Black & White Artistry by Chuck Kimmerle

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It isn't like most out there. It is more so about why a photograph was taken and the vision behind it than the technical details of achieving it. He does go over the technical details of a few images but largely he explains his vision for an image or why he manipulated an image to show how he envisioned a scene. I also enjoyed that in his author's bio he states he doesn't apologize for centering his subject - he creates his art for him not the critics.
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Digital Black & White Landscape Photography by Gary Wagner

He starts with a short overview of how his process from shooting to editing. Then he gives the exact process used in creating some of his favorite images. If it was an image that he put together from multiple exposures he includes thumbnails of each image used which is rather helpful. He goes over what software he used and more specifically what features and settings he used within that software. His images are outstanding and have an Ansel Adams feel, who he sited as one of his inspirations.
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Portraiture Unleashed by Travis Gadsby

This is a book to spark your imagination when you're in a bit of a rut. The 60 different ideas for adding a little oomph to your images are divided into sections. Some of these ideas are fairly common but there were definitely some that surprised me or were being used in a different way than what I had seen before. It's a good book for a little bit of inspiration and of course has numerous sample images.
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Portraiture Unplugged by Carl Caylor

Carl talks about the basics of photography and how he built his natural light studio. Then he provides numerous samples of his work both indoors and out. Each image's lighting is explained as to why he did what he did and sometimes how he would have improved upon the image. He also has a diagram with each picture which I always like. It's a good book to help push your natural lighting skills further.
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Photograph The Nude by Peter Bilous

I think this is a good book for the beginner nude photographer. He talks through working with the models, lighting options and poses for a variety of different situations. His biggest lesson is to just experiment to see what you like and to do this with the collaboration of the model to create some great pieces of art.

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Fine Art Nudes by Stan Trampe

This book has some interesting compositions as well as locations. About half the images were done in a studio and the other half were done on location. One of the most interesting images was a woman lying outstretched on a diagonal ledge on a brick wall. Having the images be B&W takes out the distractions and allows you to see the images for themselves.
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Sexy Curves by Tammy Warnock

I loved the variety of poses she has in this book. She makes it look super easy to pose curvy women in a flattering way. Which after reading her tips I hope I find it that easy in the next session I do. Her tip for hand placement so a large bust doesn't move toward the face was super easy but very effective and one that I will file away for future use. I think overall this was a great read for those pursuing this niche.
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