Recommended Reading

Best Books on Filmmaking & Photography

Here are a few of my favorite books all about storytelling, photography, and filmmaking.

Dedicate time to loading your mind with knowledge from those that inspire you, I guarantee you will see direct results in your creative work. Not only will you find a new spark of imagination, but you’ll have the extra drive and motivation to make it happen.

If you find yourself in a slump, grab a new book and immerse yourself in some new inspiration.

These are also amazing gift ideas for the filmmakers and photographers in your life.

The Five C’s of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques

A great start for beginners and seasoned filmmakers alike. This book breaks down the fundamentals, but also gets deep into making your films more cinematic. Highly recommended.

Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Master Shots: 100 Advanced Camera Techniques

A great resource for sparking your creative eye when it comes to brainstorming new and better ways to shoot. Includes tons of images and examples from other famous films so you can see the techniques in detail.

Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Within the Frame: Journey of Photographic Vision

This recommendation actually came from my husband who also loves photography. The author reveals in great detail exactly which settings he uses for each photo – including the exact aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Reading through gives you a quick sense of how these factors can control the outcome for your photos. Highly recommended for anyone just getting into shooting with DSLR cameras and trying to gain a sense of the exposure triangle.

Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Hillman Curtis: On Creating Short Films for the Web

I stumbled across a few short films by Hillman Curtis online a few years ago that completely blew me away. He was a master of storytelling. Sadly he passed away several years ago, but he left a legacy of knowledge and inspiration. One of my all time favorite books about filmmaking, especially for anyone struggling with how to come up with new creative ideas or how to evoke emotion through video.

Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Contagious: Why Things Catch On

I’m just generally curious about the human mind and why people act the way that they do. This one is especially interesting in terms of how people interact with social media, the internet, and communication as a whole. Why are we drawn to certain ideas? Why do things go viral online and what is it about them that makes us want to share that information? This concept applies to so many areas of life: general story-telling, marketing, branding, and pure curiosity.

Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

How to Create Stunning Digital Photography

This book is the for the absolute beginner photographer. You’ll learn everything you need to know in great detail. You can follow along at your own pace, see real life examples, as well as access to videos of the concepts in action. If you are ready to dig in and need a place to start, this is where I would recommend.

Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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Thank you for checking out all my favorite books. Not only have I read them all, I stand behind each and every one of them. As an amazon affiliate, I do receive compensation for mentioning my favorites, however any commission that I earn comes at no cost to you. I hope you enjoy some of these as much as I do!