The Internet is teeming with excellent resources for photographers, but you need to know where to find a great free photography book, ebook, or photography pdf.
Did you know that you can access a wide range of free photography books online? There’s something for everyone from beginners to pros. When it comes to photography, you never stop developing your skills. Some of the best resources to turn to are photography ebooks!
Whether you want to learn how to get started in the photography business, or you need to master a specific technique, you can find free photography ebooks if you know where to look. We’ll share how to get photograph books for free in this handy guide!
These are great to read on your tablet. We recommend the best tablets for photo editing here.
Why Read Photography Books?
When it comes to photography, there’s no such thing as knowing it all. You should never stop learning, growing, and improving as a photographer. It’s vital to be open to new ideas, explore exciting trends, and gain knowledge of different techniques, or you risk developing a creative block.
That’s why we think photographers should regularly devote a chunk of time to reading and learning from other people’s experiences. And the fantastic thing about ebooks is that they are often available for low prices or even for free! You can learn from the expert on topics as wide-ranging as lighting, equipment, focus, composition, and more.
You’ll reach new levels of creativity, inspiration, and motivation as you search to understand more about photography. This collection of ebooks should kick start your journey to discover more about the art of photography!
If you are looking to be inspired by movies on photography, see our post here on movies about photography.
Get Photography Books Free
For everyone from hobby photographers to professionals, we’ve got an ebook on photography to recommend to you! You’ll find everything from how to become a street photographer to portrait photography, post-processing, and more in this complete list!
Ultimate Field Guide to Photography – National Geographic
If you’re just getting started in the photography business, this photography ebook by National Geographic contains everything you need to know. From the essential gear a photographer needs to have, to tips on composition, color balance, and depth of field, it’s all covered here.
This ebook is ideal for complete beginners, as it walks you through the functions on your camera. You’ll find out how to get the most out of your camera, plus plenty of basic and more advanced techniques to use.
Starting a Photography Business – Frank Meo, John Harrington, Greg Smith, and Matt Whatley
Making money from photography isn’t just about taking excellent photos. When you’re running your own business, there’s much more to get your head around, including customer service, marketing, and keeping track of income and outgoings.
This helpful ebook will prepare you for launching your own photography business. If you’re already up and running, you’ll be sure to find some great tips to help you streamline, become more organized, and improve your profits.
Plus, you’ll find inspiring stories from photographers who have been there and done it before you. Find out what worked for them and get their advice on what not to do, as well!
This book is a brilliant resource for all freelance and self-employed photographers who feel overwhelmed by the financial side of the business. Just pop your email in, and the PDF will be sent straight to your inbox.
31 Days to Overcome Your Fear of Shooting Street Photography – Eric Kim
Beginner photographers are often nervous to break into street photography at first, preferring to stick to less intimidating areas of portrait or landscape photography. But this ebook should take away your fear and help you become a confident street photographer.
Eric Kim presents his book in a simple but accessible format, with 31 lessons to work through. The idea is that you complete one lesson per day, gradually building up your skills in street photography.
Kim exposes the main reasons why photographers are afraid of getting into street photography and presents you with easy, actionable steps to break through these fears. An excellent read for any new photographer!
5 Tips for Success When Starting Out in Night Sky Photography – Photzy
Capturing the sky at night can be a challenge for many photographers. This book will guide you through how to take the best photos of the night sky to liven up your Instagram account. An expert night sky photographer shares his insights with you. Just follow his advice, and you, too, will be able to capture beautiful shots of the moon, stars, and sky at night.
The Photographer’s Guide to Facebook – PhotoShelter
However you feel about Facebook, there’s no way around it: As a photographer, you need to have a Facebook presence to be successful. This book will show you how to harness Facebook’s power and reach to grow your following, get your photos in front of a wider audience, and boost your photography biz.
If you want a thriving photography business but you’re stumped by social media, you need to read this book! Discover how other photographers are marketing on Facebook and how you can implement these techniques yourself (with as little effort as possible)!
The Photographer’s Guide to Copyright – PhotoShelter
You might not have thought much (or at all!) about copyright. But when you’re working as a photographer, you need to be up to date on the law. PhotoShelter has created this handy guide that covers everything a professional photographer needs to know.
Make sure you read through this concise ebook and check that you’re taking the right steps to protect your work from copyright theft. You can even find out about court cases for infringement (although we hope you’ll never need it!).
Post Exposure by Ctein
So you know what you’re doing when you’re taking shots, but you need some help with the post-processing? This free ebook about photo editing is for you!
If you’re not sure how to go about post-processing to get the best out of your photos, this ebook will break it down for you. Find out the hottest tips on how to edit your photos, enabling you to bridge the difference between what the lens can capture and what the eye sees.
Before the Shutter: Planning Your Next Travel Photography Adventure – Anne McKinnell
Does travel photography speak to you? Then you need to snag this free ebook! It’s an essential read before you embark on your first adventure as a travel photographer. The author shares a lot of excellent tips on how to best prepare for your trip to a far-flung location, from how to discover the best locations to what you should pack.
Find out exactly what you should do on location, plus what you need to do afterward, too. A great read for any aspiring travel photographer!
The Heart of Portraiture: Examples of Portrait Photography – Don Gianatti
If portrait photography is more your scene, don’t miss this guide to taking portrait shots. Find out exactly how an expert composes portrait images, and how you can recreate the natural light in any of his examples.
This is a brilliant resource for both beginners and professionals. Not only can you get inspiration from the included images, but the author provides you with clear steps you can implement to improve your images.
Close Up and Macro Photography: A Primer – Michael Erlewine
If you’ve been curious about macro photography, this ebook is a must-read! You’ll find all the tips and techniques to take jaw-dropping macro shots. It’s essential to learn new skills and improve as a photographer. This lengthy guide goes into incredible detail on every aspect of creating close-ups and macro images.
Make sure you save this guide to your laptop or Google Drive so that you can refer back to it whenever you need to. There’s a lot of information to take in, but your hard work and effort will be worth it when you capture some amazing macro shots.
Exposure: Understanding Light – Nigel Hicks
Every photographer needs to understand light and how it affects their images. While this topic can be complex, this excellent free ebook delves into all aspects of light in a manner that is both captivating and easy to understand.
If you need an introduction to lighting and how it affects your street photography, landscape photography, and portraits, start with this short but sweet guide.
100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography – Eric Kim
Another masterpiece by Eric Kim, this book is the one to turn to when you’re feeling a little lost, dispirited, and low on creativity. It’s a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration from the best street photographers, past and present.
You’ll find yourself coming back again and again to this pithy ebook, packed full of incredible images and motivational quotes. It might be just what you need to take your street shots to the next level.
Step inside another artist’s head and discover what their vision and thought process is when they take a photo. This book deserves a place on every photographer’s bookshelf (or laptop/Kindle).
The Wrap Up
The Internet is teeming with excellent resources for photographers, but you need to know where to find a great photography ebook or photography pdf. We’ve saved you time with this detailed list of the best free photography ebooks on every topic you could wish for. You can access all these free ebooks from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop no matter where you are, making learning about photography easier (and cheaper) than ever before.
If you’ve wanted to learn photography but didn’t know how to get started, these recommendations should help! And if you want to improve in a certain area, you’ll be sure to find plenty of useful tips in a photography ebook on our list.
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