say with most certainty that he is. The Photographer’s MBA is a great read for both beginners and veterans of the photography business. The author talks a lot about how you can’t expect a great outcome if you don’t research the market and plan your every step. Prepare for everything and leave nothing to chance, otherwise, your business will go down sooner than you think. Certainly, a must-read for up-and-coming photographers .”

Start a Successful Photography Business in 34 Days

Actionable steps to plan a portrait or wedding photography business, develop a brand, launch a website, write a marketing plan & more.

by Amanda Stock

Buy This Photography Business Book If : You are looking for a step-by-step advice on building a successful photography business.

Description : Start a Successful Photography Business in 34 Days is aimed at photographers who are stuggling to stay profitable in their business. Unlike other photography books, this one doesn’t focus on what lighting equipment you should have, what are the best cameras, etc. Instead, Amanda talks about a business side of photography and does that in a very easy-to-understand manner. The first part of Start a Successful Photography Business in 34 Days focuses on preparing and planning out your finances, legal obligations, branding, etc. In the second part, marketing becomes the focus of her writing. Learn how to create a 12-month marketing plan that will keep you busy all year round.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ If you are planning to start a photography business like I was before this book came along, then I couldn’t recommend it more. Without a doubt it’s one of the best photography books on business that has come out in the past couple of years. The author covers a lot in this book, do`s and dont’s of running a photography business, marketing strategies, financial and legal advice, and a whole lot more. The sad reality is that there is no bulletproof plan for running a successful photography business, but the author gives a lot of tools and shares her knowledge, so you have a better chance of success. I definitely recommend Amanda`s book to everyone .”

Fast Track Photographer

Leverage your unique strengths for a more successful photography business.

by Dane Sanders

Buy This Photography Business Book If : You want to learn how to build a bulletproof photography business in the 21st century.

Description : Dane Sanders is a well-known photographer and speaker that has a couple of great photography books under his belt. It is no secret that the photography business has never been more competitive and fierce. Thousands of young and tireless photographers are looking to get their chance, but Dane doesn’t worry about this. In Fast Track Photographer Dane acknowledges this situation, but also states that there is no point in looking what other people do. Instead, each photographer should focus on themselves because they are the most powerful resource they have. In this book, you will learn how to avoid mistakes other photographers make, discover your unique talents, and create a financial plan that suits your lifestyle.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ Rarely do we see a work this captivating and all-encompassing. Dane`s book is so much more than about photography. He is able to reach in you and make you believe in yourself and your talents. This book has a business side of it and it is very helpful, but what got me hooked was a more personal message of being the best possible version of yourself. Know your weaknesses and work around them, always emphasize your strengths and grow them. These are just some of the many lessons Dane talks about in his book, so if you want to learn more definitely pick it up .”

More Brides

Modern marketing techniques for the smarter wedding photographer.

by Mark Condon

Buy This Photography Marketing eBook If : You want to learn how to book more clients in a smart and modern way.

Description : More Brides focuses mainly on wedding photographers, but it is easily applicable to other parts of the profession. The popular ebook goes through all modern techniques for building and sustaining your client base. You will learn how to become Google`s number one search result, how to dominate social media, and most importantly how to expand your reach. Condon’s book is relatively new to the market, but it has already become one of the best books on photography marketing for wedding photographers .

Reviewer’s Comment : “ Mark`s book, More Brides: Modern Marketing Techniques for the Smarter Wedding Photographer , is a hell of a book and definitely a must-read for all photographers, but especially for wedding ones. He goes over every possible way of building and sustaining a successful photography business, but does so in a light and understandable manner. Mark talks about the importance of keyword research, SEO link building, social media, referrals, and a lot, lot more. Wedding photographer or not this book is a gold mine of valuable business information .”

5. Books on Productivity for Photographers

Photography technique combined with excellent marketing skills can create a very successful photography business. However, unless you remain productive, all this will be in vain.

Productivity is an important topic particularly for anyone who is self-employed. For photographers whose work consists of a lot of editing, marketing and other deskbound work, remaining productive can often be a challenge.

Here are the best books on productivity that are the most popular amongst the photographers interviewed for this article.

Manage Your Day-to-Day

Build your routine, find your focus, and sharpen your creative mind.

by Jocelyn K. Glei

Buy This Book If : You are looking to learn more about creative productivity and how to increase it.

Description : Glei`s book, Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind, had to be included in this list of the best photography books because it teaches you how to accomplish everything you plan without wasting time or stressing yourself out. She features more than 20 creative people in her book, sharing their thoughts and knowledge on this topic. Glei`s book teaches photographers and other creative professionals how to survive this crazy pace we are living and how to expand our creativity.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ Glei`s book is a great motivational read. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it and went through it like a hot knife through butter. It is very easy to read and understand, making it a perfect audio book for running. On top of that, it has a great message and lesson on how to deal with stress. It teaches photographers to look at the bigger picture and not stress about little things. Sometimes these little things are helpful for our productivity. A must-read for all photographers who are struggling with stress! “

Tools of Titans

The tactics, routines, and habits of billionaires, icons, and world-class performers.

by Tim Ferris

Buy This Book If : You want to understand how successful individuals run their life and what drives them.

Description : Tools of Titans is certainly one of the best business books Tim Ferris has written. Ferris has a long-running podcast in which he interviews successful people from all parts of the industry. After more than 200 guests Tim decided to compile all the things he learned into one easy-to-read book, creating an instant hit and a bestseller. In Tools of Titans, he talks about what drives these people, what is the secret of their success, what are their business tactics, and much more. The book is full of life-changing lessons that are applicable to every type of business, including photography.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ Sometimes this book can become a bit chaotic and hard to understand, but the key is to approach not as a manual, but as a map that will show you the way, but won’t tell you how to get there. As a young photographer, I found Tim`s book very motivating and inspiring. After reading and discovering how industry titans look at the world, and their talents and skills, I have realized where I’m at and what I need to do in order to progress. This book won’t give you a step-by-step guide to success, but it will light a path and motivate you to try harder as a photographer or in life in general .”

Maximize Your Potential

Grow your expertise, take bold risks & build an incredible career.

by Jocelyn K Glei

Buy This Book If : You want to learn different creative business strategies from 21 incredible minds.

Description : Established author Jocelyn Glei returns once more to teach young creative people how to generate more opportunities, make bolder decisions, build valuable relationships, and much, much more. Maximize Your Potential sums up knowledge of 21 creative minds that have made a huge impact in their respective industries. If you want to bounce back up from recent failure in your photography work and spark your creativeness once more, then this book should definitely be a part of your collection. Several photographers comment on how Glei`s book is a must-read for all struggling artists.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ Maximize Your Potential is not your ordinary motivational book. First of all, it offers advice from 21 very different creative people. They all have their own take on creativity and how to best use it. The second thing that makes it different, is that this book is a straight how-to guide. You will get detailed guides on strategies that you can implement right now, or try them in the future. I won’t go into details of the book so I don’t spoil too much, but as a photographer that recently struggled with the business side of the industry, I found this book a life saver. A must-read for everyone .”

Make Your Mark

The creative’s guide to building a business with impact.

Buy This Book If : You are looking to learn all the basics of starting a fresh business in the creative industry.

Description : Jocelyn Glei comes up a lot on our list, but frankly it is well-deserved. She is one of the best authors when it comes to building up confidence in creative minds. This time she focuses more on a business side of the industry. Again she takes wisdom from many leaders of creative industry and compiles them in one easy-to-read book. Make Your Mark will teach you how to take the wheel and ride your photography business or any other start-up to success. Learn what makes a good product, how to polish it, how to inspire your team, and ultimately, how to create something meaningful.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ Make Your Mark is the book that I was looking for. It has the perfect length and tone, making it fun and easy to read. In the beginning, I was skeptical about this book’s outlandish claims, but in the end, I ended up devouring it in two days. For me, it served its purpose. It taught me the basics of a start-up business and motivated me to make a move. Definitely a recommended read for all creatives in the photography industry .”

Don’t Make Me Think

A common sense approach to web usability.

by Steve Krug

Buy This Book If : You want to create a photography website and client experience that doesn’t suck.

Description : Steve Krug is probably best known for his book Don’t Make Me Think. In it, he discusses the principles of intuitive navigation and information design in a very practical, witty, and easy-to-digest way. And even though Steve’s book focuses on Web design and development, it is easily translated to the photographer’s language. If you want to create a compelling presentation of your previous work, attract new clients, and stay productive Don’t Make Me Think will help you a great deal. Implement Steve`s lessons when maintaining your photography website and your visitors will feel less frustrated when searching for their next photographer.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ It is pretty hard to connect photography and developing websites, but after my friend saw me struggle to maintain my website and do my creative work he suggested I read Don’t Make Me Think. Photographers are great at what they do, but sadly our business doesn’t consist only of taking pictures. In order to balance out the creativity and business, I started reading design and user experience books, but it wasn’t until I came along this gem that I finally realized my problem. I won’t go into details because everybody is different, but I certainly recommend this book to all photographers or anyone who relies on an online presence for their business .”

The Non-Designer’s Design Book

by Robin Williams

Buy This Book If : You are looking to learn the fundamentals of great design.

Description : It’s been about 20 years since we read the first edition of The Non-Designer`s Design Book. Since then much has changed and the author has made sure everything is addressed and updated in this 4th edition. This book is still very much an introduction to the fundamentals of great design, but this time she uses updated visuals, examples, and projects for you to try. Why is a design book in a list of the best photography books? Well, regardless of your background and industry, in The Non-Designer`s Design Book you will find inspiration and knowledge that can be applied to all facets of photography as a creative art.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ Before I had finished this book, I had little to no knowledge about design fundamentals. As a young and self-taught photographer, I was always looking for ways to improve my skills and talents. I couldn’t have guessed that the book on design principles would help me this much. The book is an easy read and has taught me a lot about design, which in return improved my photography composition. Her techniques and principles are neatly illustrated and explained on before and after pictures .”

6. Books on Philosophy for Photographers

I thought twice about including this final topic in this list of the best books for photographers. I must admit that philosophy (particular in work) is not a topic that interested me before writing this article.

However, I chose to include a section on the best books on philosophy for photographers since the topic cropped up so often among those interviewed.

It seems that many photographers place an importance on maintaining the right frame of mind to conduct their photography work more efficiently, and no doubt, more creatively.

So here are the most popular books on philosophy that may help you as a photographer.

The War of Art

Break through the blocks and win your inner creative battles.

by Steven Pressfield

Buy This Photography Book If : You want to uncover your inner potential and free your mind from doubt.

Description : Philosophy books on creativity are usually hard to read and filled with overcomplicated words and phrases, but not The War of Art. This practical and engaging guide to succeeding in the creative industry will show you how to avoid obstacles and achieve greatness. Regardless if you are a writer, painter or photographer,The War of Art will help you break all the chains that hold you back from reaching the highest level of creativity.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ This book is genius. As if the title wasn’t interesting enough, the content of the book is very impactful and straightforward. The node to Sun-Tzu`s The Art of War makes me love this book even more. The whole premise of the book is that there is a part of us that helps us achieve our goals and a part of us that prevents us from doing so. If you want to be a successful photographer you will have to overcome the suppressing side of your mind and the only way to do this is through hard work. I won’t give away any more of the book, but I highly recommend it as a way to learn things about your soul and mind that you didn’t know before .”

How to Win Friends and Influence People

by Dale Carnegie

Buy This Photography Book If : You want to learn the art of persuasion and how to deal with clients and people in general.

Description : How to Win Friends and Influence People had to be on the list of the best photography books, simply because of how important client interactions in photography business can be. At first glance, there is not much in common between this book and photography, but if you dig a little deeper, you will realize that running a successful photography business and the art of persuasion have a lot in common. You will learn essential techniques in handling people, six ways to make people like you, twelve ways to win people to your side, etc. Essential reading for photographers who spend a lot of time with their clients, e.g. wedding photographers.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ Reading this book was a delight. Some might say that learning how to manipulate and influence people is unnecessary, but if you are a young photographer on the rise, you will need all the knowledge to make it in this competitive business. I went through Dale`s book with ease, highlighting important parts along the way so I can return to them later. You will learn about honesty, criticism, emotions, and a lot, lot more. I can’t emphasize more how important this book is for photographers who are struggling with the people side of their business .”

It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be

The world’s best selling book.

by Paul Arden

Buy This Book If : You want an easy-to-digest guide on how to succeed in business and life in general.

Description : Learning about the secrets of success in life has never been easier thanks to Arden`s book, It`s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be. This beautifully written book has helped a number of creative minds reach their highest potential. Learn to overcome the impossible, create the unthinkable, and solve all your life problems. the author covers every part of the business, including communicating, playing your cards right, correcting mistakes, solving problems, etc. Paul`s book is meant for all the people who are looking to strike success in business, including of course us photographers.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ I start every New Year with a resolution and this one was to improve my photography business. I didn’t have the knowledge myself, so I turned to reading books. After a couple of duds, I came across It`s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden, and I must say thank God for that. Boy did this change a lot in my mind. It’s an advertising book in its core, but the lessons in it are easily applicable to business and life situation in general. The book is super easy to read and digest, so there are no excuses to skip it! ”

The Story of Success

by Malcolm Gladwell

Buy This Book If : You want to learn the secrets behind the biggest success stories of brilliant individuals.

Description : Outliers: The Story of Success is a brilliantly written book that will keep you entertained from the first page to the last one. In this book, the author shines a spotlight on the so-called outliers that are, in fact, people who are the most successful and the brightest in their area of expertise. The question he asks i: what makes them so special? What is the key ingredient? In short, he concludes that we pay too much attention to what they are really like, and no attention on where they came from, what drives them, etc. Learn what it takes to become a great musician, artist, photographer, etc.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ This book is a crude awakening. This whole time we are told that hard work pays off and that we need to be smart if we are to achieve any success, but the author of Outliers has a bit different view. He writes about how important the day and age you are born into are and how your potential is limited by the factors you have no control of. Sure, in the second part of the book, Gladwell acknowledges that the only way to success is through hard work, but he also shows us how to manipulate the system that is holding us back. A truly enlightening read and frustrating at times, but definitely worth every penny .”

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

A counterintuitive approach to living a good life.

by Mark Manson

Buy This Book If : You want to cut out all the bullsh*t and focus your energy on things that matter.

Description : Creativity is in a lot of ways connected to our state of mind. In today’s society, people always tell themselves to stay positive and everything will work out. That’s where Manson comes in with his book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. It is a great wake-up call for all the people who are living in false positivity. As the blunt author states, there are only so many things we can care about, so focus on what matters to you and realize your potential in the most honest way. As photographers, we sometimes need to learn to stop being entitled about our proffession. It will help us work harder and improve ourselves.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ Thank you, Mark, for this book. I was one of those people that worried too much about everything until I lost the track of what I was set to accomplish. The wake-up call that came right on time in my life, helped me toss aside all the crap and focus on my true passion, photography. After reading Mark`s book I learned to pick my battles and not waste my energy on completely unnecessary things. Again, thank you Mark, and if you are a photographer like me give this book a chance. I guarantee you it will enter your best books on photography list, or at least, look badass on your book shelf! .”

The Art of Non-Conformity

Set your own rules, live the life you want, and change the world.

by Chris Guillebeau

Buy This Book If : You want to lead an unconventional life, full of adventure and creative freedom.

Description : We are lucky that we have The Art of Non-Conformity. In his book, Guillebeau takes standard assumptions about work and life and turns them upside down. To him, conformity is the biggest enemy of creative people and if you want to be successful in your profession, you will have to abandon all that you learned throughout your life about how you should behave, both in business and in personal life. The Art of Non-Conformity will teach you and equip you with the tools that are necessary to free your mind so that you too can live a life of adventure, become self-employed, set your own rules, and much more. A perfect book for photographers and other creative minds that are trapped in the system.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ When I first started to read this book it was hard to accept the idea of breaking the norm. The author despises working from 9 to 5 and that is all fine and dandy, but that’s how the business world works, isn’t it? Well, not quite – this book will show you that any work can be done in an unconventional way, so there really is no point in having all of these norms. I am a photographer that really loves the freedom and the lifestyle it brings, but lately, I was beginning to feel restrained by my regular working hours. After reading this book, I realise all the complete creative freedom I possess. It’s a bit of a wake up call to say the least ”

Choose Yourself!

by James Altucher

Buy This Book If : You want to learn how to adapt to ever-changing nature of business.

Description : The premise of Choose Yourself! is not that uplifting or bright. The author states that the old world has crumbled down. Everything that we thought was safe has deteriorated. Colleges, economy, government, all face this inevitable destruction. But out of this mess comes Altucher and shows us that there is still a chance for success. The photography business is not that different to any other business – learn how to take control of your photography business and emerge victorious from this situation – learn how to choose yourself.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ Chose Yourself! The title says it all. I really appreciate this book, it came at a perfect moment in my life, right after I have finished reading some convoluted self-help book that left me in a complete turmoil. This light and easy-to-read masterpiece has helped me a lot. I realized how far my potential can go and I learned to connect with myself. The author showed me how to focus on my happiness, how to find my passion and a couple more things. There is no reason to skip this book, it’s only a couple hundred pages long .”

All Marketers are Liars

How marketing really works and why authenticity is the best marketing of all.

by Seth Godin

Buy This Photography Book If : You want to learn how to market your services in a compelling and creative way.

Description : Seth Godin is the titan when it comes to business writing. His books have influenced thousands and thousands of people throughout the years and nothing is different with All Marketers are Liars. The premise is simple, all marketers lie to you and if they do it right, you won’t even notice. Godin speaks about the importance of telling stories, instead of focusing on features and benefits of your products. If you want to be a successful marker and a businessman you will need to master telling stories that clients want to believe. Photography is like any other business – if you want to succeed you will need to sell your services. All Marketers are Liars will teach you how to tell compelling stories that will eventually land you more of the type of client you want to work with.

Reviewer’s Comment : “ This book is written in typical Godin style, quick and easy-to-digest. That doesn’t mean it’s no good, on the contrary, this book is a marketer’s gold mine. Every person who has to sell their services needs to read this book. I don’t want to sound like a marketer myself, but Godin`s book will teach you that today’s business is all about personalization, efficiency, and compelling storytelling. Sure, Godin doesn’t invent new things, but the way he lays it out is so much better than any other MBA textbook .”

Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

Buy This Photography Book If : You want to learn what it takes to create a remarkable product or service.

Description : The legendary Seth Godin returns once again to teach his readers how to create remarkable products and turn their ideas into successful businesses. In Purple Cow, Godin talks about creating truly remarkable products and services that are desired worldwide. He pays tribute to companies like Starbucks, Apple, JetBlue, and teaches us through their stories how to market our products. This book is for anyone else who has a product to market and service to offer, particular in highly competitive markets. Wedding photographers, take note!

Reviewer’s Comment : “ Thank you, Godin, for your work. As a wedding photographer and a self-employed individual, I found this book immensely interesting. I have read a couple of books by Godin, and this one is certainly one of his most actionable. In his distinctive writing style, Godin will show you what it takes to create a truly remarkable product. Use this book to spark your imagination if you are struggling to market your photography service in a saturated market place. Sell what you have to offer in a different way. It worked for me .”

Final Words

I hope you enjoyed this post on the best books for photographers.

If you have any recommendations of your own, please leave them in the comments so we can all benefit.

I will be adding to this list during the course of the year, so be sure to bookmark and return to it frequently.

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Mark Condon is a British wedding photographer and editor of Shotkit. When he’s not taking photos or reviewing the latest camera gear and software, Mark can be found cycling around the northern rivers.

16 Comments

Wow! what an impresive list of books. Very interesting that you also propose some books of philosophy that actually have nothing to do with photography, but some how they help you grow as a person. Thank you! I would include in the list a book of Sebastiao Salgado

I recommend the book ‘The Photograph’ by Harold Mante. He explains the compositional aspects of colour, shape, etc.

Thanks for the tip, Alex!

Such an amazing collection! Thank you!

Great Post..

Great list Mark. Thank you for publishing!

Thanks for putting this together Mark, there appears to be a lifetime’s worth of valuable reading there! On that note, I’m a beginner photography just starting out and feel a little overwhelmed when I look at this list. I realise this may a difficult to do but, if you could recommend 3 books from this list as essential starting points that cover the creative/inspirational/artistic side as well as the technical, what would they be?

Also, you mentioned that you based your list on books showing up at least 10 times. Did you gather any statistics on which books showed up the most from all the 600 lists you received?

Hey Raj, these 3 would be my picks for you: https://amzn.to/2ig1Xaj , https://amzn.to/2ismJXq and https://amzn.to/2jujIG3 . Re. your stats collection, not sure I understand? I used those stats to compile the list you’re reading here. All the best!

My one vote would be for Vincent LaForet’s Visual Stories. It’s much stronger than many other photographer bios/tech pieces, and really gets you into how he achieved a lot of the amazing work with the NY Times.

Thanks for the tip Andrew. I’ll add it to me to-read list!

Did I miss it or is there nothing by Freeman Patterson?

Which books of his do you recommend, Stephen?

Thank you for sharing Mark! This is a great list of books. Some I heard of and some I haven’t but definitely interested in them. Thanks for putting the list together.

I’m so glad you found it helpful, Ana! (It took me ages to put together!!)

Great list! Thank you.

I would add From snapshots to great shots Composition by Laurie Exell (sp?).

Ah thanks for the tips Patricia! Will check them out :-)

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The Best Photo Books of 2024

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Why trust Reviewed?

Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.

Shutterfly Photo Books

Unlimited layout combinations

Great print quality

Fast shipping

May be overwhelming for beginners

Mixbook Photo Books

Bright photos

Many page layouts

Quick shipping

Slightly flimsy binding

Artifact Uprising Photo Books

Soft and hardcover options

High-quality printing

Eco-friendly options

Fewer cover options

Milk Photo Books

Quality photo printing

Easy to customize

No option for text on cover

Picaboo Photo Books

Pages lay flat

Bright photo prints

Confusing customization tool

No autofill or text box option

Updated September 14, 2022

But there's another option that appeals to many, and particularly those who lived it up during the good ol' days of making scrapbooks. Instead of turning to double-sided tape and stickers, you can digitally upload photos directly from your phone to any number of online photo book maker services and turn them into a printed book with binding. Most photo book services allow you to design the book yourself for a truly personal touch.

Shutterfly is the best photo book you can make.

Shutterfly makes the best online photo book. From the ease of uploading photos, to unlimited layouts, a gorgeous print job, and quick shipping—this is the best photo book for your time and money.

Shutterfly offers ample layouts and designs, with additional options for text, graphic, and up to 25 photos per page. Using Shutterfly's online photo book platform, we were able to easily upload our photos and arrange them neatly.

Shutterfly offers one of the biggest layout and design options when it comes to online photo book services, making it easy to find a book style that suits you. You can also add text boxes and graphics to the pages. Though all these features and options give Shutterfly an edge, it’s fair to say the design process could feel overwhelming to some.

The physical photo book arrived and looked just like the online rendering. The cover is bright and shiny, and the pages have a nice weight to them without being overly stiff. Most importantly, the printed photos are colorful, clear, and crisp. Even the photos that take up a full page are high quality. We are incredibly impressed with the creative building process and the finished product, making Shutterly our number one pick for photo books.

Mixbook is the best photo book you can buy for the money.

When it comes to value, Mixbook makes the best photo books. Compared to other photo book services we tested, Mixbook is one of the most affordable print services without sacrificing the quality of more expensive photo books. The online interface took a minute to figure out, but once my images were uploaded, we enjoyed playing around with the various page options and how the photos looked in the different layouts.

There’s also an autofill option if you’d rather have your photos imported straight to the pages. And there are text boxes, frames, and graphics you can add to your pages to make them even more unique.

The front cover is clear and has a slightly matte finish. The interior pages are on the thicker side and the photos are bright, though the binding is flimsier than our best overall pick. Shutterfly. The printing quality is consistent no matter the size of the photo, and the colors are true to life.

And, the Mixbook photo book arrived through the mail quickly. One downside, though, is that the online interface takes some getting used to, mostly because there are so many options shown on screen at once.

For one of the best photo books for the money, you’ve got to go with Mixbook.

Other Photo Books We Tested

Artifact Uprising is a popular photo book service, especially for remembering events like weddings, graduations, and family vacations. While most photo books will look better with professional photos, Artifact Uprising’s materials and layouts cater to high quality images.

The full-page image options look like they will allow your photos to shine for years to come.

We found Artifact Uprising’s online customization process easy to navigate. It was easy and quick to batch upload my photos and start toying around with page layouts and the order of my images. Plus, Artifact Uprising offers some eco-friendly options like 100% recycled options and reclaimed materials like wood fibers and pine wood blocks.

There was the option to auto-populate the book, which is great if you aren’t sure where to start or want to save time. We had the online system autofill the book and then moved a few things around to our liking. There is also an option to add text boxes. However, the design tool has fewer cover and layout options than our best overall selection.

The finished product is a beautiful, minimalist-style photo book that balances white space with the photos. The page layouts look just like they did when we designed them online. For the most part, the photos are crisp and colorful, but a few are slightly darker than what we uploaded.

One thing we'd do differently next time, though, is make sure not to have photos go all the way to the center of the page because some are slightly cut off by the binding, which we didn’t notice in the online rendering.

Creating a photo book using Milk Handcrafted Photo Books was fun, straightforward, and rewarding. The online creation tool was easy to use with a quick photo upload, a single cover option, and many page layouts.

It was easy to customize the pages without being overwhelming or confusing, and though the layouts were limited we had more than enough to create a book we liked.

The fabric exterior is a nice touch, though it means there isn’t a label on the spine or front cover; but there is a title page which is unique.

The photos are printed well with accurate colors, clarity, and just enough shine. The pages and bindings are pretty durable, making this one of the best photo books we've tested.

Picaboo’s photo book process had a balance of pros and cons, but ultimately it ranks lower on our list due to its confusing online customization tool.

The beginning part of the build process went smoothly: The photos uploaded quickly, we chose a cover that rendered well on the surface, and we were pleased with the variety of layout options.

However, we found the online tool overwhelmingly complicated because it had grouped pages in “spreads” with some photos laid out across the binding of the book on one or both pages when the book was flat. We wanted to avoid parts of photos being cut off or hard to see, so we had to ungroup all the spreads in the book before we could pick the layouts we liked and arrange photos.

Despite the headaches, the photo book looked amazing once it arrived. The pages are a bit flimsy but lay flat, which is a feature we love. The cover photo is a bit dark, but the rest of the photos are bright, clear, and true to color.

From start to finish, Vistaprint offers one of the best photo book services. Our photos uploaded quickly, and we were able to use the autofill option to create the base of the book, which makes the process so much easier.

There are only a few photo layout options, but each offers plenty of room and you can select how many photos you want per page.

One gripe we have is with the cover photo. We wanted to use a horizontal image on the vertical photo book. Instead of letting us zoom out with extra white space, the cover photo is zoomed in and cuts off people in the photo.

In person, the Vistaprint photo book impresses with stunning print quality that looks true to what we created online. Even the full page photos are clear and crisp.

The cover cuts off the left and right edge of the photo, and when we run our hands across it, we can feel some small bubbles in the printing.

As long as you have a vertical cover image and don’t mind limited layout options, the Vistaprint photo book is a solid option.

Quick batch upload

Bubbly cover

Few layout options

Flimsy pages

Using Walmart Photos to create a photo book is a bit of a mixed bag—the process was both simple and frustrating. On one hand, we could easily upload photos, select a cover, navigate the layouts, and even use the autofill option.. But on the other hand, Walmart Photos doesn't have any options for text boxes like other online photo book services do.

We found that the size of some images in the layouts seemed small, which meant the final product had a lot of white space and the photos didn’t look as great. The borders for each page are large too, causing the book to look unbalanced.

The photo book itself is low quality: The pages are very thin, the photos are dull, and the cover image is blurry.

Ample layout options

Flimsy Pages

No text options

Creating a photo book with Snapfish is an uncomplicated process similar to others in our guide. We were able to batch upload photos, customize the cover, and place photos ourselves or use an autofill option.

Snapfish offers many different layouts, but the main thing that sets it apart from other services is that many of the layouts require five or more photos. We didn’t like how small that meant each photo needed to be, so we opted to use the layouts for four photos or fewer.

When we got the book, we were disappointed to see that the cover photos (and ones inside the book) appeared to be overexposed—too bright for our liking. Additionally, the colors of the images inside of the book were not entirely accurate and differed slightly from what we originally submitted.

The binding of the book is decently strong, but the pages are flimsy to the point that they feel as if they’d rip if you flip through it. Because the product is average, I’d opt for another service that has more layouts and a better final product.

Dull colors

Unfortunately, our experience with Pinhole Press was aggravating from start to finish. The batch photo upload tool didn’t work well and was slow, and once we selected a cover, we weren’t able to resize, zoom, or make it on the vertical page. The bottom line is that the design tool made filling the book with photos more difficult than other photo books we tested. Pinhole Press also lacks options for text boxes, which most other online photo book services offer.

When the book arrived, we were disappointed to see that it looked nothing like the online preview—two people were cut off in the photo and the title text was so hard to read that we barely noticed it was there. Additionally, the color of the photos in the book appeared darker than other photo books we tested.

On the plus side, the Pinhole Press photo book is durable and sturdy, with thick pages similar to that of a high school yearbook. However durable the photo book is, though, it's not the kind of quality you'll get with our best overall pick.

Thick pages

Difficult cover customization

Dark photos

Complicated photo upload

Amazon Photos only makes photo books in a single size with limited design options. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for a simple, barebones photo book, but if you want something truly customizable, check out Shutterfly instead.

Most other photo books come in a variety of sizes, but Amazon's is only available in an 8-inch by 8-inch size. There's also only one image per page—far more limiting than any other service we tested.

You don’t get to be creative with the images or placement, but the book becomes thick the more images you include since each image is another page.

The finished photo book was durable, with a matte cover and thick pages. Most of the photos printed well but have a dark tint that wasn’t present in the original photos and many other photo books we tested.

Somewhat dark photo printing

One photo per page

One size only

We disliked each step of making a photo book with Printique. For starters, the photo upload tool had one of the longest upload times, which slowed down the design process. Printique has limited layouts, it was difficult to customize each page because I had to manually adjust the images to be the same size or have symmetrical borders. Other photo books we tested automatically adjusted.

Disappointingly, the front and back cover feel like one large sticker spread across the thicker cover material, and in some places there are even bubbles. Printique is one of the more expensive options, so we were disappointed with the poor product given the price.

The interior of the book is quite nice, with incredibly durable pages and brightly printed photos. It’s worth noting that though the pages are thick and strong, the materials are vinyl-like, which we didn’t select. If you’re looking for a flat or matte option this isn’t that—it’s much shinier and almost has a dotted pattern in the light.

Vinyl-like pages

Slow batch upload

Cheap cover

How We Tested Photo Books

We evaluated each photo book's print quality and brightness.

Each photo book was tested in two steps. The first assessment was an evaluation of the online creation process, accounting for photo uploading, the design tools, and placing an order.

The second test evaluated how the physical photo book turned out, including photo printing quality, page material, book covers, and the like.

I’m Liv Birdsall, a contributor to Reviewed where I review lifestyle products ranging from beauty and style to home and garden. I was thrilled to test out photo books because I love memory keeping. I opted to create a photo book using images from my yoga certification training to use as a reference now that I teach yoga.

We created each photo book by uploading the same 45 to 50 photos to each site’s online design tool and tried different features like auto filling the book with photos, adjusting the photo sizes, and moving pages around. We used the same image on the cover of each book to see how it would render and print. We made sure to use all the photos in each book, and then completed the orders for all the books.

Once the photo books arrived, we flipped through them and compared the printing quality. Some photos were dark and dull, some were bright, some were exposed or blurry, and some were true to color. We assessed the pages, bindings, cover quality, and how durable each book felt.

What You Should Know About Buying a Photo Book

We tested the best photo books that you can make online.

Buying a photo book is typically a two part process: designing the book and then ordering the book. The design steps can be as involved as you’d like, similar to scrapbooking.

Some photo book websites allow you to add frames, graphics, and text boxes to each page to customize every detail. Before you begin designing, you’ll first want to gather all your photos for the book in one folder; this is to streamline the uploading process and to get an idea of how large of a photo book you’ll need.

When it comes to designing, give yourself time to be creative. If you want a photo book fast, use the auto-populate tool that many sites offer and then review the photos to make sure they aren’t cut off by any formats and are ordered to your liking.

If you’re looking to customize each page, adjust layouts and photos to make your photo book unique and reflective of the memories you want to capture.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Meet the tester

Liv Birdsall

Contributor

Liv Birdsall is a Freelance Contributor at Reviewed. She is most passionate about eco-friendly initiatives and alternatives and writes about sustainability across subject areas, including beauty, style, home and garden, and lifestyle. Her writing can be found on USA Today, Reviewed.com, Yoga Journal, and her blog muchmess.com. She works as a yoga teacher, QA Analyst, Copyeditor, and Blog Coordinator, all from her plant-filled home in Columbus, Ohio.

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The best photo books in 2024: Mixbook, Shutterfly, Printique, Snapfish and more tested

What service should you use to make the best photo books and photo albums? We reviewed and compared five of the most popular services to find out

The quick list

Best overall, best image quality, other services we tested, how we test photo book services, when is the best time to buy a photo book.

• How to choose

1. Best overall 2. Best image quality 3. Best value 4. Other services we tested 5. How we test 6. Photo book test scores 7. The best time to buy a photo book 8. How to choose

Whatever the occasion, a personalized photo book always makes a great gift. But where do you begin if you want to turn your photos of a summer trip to Spain or a surprise birthday weekend in the mountains into a beautiful present?

We’ve been testing the best photo book services for more than five years by doing what you would do: creating a photo book. In the process, we looked at which service was the easiest to use, which offered the most options for things like clip art and binding, which had the best image quality, and which offered the best value. 

This year, we tested Mixbook, Printique, Shutterfly, Snapfish, and Vistaprint. We've also included shipping information where available, as photo books take time to make — and will cost more the longer you wait to order. 

And be sure to check out our picks for the best photo calendars , and best photo cards , and discover 9 tips to make the best holiday cards .

Great features, excellent image quality, the easiest-to-use software, and even online chat support make this our top pick overall.

Read more below .

If image quality is your number-one criteria when choosing the best photo book service, go with Printique, which also has powerful design software.

Read more below.  

While not the flashiest of services, Vistaprint had good-enough quality and affordable prices to make this a solid value pick among photo books.

Read more below.

The best photo book services

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Mixbook was the best service overall for making photo books of the five we tested. Its combination of ease of use, top-notch image quality and good value should make it appealing to a broad range of users. Newbies will love Mixbook’s fun and easy-to-use software while more advanced users will appreciate the wide range of customization options to help you get creative. And the image quality of our 20-page, hardcover book came in a close second to Printique.

If you’re intimidated about designing a photo book, Mixbook takes out the stress with clear and fun-to-use software that helps make the process a breeze. At the same time, there are hundreds upon hundreds of ways to customize your book, including 644 design templates alone, if you want to take a deeper dive. Mixbook had among the best-looking and most user-friendly project editing software of the services we reviewed, matched only by Snapfish . The interface offers a myriad of options but isn’t cluttered and optimizes the space by providing a roomy preview of your project.

In terms of image quality, our finished book from Mixbook tied Printique for the best cover while coming in second place for its interior pages. For the photo books we created during testing, we used an image of a waterfall we shot at Yellowstone National Park. The photo was captured at sunset and Mixbook did a great job of reproducing detail in both the brighter light at the top of the waterfall and the shadow areas in the valley below. On the inside pages, Mixbook's default Everyday Semi-Gloss finish produced solid, pleasing contrast. Both light and dark skintones in our portraits were rendered true-to-life.

Other things we liked about Mixbook are its well-designed mobile app that lets you manage your projects on the site or create products from the photos on your phone. And finally, Mixbook’s handy 24/7 chat support is built right into the design interface, so it’s always available if you get stuck while making a book.

If you order a photo book from Mixbook, be sure to check out its shipping information and deadlines .

Read our full Mixbook review . 

2. Printique

If image quality is your main concern for photo books, Printique is the service for you. While some competing companies have caught up in other ways, Printique still makes the best-looking books around. Their overall stature, however, has slipped a bit, dropping them to second place behind Mixbook after being ranked first for books in years past. What’s changed? Printique’s software feels dated now and is a challenge to use, which could turn off less experienced users. Printique’s photo books are also significantly more expensive than the competition.

For serious photographers (including pros), though, the trade-offs may be worth it. The most distinctive thing about Printique’s books are their very thick, rigid pages, which are similar to what you’d find in a professional wedding photo album. Similarly, even the entry-level books come with a layflat binding that prevents a furrow in the seam between pages, making this design perfect for images that span spreads. The pages display really well with excellent color, skin tone, contrast and sharpness/detail. We also liked the results of a few black-and-white photos we included in our book, which looked dramatic without losing detail.

While Printique’s software offers the most control of the services we tested, we feel it’s better suited to the advanced user than newbies. Seasoned designers will appreciate the variety of rulers, gridlines, submenus, and toolbars offered in Printique’s feature-rich interface, but beginners might be intimidated. 

Another barrier for entry is price. Printique doesn’t really have an “entry-level” book that’s comparable to the other services since it only offers the premium layflat binding option with lavish, thick pages, which cost more. This level of quality doesn’t come cheap.

When ordering a photo book, be sure to check out Printique's shipping information and deadlines , so you know how long to expect before it arrives.

Read our full Printique review .

3. Vistaprint

If you think Vistaprint is only adept at making business cards and other marketing materials, think again. The company has expanded in recent years to include a wide range of personal print-on-demand services including photo books. While it’s difficult to find the book-making option on Vistaprint’s vast website, once you do, we think you’ll be pleased with the process and the results, as we were. Plus, the prices can’t be beat, making it the best value of all the services for books.

For testing purposes, we made hardcover books with all the services in approximately the 11 x 8.5-inch, landscape format since we felt that size would appeal to most users. At $30, Vistaprint’s book was the cheapest of the five companies; $5 less than Shutterfly, which was the second cheapest, and a whopping $45 less than Printique, which was the most expensive. As an added bonus, Vistaprint’s entry-level books come standard at 24 pages, while all the competition’s books start at 20 pages.

Given the affordable price, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of our photo books from Vistaprint. Our wraparound matte cover shot of a waterfall had rich detail even in the highlight and shadow areas, showing good dynamic range. The white endpapers for the front and rear inside covers have a classy look and feel as does the well stitched binding. The image quality of the interior pages was inconsistent though, with some of our landscape and cityscape images looking vibrant and crisp, while portraits were flat and overexposed at times.

Vistaprint’s software isn’t snazzy, but it gets the job done. It may look basic and a bit dated but unlike Printique’s complicated and outmoded interface, Vistaprint’s rudimentary software provides a relatively stress-free experience for making photo books. Just don’t expect anything fancy or a vast assortment of editing tools and you won’t be disappointed.  

Read our full Vistaprint review .

4. Shutterfly

Shutterfly is an easy to use and reliable service that does a lot of things right. In particular, the paper quality was great overall, and it did a decent job with its photo printing. Mixbook remains the best photo book service overall for its higher quality and better software, but if you want a relatively stress-free experience in creating solid if not spectacular books from a seasoned brand, Shutterfly is the one for you. 

We thought Shutterfly’s software offered a good compromise between providing full control over a project and not overloading you with too much information. If you get stuck while making a product, just click the question mark icon in the lower left to bring up the help overlay. The only downside is we found the software somewhat slow to use; in particular, there was a noticeable lag of a few seconds before images displayed in a layout.

Despite its robust and intuitive software, the resulting photo books were a mixed bag. While the page quality was the best of all the photo books we reviewed, the color was just ok, with some pale skin tones in portraits getting washed out while darker skin appeared oversaturated with a loss of detail.

The default glossy hardcover was quite eye-catching though, and the color of our waterfall shot looked natural with ample detail. But the shiny cover surface is prone to glare. Inside, the pages have a good weight and the smooth matte finish produced minimal reflection. Some brighter images, however, appeared slightly washed out in print. We also weren’t so keen on the binding, which felt flimsy, and cut off the edges of the images in the center crease. So, while Shutterfly did a good job overall, there are enough misses to fall short of the top tier of Printique and Mixbook.

Before ordering, be sure to check out Shutterfly's shipping guidelines .

Read our full Shutterfly review .

5. Snapfish

With how easy and user-friendly Snapfish’s software was to use, we really wanted to like this service more than we did. The process of creating photo books, calendars, and cards with Snapfish was so pleasant, we expected the finished products to be equally satisfying. Unfortunately, its photo book came in last among the services we tested.

The bright glossy hardcover of our book didn’t look bad from a distance, but when inspected closer it lacked detail in the flowing waterfall shot. Not awful but not great either. The print quality of the inside pages is where Snapfish really stumbles. The floppy pages in our standard 8 x 11-inch book were the thinnest of all we created from the various companies. On the other hand, while the stitched perfect binding of the book looked cheap, the crease between pages cut off only a small portion of the images. Comparatively, most of the other books in our testing obscured noticeable portions of photos in the binding.     

We wish all of the photo printing brands would emulate Snapfish’s snazzy software. It’s not only simple to use and logically laid out, it turns the process of creating a photo book into a pleasure rather than like pulling teeth. When creating a book, you can scroll through an authentic looking visual representation of the entire book to see all of the pages more easily. Snapfish’s book builder also had the fastest load times of the various companies we tested, with virtually no lag when dragging and dropping images or scrolling through layouts. 

In the end, Snapfish is something of a conundrum. While we would recommend it for anyone who might be intimidated by the process of creating products, those with more discerning image quality taste for books should look elsewhere.

Read our full Snapfish review .

For testing purposes, we created similar custom-designed books from the five services in our evaluation, Mixbook, Printique, Shutterfly, Snapfish and Vistaprint, which we deemed to be the top companies on the market. We made 20 to 24-page hardcover books with all the services in approximately the 11 x 8.5-inch, landscape format since we felt that size would appeal to most users. The only major difference in the five books was the one created with Printique, which only offers a premium layflat binding and professional-quality, thick pages, even as an entry-level option. 

While creating our books, we picked layouts and designs that were similar across the five services as well. For photos, I used my own portraits, landscapes, and cityscapes, which were shot in both studio and natural light. For portraits, the subjects encompassed a variety of skin tones. The three main factors the services were judged on were software, image quality, and value. For the book-making software, we considered both the levels of customization offered and the ease-of-use. 

For image quality, we compared photos across the selection of books, as well as against the original digital images displayed on a MacBook Air retina display. Criteria for judging included cover quality, paper quality, color, skin tones, contrast, and sharpness/detail. For value, we took into account both the price of the photo books and the level of quality of the finished product. So, for instance, a good quality book that cost a low price would get a higher value score than a poor quality book at a similar price. The same value scale was used for more expensive books in our testing.

This year, we evaluated Mixbook, Shutterfly, Printique, Vistaprint, and Snapfish. However, in years past, we've also tested a number of other services, none of whom made it into our top tier. If you'd like to read those older reviews, they're listed below. Just bear in mind that the quality of some of these services may have changed since we last reviewed them.

  Motif review | Artifact Uprising review | Amazon Prints review | Mpix review | Picaboo review | Blurb Bookify review | CVS Photo review | Walmart Photos review | Mimeo review

Procrastination is a natural human instinct, but it will cost you when it comes to photo books. In particular, if the book is a gift for the holidays or if you just want it quickly for yourself, you’re going to be paying more for rush delivery services, which can increase the cost greatly. And in our experience, fast delivery is the one thing that is seldom discounted by book companies. 

So, try to order you books as early as possible. Not only does it save you time, it gives you the chance to look over the book and order a reprint in case there are any errors. Another reason to order as early as possible is that many of the best photo book services offer big discounts throughout the year — up to 50% off in some cases, or with other extras thrown in. 

How to choose the best photo book service for you

Image quality The most important factor for most people is that their book should look good. But what does this mean exactly? In simple terms, it means the quality of the photos should be great — skin tones should be accurate, lighting should be correct, and details should be crisp. In the best photo books, you should have good contrast, deep blacks, and an overall evenness in color gradation. 

Book construction A photo book should also be built well. You shouldn't see pages coming free from the binding, the paper itself should have a substantial weight and feel, and images and text should be aligned properly.

Book-creation software If a company has poor software, you’re likely to either not be able to create the photo book you want or grow frustrated with the process and give up. While ease-of-use is a key factor, customization is also important too and our favorite brands offered a good combination of both with their software. You should be able to fully edit the book templates, easily find background art and more, and make fine adjustments to your photos, too.

Cost Price is also an important factor. With the exception of the most and least expensive options, you won't find too much variation between photo book printing services. However, some services offer options like better paper, different-size books, and things like lay-flat binding, which means you can open the book flat on a table, and not worry about breaking the spine.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best photo storage and sharing sites
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Dan Havlik has worked in the photo industry for over decades and is currently editor-in chief of Wild Eye ( www.wildeyemagazine.com ), a new magazine devoted to the celebration of nature, wildlife, and underwater photography. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Outdoor Photographer and Shutterbug magazines. He has been an editor and writer for a variety of other publications and websites including Photo District News (PDN), Rangefinder, Wired, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Consumer Reports, Maxim, Men’s Journal, Imaging Resource, and LAPTOP. Dan is also an avid runner with three marathons under his belt and has written fitness reviews, including guides to the best running shoes and GPS watches, for Business Insider.

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The best photo books in the UK in 2024

The best photo book sites help immortalize your greatest images and memories – and make for great gifts too

Best Photo book services: Our top picks

Best all round, best design software, best top-end photo books, best for busy people, best budget option, best for quality, best for international shipping, best for designers, best for social photos, photo book creation advice.

It's never too early to think about the festive season – and the best photo books are a great way to gift your loved ones something sentimental and personal (without breaking the bank!). Whether you want to create a wonderful round-up of your friend or family member's favorite memories or celebrate a specific event, the best photo books are the perfect gift.

1. Best all-rounder 2. Best design software 3. Best top-end photo book 4. Best for busy people 5. Best budget option 6. Best for quality 7. Best color accuracy 8. Best for designers 9. Best for social photos 10. Best value

A photo book isn't just a great gift though – it's also a lovely way to celebrate your own memories and experiences. Plus, with all of the customizable features and stylish templates available, you can make your photo book truly unique. We particularly enjoy the ability to create your own custom front cover, which truly adds a little extra polish.

• How to create a photo book

Many of the services available here give users the choice between auto-filling the pages of their photo book, or manually arranging the images themselves. If you don't need your book in a specific order, being able to automatically fill the pages can be a fantastic time-saver.

To help you find the best photo book service for you, we've reviewed and rated each of the products in this guide. We've tested each service based on the quality of their books, the speed of the shipping and how functional and user-friendly their photo book creator tools are. Discover our favorites below…

The best photo books in 2024

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

When it comes to the best photo book services in the UK, CEWE leads the way with affordable products, a high-quality finish and a range of options. CEWE offers a choice of six different papers for its photo books, each having been selected for its quality and sustainability. 

CEWE's award-winning design software makes it easy to create a gorgeous photobook and there's a dedicated tutorials page if you need help. You do have to download software to design your photo book and generally, we prefer web-based builders but the download was quick and the software was easy and quick to use. 

Easily add and edit text, choose from a range of fonts and sizes, customize the photo layout, select your background color and add stickers or shapes if you wish. Images can either be uploaded from your computer or imported from Drop, Facebook, Instagram and more.  

One of the first things we noticed when we took the CEWE photo book out of the fairly minimal packaging was how crisp the image on the front cover was. When compared with the front covers on the other photo books we’ve reviewed, CEWE Photoworld’s offering had much more detail. In addition, while the color accuracy wasn’t quite perfect, it was much better than the majority of the other books. 

Inside the book, we found that the paper stock was really good quality and the images were printed sharply and fairly accurately. It’s worth noting that the sharpness of the printing does mean that noise is much more likely to show up than in other books. We also found that the prints in general ran a little darker than the other photo books we reviewed. 

When it comes to the best photo book service Mixbook are hard to beat. Their products are available to ship worldwide, it regularly runs big discounts making it very good value. The Mixbook software is very easy to use and it can all be done on your web browser. Choose from over 400 fully customizable templates plus there are lots of backgrounds and stickers you can include to make it really unique. 

There are three different paper finishes to choose from, semi-gloss, pearl and an ultra-thick premium matte paper if you want a lay-flat photo book. We ordered the 8.5 x 8.5-inch classic square glossy hardcover book and found the process very easy. Uploading images was quick and it didn't take long to arrange them.

When the photo book arrived we noticed there was some fringing on the edges of the cover image and the logo. We also spotted some color inaccuracies, especially on the cover which has a red tinge to it. However, most of our issues were with the cover of the book. The images printed on the inside were true-to-color and printed nicely. Plus, the design and layout of the book were genuinely beautiful and helped bring the photos to life. 

We think Saal makes some of the best photo books, at least as far as the very top-end ones go. The  Saal Professional Line Photo Book  is bloody epic. The first thing I love is that Saal probably has the best design software of any printing company. You can create designs with your own software and upload them as PDFs, but Saal’s downloadable desktop software makes life incredibly easy for uploading, editing, adding text and graphic elements, and moving pages around.

The presentation box is utterly stunning, made of a premium leatherette material. The same leatherette finish can also be used for the back and spine of the Professional Line photobook, echoing a consistent level of quality. You can choose any number of finishes for the front cover, but we were blown away by the acrylic cover – it’s thick, hardwearing, looks great, and simply screams quality. 

The whole thing is finished by hand, and is a step above any other premium finish out there – especially since there are no unsightly logos or branding, unlike other print houses. With layflat binding, the pages on the photo book are completely even – making them perfect for laying a big, beautiful landscape or panoramic image across a double-page spread. Pages can be finished in matte or gloss, but my favorite is the silk, which makes portraits looks particularly lavish. 

Colors are authentic, lively and full of pop, even if your images have the most psychedelic palettes, and blacks are deep and rich while retaining plenty of detail.From the instant you open the presentation box to the moment you turn the final page, Saal’s pro photo books are just next-level wow.

4. Shutterfly

A brilliant all-rounder, Shutterfly is another of the best photo books services to offer really simple to use software to help create a great-looking book. There are loads of templates and backgrounds to choose from, as well as a Make My Book service, with which you provide Shutterfly designers with details of your requirements and they do all the hard work for you. 

Shutterfly also offers a number of great discounts throughout the year, so if your need for a photo book isn't immediate, a good offer is always just around the corner.

5. Snapfish

Snapfish has been in the personalized printing business for more than two decades and offer a range of products including photo books. The software is an easy drag-and-drop experience and you can pick from 120 themes. 

The quality of the Snapfish photo book isn't quite as good as other on the list but it regularly offers pretty hefty discounts so if you don't need it straight away look out for these. We were pleased with the photobook we received although the colors seemed to be accurate they were a little more saturated so be careful if you're sending in images that are already highly saturated. We also noticed a couple of wonky prints and once you spotted them they were so hard to unsee. 

If you're after a super high-quality finish, look elsewhere but if color accuracy and value for money is your game, Snapfish is a great option. 

6. Mimeo Photos

Mimeo Photos offers both a third-party Photos app extension for MacOS, allowing you to create and edit an Apple Photo project to be printed, and a web-based builder. There are over 50 theme options, including well-known Apple favorites and you can customize layouts and backgrounds for your own personal touch. You can also apply edits, adjustments and filters to any photo directly within the app's design page. 

We created our photo book using the Mimeo Photos app. Once we'd downloaded the app extension, the software itself was relatively easy to use. However, where Mimeo Photos really shone was in the quality of the book we received. We ordered a hard cover book, which arrived with an attractive dust jacket (although the cover image was also printed on the actual cover of the book as well). 

The only gripe we have about this book was that the saturation seems to have been pushed up for the front cover image, as the skin tones on both the dust jacket and the hard cover itself became a luminescent orange. However, the photos inside the book were beautifully printed. They were nice and sharp, with none of the fuzziness experienced in cheaper options. Unlike the front cover, the colors also printed accurately. 

7. Photobox

Photobox is an online printing giant that almost always has generous discount offers available, so there’s a good chance you won’t pay the full price we’ve quoted. It also offers well-polished online book creation software that’s easy to use with a helpful 3D book preview, plus plenty of layout, background and cropping choices. 

Like many of the photo book creator tools, Photobox purports to be able to design your photo book for you. You can choose whether to do this by chronological order or by file name. While it wasn’t perfect, we were pleasantly surprised by Photobox’s efforts. It grouped the images together fairly intelligently and it would have only taken a few tweaks to perfect the layout. 

We were fairly pleased with our photo book from Photobox. The shipping was fast and the protective packaging was pleasingly substantial - in fact, this book was the best protected out of all the photo books we’ve reviewed. 

The color accuracy on both the cover image and the photos inside was pretty decent, with no major complaints from us. However, we did have a few small quibbles with the quality of the book. The first is that each end of the book’s spine had a few small creases. While these wrinkles weren’t anything major, they weren’t ideal and we didn’t see them on most of the other photo books that we tested. 

In addition, both the cover image and the photos printed inside the book weren’t quite as sharp as they could have been. This softness was only really noticeable upon close inspection of the book, but it would have been nice if each image had been nicely sharp.

8. Bob Books

Bob Books offers four different options for creating your photo book, including the ‘Bob Designer Software’, the ‘Online Book Creator’, a PDF-to-Book option and an iOS App. We tried out both the ‘Bob Designer Software’ and the ‘Online Book Creator’, and found them both very easy to use.

While it took us a little while to wrap our heads around the design system that Bob Books employs, we actually grew to really like it. You simply add as many images as you want onto the page and then you’re able to choose from a variety of different layouts to get the most aesthetically pleasing page. You can also use the ‘Swap photos’ button to adjust your layout until you’re happy with the order of the photos. If you’re not sure how to arrange your images, Bob Books also offers a ‘Suggest a layout’ button, which does it all for you. 

Update:  We have since been contacted by a Bob Books representative, who has advised that the reason our photo book cover was so overly saturated was because we had used the 'Automatic Image Optimization' function. 

While the 'AIO' function only advises that "Crop, aspect ratio, red-eyes, etc. will be corrected if necessary", it appears that it also affects the saturation of your photo as well. We would recommend that you turn this function off to avoid your cover becoming over-saturated. 

You can do this via Settings > Photos in the Bob Books software. 

9. My Social Book

My Social Book offers something slightly different from the rest – allowing you to create books from your Instagram or Facebook pictures, providing you a hardcopy of your favorite social media memories. 

The software is easy to use – as you simply link your chosen social media source to  My Social Book, and then choose the time frame you want your book to cover. Fortunately you can exclude those embarrassing posts and out-of-focus images, so that you only print the images you want. And you can also choose the image you want on the cover. However, we found the whole compilation process is rather slow - and the printing and delivery takes its time too.

However, the quality of the printing is much better than an average photo book printer – and this is a great way of ensuring that you have your camera phone pictures backed up in a physical form.

10. Vistaprint

Vistaprint is another experienced personalized photo printer with a lot of customizable options. For photo books, there are three different cover options to choose from including linen, leather and photo. You can also opt for either glossy r standard matte paper. There are two ways to design your book, either using the web-based builder or you can download the offline editor from the Vistaprint website. 

Both are fairly intuitive to use, but Vistaprint's downside is there aren't as many options to choose from as other manufacturers. It does have several options for backgrounds, clip art and frames you can use but they're not the most stylish. 

The web-based builder gives users the opportunity to design their own book from scratch, or have the builder fill in the pages for them. Most other manufacturers offer this service and Vistaprint's isn't much different than the rest – it's a little hit-and-miss. Some pages will look nicely put-together, while others might seem clunky. 

Overall, Vistaprint offers some affordable options for photo books. But if you're looking for more sophisticated design choices, you might want to go for a different manufacturer, such as Mixbook.

How to choose the best photobook service

Choosing a photo book service can be overwhelming due to the variety of options available in terms of sizes, designs, and paper quality. To make the right choice, first, define the purpose of your photo book. For a professional portfolio, prioritize high-quality paper and printing. Layout and design are equally important, depending on the manufacturer's software. Here are six tips to get you started:

1. Consider your specific needs and preferences when selecting a photo book service.

2. Mixbook is a great choice for affordability and fast shipping, while CEWE offers top-notch print quality and professionalism.

3. User-friendly functionality is crucial for creating a successful photo book.

4. Regular JPEGs are typically sufficient for your pictures.

5. Different services offer web-based or downloadable book design tools, and some may crop your photos or offer lay-flat binding options.

6. Choose a paper finish that suits your preferences, such as glossy for vibrant colors, matte for reduced fingerprints, or soft-sheen lustre for balance.

While we've listed the best UK photo book services, many of them do also ship worldwide.

How to create a good photo book

1. Select your photos  

To make the photo book design process as smooth as possible, we'd recommend selecting all of the images you want to include beforehand. If some of your desired photos are on your phone, it'll definitely make your life easier transferring them to your computer ahead of time!

2. Choose your design

The majority of the best photo book websites have hundreds of potential designs for you to choose from. This might seem overwhelming at first, but you can usually narrow the selection down into different sections, such as weddings, travel, family and more. When choosing your template, we would recommend thinking about what your own photos look like – if they're super busy and colorful, you might want to go for a simpler design to help your images pop.

3. Arrange your photos

What do your favorite books all have in common? They all have a narrative – and so should your photo book. While we're not asking you to construct Macbeth-level storylines, a beginning, middle and end will help your photo book feel coherent and more enjoyable. The simplest way to do this is often construct the photo book in a generally chronological order.

4. Make bold design choices

If you're a fan of scrapbooking, you'll love the stickers and text functionality that many photo book services provide. However, we would caution against overuse, as you don't want to overshadow your photos! 

Best photo frames Best digital photo frames Best gifts for photographers Best photo calendars The best photo printing online Best photo albums

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Having studied Journalism and Public Relations at the University of the West of England Hannah developed a love for photography through a module on photojournalism. She specializes in Portrait, Fashion and lifestyle photography but has more recently branched out in the world of stylized product photography. For the last 3 years Hannah has worked at Wex Photo Video as a Senior Sales Assistant using her experience and knowledge of cameras to help people buy the equipment that is right for them. With 5 years experience working with studio lighting, Hannah has run many successful workshops teaching people how to use different lighting setups.

Related articles

Best photo books 2024

The very best photo books you can create from your own photos and order online

Easy to use, with plenty of designs to choose from and a high-quality finish, Mixbook is our top choice for photo books.

The best photo books can be the visual equivalent of a mixtape - curated with love and care, they are capable of evoking feelings and bringing back memories. And unlike a battered C90 in the tape deck of your car, they are only enhanced by the fact we all carry a smartphone in our pocket these days.

As a thoughtful gift for a loved one or family member, a photo book is hard to beat. Spend some time collecting images from special occasions, and you can guarantee a long-lasting, treasured reminder of happy days. They’re a versatile gift, endlessly adaptable to weddings, vacations, celebrations and more besides.

Any of the services we’ve collected here can create such a book for you, so we’ve tried and tested the best photo books, scoring them in terms of how good their print quality is, what the layout options for the pages were, and how quickly they could be printed and delivered. The image quality delivered by the finished article was the most important criterion, followed shortly by how versatile the book was. 

Mixbook comes in at the top of our rankings, but we didn’t find a digital photo book that was actually bad - they are all highly rated and your choice comes down to the one that best fits your needs.

Books aren’t the only digital printing options we’ve looked into. We have guides to the best photo cards , for when you want to send a special message with only one image attached, as well as the best greeting card software , for you to create your own.

1. Mixbook: Best photo book overall

Why you can trust Top Ten Reviews Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

Mixbook Photo Book

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Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Mixbook scored solidly across all of our testing categories. The photo books we received were of a high standard, with sharp pictures, accurate colours and quality paper. More importantly, the company has also got a really watertight guarantee, which allows you to return your product for a full refund if it doesn’t come up to scratch in any way.

Another reason we really like Mixbook is that it makes the whole process of creating a photo book feel fun. When we were reviewing services, we found that it takes roughly three hours to create and finish an album. But thanks to Mixbook’s brilliant array of designs, and its ability to easily pull pictures from multiple social media streams and computer drives, the whole activity felt like a breeze.

In addition to the thousands of backgrounds and stickers available, Mixbook also regularly releases new designs and has a genuinely engaging blog that’s populated with interesting tips. There are some Martha Stewart designs on there at the moment, along with posts detailing the best way to go about making a family recipe book. Of course, you can also start designing your book from an entirely blank canvas, too. 

When it comes to printing, Mixbook gives you eight book sizes and five cover materials to choose from. Handily, the site will give you a warning if your photos are too small and at risk of looking pixelated. You’ll also get a discount if you order a large number of photobooks and you can even rush shipping for an extra fee. 

• Read our Mixbook Photo Books review

2. Shutterfly: Best value photo books

This is a great budget option, with plenty of regular sales appearing on site and a base price that’s very reasonable, too. The compact 6 x 6 photo book option can cost as little as $19.98 and lets you print images across 20 pages. We found that the company delivered high quality goods. When we used the service to print our own book, it had great crisp images and excellent color reproduction. 

Like Mixbook, Shutterfly allows you to pull in images from your social media feeds, and you can also rush shipping if you need it printed in a hurry. However, do be aware that the refund isn’t quite as watertight as the one offered by Mixbook. Shutterfly will only refund you if the product is faulty - if you make a mistake, you’ll have to take the financial hit. 

The site doesn’t offer quite as many customization options as our top-rated photo book printing service, either. Although it has recently overhauled its book building experience, offering customers the chance to whizz through the process in a smaller amount of time. 

• Read our ShutterFly Photo Books review

3. Artifact Uprising: Best for high quality prints and gifts

Artifact Uprising

This definitely isn’t the cheapest option, but in our tests it scored the highest in terms of quality. Also of note is that this is the only service we tested that has a focus on sustainability, giving you the option to pick recycled paper for your prints.

You can produce some really beautiful hardcover books on this site, including vacation mementos and baby albums. A lot of the books come with the option of adding linen covers, which is a nice touch, and while it doesn’t have the widest selection of designs, the ones it does offer are really sleek, modern creations.

It also offers a bespoke service, where someone curates images and designs your layout for you. This can cost in excess of $100, though, so it’s not a service that everyone will want to use. If you’re looking for a cheaper option, Artifact Uprising also offers a softcover book starting from $15. But for this price, you could also get a more customizable product from somewhere like Shutterfly.

In general, we’d recommend Artifact Uprising for when you really want to go all out on an expensive, high quality product, as this is where the company excels.

4. Printique: Ideal for special occasions

This company is well known for its high standards. When we tested it out, it was miles ahead in terms of printing quality, yielding the best photo clarity and color accuracy of all the services we tested. However, that luxury comes at a cost – a 20 page, hardcover book will cost you $49.99 at minimum.

That’s why we recommend this option for when you really want to commemorate a special event. It’s perfect for wedding pictures, for example. You can choose between several different types of paper, including glossy, luster and deep matte varieties. So while $49.99 might sound like a lot, you really are getting the best quality out there. And like a lot of the other services in this guide, there are regular discounts available to bring down that price. 

There are thousands of design and layout choices to pick from, and it’s easy to pull in photos from places like Facebook, Google Photos, Flickr, Instagram, Dropbox and Amazon. It has a slightly complicated design process compared to other platforms, so it may take you a little longer to build something you're satisfied with (although if you’re committed to making the best photo book you can, we recommend you put aside a couple of hours for each project regardless.)

Printique offers 15 photo book sizes, whether landscape, portrait, square or horizontal-spine. It’s worth noting, though, that the book sizes are slightly unusual: for example, it sells an 8 x 12, 8 x 10 and 12 x 15 instead of the typical 8.5 x 11 or 11 x 14 options. 

5. Meijer Photo: Great for customer service

Meijer Photo

Meijer Photo is a US institution, and it is generally well loved by its satisfied customers. If you're buying a photo book from here you have the comfort of knowing that this is an established and trusted provider, and you can even visit a brick and mortar store if you want to collect quickly, or you have a problem with your order. While we didn't see any kind of money back guarantee with Meijer, we're fairly sure that most issues can be resolved quickly and easily in store.

Meijer has good print quality too, and its range of photo books - while limited - are good quality. You'll pay a low price for all photo products from here too, and if it wasn't for the frequent promotions run by sites like Mixbook and Shutterfly, this would rank as our cheapest provider overall.

The site is easy enough to use, but what Meijer really lacks is a wide variety of options when it comes to photo books. This is a pretty vanilla printing business, so lacks the range and features of more specialized providers. If you want to shop here because you know and trust Meijer, you'll get a good photo book, but there are better options out there.

6. Photobook: Best for versatility

If you want to get really creative with your photo book, then you'll need some software with a great range of tools. Photobook impresses in this area, the Malaysia-founded website providing an extensive palette with which you can design your masterpiece. Whether you're looking to expand, crop, rotate or put frames around your images, Photobook enables you to do it with ease. And if you do get stuck during the process, there are a bunch of 'how to' videos, along with a live chat service, to help you.

Our experts found that the images came out a little dark or grainy at times, but on the whole were satisfactory. Should you be disappointed with your final product, Photobook offers a 100% quality guarantee that enables customers to get a full refund if they're not entirely happy.

The other thing to say about Photobook is that it offers a huge range of other picture-based products, from calendars to kitchen aprons. There are also a number of branded items from your favorite high-street stores, which can be personalized with the name of your loved one for a gift that they're sure to cherish.

7. Snapfish: Best for extra photo gifts

Snapfish and Shutterfly have now technically been merged, but the companies remain distinct in terms of the services they offer. Snapfish is certainly still one of the largest photo printing services in the world - but this comes with advantages and disadvantages.

On the positive side of things, the company offers some great prices if you’re looking to bulk buy printed gifts. In addition to photo books, it also offers custom mugs, keyrings, pillows and face masks. Discounts regularly appear on site, so you can get some genuinely good offers here, especially if you need products printed for corporate events.

However, in our tests, the quality of the printing wasn’t quite as good as some of the company’s main competitors (like Mixbook.) Moreover, the experience of creating the photo book wasn’t as enjoyable. The site is a nightmare to navigate, with various pop-ups appearing on screen as you try to reach the checkout, pushing extra features and products. The designs aren’t as inspiring as competitors, either, as they’re all very basic. 

It’s a good option if you have simple needs, and want to prioritise saving money, but other services provide better quality.

8. Amazon Prints: A cheap service

Amazon Prints

Amazon Prints is a good option if you're looking to create a stylish and affordable photo book, as long as you’re not looking for the level of customisation offered by the services above. Our test photo book had a high print quality and was well built – despite it being the cheapest in our guide.

You can manually choose your backgrounds, stickers and the placement of your photos. The interface gives you the freedom to create your own layouts, and lets you crop and zoom into photos as you please. It also warns you if your photos are too low-res and will print blurry, which is helpful. The process, however, is very complicated and you may struggle to use it.

If you need to make a photo book in a hurry, you can choose from among the 13 pre-designed photo books and use the autofill feature. This photo book service also enables you to share images with other Amazon users to create collaborative photo projects.

It’s good to know that any purchases over $15 automatically receive free standard shipping. This can cost between $5 and $13 with other photo book services, so it’s a significant saving. Amazon Prints also offers a strong money-back guarantee. 

9. Walmart Photo Books: Very fast creation

Walmart Photo

If you need a photo book in a hurry, Walmart Photo is probably the best option for you. While the print quality isn’t as good as the other services, it's possible to create a book online or in-store and pick it up just an hour later. 

Walmart Photo is also one of the cheapest photo book services online. But, as you’d expect, the lower cost means lower quality and fewer options. You don’t get as much control or creative freedom as the other photo book creators in this guide, and the design tool is harder to use. For example, we couldn’t fit the cover image to the design window and so some of the people were cropped out and the photo became distorted. Nevertheless, if you need a photo book now , Walmart Photo is your best bet.

How much does a photo book cost?

The price of photobooks varies by service, as you might expect. But to get a good idea prices for a 20-page 8.5 x 11-inch book usually start at around the $30 mark and hit $46 at the top end.

The other factor to take into consideration with price is shipping, which is usually charged as extra. This can be as much as $10 so it's worth shopping around on this factor too. On top of that there can be tax added too, with as much as $8 added in our testing. All this varies by the number you order, how close you live to the printer and the state you live in.

Is it worth using a photo book printing service?

Despite all the costs mentioned, this is a service that pays for itself when you see the end result. No matter how good your home printer and arts-and-crafts skills might be, you'll struggle to match the quality of the end results that these professional services offer. 

So even if you have the best graphic design software and high quality printers available to you, a photo book printing service is easier and can offer better results.

How long does it take to design a photo book?

How long you want to spend perfecting your photo book is up to you but generally speaking most top end options have easy to use software. As such you can whip up a winning photo book in as little as 30 minutes. These can pull in photos from social media or your device, making that otherwise tough part, simple.

It's best to take your time over your photo book though, spending a few hours to get it just right. This means a better end result. Of course if you need to digitize photos too, add that time on.

What are express photo books? 

If you're in a real hurry to get your photo book, perhaps as a gift, then express photo books may be helpful. These are same-day photo printing services which allow you to pick up your photo book from a physical store. Some places where you can take advantage of this are Walmart Photo, CVS Photo or Walgreens Photo. Each of these offers an impressive one-hour pick-up time.

By comparison most other online services are going to take a few days, or even a week, to have your book printed and delivered to you. While these can mean you save money over express services, it does mean you need to plan ahead.

What are bespoke photo books?

If all this sounds like too much effort, there are bespoke photo book services that take even more of the work out of it for you. Services like Artifact Uprising offer professional designers who will do the legwork for you, for an additional fee of course.

All you need to do is get them the photos, tell them the sizes you want for the end result and have them go to work. You can then review and adjust before deciding on the final outcome.

How do photo book subscriptions work?

If that automation idea sounds good to you then a subscription service could be ideal. Photo subscriptions from the likes of Chatbooks, mean you'll be sent a photo book each month based on the photos from your smartphone, Instagram, Facebook and Google Photos.

Charged at $10 per softcover, or $15 for hardcovers, these books are shipped for free and are created for every 60 new photos. 

Photo book options

When you are buying a photo book, there are many things to consider outside of the cover design. It can be tempting to pick the prettiest cover, but measurements of size, layout options, and paper quality matter too. 

If you are new to buying a photo book, here are some important things to keep in mind before adding one to your cart. 

Size, shape and orientation

Most photo books are available in the 8.5 x 11-inch size, ideal for landscape photos. This is great for you if you have tons of average-sized horizontal photos. You can also get bigger, 14 x 11-inch photo books for larger-than-average snaps. 

While this works great for landscape photography, it may not be the best option for you if you are a fan of portrait photos. Selfie lovers should opt for vertical-oriented photo books that perfectly accommodate tall and narrow photos. 

Paper Quality

Paper quality might seem like an afterthought for photo books, but the right paper quality can actually change the whole look of your photo book. The most popular paper qualities include a glossy, matte, or luster finish, all of which look great depending on the theme of your photos. 

If you have vibrant photos with vivid colors, it’s best to opt for glossy paper, while a matte finish is ideal for a neutral or serious vibe. A luster finish is a good option if you want something bright but not super glossy. 

If you are looking for premium quality, opt for Lay Flat, which a fine paper made of extra thick cardstock for firmness and shape retention. This is best if you want your photos to lay flat in the book (instead of the curved shape most photo books offer). 

Cover and binding

 Now comes the best part: choosing the cover. This is one of the first things people consider when buying an album. 

Along with a great design, the “feel” of a photo album can also add to the nostalgic experience. Most popular cover options include leather and velvet as they offer a premium look for special photos. 

When choosing a cover, also look at the binding. Is it strong and durable to sustain regular use? Or is it pretty but delicate, making it suitable for rare use?

A good layout can make or break your photo book. The layout defines how your photos are arranged in the book. Here are some great questions to ask yourself to find the right layout:

Are all photos horizontal or is it a mix of landscape and portrait orientation? Is there space for taking notes and marketing dates? Can you change the layout or is it fixed?

Use photo books for online photo album storage

Lots of photo book services are happy for you to use their server space to store your photos. That means you can upload all your pictures as you take them for online backup with unlimited space. Not only does this mean your photos are secure but it's also easier than ever to create photo books, photo cards, canvas prints, photo paper prints, iPhone cases, gift mugs and more.

Some services, like Amazon Photo with Amazon Prints, will even recognise faces allowing you to create people specific albums more automatically. These also let you organize photos but to do this really well it's worth looking at good quality photo organizing software . 

Digitizing photos for your album

If you’ve been in the photography scene for a while, chances are you have analog photos you’d like to feature in a photo book. But to do so, you need to digitize them. 

The easiest way to do this is with a scanner, often found on an all-in-one printer . However, if you don’t have a scanner, time or the inclination to digitize your photos yourself, we recommend using a  photo scanning service .

If you have old slides you’d like to include in your photo books, you'll also need to convert them to digital media. As stated previously, you can always use a photo scanning service. But if you want to save some money and do the conversions yourself, we recommend investing in a slide to digital image converter . Keep in mind that this process, while not difficult, does take an investment of time if you have a lot of slides to get through, and it isn’t the most exciting work.

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Andy was the previous Editor-in-Chief of Top Ten Reviews. With over 18 years experience in both online and print journalism, Andy has worked for a host of world-leading tech and gaming brands, including PC Gamer and GamesRadar. He specializes in photography, technology and smart home, and has provided expert comment for sites like The Guardian. In his spare time Andy is an amateur photographer, and teaches at the National Film and TV School.

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Most Popular

9 Best Photo Book Websites

Don't let your favorite photos go to waste — use these top-tested online services and turn them into keepsake albums.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

Best Overall

Shutterfly photo books.

Walmart Photo Custom Photo Books

Most Aesthetic

Artifact uprising photo books.

Best for Themes

Mixbook photo books.

Best for Beginners

Printique photo books.

Best for Amazon Prime Members

Amazon prints.

Best for Young Kids

Pinhole press photo books.

Best for Google Photo Users

Google photo books.

Best for Families

Chatbooks custom photo books & albums.

Photo albums create a tangible and lasting archive of memories — ultimately proving to be more durable and accessible than the mess of digital files on your phone and computer. Plus, a custom photo book can be a thoughtful and unique gift for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, or other special events.

Online photo book services make it easy and quick to choose a theme or layout, upload photos and ship the book straight to the recipient. Best of all, some photo book makers even have apps so you can upload photos directly from your smartphone.

Shutterfly offers basic photo books at an affordable price. You can choose from a wide selection of themes, like birthday, travel or wedding, or neutral styles , such as modern or rustic. You can also create your own book and choose the book size, cover style and page style, then embellish it with Shutterfly's extensive library of stickers and ribbons to make your book extra special. We appreciate how easily users can edit within their chosen template and the brand's high-quality photo book paper, making Shutterfly a top pick.

You can also opt for one of its 6" x 6" Instant Books , which let you add photos from your phone, tablet or computer in minutes. These mini photo books have only 20 pages, but they're a great place to store goofy candids or Instagram posts you never want to forget. The possibilities are essentially limitless, though the vast array of options could be overwhelming for those getting started.

If you don't want the pressure of deciding on a layout, the brand offers a convenient Make My Book option, in which Shutterfly's professional designers curate your photos and design the book for free. Plus, you'll still have the opportunity to put finishing touches on it before it gets printed. Whether you opt for 50 or 800 photos (the maximum), you'll receive an email notification within 24 hours that your book is complete.

Crunched for time? Design your photo book online and pick up select styles at a Walmart store near you in as little as one hour. Photo books picked up in one hour can have 15 single-sided pages and a linen cover, while same-day pickups (ready in a few hours) can have up to 20 double-sided pages and the option of a hardcover.

On top of the speedy turnaround, Walmart has a great selection of styles : You can choose everything from the photo size and layout to the type of cover, including hardcover glossy or matte, linen, leather and lay-flat glossy or matte. If you need help narrowing down the choices, there's also the option to shop by occasion, whether you're looking for a one-year anniversary or 15th-year anniversary gift .

Despite the fast shipping and variety, our tester noted that the quality was not as high as the options offered by other photo book makers on this list — but that may be expected considering the bargain price tag. Regardless, these photo books still make a superb present that can cost under $10 without compromising on sentimentality.

No matter the occasion, you can't go wrong with one of Artifact Uprising's high-quality photo books. There are numerous design options, including preset books to celebrate the birth of a new baby or commemorating a marriage.

You can choose from lay-flat albums, books with photo strips and even softcover Instagram Friendly Books for the influencer in your life. The company even has an iPhone app that lets you create a photo book right from your smartphone. However, Rothman found the app to be glitchy at times and noted there's room for improvement with the software. Still, the books come out on top for elegance and simplicity .

One online reviewer wrote, "The fabric cover is beautiful. The photos are amazing quality and look amazing even though the photos were taken on film and therefore are a bit grainy." The overall 4.6-star rating (out of 5) backs up that review. Quality and elevated designs come with a higher price tag, but there are options for $20 or less if you're shopping on a budget.

If you have a special project and a little more money to spend, Artifact Uprising offers Design Services , which allow you to work one-on-one with an expert to bring your special moments to life. Just note that the design fee is rather steep at $119 and requires an additional $100 album deposit.

When Mixbook says it has "custom photo books for every occasion," it really means it. There are 374 different themed templates to choose from, including everything f rom travel and sports to weddings and recipes.

But that doesn't mean you have to give up creative control. You can still customize the look to your liking, from fun backgrounds to stickers to text using the Editor tool. Plus, there are plenty of paper varieties, from semigloss to ultra-thick matte.

Our testers appreciated the nice balance between good photo editing and price, but one did experience issues with the lay-flat option, in which the photos bled into the crease. You can also use the iPhone app to organize your photos with a tool that the brand calls "Automagic": Simply choose the images you want and select a theme. The goal of Automagic is to help arrange your camera roll so your photos are in order when it comes time to add them to your photo book.

If you're not sure where to start, our pros love Printique because it's super easy to use. You can select one of the many predesigned layouts or create an entire photo book from scratch.

Choose among portrait, landscape and square orientations, as well as hardcover and softcover options. You can even store your memories in a genuine leather or vegan leather book or pick from five different fabric colors. Although you can't choose the color for a hard- or softcover photo book, you can still customize the shape, size and paper type.

Looking for something more advanced? There'sa tool for professional photographers to design and create their own photo books. But if you want to keep things simple, consider starting with one of Printique's 4" x 4" Mini Softcover photo books , which have a maximum of 40 pages and come in three sizes.

Is Amazon Photos already your preferred destination for uploading photos? Then creating a photo book through its interface is an easy solution.

Similar to other photo book makers, you can create by occasion and size, or choose its 8" x 8" Premium Photo Book for a versatile option that has a laminated cover and lay-flat binding. There's also an option with standard binding at a lower cost, and all Amazon Prime members get free shipping . (Everyone else is eligible for free shipping with a minimum order of $15.)

In addition to photo books, you can shop large prints, calendars, cards and metal tabletops. There are fewer size and style options than most services when it comes to photo books, but the other photo product choices make up for the lack of available styles. After all, sometimes it's easier and quicker to have fewer options to choose from if you need to pull something together last-minute.

RELATED: 37 Best Personalized Gifts You Can Find on Amazon

With Pinhole Press, you can choose from various photo book styles ranging from board pages to softcovers to accordion-style setups. Upload your photos and let the system do the work, or manually place the photos into the layout yourself.

One of our testers says her kids love the Custom Board Books , which have themes such as " Count With Me ," " Healthy Habits " and " I Can Be Anything ." These photo books aren't just visually stimulating, but they can also educate and entertain kids for years to come .

"I got my daughter the ' My First Photo Book ' as a toddler and made it all about her — like pictures with family, doing things she likes, her favorite toys, at the playground and beach, etc. — and she still is obsessed with it," says GH Institute Executive Director Lexie Sachs .

We think he custom Photo Puzzle is a fun option for kids, and the Itty Bitty Books are easy to tote around in a work bag for on-hand entertainment. There's less variety in some categories, including Itty Bitty and hardcover books, but with so many additional photo categories other companies lack, there are still plenty of great options for kids.

RELATED: 12 Best Personalized Books for Kids

If you store your snaps in Google Photos, then Google's very own photo book maker might be the most convenient option for you. Even though there are no fancy designs, the process is seamless.

Choose from two options: a 7" x 7" softcover photo book or a 9" x 9" hardcover photo book. You can include between 20 and 140 pages, and you have the option to add a spine title if you hit more than 48 pages for a softcover or any number of pages for a hardcover.

Another hallmark of Google Photos is that you can make one photo book and order multiple copies to give to family members and friends who are also pictured in the photos. Since they come at an affordable price point, you could give everyone on your gift list a copy, whether you decide to create a collection of candid photos for your closest friends or a tangible memento of a fun family trip. Though there may not be as many designs and styles to choose from, that can make the customization process less daunting.

Chatbooks Custom Photo Books & Albums

"Set and forget it," one of our testers said about the ease of using Chatbooks, which markets itself as "ridiculously easy." You can upload images from Instagram, Flickr, Dropbox, Facebook or your computer and edit them on your desktop or via the app .

The service's Custom Photo Books & Albums option is great for families looking to personalize a family vacation , as you can choose colors, layouts, cover styles, collages, captions and more. Peruse its vast collection of more than 300 unique book covers, or shop the premium lay-flat and special occasion photo books.

You can also have fun with the Instagram and Facebook series — a 6" x 6" or 8" x 8" book with 60 pages — that lets you store your favorite social media posts in a tangible place to look back on for years to come.

Unique to Chatbooks is its subscription service, which allows you to receive a softcover, hardcover or mini photo book each month. If you and your family love taking photographs of walks in the park, weekend road trips or vacations, this service is ideal for getting your photos in your hands ASAP. One thing to note about the subscription option is that there are only two sizes available (5" x 7" and the monthly mini).

How we chose the best photo book makers

At the Good Housekeeping Institute , our pros in the Media & Tech Lab have been testing photo book makers for more than a decade . For this article, we referenced a robust test of photo book makers we completed in 2009 and ordered a round of new products to test in 2023. We also researched the latest updates and offerings to a variety of apps and services.

When choosing the best photo book makers, our Lab experts consider ease of use, performance and appearance . That means our pros take an in-depth look at a wide range of features, such as how easy it is to navigate the interface and add photos and text to the book; upload and delivery time; the number of styles, covers and templates offered; and the photo, paper and binding quality.

What to look for when shopping for the best custom photo book maker

Keep the following features in mind when choosing the right photo book maker website for your needs:

✔️ Size: Whether you're looking for a small photo book for kids or a much larger album to house snapshots from a long family vacation, there are regular, large and miniature photo book sizes available. It's best to think about how many photos you want to include and where you plan to store the album (i.e., will the book be too tall for your bookshelf or just right on top of your coffee table?).

✔️ Shape: Most photo books are rectangular or square in shape, but some companies also offer photo puzzles, calendars and tabletops to choose from too. The shape is really about aesthetic preference and the orientation you prefer for your photos.

✔️ Page count: Are you compiling 20 photos from your daughter's first-birthday party? Or are you putting together an anniversary album of pictures of you and your partner throughout the years? The number of pages determines the number of photos you can include in an album, so you have enough space to include everything.

✔️ Paper quality: This is probably a no-brainer, as the quality of material your photos are printed on is as important as the quality of the photos themselves. Although companies with higher-quality paper, like Artifact Uprising , may have a higher price tag, the extra money goes toward paper that won't lead to photos bleeding into the crease. But there are still services that are affordable and offer good-quality products, like our best value pick, Walmart Photo .

✔️ Binding quality: Some companies, like Google Photo , will add a binding to your photo album. This feature is especially important when considering the durability and longevity of your photo album. Whether it's a softcover, hardcover or lay-flat book, make sure the binding can withstand accidental drops and the wear and tear of passing the family album around at holiday parties.

✔️ Templates: If your photo album will have a certain theme or be centered around a specific occasion — or it's your first time using a photo book maker — choosing a service that has a variety of templates to choose from will let your creativity flow and also help you warm up to the design process.

✔️ Editing capabilities: When looking at beginner-level or more advanced designer tools, consider how robust or simple they are to use. Having lots of control over the interface is fun, but if you're looking for a more straightforward experience, opt for a service that does the majority of the decision-making for you or offers designer help, like Shutterfly .

What is the easiest way to make a custom photo book?

It really depends upon the service and your preference .

Although some online custom photo book makers also have an app, it can have limited functionality, be buggy or not as easy to use as the desktop equivalent. Often, an app makes it super simple to upload pictures from your phone (a major plus!) but doesn't allow as much flexibility for product assortment or editing once you've selected. That said, designing a photo book on your smartphone or tablet versus a desktop may come down to how many edits you intend to make .

If you plan to do a lot of editing, the non-app version on a larger screen would likely be your best choice. If you want to quickly make a book with limited changes, an app on your mobile device may be the way to go.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Elizabeth Berry is an updates editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute , where she ensures product reviews reflect accurate information. To update this guide, Elizabeth gathered notes from previous tests and researched the latest updates to our favorite services.

A previous version of this guide was written by Amina Lake Abdelrahman , a product review writer and editor who worked as an editorial assistant at the Good Housekeeping Institute from 2018 to 2020.

Elizabeth Berry is the editorial assistant for WomansDay.com, where she writes and edits lifestyle content. When she isn’t assisting with day-to-day editorial needs, Elizabeth is baking dairy-free cakes, reading books, or strolling through nature.

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• Home & garden

Best photo book 2023: Hold on to your cherished memories with these DIY photo albums

• Sherwin Coelho
• Aleksha McLoughlin

Get your photos off your phone and into a custom-designed photo book you’ll want to look at and cherish for years to come

We’re all obsessed with taking photos on our smartphones, but when it comes to showing them off, we’re pretty clueless. The best photo books are a wonderful way to brush the digital dust off the cherished memories stored on your phone or social media account. There are dozens of affordable online services that can help you put your photos in an exquisitely crafted physical photo book, so you can enjoy your favourite snaps for years to come.

Maybe you want to have a record of your baby’s first year or a significant day, like your wedding day, a special birthday or an anniversary. Photo books also make brilliant gifts, because they remind the person on the receiving end of cherished memories – and in a format that they can keep on the shelf or coffee table to show others or simply reminiscence.

Photo books can be as basic or luxurious as you like, with themed options that can spice up otherwise dull albums, or classic designs that will compliment your photos without distracting you from them.

The best thing about creating a photo album these days is the simplicity that all the below services offer. Forget about being a tech wiz or having photo editing skills: some services will automatically select your best photos and put them in a customised album for you.

In most cases, you simply choose your template and layout, then insert the pictures you want in the order you want them. In short, if you can use Facebook, then you can create a photo album. Read on to find out how to move your pictures off your phone and out of your feeds and into the real world where they will be appreciated.

READ NEXT: Best camera bags

Best photo book: At a glance

• Best for ease of use: BonusPrint | Buy now
• Best budget option: Snapfish | Buy now
• Best for variety of styles: Photobox | Buy now
• Best high-end option: Milk Books | Buy now

How to choose the best photo book service for you

How easy is the process.

Rewind about five years and you would have had to worry about taking your camera to the printers and waiting weeks to see how your pictures came out. But today’s modern photo book services make the process super-easy by allowing you to upload pictures straight from your PC, phone and – in many cases – your social media feeds. This means you can manage, edit and order your album from just about any device.

What style options do I have?

The sky’s pretty much the limit when it comes to size and other options for your photo book. While a lot of services offer the aesthetically-pleasing option of one photo per page (or even a double-page spread), most also allow for a more traditional photo album or scrapbook designs that mimic old-fashioned ways of displaying photos. Apart from this, you can also add text, illustrations and other designs to make your photos pop.

READ NEXT: Best photo editing software

Do I need to have any prior photo editing knowledge?

While it always helps to know how to crop, resize and add effects to your photos, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t need any prior photo editing knowledge to create your photo book. All websites offer useful templates with customisable themes and options to zoom in or out of your photo to focus on what’s important to you. Most services even let you add effects to add some glitz and glamour to your prints.

Do I need a laptop to create a photo book?

Most of the below photo book services have their own free apps that you can download onto your smartphone or tablet. However, some service only work via a web browser on your PC. In general, we always recommend a bigger screen for creating photo albums because this will give you a better idea of both the album size and how your colours will look.

Can I preview how my photo book will look?

Yes. Almost all the services mentioned below let you preview your final product before you order it. Ensure you take your time to go through the preview before confirming your purchase because this will give you a good estimate of how you can expect your photo book to look and feel when you receive it.

READ NEXT: Want instant photos? Check out the best instant cameras

The best photo books you can buy right now

1. bonusprint: best for ease of use.

Available via an app for desktop, tablet and smartphones, BonusPrint’s service is very versatile and dead easy to use. Standard options include landscape, portrait and square books, and you can choose whether you want a plain cover in leather or linen, or a photo cover that will make the finished album feel even more personal.

One of its best features is called Smart Assistant. Simply select the folder whose photos you want and the said assistant will ‘smartly’ pick out your best photos eliminating duplicates, blurry and out-of-focus photos. The service will even go so far as creating an album from the best photos. Of course, you can then edit the album as you please. This process can save you hours of hard work if you don’t want to upload and customise the photos individually yourself.

Delivery time: 6-8 working days; Shipping cost: from £3; Mobile app: Yes; Social media import: Yes

Buy now from BonusPrint

2. Photobox: Best for variety of styles

Price: From £14 | Buy now from Photobox

Photobox is the clear and outright winner when it comes to sheer number of book styles on offer. The service provides so many different album styles that you’ll be hard-pressed not to find something you love. This also means that the options vary in price quite significantly, from the £16 ‘Little Moments Photo Book’ to the more extravagant £110 luxe ‘Premium Photo Book’ with padded hardcover and presentation box.

We like that the website has clear terms with examples for the different options available when it comes to binding, covers and paper used. While this can be fairly straightforward, the last thing you want is to expect one thing and receive something different altogether with all your precious effort gone down the drain. Photobox also scores high if you’re customising a photo book as a gift because you can have years, names or special shapes (such as a heart) included on the cover.

Delivery time: 4-12 working days; Shipping cost: from £4; Mobile app: Yes; Social media import: Yes

Buy now from Photobox

3. Mixbook: Best for variety of themes

Mixbook has a variety of themes readily available for almost any occasion – including weddings, birthdays and travel. The service offers quick preview after you select your theme and style. This gives you a good idea of how you can expect your photo book to look even before your start uploading your photos. Every style has a different book shape, so you can be sure your photos will look great and pop out of the page regardless of whether they’re in portrait or landscape mode.

Mixbook is a great service for those who want a fun, customised photo book but don’t know where to start because you can simply choose a theme, choose a style and start uploading and customising your photo book. When you’re designing your book, you can choose various backgrounds and stickers to augment the pages, as well as add effects to your images.

Delivery time: 3-11 working days; Shipping cost: from £4.51; Mobile app: No; Social media import: No

Buy now from Mixbook

4. Snapfish: Best budget option

A budget alternative that doesn’t sacrifice quality or variety, Snapfish offers a choice of seven different sizes and covers, along with more than 100 templates that can be used in the design process. It’s easy to design something special on your PC or mobile device and the results won’t cost the earth. The only downside is that existing projects can’t be shared between the Snapfish desktop site and app, so you need to decide which platform you would like to build your photo book on before you start.

Creating a photo book can be quite daunting, so we’re glad that Snapfish has useful guides at the bottom of the website that gently hold your hand through the entire process – should you need the extra support or get stuck mid-way through the process. Among other articles, there are ideas on how to create the perfect recipe book and even how to document your entire family history via a photo book.

Delivery time: 3-6 working days; Shipping cost: from £2; Mobile app: Yes; Social media import: Yes

Buy now from Snapfish

5. Cewe: Best desktop creation software

Price: From £6 | Buy now from Cewe

Almost all the above services let you create photo books across a range of devices, but Cewe’s desktop software was the easiest to use. Even though it’s very easy to create photo books on your mobile device, we always recommend a PC or laptop because it gives you a more realistic idea of how your photo book will eventually look. One of the best features of the software is the option to design your photo book offline and create it at your own pace before you’re ready to print it. Of course, Cewe also has mobile apps and even an online creation tool, if that’s what you prefer.

There are eight photo book sizes to choose from – from Small to XXL Landscape – so you’re sure to find something you want depending on the occasion you’re creating for. The UK-based service has a range of covers, paper types, highlights and binding styles to suit your style. It also has a useful daytime chat support option to help you create your book or answer any queries if you get stuck during any point in the process.

Delivery time: 5-7 working days; Shipping cost: from £4; Mobile app: Yes; Social media import: Yes

Buy now from Cewe

6. Bob Books: Best for versatility

Priced somewhere near the middle of the options in this roundup, Bob Books offers plenty of variety when it comes to design and layout. Indeed, there are seven different sizes and three orientations to choose from; portrait, square and landscape. A key feature that makes these books stand out from the competition is the fact that each one, whether hardback or paperback, also comes bound in a wrap-around encompassing cover, with various finishes available.

Bob Books offers a multitude of ways in which you can create your photobook, no matter what device you have to hand. There’s a dedicated software app for PC and Mac, a web-based photobook editor, an iOS app for iPhones, and a PDF-to-book program for those who’d like to use Adobe InDesign. Depending on your technical knowledge, the process can be as carefree or complex as you want.

Delivery time: 6 – 10 working days; Shipping cost: £4.99; Mobile app: Yes; Social media import: No

Buy now from Bob Books

7. Milk Books: Best high-end option

If you’re really looking for something that’s extra special and extravagant, then you should consider Milk Books. The company provides premium handcrafted photo books that really bring out the best in your images, with everything from classic photo books to gorgeous Moleskine-style albums and more.

The drawbacks of the service include long delivery times, presumably because of the care with which your items are created, but the quality and price easily justify the wait.

Delivery time: 17-26 days; Shipping cost: from £10; Mobile app: No; Social media import: No

Buy now from Milk Books

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ON PHOTOGRAPHY

by Susan Sontag ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 11, 1977

Susan Sontag has returned photography to the cockpit of discussion it occupied when the exact mechanical image loomed as a threat to the person, to art, to the very relationship between images and reality. The last, essentially, is Sontag's subject, approached—after a splatter of (as yet) unsupported assertions —via touchstone figures: writers, photographers, painters interchangeably. (The book has no illustrations; it assumes, reasonably enough, a common stock of photographic images.) In a vivid, close-set argument, she traces Whitman's theme, "the levelling of distinctions between the beautiful and the ugly, the important and the trivial," through Lewis Hine and Walker Evans to its "last sigh," the 1955 Family of Man exhibit, apex of "sentimental humanism"—and jumps to the toast of 1972, Diane Arbus, in whose world "everybody is an allen." But levelling down, Arbus-like, is also "lowering the threshhold of what is terrible," as much modern art does, as Surrealism does systematically: "all subjects are merely objets trouvÉs." So we are confronted with photography, reputedly realistic, as the art "that has best shown how to juxtapose the sewing machine and the umbrella," and with the photographer as "the voyeuristic stroller who discovers the city as a landscape of voluptuous extremes." Beauty falls, morality falls, as a standard; "photographic seeing" is the criterion, following "the idea that everything in the world could be made interesting through the camera." So photographs become—Sontag adduces a misconstruction of Proust's—"not so much an instrument of memory as an invention or replacement." Images, that is. Dismemberments of reality. The Chinese want only complete, correct views, Sontag observes in a stunning windup. For them, a "good" picture; for us, a good picture. With an anthology of quotations (also shards of reality) from the unlikes of Daguerre, Man Ray, and a 1976 Minolta ad for further agitation.

Pub Date: Nov. 11, 1977

ISBN: 0312420099

Page Count: 208

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1977

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

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BOOK REVIEW

by Susan Sontag ; edited by David Rieff

by Susan Sontag ; edited by Benjamin Taylor

by Susan Sontag

INSIDE THE DREAM PALACE

The life and times of new york's legendary chelsea hotel.

by Sherill Tippins ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 3, 2013

A zesty, energetic history, not only of a building, but of more than a century of American culture.

A revealing biography of the fabled Manhattan hotel, in which generations of artists and writers found a haven.

Turn-of-the century New York did not lack either hotels or apartment buildings, writes Tippins ( February House: The Story of W. H. Auden, Carson McCullers, Jane and Paul Bowles, Benjamin Britten, and Gypsy Rose Lee, Under One Roof In Wartime America , 2005). But the Chelsea Hotel, from its very inception, was different. Architect Philip Hubert intended the elegantly designed Chelsea Association Building to reflect the utopian ideals of Charles Fourier, offering every amenity conducive to cooperative living: public spaces and gardens, a dining room, artists’ studios, and 80 apartments suitable for an economically diverse population of single workers, young couples, small families and wealthy residents who otherwise might choose to live in a private brownstone. Hubert especially wanted to attract creative types and made sure the building’s walls were extra thick so that each apartment was quiet enough for concentration. William Dean Howells, Edgar Lee Masters and artist John Sloan were early residents. Their friends (Mark Twain, for one) greeted one another in eight-foot-wide hallways intended for conversations. In its early years, the Chelsea quickly became legendary. By the 1930s, though, financial straits resulted in a “down-at-heel, bohemian atmosphere.” Later, with hard-drinking residents like Dylan Thomas and Brendan Behan, the ambience could be raucous. Arthur Miller scorned his free-wheeling, drug-taking, boozy neighbors, admitting, though, that the “great advantage” to living there “was that no one gave a damn what anyone else chose to do sexually.” No one passed judgment on creativity, either. But the art was not what made the Chelsea famous; its residents did. Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol, Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, Robert Mapplethorpe, Phil Ochs and Sid Vicious are only a few of the figures populating this entertaining book.

Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-618-72634-9

Page Count: 448

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2013

GENERAL HISTORY | ART & PHOTOGRAPHY | UNITED STATES | HISTORY

More by Sherill Tippins

by Sherill Tippins

HUMANS OF NEW YORK

by Brandon Stanton photographed by Brandon Stanton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 13, 2015

A wondrous mix of races, ages, genders, and social classes, and on virtually every page is a surprise.

Photographer and author Stanton returns with a companion volume to Humans of New York (2013), this one with similarly affecting photographs of New Yorkers but also with some tales from his subjects’ mouths.

Readers of the first volume—and followers of the related site on Facebook and elsewhere—will feel immediately at home. The author has continued to photograph the human zoo: folks out in the streets and in the parks, in moods ranging from parade-happy to deep despair. He includes one running feature—“Today in Microfashion,” which shows images of little children dressed up in various arresting ways. He also provides some juxtapositions, images and/or stories that are related somehow. These range from surprising to forced to barely tolerable. One shows a man with a cat on his head and a woman with a large flowered headpiece, another a construction worker proud of his body and, on the facing page, a man in a wheelchair. The emotions course along the entire continuum of human passion: love, broken love, elation, depression, playfulness, argumentativeness, madness, arrogance, humility, pride, frustration, and confusion. We see varieties of the human costume, as well, from formalwear to homeless-wear. A few celebrities appear, President Barack Obama among them. The “stories” range from single-sentence comments and quips and complaints to more lengthy tales (none longer than a couple of pages). People talk about abusive parents, exes, struggles to succeed, addiction and recovery, dramatic failures, and lifelong happiness. Some deliver minirants (a neuroscientist is especially curmudgeonly), and the children often provide the most (often unintended) humor. One little boy with a fishing pole talks about a monster fish. Toward the end, the images seem to lead us toward hope. But then…a final photograph turns the light out once again.

Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-250-05890-4

Page Count: 432

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2015

GENERAL CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES | CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES | ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

More by Brandon Stanton

by Stephanie Johnson & Brandon Stanton illustrated by Henry Sene Yee

by Brandon Stanton

by Brandon Stanton ; photographed by Brandon Stanton

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The Most Haunting Photo Book I’ve Touched

It’s incredibly difficult to describe Olga Karlovac once you look through her images. She’s not a landscape photographer, but she shoots landscapes that even the staunchest support of Adams would fall for. She’s not a street photographer, but she does street photography in a way that Diado Moriyama would commend. And Olga’s work includes portraiture that doesn’t draw influence from other visual media the same way that so many pieces on social media do. But instead, Olga’s work holistically embraces her own identity and finds comfort in her own skin like one would a silk kimono. With every turn of the page of her latest book, Elsewhere, it seems like Olga’s camera is aided by a poltergeist that provides a blessing like no other.

That’s to say that Olga’s work isn’t just otherworldly and cosmic; it’s simply imagined and brought into fruition by its creator in a way that very few of us can conjure. Perhaps most importantly, it plays with black and white in a way that we’ve only ever seen otherwise in expensive Taschen books and on handheld device screens. By that, we mean that Elsewhere plays with the idea of dark mode, light mode, and embraces the idea of the expandable spread.

Truly, Olga cannot be contained. Yet, at the same time, her photographs have a sense of authenticity that’s sorely missing in much of modern photography. I don’t believe I should contain her either, but if you took the best of several Magnum photographers and put them into one person, the work would look like Olga’s. She embraces camera shake, blur, blown-out highlights, shadows that are too deep, and all the gray spaces in between in a very masterful way.

We named Olga Karlovac as one of the most inspirational photographers of 2023 , and we’ve also previously featured her work. With the Ricoh GR in hand, she photographs the world around her in a way that so many can only dream of — literally because they’re unsure of how to make art like this or would feel like they’d be jeered at by peers.

“Usually I spot something (and) feel drawn to it — it can be a person walking across the street, it can be the rooftop of an old house, the men behind the corner running away,  actually anything. As I shoot a lot while walking, driving in a tram or a car, everything happens very quickly.” Olga Karlovac, in our previous interview

Elsewhere starts with a simple forward and uses the square format to make the most of Olga’s work. Sometimes, the images are split down the middle in various ways. But Olga’s work is esoteric, and those who vibe with it will deeply feel every photograph when they page through the book at a slow pace. For that reason, I truly recommend that you take a look at it on a day off and when you’re personally feeling like you’re in a good place. With that said, Elsewhere can make the perfect morning cup of coffee or tea even better.

Several photographers shoot in black and white. But not many of them embrace the intricacies that the format allows you to get away with. Olga’s images embrace lots of photographic flaws, sometimes looking like charcoal sketches that embrace smears. It’s for this reason and her incredible work overall that we award this book five out of five stars and give it our Editor’s Choice award.

Elsewhere by Olga Karlovac can be purchased directly from Olga .

Eagle Rock Camera & Goods

Location & Hours

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1754 Colorado Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90041

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Overall rating

Really inspiring space for film cameras, film, accessories and photo books created by Jason Lee and Raymond Molinar. A friend mentioned that a new camera store had popped up, and it just so happened that he was there on the first day of business. So we popped over en route to a ceramics sale (that's pretty NELA, right?) and checked it out on day two. I was blown away by the wonderful selection of vintage cameras, from Graflex 4x5 to Nikon 35mm to Mamiya and Fuji medium format. They have a fantastic selection of very intentionally curated photgraphy books, too. Artists I hadn't heard of, inspiring photography, and all artfully presented. I didn't check out the film supplies but I will on my next visit, which will be soon. Jason was there and after introducing himself, he told us about how the store came about. I could truly sense his passion for photography and his honest vision to create a space where people can connect on life experiences and the photographic arts. To that end, there is a beautiful Donald Judd-style plywood table with a few photo books atop it. Clearly, the store is designed to inspire human dialogue and connection. Just being in the store for 15 minutes inspired me to keep pushing on my photography practice...it's easy to get a little lost and I feel like spaces like Eagle Rock Camera & Goods will catalyze and inspire people to keep exploring their creativity and craft. All in all, Eagle Rock Camera & Goods feels like a positive, inclusive, and very inspiring addition to a community constantly in flux. Bravo, Jason and Raymond! And bonus -- Jason's wife's store, Odd Bird Company, is right next door...amazing Turkish Textiles and other housewares. And definitely worth checking out.

Fantastic selection of vintage cameras!

I was so geeked knowing a camera store was coming to Eagle Rock It's not a Samy's type place but if you are a film photography nerd and you like photography books, then drag your meat suit in here. It's a beautiful, calm spot where you come and nerd hard with like minded folks. Some people say film photography isn't cheap. It can be pricey but this place had an expired film basket. And a film fridge. And a selection of cameras.

A film photography lovers dream. The place offers a wide variety of film camera options from nikon to canon to leica, as well as polaroid, medium format, and large format. Their displays might as well be a miniature shrine/museum to photography. The staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming to photographers veteran and starter, willing to answer any questions asked. Their film stock is always full and they even offer expired film! Film books, camera straps, and several other tools are for sale as well. One of Eagle Rocks best spots. Highly recommend!

Unique shop with great selection of vintage cameras and lenses. Amazon photography books as well. Staff is super cool and nice.

Best camera shop in LA!!!! For the real photographic artists!!! Staff of so friendly and helpful! Highly recommend.

Best photography store for books and film cameras. Go get some film here and pick up an inspiring photo book.

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Brittney Griner, in Her Own Words

News stories have chronicled the basketball star’s detention in a Russian prison. Here’s her version.

Brittney Griner listening to the verdict in her trial while standing in a cage in a Russian courtroom. Credit... Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool Photo, via Associated Press

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• May 7, 2024
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COMING HOME , by Brittney Griner with Michelle Burford

If you weren’t following women’s basketball, you probably hadn’t heard of Brittney Griner when she was arrested at a Moscow-area airport in February 2022. But she was a bona fide superstar — an Olympic gold medalist, a W.N.B.A. All-Star and the linchpin of her team, the Phoenix Mercury.

When she was detained, she was traveling to her $1 million off-season job with UMMC Yekaterinburg, a top team in the wildly popular Russian women’s basketball league where she had played for seven years, in part to supplement her $220,000 salary with the Mercury. Her crime: possessing 0.7 grams of medicinal marijuana oil — legally prescribed in the United States — that she had forgotten to remove from her bag.

“Fear is one thing,” Griner writes in “Coming Home,” her new memoir, describing the stomach-curdling moment when an inspector seized her passport and told her to wait. “But uncertainty, the unknown, a free fall into mystery — that’s much stronger than fear; it’s terror.”

At first, Griner naïvely thought she would be fined and sentenced to house arrest. But possession of even a small amount of drugs is a serious offense in Russia, and she was eventually charged with narcotics smuggling. Days later, when Russia invaded Ukraine, Griner found herself a high-profile pawn in a vicious geopolitical battle.

“Coming Home” is a visceral, harrowing account of what it’s like to be trapped inside Russia’s infamous criminal justice system, with its merciless judges and vast labor camps.

It’s also the harrowing-in-a-different-way story of what it’s like to grow up Black, female, gay and startlingly tall in Texas. Griner’s mother, Sandra, is loving and religious; her father, Raymond, is a Vietnam War veteran and a traffic cop. Racism has always shadowed the family. James Byrd Jr. — the Texas man who was murdered in 1998 by three white men who beat him, spray-painted his face and dragged him by his heels behind a pickup truck until his head was severed from his body — was Raymond’s third cousin.

As she grew (and grew and grew), people teased Griner for her height, her deep voice and her flat chest. “When you’re born in a body like mine, a part of you dies every day, with every mean comment and lingering stare,” she writes. “You’re the biggest person in the room, but you’re also the loneliest.”

The taunting didn’t stop when she became an adult. Once, when ordered to leave a women’s bathroom by two airport employees who had addressed her as “Sir,” she pulled down her sweatpants to show them that she belonged there. “I get mistaken for male so frequently I’ve learned to just keep it moving,” she writes. “My heart, however, can’t always.”

As a girl, she followed her father around, joyfully doing yard work and learning how to fix cars while he taught her his philosophy of living. But when she came out during her senior year of high school, he ordered her out of the house, yelling, “I ain’t raising no gay bitch!” (He never formally apologized, but they gradually worked it out. “I’m proud of Pops, he’s proud of me, and we’re finally at peace,” she writes.)

Griner, ably assisted by her co-writer, Michelle Burford , describes the Russian penal system — the filth, the interrogations by prison psychiatrists about her sexuality and her supposed drug addiction, the guards’ casual cruelty — in vivid, conversational language. After months in detention, she was sent to Corrective Colony No. 2 in Mordovia, more than 300 miles from Moscow. There she was assigned to “a military uniform sweatshop” and forced to toil for 10 or more hours a day — with no bathroom breaks and only 20 minutes for lunch — slicing pieces of fabric with a rusty blade that had already claimed some of her fellow prisoners’ fingers.

Once, the power shut off for three days in winter and the temperature plummeted; she fell ill and her dreadlocks froze. She slept on a bed that was too short for her 6-foot-9 frame, her legs dangling over the end. Several prisoners befriended her, translating what the guards were saying and buoying her spirits, but often she felt defeated and despairing.

In the end, she was lucky. An army of supporters, including her wife, Cherelle; her agent; her teammates; the W.N.B.A.; and finally President Biden himself worked for her release. Sentenced to nine years in prison, she was incarcerated for 10 months before being released, swapped for the Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout , who was serving a 25-year sentence in the United States. Re-entry has been hard, and Griner movingly describes the lingering effects of her ordeal, now tempered by the news that Cherelle is expecting the couple’s first child.

Reading this sobering account, you can’t help but think about Aleksei Navalny, the Russian dissident who recently died in prison there — and about the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and other Americans still being held there and in other countries. Their names appear in a list at the end of the book.

Coming Home | Brittney Griner | with Michelle Burford | Knopf | 320 pp. | $30

Sarah Lyall is a writer at large for The Times, writing news, features and analysis across a wide range of sections. More about Sarah Lyall

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Market Realist

Have a Love for Books? Here are 10 Platforms That Pay Readers for Reviews and Narration

Posted: December 7, 2023 | Last updated: December 7, 2023

Have a love for books? What if you get paid for reading?

Getting paid just for reading sounds more like fantasy fiction right out of a book lover's imagination. But it turns out that some platforms are willing to pay you to share your thoughts on the kind of literature that you love to explore across genres. Since thousands of new books are released daily, some websites pay people to read, review, and even record books, offering opportunities to earn up to $300 per hour. Keep reading to find out more!

Upwork is an online freelancer marketplace that offers book reviewing opportunities alongside other writing gigs. Getting started only requires people to create a freelancer account, showcase their skills and experience, and upload a portfolio. They then need to browse available jobs, submit proposals for the ones they fancy, and if a client likes the pitch, they send a contract. Upwork not only pays for book reviews but can also help people bag other freelancing jobs.

2. Kirkus Review

Kirkus Review, a platform for book reviews, gives experienced reviewers the chance to assess English and Spanish titles through their Kirkus Indie program. If you wish to apply, be prepared to submit a resume and samples of your work. This platform isn't for beginners. Impressive writing samples and a remarkable publication history can improve your chances.

3. Booklist

Affiliated with the American Library Association, Booklist pays $15 for each review that enables schools and public libraries to select books. They prefer concise "haiku-style" reviews between 150 to 175 words. Each review should include a plot synopsis, suggest the book's target audience, and recommend similar titles. Currently, Booklist isn't accepting applications on their website. However, you can keep an eye out for future opportunities and contribute to this literary community.

4. BookBrowse

If you're passionate about reading and reviewing books, BookBrowse allows users to get started once they express literary preferences, share insights, and provide a brief bio. Reviewers typically handle one book per month, exploring adult fiction, non-fiction, and young adult titles. Moreover, writing and sharing book reviews can help you build an online presence, especially if you post your reviews on platforms like a blog, Goodreads, or social media.

If you love audiobooks and have a captivating voice, you can earn money on ACX, which connects professional narrators with authors in need of a voice for their books. You can earn through an hourly rate or a 50% share of book royalties, and once you've recorded 25 audiobooks, you can apply to become an Audible Approved Producer. Besides that, the Bounty Referral Program lets you earn by referring Audible users to your recordings. To start, visit the ACX website, create a profile, and upload voice samples by reading a snippet from an author's manuscript.

6. Findaway Voices

Another platform that pays people for recording audiobooks is Findaway Voices, where you will receive a custom URL for easy discoverability after creating a narrator profile. Upload samples of your work, along with an audio intro, bio, cover image, and avatar. Similar to ACX, Findaway Voices provides a comprehensive guide and tools to support your success as a narrator.

7. The US Review of Books

For aspiring authors looking for ways to sharpen their writing skills, becoming a reviewer for The US Review of Books is a suitable path. They publish monthly book reviews in their newsletter, helping authors promote their latest works. The site accepts reviews between 250 and 300 words, including plot synopsis and audience insights. They encourage objective writing without first-person language, allowing reviewers to compare books, share opinions, or discuss the author's background. You can apply by sending your resume, samples, and references, and if accepted, you'll have two to three weeks to submit your reviews based on the titles assigned to you.

8. Reedsy Discovery

At Reedsy Discovery, you won't find a fixed payment for your book reviews, but readers can show appreciation by tipping $1 to $5. While it might not make you rich, it's an excellent platform to refine your reviewing skills, especially if you aim for larger sites like Kirkus Reviews. Applying is simple, you just need to provide your email address and name, along with reading habits, preferred genres, and a brief bio. Including links to your best reviews, whether in written or video form, can increase your chances of making more money.

Voices opens the door for voiceover enthusiasts to turn their passion into a rewarding experience With over 5,000 monthly job postings, this marketplace connects artists with projects. Once the project is completed, the payment is deposited into PayPal accounts. Specifically for audiobook projects, one can earn between $250 and $375 per task. Opting for a Premium membership can increase the chances of landing high-paying jobs, making Voices an ideal platform for aspiring voiceover artists to monetize their skills.

10. Online Book Club

Online Book Club offers a unique opportunity for book enthusiasts to earn between $5 and $60 per review. You get to choose titles from a provided list, receive the books for free, and pen down your thoughts. While the first review may not be paid in cash, subsequent reviews can fetch you a decent income. What's great is that you don't need to submit an application or have prior review samples, making it an ideal platform for beginners.

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