Books on Photography

About selling pictures and stock photography -
The Business of Photography

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Best Business Practices for Photographers
By John Harrington
Course Technology (24 Oct 2006)

[Have not yet read it but it has been highly recommended. It is on my "Wanted" list.]

It's a book on a subject that should be of great importance to every professional photographer. The blurb on the contents makes me very curious to see it. Having managed businesses in other areas than photography it makes me curious what this book will tell me. This is what Amazon says about it: ""Best Business Practices for Photographers" covers the essential business topics that professional photographers need to know in order to succeed. It does not focus on taking pictures, starting a photography business, or selling photography, but rather explains how photographers can meet important business objectives. Instead, it covers the focal points of best practices - best practices in interacting with clients, best practices in negotiating contracts and licenses, best practices in business operations. This book provides a roadmap for successfully navigating these, and many other issues, facing photographers today."
Buy the book: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | AdLibris | Bokus

Sell & Re-Sell Your Photos
Rohn Engh
Writer's Digest Books

This book is about how to launch yourself, and survive, as an independent stock photographer business. All of that: "launch", "independent", "stock", "business"... It is not much about photography as such but more about the business of doing stock photography. It takes you through how to start up small as a part time photographer, how to crate a (very simple) business plan, how to define and evaluate your target market (and how to change your photography focus if you are not selling), how to manage your independent stock business. It is all very basic things but it is really good to have it put down on paper so that you can read it and think about if you agree or not. And so that you can also think of how you should change what you do so that you will sell more. Certainly a good buy.
Buy this book Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | AdLibris | Bokus

The Freelance Photographer's Market handbook (2005/2006/2007/...)
Bureau of Freelance Photographers
BFP Press

This is essentially a directory of potential photo buyers. It lists by subject area magazine publishers and book publishers. Horribly boring to read but useful if you want to find an address to contact to sell pictures to. It talks a bit about agencies too but that industry is so much in flux these days so I am not sure a book like this manages to be up-to-date. It is nothing more than a place to find prospects. It deals with the UK only! Buy it for the contacts.
Buy this book Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | AdLibris | Bokus

(2005/2006/2007/...) Photographer's Market
Donna Poehner
Writer's Digest Books

This, to put it short, is the same thing as The Freelance Photographer's Market handbook but for the USA. Buy it for the addresses to publishers and editors...
Buy this book Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | AdLibris | Bokus

Le Photographe - Guide Pratique et Juridique pour le Professionnel et l'Amateur
Alain Cabrit
Edition du Puit Fleuri

Legal issues are a problem for photographers in France. Taking pictures (or to be correct, using pictures taken), even in public places, are governed by laws that are not very kind to the photographer. You can get into trouble even for taking a picture (and using it) of a house in a street. This book explains in reasonably easy terms what the laws say, and what you need to think of as a photographer in France. It also talks about the different legal status a photographer can have and the differences they make (independent, employee...).
Buy this book: Amazon.fr.

Photographier dans les lieux publics
La Documentation Française (12 mars 1998)

[Have not yet read it but it has been highly recommended. It is on my "Wanted" list.]

This book deals specifically with the rules and regulations of taking pictures in public places in France. It has been recommended to me by (another) foreign photographer living in France. It's published by a government body and unfortunately out of stock with the publisher, but it seems you can still get it through Amazon.
Buy this book: Amazon.fr

Photos That Sell: The Art of Successful Freelance Photography
Lee Frost
David & Charles

This is a book that gives you glimpses and pointers. Lots of interesting stuff and ideas on how to develop your photography business but perhaps not too much depth. Frost shows with some real examples from his own photography what pictures sell - and for how much and how often. He gives a number of such (entertaining) examples. There are also a number of sections called "Expert View" which read almost like interviews with successful photographers. Also very interesting. I find it less interesting with the series of chapters that reads like "one business idea is to take pictures of flowers and try and sell them" (or business situations, or animals, or...). That's perhaps a bit too obvious. And on the side of digital photography and computers it is distinctly dated... But overall it is definitely a book worth reading for some inspiration (and for some nice pictures in it).

This is what Amazon says about it: "Aimed at both full-time freelancers looking for inspiration and part-time photographers wishing to build up a business, this work combines advice on markets and marketing along with photographic tips, techniques, set-ups and compositions."
Buy this book on Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | AdLibris | Bokus

Photographs That Sell and Sell...
Roger Antrobus
Collins & Brown

[Have not yet read it but it has been highly recommended. It is on my "Wanted" list.]

This is what Amazon says about it: "Have you ever wondered if it is possible to make money from taking photographs 'on spec.'? Many amateur photographers are capable of producing images of a professional quality but are unsure of how to market them. Even professional photographers who normally work to specific commissions are often uncertain how to market their own work. Photographs That Sell and Sell...tells you exactly how to do this. What are the best images to look for? Do I need prohibitively expensive equipment? How do I assess if my pictures are of a commercial standard? All of these questions, and many more, are answered in clear, jargon-free language including the most important of all, How do I approach an agency and present my work to them? Profusely illustrated with a wide variety of Roger Antrobus's best-selling images, from climbers on a snow-capped mountain to a semi-abstract image of car lights at night, each image is fully captioned with explanations on how it was shot, of why it was taken and the reasons for its commercial success."
Buy this book on Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | AdLibris | Bokus

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